Education Visa

Education Visa

The Education visa is a special visa for people wishing to study in Thailand. Like everything in Thailand there is a slight catch here. You can't get this visa until you have enrolled in a course! Not all courses are able to obtain an education visa for you. 

Before you can obtain the paperwork for this visa most schools will require you to have paid for the course in full before hand many places ask for a visa application fee as well because the application process incurs a charge through city hall.

The Education visa is probably the most popular visa for people wishing to stay long term within the kingdom of Thailand. A lot of language schools and universities offer Thai language or culture courses that come with a 1 year visa. Some TEFL courses are able to obtain an education visa as well. 

The process is much the same as you Non-O and Non-B visa where in you receive detailed paperwork from your school then you can apply to an embassy for the correct Visa, after which your permission to stay in the country can be extended to 1 year. In most cases you are only allowed 3 education visas. I have heard of people that have obtained more however the official rule is 3. 

There is a few check ins that you must do at immigration to obtain extensions. Most places want you to attend their course so they often wont supply you with the paperwork needed if you don't attend their course. This protects them from random immigration inspections.

Non-Immigrant-B visa

Non-Immigrant-B visa

The Non-Immigrant-B visa is a special visa for people wishing to work in Thailand. Like everything in Thailand there is a slight catch here. You can't get this visa until you have a job! So in order to get the visa you will have to obtain a normal tourist visa, find a job, get the correct paperwork for your employer then leave the country and obtain the Non-B visa at any Thai embassy.

Having a work permit does not allow you to work freely within the kingdom of Thailand. It allows you to work for the company that is listed on the permit only! It is illegal to take outside work, private work, or even for your company to send you to a different place to work.

The Visa is essentially a 60 day visa that can be extended another 30 days the same way that the tourist visa can be.  Double entry Non-B visas are available. 

With the visa you can apply for a work permit that allows you to stay in the kingdom so long as you are working for the organisation that is listed on the work permit. If you change employers you must also change work permits. This is a relatively simple process that your employer should take care of.  I do know of some people where their employer tells them that it can't be done and makes them start the entire work permit application over again, which involves leaving the country. This is the easiest thing for the employer but requires a lot of work, stress and money on your part.

Non-immigrant-O visa

Non-immigrant-O visa

The Non-Immigrant-O visa is a special visa for volunteers in Thailand. In order to obtain this visa you will need specific paper work from a charity or volunteer organisation. Once you have this paper work you can go to a Thai embassy and apply for you Non-O visa.

The Visa is essentially a 60 day visa that can be extended another 30 days the same way that the tourist visa can be. However, with the visa you can apply for a work permit that allows you to stay in the so long as you are volunteering for the organisation that is listed on the work permit.

With the Non-O visa and work permit obtained through it you are NOT allowed to undertake paid work of any type! If you do and you are caught this is fraud, as you have signed official government documents saying you wont be receiving payment for any work that you do with-in the kingdom of Thailand. You will most likely be fined, deported and blacklisted from the country.

I have heard of some schools that like to put their teachers on Non-O visa instead of the Non-B visa. I can not see the benefit in them doing this and I would strongly advise anyone to be sure that the company employing them is doing so under the legally correct visa as ignorance is not going to be an accepted excuse. Normally if they are trying to place employees on a Non-O visa instead of the correct Non-B visa it is because they have been banned or restricted in the amount of Non-B visa that can issue.

Tourist Visa

Tourist Visa are available at any Thai embassy. It is usually a 60 day visa but can be extended another 30 days at an immigration centre before it expires. It should be noted that when you apply for your extension it starts from the day you apply. So there's no point going 3 weeks early.

You can also apply for a double entry tourist visa. This is really 2 60 day visas which both can be extend the extra 30 days. Which give you a total of 180 days in the kingdom.

Tourist Stamp

Tourist Stamp

Thailand offers tourist that are very organised 2 visa on arrival options.

The 1st is a 30 day tourist stamp and is available if you arrive by air.

The 2nd is only 15 days and available is you arrive by land.

I have no idea what you can get if you arrive by sea. If anyone out there knows can they please let me know and we will post it here too.