Can I change my student visa to a work visa without leaving Thailand?

I have always had to leave the country to get a work visa....even before covid.....

This was 9 years ago, that I changed my ED visa extension to a type M media visa extension, and got a work permit, without leaving the country. It should be no different, unless the rules changed since then. A problem I ran into was not with my ED visa extension being still valid, but with my valid re-enter permit. It took officers at Chomchuri square immigration office about 30 minutes to figure out what to do with that, and conversations with three different levels of supervisors. Then it was decided I had to sign a letter they typed up, not a form letter, authorizing it to be voided. That was a strange day.

it must be possible now to change visas within the country. talk to your local immigration officer