What visa options are available for living in Thailand while taking Thai language and massage courses?

You can do it the way that

@Reiner ********

explained above but if you don’t want to go outside the country to change your visa when you arrive here, do your research online and use the farang learn Thai Facebook page to get some reviews from other students currently learning Thai at schools here. Most schools have their courses and fees displayed on their website and some will organise the education visa paperwork for you so you can apply at the Thai embassy in Portugal before you leave (this is what I did) I will say though if you are going to do it this way you must leave yourself enough time for the school to get the paperwork in order as they need a letter from the MOE in Bangkok before you can apply for this visa. If your school is based in BKK it shouldn’t be too long I would plan for about a month at least before you visit Thailand. If the school is outside BKK at least 2 months, as mine took nearly this long inc courier to my home Country and applying by post to the embassy.

I have been here longer then 12 months on tourist visas alone. Not the most recommended method and I consider myself lucky but it is doable. You can look into a multiple entry visa also (only available in your home country).

If you are legitimately considering school for the sake of self-growth, I would recommend getting a tourist visa in your home country. Come here, look into different schools, talk to the pupils, teachers etc, before committing to any one school. Once you've decided on the school, they should be able to help you with the visa paperwork for ED visa (that stands for Educational, not Erectile Dysfunction). The ED visa will require to you travel to another country (Lao will do) to get a new visa.

Really, the important thing, is know the school before commiting

You need proper Papers from the Schools to get a Education Visa from outside Thailand...Easy if you come from Portugal ( buy it in the thai embassy there, look for the papers you need to show there) with a 60 days tourist Visa witch you can extend here for 30 days more so 9o days, to find the perfect school for you and then you travel to a nearby consulate to get your education visa for 90 days and this can be extend here again ...