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Can my family accompany me on a non-O visa while I study in Thailand?
Visa RulesEducation VisaNon-O VisaDependent VisasFamily ImmigrationInternational SchoolsGI BillRetired MilitaryDTV Visa
Mar 12, 2026
2 months ago
Chris *******
ORIGINAL POSTERTrying to sanity check my plans- I'm about to retire from the (US) military, planning on moving over to Bangkok and attending university on GI Bill. I know it's no problem to get my own Ed visa through the school, but the school I'm planning on attending is saying they (and others) don't provide sponsorship for family members.
Would my wife and son (14) not be able to accompany me via non-O immigrant visa?
We are planning on enrolling him into one of the international schools, but prob not until we're settled and have things figured out a little better, maybe the second school year in country- so getting him an Ed visa and putting my wife on as the caretaker doesn't help.
DTV for wife, with son as dependent? Is that a viable plan?
I am looking to talk with a visa agent for some clarification/advice.
I would get my own DTV, but I *want* to attend university, and it's my understanding that the schools will push me onto their own Ed visa.
Thank you
Would my wife and son (14) not be able to accompany me via non-O immigrant visa?
We are planning on enrolling him into one of the international schools, but prob not until we're settled and have things figured out a little better, maybe the second school year in country- so getting him an Ed visa and putting my wife on as the caretaker doesn't help.
DTV for wife, with son as dependent? Is that a viable plan?
I am looking to talk with a visa agent for some clarification/advice.
I would get my own DTV, but I *want* to attend university, and it's my understanding that the schools will push me onto their own Ed visa.
Thank you
TLDR : Answer Summary
The discussion revolves around the challenges of moving to Thailand as a retired military member using the GI Bill for education, specifically regarding visa options for the family. The original poster is considering an education visa (Ed visa) for themselves but learns that their intended university does not provide sponsorship for dependents, making it unclear how to get visas for their wife and son. Suggestions include exploring the DTV route for the family, understanding the school's visa requirements, and the potential need for border runs every 180 days. Several comments emphasize the importance of consulting with a professional visa agent to clarify options.
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Liza ********
Just get a reputable agent to help you understand your options and the pros and cons - not great to rely on strangers to advise you who have no stake in your choices and may not always have the most up to date and complete understandings. Reach out to a few agents (you can find them here or on Google) have interviews with them and see who is able to give you information that is consistent and credible. Its a complicated process, the rules change with some frequency so better to work with professionals - choose carefully and you should be ok.
TalentedC*********
We are a military retired family and we chose the DTV route. I’m still in school on the GI bill and both our kids do online homeschooling. I could have easily gotten an ED visa but we decided since we can all be on my husband’s DTV it’s actually easier so we only have one Visa to track.
Chris *******
ORIGINAL POSTERTalentedCelery4357 Thank you! If you don't mind, could you or your husband hit me up so I could get some more specifics?
Reply to
Chris *******
Reply
Vicky *****************
Thai Visa Solutions helped me with my visa. They made it easy
Chris *******
ORIGINAL POSTERVicky Gardner Rosser thank you for the suggestion, I reached out to them
Reply to
Chris *******
Reply
Lance ***************
You get Ed Visa through your university your son gets Ed Visa through his school mom gets a guardian visa through son's school also got it. Welcome to the suck 😂
Potpon******
If you’re going to a university you want the
Ed plus Visa….the benefits are great it’s a 5 year visa and you can open a bank acct
Ed plus Visa….the benefits are great it’s a 5 year visa and you can open a bank acct
Chris *******
ORIGINAL POSTERPotpong_Life I've already got a BA, I wasn't planning on going to school full-time for a new degree as much as utilizing my college benefits as an income stream.
Potpon******
Chris Lynch if you’re not going to a Thai university or an authorized Ed visa program (language cooking Muay Thai etc)
It’s difficult to get a Ed visa to nearly impossible
You might want to look into other visas like the
DTV
Elite
LTR
or start a Thai company
It’s difficult to get a Ed visa to nearly impossible
You might want to look into other visas like the
DTV
Elite
LTR
or start a Thai company
Chris *******
ORIGINAL POSTERPotpong_Life that's not what I meant- I will be attending Thai university full time, but the end goal is not another degree. I have 12 months of education benefit that I can't pass to my dependents which I would like to utilize for "income".
Deepak *******
Chris Lynch, get an ED+ visa for university-level education, not a simple ED visa
Chris *******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Deepak ******
I'm aware of the Ed versus Ed plus, but that's not what I'm asking about.Reply to
Chris *******
Reply
CleverF*******
Potpong_Life I was about to comment about not being able to open a bank account (using a DTV visa) will be very inconvenient for long term stay in Thailand.
Potpon******
CleverFrog1651 if you’re getting a full 4 year degree then you need a bank acct
Reply to
Potpon******
Reply
Brandon ************
If the University will not sponsor dependants, then you wouldn't be able to get them a non-O based on yourself.
As for if the University requires you to be on an Education visa, just ask them. It's going to be more paperwork for them, so they really shouldn't have a problem with you being on a DTV. The only reason some schools require the ED is so your legal status in Thailand is dependant upon your payment to the school for continued study.
If your wife and child got a DTV, just make sure you plan for them needing to do a border bounce every 180 days.
As for if the University requires you to be on an Education visa, just ask them. It's going to be more paperwork for them, so they really shouldn't have a problem with you being on a DTV. The only reason some schools require the ED is so your legal status in Thailand is dependant upon your payment to the school for continued study.
If your wife and child got a DTV, just make sure you plan for them needing to do a border bounce every 180 days.
Chris *******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Brandon ***********
That's a good point- I'll reach out to the school and clarify if they REQUIRE me to be on an Ed visa. The border bounce is easy enough to navigate.Kool *******
You can go to school on any visa extension. You do not need an ED visa for school.
Brandon ************
@Kool ******
but some schools will not let you attend without being on an ED from themReply to
Brandon ************
Reply
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