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For students joining a full-length program

Study with us longer: how to register and what to know about the ED Visa

Our full Thai (14 months 2 weeks) and English (12 months) programs are long enough to need a Non-Immigrant ED (Education) Visa. Here is how registration works, how the visa follows your program levels, and what you are responsible for while you study.

Please note: Bubble Language School is a private language school registered with the Ministry of Education. We teach Thai and English; we do not sell visas. We are not a government agency or visa agent and cannot grant a visa. Visas and extensions of stay are decided only by Royal Thai Embassies / Consulates and the Thai Immigration Bureau. For our enrolled students, we prepare the school documents at no additional service fee. Government fees are paid directly to the authorities and may change.
Section 1 of 8

How to register and your program timeline

Choose your program, register and pay tuition at the school (cash, bank transfer, credit card or Thai QR / PromptPay). From there, our team prepares all of your school documents and guides you step by step, keeping you posted at every stage, at no additional service fee. A few steps must be done by you in person, as required by the authorities.

I am already in Thailand

You entered Thailand on a tourist or visa-exempt entry and will change to an ED Visa in Bangkok.

  1. 1
    Register at the school You + our team
    Complete registration and pay tuition. Our team checks your documents (section 2).
    Day 1
  2. 2
    Police clearance certificate, if required You, in person
    We issue a school letter. You submit the application in person at the Royal Thai Police clearance center. When it is ready, our staff can collect it for you with your authorisation.
    Timeline: 7–10 working days
  3. 3
    Ministry of Education application Our team
    The school submits your application to the Ministry of Education.
    Timeline: at least 14 working days
  4. 4
    ED Visa document preparation Our team
    After approval, we prepare the full document set you need to change your visa.
    Timeline: 7 working days
  5. 5
    Change your visa at Immigration You, in person
    Go to the Immigration Office with the documents we prepare and change your tourist or visa-exempt entry to an ED Visa. Government fee 2,000 THB. Send us a photo of your new stamp.
    Submit before your current stay has less than 15 days left
Overall processing is usually within 30 days. You must still have at least 15 days left on your current permission of stay when you change your visa; if time is short, we may suggest extending your entry by 30 days first. Steps 2 and 5 must be done by you in person.
I am outside Thailand

You will apply for your ED Visa online before you travel to Thailand.

  1. 1
    Send your registration documents You
    After payment, send your passport scan, passport photo and Student Registration Form (section 2).
    As soon as possible after payment
  2. 2
    School and Ministry of Education documents Our team
    We obtain your Ministry of Education letter and prepare the school letter of acceptance, school registration license and support letter.
    Timeline: 7–14 business days
  3. 3
    Apply online for your ED e-Visa You
    Apply through the official Thai e-Visa system with the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in your country of legal residence. Upload our documents with your air ticket, accommodation and bank statement, and pay the embassy fee.
    Timeline: usually 3–7 business days
  4. 4
    Arrive and start classes You + our team
    Bring your printed e-Visa, ask your accommodation to file your TM30, and visit the school with your passport to start your program.
    In your first week
Total time is approximately 2–3 weeks from receiving your documents. We are with you at every step.

How the visa follows your program

Thai Program · 14 months 2 weeks

Basic 3 months 3 weeks · Intermediate 4 months 3 weeks · Advanced 6 months. The program runs in two visa cycles: you finish Basic and Intermediate, leave Thailand once, then return with a new ED Visa for the Advanced level.

Part 1 · in Thailand Length Running total
ED Visa, first stamp 90 days 3 months · Basic begins
Extension 1 3 weeks 3 months 3 weeks · Basic done
Extensions 2–3 2 months each 7 months 3 weeks
Extension 4 3 weeks 8 months 2 weeks · Intermediate done
Leave Thailand, then apply for a new ED Visa for the Advanced level
Part 2 · return Length Running total
New ED Visa, first stamp 90 days 3 months · Advanced begins
Extension 1 2 months 5 months
Extension 2 1 month 6 months · program complete
English Program · 12 months

Basic 3 months 3 weeks · Intermediate 3 months 3 weeks · Advanced 4 months 2 weeks. Most students arrive on a tourist or visa-exempt entry, change to the ED Visa in Thailand, then extend five times without leaving the country.

Stage Length Running total
Change to ED Visa 90 days 3 months
Extension 1 about 1 month 4 months
Extensions 2–5 2 months each 12 months · program complete

These are typical examples. The exact length of each extension is decided by Immigration and follows your Ministry of Education letter.

Section 2 of 8

ED Visa: documents required

Send these to our admin team when you register. The Embassy or Immigration may ask you for more.

Applying from abroad
  • Full scan of every passport page, signed on each page in blue ink; passport valid at least 6 months
  • Digital passport photo, 3.5 × 4.5 cm, white background, formal style, taken in the last 6 months
  • Student Registration Form, completed in block letters and signed at "Foreign student"
  • One PDF if possible, or separate JPEG / PNG files for photos
Also needed for your e-Visa application
  • Air ticket (arrival and return or onward)
  • Accommodation confirmation in Thailand
  • Bank statement for the past 6 months
  • Official translations of anything not in English or Thai
Already in Thailand
  • Passport with at least 15 days of permitted stay left
  • 12 passport photos, 4 × 6 cm (a photo shop is right across from the school)
  • TM30 address registration (see section 7)
  • Cancellation letter, only if you previously studied at another school on an ED Visa
  • Tuition payment

After approval, we give you the school documents for your own application: the Ministry of Education letter of acceptance, the school letter of acceptance, the school registration license and a support letter. Some nationalities also need a police clearance certificate (section 8).

Section 3 of 8

What you should know about the ED Visa

  • It is a study visa. You cannot work on an ED Visa, and you cannot simply pay to receive one. We do not support non-attending, "student on paper" arrangements.
  • Attendance is required. The Ministry of Education standard is 8 hours of class per week. The school accepts a minimum of about 2 hours (or 2 group classes) per week. Group classes are open sessions you can join as often as you like.
  • Immigration checks. Officers may visit a class to take attendance photos, or meet you at the school for a photo. Please attend on the scheduled day; missing it can lead to visa cancellation.
  • The visa is given in stages. You receive 90 days, then extend at Immigration until your program ends (section 5). This is standard for all long-term Thai visas.
  • Your responsibilities: 90-day reporting (section 4), a current TM30 (section 7), and a re-entry permit before any trip abroad (section 6).
  • Submit documents on time. If the school documents we release are not submitted to Immigration before your current stay expires, or you overstay, they become invalid. Redoing the full document process then costs 9,000 THB.
  • Refunds. If the Ministry of Education does not approve your application, we refund your tuition minus a 5,000 THB admin fee. There is no refund if the Embassy, Consulate or Immigration rejects the visa, or if you cancel.
  • Changing schools or programs. An ED Visa cannot be moved to another school inside Thailand. You cancel it with a letter from your current school, leave Thailand, and return to apply again.
Section 4 of 8

90-day reporting

Every 90 days in Thailand, you must report your address to Immigration. This is not a visa extension, and it is your own responsibility; the school does not prepare this document.

  • Your first due date is on a small paper the officer gives you at your first extension. After that, reports and extensions usually fall on different dates.
  • Reporting window: from 15 days before to 7 days after the due date. Free if on time; 2,000 THB fine if more than 7 days late.
  • Bring: passport, TM30 and the TM47 form (available at the school or Immigration). You can also file online through the Immigration website.
  • The count restarts each time you re-enter Thailand. Keep your last report receipt and hand it in with the next one.
Section 5 of 8

ED Visa extension

You extend your stay at Immigration in stages throughout your program. We tell you when your extension documents are ready to collect.

  • The first extension is usually about 1 month; later extensions are usually about 2 months, following your Ministry of Education letter.
  • Each extension costs 1,900 THB, paid directly to the Immigration officer.
  • The officer may ask a few simple questions: in Thai for the Thai program, in English for the English program.
  • Extend on time. If you are late, you may receive only a 30-day extension, or 7 days to leave Thailand.
Government fees at a glance
Change of visa type
2,000 THB
Each extension
1,900 THB
Re-entry permit, single / multiple
1,000 / 3,800 THB
90-day report on time
Free
90-day report more than 7 days late
2,000 THB fine
e-Visa from abroad
Varies by nationality
Section 6 of 8

Re-entry permit

If you leave Thailand without a re-entry permit, your ED Visa is cancelled and you would need to start the whole process again from outside Thailand.

  1. Tell the school in advance: your departure and return dates and reason for travel.
  2. Collect your travel documents from the school: student confirmation letter, travel confirmation letter, Ministry of Education letter, school documents and class photos.
  3. Get the permit before you leave, at Immigration or the airport: 1,000 THB single use or 3,800 THB multiple entry. At the airport, allow at least 2 extra hours.
  4. After you return, update your TM30 and send us a photo of your new entry stamp.

A re-entry permit keeps your current extension valid while you are away, but only until that extension ends. Come back in time for your next extension.

Section 7 of 8

TM30: address registration

TM30 tells Immigration where you are staying. It is usually filed by your landlord, condo office or hotel. We need a current TM30 to prepare your visa documents.

  • Ask your accommodation to file it when you arrive, and send a copy to the school.
  • Update it whenever you move, and every time you return from a trip abroad.
  • Keep it with your passport. You need it for your 90-day report and visa steps.
Section 8 of 8

Police clearance certificate

Depending on your nationality and situation, Immigration or the Ministry of Education may require a police clearance certificate. If it applies to you, we will tell you and give you a supporting letter.

  1. Collect the school letter for your application.
  2. Apply in person at the Police Clearance Service Center, Building 6, Royal Thai Police, Rama 1 Road. Arrive before 15:00.
  3. Say you will collect it yourself, and take the appointment slip from Counter 7.
  4. Bring the receipt and slip to the school. With your authorisation, our staff can collect the certificate for you.

It usually takes 7–10 working days. The police clearance application and the visa change at Immigration must be done by you in person.

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