There are many visa categories under Thai Immigration law. This page takes a brief look at two types of visas which some foreign nationals use to remain in Thailand: the ED visa and the O visa.
The Thai Education visa has become very popular among foreign nationals who wish to live in Thailand while pursuing an academic course of study. The Thai Education or student visa is officially categorized as an ED visa. There are pros and cons associated with the ED visa. The most notable drawback of the Thai ED visa is the fact that is does not easily permit the visa holder to apply for work authorization in the form of a Thai work permit. Therefore, the ED visa is not a viable option for those wishing to earn a living in Thailand. The upside of the ED visa is the fact that the bearer can extend the visa with relative ease. That being said, all extensions can be rather time consuming as there is usually a great deal of documentation that must be supplied and most of this documentation is written in Thai.
The Thailand visas categorized under “O” can be used for a variety of different purposes. The “O” category is essentially a “catch-all” type of visa for those who do not easily fit into the other categories. However, relatives of Thai nationals routinely use the “O” visa to travel to Thailand for long periods of time. Foreign retirees often use “O” visas to remain in lawful status in the Kingdom (this type of Thai travel document is commonly referred to as the Thailand Retirement Visa). Those using an O visa for retirement purposes cannot obtain work authorization as employment is expressly forbidden to those foreigners in the Kingdom for retirement purposes.
In general, obtaining a work permit on a Thai O visa can be a difficult task as officials at the Thai Ministry of Labour do not usually like granting work authorization unless the Thai O visa was granted because the foreign national is related to a Thai. In cases where an O visa is granted based upon kinship with a Thai obtaining a Thai work permit is generally a routine matter. However, those in Thailand who wish to extend a Thai O visa will usually need to prove that they have the statutorily prescribed financial resources necessary to support a Thai family.
For those interested in applying for a Thai visa it may be wise to contact professionals who can assist in preparing an application. Contact Integrity Legal for more details.
