Thailand Non-immigrant ED student visa for Indian students

The visa is tied to an institution rather than to a points test. Universities, including the international colleges at Chulalongkorn, Mahidol, Thammasat, Chiang Mai and the Asian Institute of Technology, issue an acceptance letter and a request letter addressed to the Royal Thai Embassy confirming the programme, its dates and that tuition has been paid or is due. International schools issue a placement letter for the child and the parent applies for a Non-O guardian visa. Private language and vocational schools must be licensed by the Ministry of Education and their students face closer scrutiny after 2024 crackdowns on visa-mill schools.

The applicant must show the embassy a passport valid for six months, the institution's letters, academic transcripts, bank statements with at least THB 20,000 (the embassy's general guideline for Non-immigrant visas) and, for minors, parental consent. English-taught degrees do not need a Thai test; Thai-taught programmes set their own language requirements.

The ED visa does not allow employment. Students on paid internships or part-time work need their employer to obtain a work permit and switch them to a Non-B status, which is possible from inside Thailand with the institution's consent. Graduates who find a job change to a Non-B at the Immigration Bureau without leaving the country.

The multiple-entry Non-immigrant visa at INR 13,500 is rarely issued for study; students who travel home take a re-entry permit instead. Vistolane charges the INR 7,000 fee at the official rate and books the extension appointment before the first 90 days end.

1. 1

   Secure admission and pay the deposit

   The university issues the acceptance letter and an embassy request letter, usually within 2 to 4 weeks.

2. 2

   Apply on thaievisa.go.th

   Choose Non-immigrant ED and the post for your state; upload the passport, photo, letters, transcripts and 3 months of statements.

3. 3

   Pay INR 7,000 and wait about 10 working days

   The e-Visa PDF arrives by e-mail; check the visa category and validity before travel.

4. 4

   Enter within 3 months of issue

   Submit the TDAC within 72 hours of arrival; the officer stamps 90 days.

5. 5

   Extend at the Immigration Bureau

   Before day 90, file TM.7 with the institution's letter, THB 1,900 and a photo for a one-year extension; repeat each year and report your address every 90 days.

Semesters start in August and January; most Indian students apply in June or November. Students at Thai-language schools are typically granted extensions in shorter blocks and must show attendance records.

The 90-day entry stamp is only the beginning. The one-year extension is granted at the Immigration Bureau office for the province of study with the institution's letter, a copy of its licence, the student's transcript or attendance record and THB 1,900. Every 90 days of continuous stay the student reports an address online or in person, and leaving Thailand without a re-entry permit cancels the extension.

Graduates may switch to a Non-immigrant B visa inside Thailand once an employer obtains a work permit, or to the DTV if they take remote work for a foreign company. Spouses and children accompany on Non-O visas and may attend school; a spouse may not work without a permit.

• Royal Thai Embassy New Delhi: visa types and fees for India ↗
• Thai e-Visa: Non-immigrant ED ↗
• Immigration Bureau: extension of stay ↗
• Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation ↗
• Immigration Bureau: Thailand Digital Arrival Card ↗