Education visa may be applied for by those entering Thailand for educational purposes.
Pursuant to the Immigration Act of 1979, Section 34 (10) permits foreigners to enter the Kingdom for temporary stay for the purpose of education. Under Section 35 (3) of the Act, those entering the Kingdom for educational purposes shall not be permitted to stay here for a time period exceeding one year. However, Section 35 further states that if it is deemed necessary to stay for longer than the prescribed period, permission may be granted, but for no more than one year at a time. When applying for extension of temporary stay each time, the foreigner shall submit an application and pay the fees as required under the Ministerial Regulations.
Applying from abroad: You can apply for a non-immigrant “ED” visa at the Royal Thai Consulate in your country country. This visa is valid for 90 days and the application fee depends on the respective Thai Consulate where the application is being filed.
Applying from Thailand: If in Thailand on a non-immigrant “O” visa, a tourist visa or a different type of visa, you can apply for a visa conversion to a non-immigrant “ED” visa at the immigration department in Thailand. The new student visa obtained will be valid for 90 days and the fee for visa conversion is 2,000 THB.
Having obtained a student visa, which is valid for 90 days, you will need to file for an extension if you wish to stay in the Kingdom for a longer period. It is recommended that you contact the immigration department for an extension of stay no less than 15 days before the expiry date of your visa, in order for the officials to process your application. The fee for extension of stay for a student visa is 1,900 THB for each time, and is valid for one year, whereby the student will be required to make a notification of stay in the Kingdom every 90 days at any immigration office throughout the country.
When the application has been successful, the student will receive a non-immigrant “ED” visa, valid for 90 days from the date the student enters the Kingdom.