How can I obtain an education visa for myself and my partner in Thailand?

@Abbie *******

Whether you like it or not, the first step in getting a legit ED visa would be to find a school. Once you sign up for classes, the school will prepare the documents that you need to obtain the visa, and you will then most likely, have to travel to a neighboring country, to have the visa approved and attached.

What I think you ask for, is an agent that can skip the initial steps, and just hand you a visa. Unfortunately, that is not legal at all, and surely not the correct way to do it.

How is the agent supposed to get you a legit ED, without a school involved? 🙂

@Ulrik ********

Agents these days are only able to assist if you actually attend school. I'd certainly steer clear of any agent who claims to offer an ED visa that isn't supported by paperwork from a school.

@Paul ******

exactly what I was trying to explain the OP. I'm not sure why she is so persistent in finding an agent, instead of just finding herself a school.

No agent will do any good for her, and trying to get the visa through a BKK school (while residing in Phuket) is not how to do it.

@Ulrik ********

Correct. Agents can still be used for some visa types but volunteer visas are out altogether while for education visas, the paperwork needs to be obtained through the sponsoring school.

@Paul ******

I can see the upsides of using an agent for certain types of visas or tasks, but there are no benefits of contacting an agent when obtaining a genuine ED. Find a school and take it from there. 🙂

@Abbie *******

The choices you have is between schools, so that's where you got to start.

Ask in here or do a google search for reviews of schools in your area.

When you have decided on a school you give them a call and ask about the process, or go to visit them.

When you have signed up for classes, they will take a copy of your passport, take some passport photos and prepare the needed documents for you.

When the said documents are done, you will have to sign them.

For this part, there is really nothing an agent can do for you. I doubt many / any of them can tell you anything about the level of education in the different schools, and apart from an endless amount of signatures, there is little to no paperwork, you will have to fill out by yourself.

Very few schools can convert from a tourist visa/visa exempt to an ED visa inside the country. So you will most likely have to travel to a nearby embassy such as in Penang, Kuala Lumpur, or Singapore to get the visa attached.

By doing it this way, there is NOTHING you can do wrong. Besides showing up, there is no work in it for you, and it is really a quite simple process.

It is not my business or concern if you want to study or not, and I couldn't care less how you obtain your visa. 🙂

11 years ago when a friend 😉 moved here, he got royally screwed over by the agent that helped him obtain his ED. He didn't find out until after his 2nd year, and he ended up in A LOT of trouble. Only VERY deep pockets and a lot of luck/contacts got him out, and I do not wish for others to end up in the same situation as him.

I am really only trying to help you, and the best way I can do that is to make you forget about having an agent to "help you out".

Best of luck 🙂

Ps. There are plenty of Phuket forums on FB. Perhaps joining one of them and asking for school reviews, would be where to start 🙂

@Abbie *******

No.

After you have signed the papers from your school, they will send them to the ministry of education for approval. When approved, they will send them back to your school. With the documents in hand, your passport and some passport pictures you are ready to apply for the visa.

Very few language schools can get your tourist visa/visa exempt converted to an ED visa inside the country. Duke in BKK is one of the exceptions, but they don't have a school in Phuket, so they are of no use to you.

I do not know if any schools here in Phuket can convert inside the country, but you can ask about it in a Phuket forum.

If you can convert inside the country, you just go to the local immigration and hand in your application.

If you need to convert outside, you will have to travel to an embassy outside the country to apply for the visa (you will have to stay 1 or 2 nights)

Hope that made it more clear 😃

@Abbie *******

Sorry, don't mean to confuse you 🙂

The visa center you emailed, is located in BKK. The school you got advised is located in BKK 🙂

@Abbie *******

Duke Language schools process as an example

@Alistair *********

13 passport photos? Why not 27 passport photos?

@Paul ******

@Abbie *******

the schools literally organize it for you. It's not like a retirement visa where you do it yourself.

@Abbie *******

pretty sure most schools attend 5 days a week

@Abbie *******

that's the old way of doing things but there were too many iffy ED visas so they've really clamped down on them. I'd really advise you find the school that provides the course you want to study and go from there rather than use an agent and have trouble down the line.

@Abbie *******

up to you. I can't help with agents.

@Abbie *******

why do u need an agent? just go to a few schools and compare>

@Abbie *******

.. usually only the schools will get that for you now not the agents. You'll have to apply for a school pay the fee and then prove to immigration you're going to the school.