If you're actually studying the visa costs a fraction of that.

And if you're going to stay here long term, you might as well use that money to learn the language.

A volonteer visa (through agents, not legit ones) cost 35-55k and are much better than ED visas, since you don't have to go to immigration and extend the visa every 3 months, like you have to do with an ED visa.

@Paul ****

no clue, really. But pretty sure you can Google and find a few foundations ready to hire someone. Good luck bud

I spent 4 months studying at

@RTL-S*****

in Phloen Chit and walked out of there speaking Thai well enough to have conversations and eventually became near fluent.

I highly recommend that school and they can help you with your ED visa.

Get the visa and spare yourself the hassle (and possible scams) of having to deal with immigration.

Get on a class 2 train ride from BKK to Kanchanaburi. It's uncomfortable and hot, but it will give you a real Thai feeling and you'll arrive in a historically important city that has a ton of charm and lots of nature to explore. Get a bungalow right on the riverside. You can get on a boat that takes you upstream and then you can float down the river all the way back to your bungalow.

@Paul ****

yes, that's what it costs when you're actually volonteering. If you just buy one, you're basically bribing agents and immigration officers to get the visa.

They stopped selling volonteer visas in November 2021. It might come back, it might not. Nobody knows.

Anyway, they used to cost 35-55,000 baht per year, depending on which agent you used.

@Andy *******

that's 100% subjective. I'm glad you've found the right place where you feel at home.

@Nishant ***********

but that's a one time cost, going between countries is a cost every time you cross a border.

Just trying to help, you make your own decisions.

Actual advice: Go to south America instead and you'll save a ton on visa related costs.