You Want to Study
Foreigners who wish to study in Thailand need an Education Visa (Non-Immigrant ‘ED’) in order to do so. ‘Studying’ in Thailand is a broad definition which includes university studies, language classes, Thai boxing classes, cooking classes and much more. Education visas have long been a preferred way for long time ‘tourists’ to stay legally in the country and many Thai language schools advertise 1 year visas as an extra incentive. The Thai Immigration Bureau have recently taken action against some of these ‘visa mills’ where the academic standards are very low. Thai language students may now be questioned and examined in their language skills when they try to renew their visa.
There are of course many excellent academic institutions in Bangkok, such as Thammasat University, Chulanlongkorn University, Mahidol University and Ramkhamhaeng University. Any reputable school will have no problems arranging for you to get a visa. It’s best to check beforehand if the organization or institute you want to study with can help you get an ‘ED’ Visa.
Once you have been given the 3-month ‘ED’ Visa, you can extend it for a year at the Immigration Office (see details below) by getting a new letter from your school.
Non-Immigrant ‘ED’ Visa
This is an Education Visa offered to foreigners who wish to study in Thailand. It is valid for an inital period of 3 months and can then be extended for a full year. The ‘ED’ Visa is usually only a single entry visa, which means you have to apply for a re-entry permit at the Immigration Office if you wish to leave the country and return.
Required Documents:
- Passport valid for at least 6 months forward
- Visa application form filled out
- One recent photo of applicant (4×6 cm)
- An official letter from the head of the department concerned requesting for a visa for the applicant
- Photocopy of passport
It’s usually an easy process to obtain an Education Visa. All it requires is a letter from the learning institution that you have been accepted to. You can then, letter in hand, apply for the visa at any Thai embassy or convert your existing visa at the Immigration Office in Chaeng Wattana, Bangkok.
Government Center Chaeng Wattana Building B, Nr. 120
Moo 3, ChaengWattana Road Soi 7,
Tung Song Hong Subdistrict
Laksi, Bangkok 10210
Dependents and spouse
Your spouse and children are eligible to stay in Thailand on Non-Immigration O Visas (dependent visa), for as long as your ED visa is valid.
