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Can my son attend school in Thailand on an LTR Visa, or does he need an ED Visa?
Nov 10, 2025
6 months ago
Jeffrey **********
ORIGINAL POSTERPlan on moving to Thailand under the LTR Visa program; my wife and son will fall under the LTR visa as dependents. So far pretty easy. My son will be attending school within a year after moving, and from what I am being told, he will need an ED Visa, as he will not be allowed to attend school on an LTR visa (doesnt make sense but whatever). I have also read that we have to apply for his ED visa in another country, it cannot be applied for while we are here. Is this in fact true, will we have to fly back to the Philippines make an appointment at the Thai Embassy and apply for an ED visa to allow our son to go to school here? Will he be able to hold both visa's, and if so, can/will the LTR visa be primary? Very contradictory what I am reading online; hoping somebody has gone through this already and can provide some insight.
TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is planning to move to Thailand under the LTR Visa program and is inquiring about visa requirements for their son, who will need to attend school. Confusion arises over whether the son can attend school on an LTR visa or if he must obtain an Education (ED) visa instead. Comments suggest that while some believe he can attend school on the LTR visa, others assert the need for an ED visa. Various opinions highlight the complexities of switching visas and the requirement to potentially apply for the ED visa outside Thailand.
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Jeffrey **********
ORIGINAL POSTERAll those that state children can go to school on "any" visa please provide me with links that back that up. Here is a reply from one of the Visa agencies, "For your information, it is indeed correct that in order to attend a school, your son will need to have an ED visa.
Therefore, after your son got LTR and before he will be attending school, he will indeed need to change his visa from LTR to ED visa instead."
Therefore, after your son got LTR and before he will be attending school, he will indeed need to change his visa from LTR to ED visa instead."
Dca *****
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Jeffrey **********
ORIGINAL POSTERReply to
Jeffrey **********
Reply
Tony ********
A student visa is only required by those entering the country for the sole purpose of attending an education facility. Your son is entering as a dependant child presumably of school age, meaning there is an expectation he will attend some form of school to maintain his education. There are thousands of children of expats on various visa's here as dependants and attending schools no ed visa required. You yourself may decide to enroll in a school to learn Thai to ease your stay, you don't have to get a different visa for that.
Jeffrey **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Tony *******
reply from one of the visa agencies, "For your information, it is indeed correct that in order to attend a school, your son will need to have an ED visa.Therefore, after your son got LTR and before he will be attending school, he will indeed need to change his visa from LTR to ED visa instead."
Jeffrey **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Tony *******
Where does it state that?Reply to
Jeffrey **********
Reply
Brandon ************
He CAN attend school while on an LTR. If the school says otherwise it's because they want his permission to stay in Thailand linked to his tuition payment. So if you don't pay or enroll him for another year then he loses his permission to stay. It's extortion basically. As far as Thai immigration is concerned, you can study on any visa.
You cannot hold 2 visas at the same time. You would need to talk to the BOI about how you would cancel an LTR visa.
If you went that route, you would need to cancel the LTR (if possible) and then leave Thailand to clear his status. Then if the school can support an in-country conversion from tourist to student you can return and have him stamped in visa exempt and get the literal mountain of paperwork from the school (a few hundred pages sometimes) and go to immigration to apply. If the school cannot supply this paperwork then you would need to go to another country and apply for the ED visa through the Thai embassy in whatever country you're in. There's no appointments to make as all Thai embassies are on the e-visa system so you do everything online.
If I were you I would find a school that isn't extortionate and will let your son attend as long as he can show he's on a legal permission to stay. And get it in writing before paying tuition.
You cannot hold 2 visas at the same time. You would need to talk to the BOI about how you would cancel an LTR visa.
If you went that route, you would need to cancel the LTR (if possible) and then leave Thailand to clear his status. Then if the school can support an in-country conversion from tourist to student you can return and have him stamped in visa exempt and get the literal mountain of paperwork from the school (a few hundred pages sometimes) and go to immigration to apply. If the school cannot supply this paperwork then you would need to go to another country and apply for the ED visa through the Thai embassy in whatever country you're in. There's no appointments to make as all Thai embassies are on the e-visa system so you do everything online.
If I were you I would find a school that isn't extortionate and will let your son attend as long as he can show he's on a legal permission to stay. And get it in writing before paying tuition.
Jeffrey **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Brandon ***********
reply from one of the Visa agencies, "For your information, it is indeed correct that in order to attend a school, your son will need to have an ED visa.Therefore, after your son got LTR and before he will be attending school, he will indeed need to change his visa from LTR to ED visa instead."
Jeffrey **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Brandon ***********
"No, you cannot attend school in Thailand on just any visa; you must obtain a specific Non-Immigrant ED Visa (Education Visa) for formal or long-term study. A Tourist Visa is only for very short, informal courses, and other visa types like an Elite or Tourist visa are explicitly not permitted for school attendance. " Please direct me to anywhere that backs up your statement
Stuart *********
Yes you can attend a school on any visa type. LTR, Ed visa, visa exempt or whatever.
The school may prefer that they have an Ed visa but it’s not a physical requirement.
The school may prefer that they have an Ed visa but it’s not a physical requirement.
Jeffrey **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Stuart ********
where do you read that?Brandon ************
@Jeffrey *********
an education visa is just a visa people use to stay in Thailand. There's no law that says you must be on an education visa to attend a school. It's the school first, then the visa, not the other way around.Reply to
Brandon ************
Reply
Jeffrey **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Brandon ***********
Can you reference where you read something that states the opposite of the following - (I'd really like to read it) "No, a student cannot go to school on an LTR visa; an LTR visa is for specific categories like wealthy individuals, pensioners, or high-skilled professionals, not for students. To study in Thailand, a student must apply for a separate Non-Immigrant "ED" visa (education visa) from the Thai embassy or consulate"
Reply to
Jeffrey **********
Reply
John **********
Pretty sure he can't hold 2 visas. Ask the school he will attend if they will accept him on the LTR visa, I don't see why they wouldn't
Jeffrey **********
ORIGINAL POSTER@John *********
I did ask, and the answer is no. They must have an ED Visa... The whole thing is somewhat convoluted, but I will do some digging.Kim **********
@Jeffrey *********
they may not actually understand what an LTR visa is. It’s somewhat new and many places don’t really understand it. They generally just aren’t allowed to be on a tourist visa.John **********
@Jeffrey *********
in which case I don't see how he could apply for an ED visa while holding an LTR visa. An extension is treated differentlyReply to
John **********
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