OLA Cheap Thai language course with ED visa

[kriswillems]

Hello everyone,

After carefully reading this thread, i got in touch with the school. Got a rather quick reply, with a 72-hours promotion offer of 12,500.

Indeed, as kriswillems was saying, one big consideration seems to be the fact, that one does NOT need an Ed-visa to study online. I am puzzled as to how the Immigration would accept and permit such an arrangement...

What do you think?

Doesn't the website say you get 200 hours for that price?

http://olainter.ac.th/Course_Fees.html

It says when you apply within 72 hours, you get 200 hours for 12,500B instead of 15000B.

But what do hours mean? Time you can look at a website? Or time you can spend with a real teacher?

[TCA]

It says when you apply within 72 hours, you get 200 hours for 12,500B instead of 15000B.

But what do hours mean? Time you can look at a website? Or time you can spend with a real teacher?

I've exchanged emails with them and the "online class with teacher" part of the course is up to a couple of hours per week, depending on the student's level or what they feel comfortable with as a beginner. This is the exact response:

"Class is online once per week and the duration is 1-2 hours each time. If you worked with an average of 1.5 hours per week that would be 78 hours per year actually online and 122 hours of self study offline"

[netineti]

Hello digital, and all,

Do you have any news about the school? Anybody else joined it?

Please kindly keep updating

Thanks!

[aneliane]

Hello digital, and all,

Do you have any news about the school? Anybody else joined it?

Please kindly keep updating

Thanks!

re read the thread, someone DID join and updated

[netineti]

Hello digital, and all,

Do you have any news about the school? Anybody else joined it?

Please kindly keep updating

Thanks!

re read the thread, someone DID join and updated

:-)

I was following the thread, and we all DID hear about digital's joining, but not about how his classes are going. Also, i meant if there is somebody ELSE who joined.

As of me, i wrote them another message last Friday, boldly asking how they manage to give Ed visas for Online course, however, not a peep from them so far.

[TCA]

Thought I'd bump this message as I'm interested to see if any new OLA students have anything to report on getting their ED visas and/or the OLA classes.

Anybody?

[reallyhappy]

Thought I'd bump this message as I'm interested to see if any new OLA students have anything to report on getting their ED visas and/or the OLA classes.

Anybody?

I have been in Phuket around 3 weeks now. myself and about 3/4 others were due to start class on the 1st September however we have all sent emails to OLA and nobody has had a reply/any contact in a week!!!

I also found it strange that they have had 3 different websites in the past couple of month's.

---

edit:

20 June - sent off documents and made bank transfer

25 June - documents arrived with OLA.

06 July - confirmation of getting my visa letter from Ministry of Education, letter sent to me.

27 July - go to Hull (Thai embassy) have no problems getting ED visa.

11 Aug - arrived in Thailand no problem, have 90 days /w multi-entry.

1 Sept - classes supposed to start, i expect an email from them or something. decide to email them asking about it.

2 Sept - no reply so i search internet and email about 3 more email addresses/contact forms linked with OLA.

7 Sept - still no reply....

Edited September 6, 2011 by reallyhappy

[Semper]

Thought I'd bump this message as I'm interested to see if any new OLA students have anything to report on getting their ED visas and/or the OLA classes.

Anybody?

I have been in Phuket around 3 weeks now. myself and about 3/4 others were due to start class on the 1st September however we have all sent emails to OLA and nobody has had a reply/any contact in a week!!!

I also found it strange that they have had 3 different websites in the past couple of month's.

---

edit:

20 June - sent off documents and made bank transfer

25 June - documents arrived with OLA.

06 July - confirmation of getting my visa letter from Ministry of Education, letter sent to me.

27 July - go to Hull (Thai embassy) have no problems getting ED visa.

11 Aug - arrived in Thailand no problem, have 90 days /w multi-entry.

1 Sept - classes supposed to start, i expect an email from them or something. decide to email them asking about it.

2 Sept - no reply so i search internet and email about 3 more email addresses/contact forms linked with OLA.

7 Sept - still no reply....

Well, at least you have the multi entry visa.

Edited September 7, 2011 by Semper

[TCA]

Well, at least you have the multi entry visa.

This is the huge benefit to getting a multiple entry in these circumstances. Even if all is well with the school, for online students with single entry visas not living anywhere near the actual school I'd still foresee problems at immigration getting 90 days extensions for a school in a different province.

I doubt very much whether a multiple entry visa will get a second glance on re-entering Thailand every 90 days, but of course you never know. Multiple entry visas don't suit everyone but I wouldn't like to be in the shoes of those above with single entry ED visas if the school has gone AWOL.

[jonboy]

Just a quick update people.

I finally decided to go with OLA and the owner was very friendly (and spoke good English). I received all the relevant paperwork off them a few days ago and have now booked a flight to KL to get the visa.

[TCA]

Just a quick update people.

I finally decided to go with OLA and the owner was very friendly (and spoke good English). I received all the relevant paperwork off them a few days ago and have now booked a flight to KL to get the visa.

jonboy, as long as you're not bothered about actually getting any tuition, then you should be OK!

I trust you saw the post below from less than a week ago:

I have been in Phuket around 3 weeks now. myself and about 3/4 others were due to start class on the 1st September however we have all sent emails to OLA and nobody has had a reply/any contact in a week!!!

[jonboy]

Just a quick update people.

I finally decided to go with OLA and the owner was very friendly (and spoke good English). I received all the relevant paperwork off them a few days ago and have now booked a flight to KL to get the visa.

jonboy, as long as you're not bothered about actually getting any tuition, then you should be OK!

I trust you saw the post below from less than a week ago:

I have been in Phuket around 3 weeks now. myself and about 3/4 others were due to start class on the 1st September however we have all sent emails to OLA and nobody has had a reply/any contact in a week!!!

Lol

Actually I have always gotten replies very fast off them. I think most peoples email problems are when they send the emails via their website. I spoke to the receptionist on the phone and she actualyy was useless.Probably best to chat to the owner direct like I did. He picks up straight away or gets back to me within 30 minutes.

If I only get a visa out of it then it has served its main purpose. But I expect I will get more but who knows until then.

[emilyb]

A Thai business failing to reply to emails promptly - or at all? Pull the other one.

[jonboy]

Just an update for you all.

I got a non imm ED visa without any problems from Kuala Lumpur using the OLA school.

Cost at KL was 220 Ringgit.

Have just sent them an email asking about my first Thai lesson. Let's see if there is one

[visarunner]

it will intersting to see on how the 3 month extension will go through.

[jonboy]

Yeah i was thinking that too.

Hopefully will be O.K.

[TCA]

Update to say returned from KL last night with single entry Non-Ed Visa issued, no problems, passport already had non-o multiple+ visa runs for almost a year, non-b + extensions based on working and a single tourist visa.

Immigration officer politely asked me what I was studying upon entering Thailand and where I was studying, he seemed friendly so not sure if it was just chat or he was checking up on me? I just said Thai and Bangkok he said ok you get 90 days stamp.

Will report back once lessons start, hope I manage to learn some Thai as I know next to nothing from several years here.

digital, you must be due a 90 day extension round about now? anything you can update us with? have your classes started as scheduled?

[crystal8]

I went to Walen to inquire about the ED visa two years ago. I met a front office stuff and my visa was only 1 week left. I also didnt know how the process was done.. I asked if she could do the visa process before it's expired, the b*tch looked so annoyed and her reply was like yelling. It's ok by me if I couldn't get the visa on time. The thing is there will always be customers who come at the last seconds for whichever reasons but she still has to treat them nicely, which is the job of the front office girl. I really didn't like her attitude. Although I cannot comment on their teaching method, I basically didn't have very good experience with Walen. Oh well, I guess I shall now wait for Mac Walen's response?

For OLA, I called them when I saw that skype lessons with a very lovely fee, their office was somewhere in Phahonyotin. I got two phone numbers. One being a landline and one was a mobile number, stated that "Please call this # for English" I first tried the mobile number, no one picked up so I called the landline. Talked to an old man (sounded like one), spoke English ok, demanded me to enroll in 3 days to get the promotion price of 12500 baht, I felt something wasn't right so I just said I would call again. I mean why would a legitimate school do that? There are other decent ways for promotion, but not the pay-in-the-next-3-seconds-or- you-lose it method. After I hung up, the mobile number I first called got back to me. It was a woman, as soon as she heard me (a woman's voice), she yelled at me through the phone, saying that "Why did you call Mr.A (let's call him Mr. A here). I explained I called regarding the language school, only then she was calm down. =D

Not very impressed with them myself. I don't know who else goes to that school.

Edited October 3, 2011 by crystal8

[MacWalen]

Every effort is made to provide highest quality service to our customers. I am sorry to hear that something like this has taken place. If you could give me more info in the pm I would appreciate it. Generally we have reputation of a very friendly school.

I cannot change the past but I can promise that I will address your comment and we will do better in the future. Thank you for letting me know.

Walen School - not perfect but doing our best

[TCA]

I have been in Phuket around 3 weeks now. myself and about 3/4 others were due to start class on the 1st September however we have all sent emails to OLA and nobody has had a reply/any contact in a week!!!

I also found it strange that they have had 3 different websites in the past couple of month's.

20 June - sent off documents and made bank transfer

25 June - documents arrived with OLA.

06 July - confirmation of getting my visa letter from Ministry of Education, letter sent to me.

27 July - go to Hull (Thai embassy) have no problems getting ED visa.

11 Aug - arrived in Thailand no problem, have 90 days /w multi-entry.

1 Sept - classes supposed to start, i expect an email from them or something. decide to email them asking about it.

2 Sept - no reply so i search internet and email about 3 more email addresses/contact forms linked with OLA.

7 Sept - still no reply....

Well, at least you have the multi entry visa.

And looking at the Hull website last night, I see that their rules changed again last month and they will now only issue single entry ED visas. I was seriously considering the online study route for my next visa but I wouldn't risk relying on being able to extend a single entry ED visa in a province different to where the school is located. I can only see problems with that and will be interested to hear people's experiences of this. A multiple entry visa would have been fine but alas that is now not a possibility as far as I can see.

[tekinsel]

I went to Walen to inquire about the ED visa two years ago. I met a front office stuff and my visa was only 1 week left. I also didnt know how the process was done.. I asked if she could do the visa process before it's expired, the b*tch looked so annoyed and her reply was like yelling. It's ok by me if I couldn't get the visa on time. The thing is there will always be customers who come at the last seconds for whichever reasons but she still has to treat them nicely, which is the job of the front office girl. I really didn't like her attitude. Although I cannot comment on their teaching method, I basically didn't have very good experience with Walen. Oh well, I guess I shall now wait for Mac Walen's response?

For OLA, I called them when I saw that skype lessons with a very lovely fee, their office was somewhere in Phahonyotin. I got two phone numbers. One being a landline and one was a mobile number, stated that "Please call this # for English" I first tried the mobile number, no one picked up so I called the landline. Talked to an old man (sounded like one), spoke English ok, demanded me to enroll in 3 days to get the promotion price of 12500 baht, I felt something wasn't right so I just said I would call again. I mean why would a legitimate school do that? There are other decent ways for promotion, but not the pay-in-the-next-3-seconds-or- you-lose it method. After I hung up, the mobile number I first called got back to me. It was a woman, as soon as she heard me (a woman's voice), she yelled at me through the phone, saying that "Why did you call Mr.A (let's chad all him Mr. A here). I explained I called regarding the language school, only then she was calm down. =D

Not very impressed with them myself. I don't know who else goes to that school.

i believe lots of people who is student or plan to study in walen has problem with that girl, i think name Ann, phillippine and macwwalen called she is expert but he knows too she is nothing, only lose customer for walen, first she not know how to communicate with customers, we not need them, they need us, lots if schools and walen try to be good but she delete all because when you enter school start communicate with her and leave school immdeatly, i studied 2010june-2011october in walen and not continue because of her only, i put my money in my pocket and go walen for extension, she very funny, if you like go bar for chat with girls she is best for this business, for serious business no, please macwalen can explain me how she can offer me 6weeks overstay? expert? i really like macwalen messages on this site, he everytime replies and be kind, but this girl must leave this school, she likes fighting, when you ask or say something she act like she knows but look funny

[llp]

Any updates on this? Has anyone gotten or had problems with getting the extension after 3 months? How are the "classes"?

What happens if they don't give the letter of extension, can you just do a border run and get another 90 days?

[roamer]

A short history of the ED-visa schools:

1. First people thought you had to study 200 hours per year to get a ED-visa (which is very little, but hey, smart businessmen discovered a new business in this: the "ED-visa school").

2. Then they said it should be only 180 hours and 20 hours home work. (homework is also studying, smart thinking).

3. Then they changed hours to lessons, so they called it 180 lessons - and a lesson is only 50 minutes. (Great idea!).

4. After that they introduced online studying via Skype (I never understood why would you need a visa for that. You can do that from within your home country).

5. In the next step the students were not required to come to the courses anymore. In fact, a huge percentage of the students almost never shows up for the courses but the schools still give them the paperwork to do the 90-day extensions. (Any student of a "ED-visa school" will confirm this -- Isn't that wonderful?)

6. And now in the next step they call it online assistance, and there's no teacher involved anymore and you pay only half of what you paid before! So only 12500B for access to one website (Isn't that cheap!).

And now a little preview of the future:

7. the last step: the end of the ED-visa

The website (pasathaionline.com) is registered to:

OLAINTERNATIONAL

Phongsin Sinpibarn ([email protected])

1895/39-40 37/1 soi Phahonyothin Rd

Chatu Church

Bangkok,10220

TH

Tel. +66.0870242772

OLAINTER.AC.TH was registered in november 2010. The school is supposed to be 20 years old.

This is the manager:

http://www.facebook.com/people/Phongsin-Sinpibarn/100000160933451

He studied in Australia, so if you call the number above he should be able to answer you questions in English.

" 7. the last step: the end of the ED-visa"

Oh that's coming, count on it. Of course the trouble is that has an impact on those who genuinely want to learn Thai. Personally I have no problems with any of you being scammed, your helping to scam the system, biter gets bitten.

[khaan]

I doubt you will get 1 year extensions, I think you will get 90 day extensions.

1 year extensions are nrmally only given to university students.

Can I just ask you to clarify this please? Are you saying if I choose to study Thai

at a University as opposed to a private school that I would get a one-year extension?

[khaan]

If you want to spend less there are definitely cheaper schools but you get what you pay for. If that school got in trouble with the immigration do not fool yourself, you will be in trouble too and explaining to the immigration that you thought they were a good school etc will not help much.

Walen School - ED visa most reliable assistance.

Why would a student get into trouble with immigration if he/she has enrolled with a school which is accredited and authorised by the Ministry of Education? Does this not mean that its teaching methods (and presumably attendance/online class completion records) have been recognised as acceptable? If it's good enough for the MoE to issue the paperwork for a visa (and subsequent visa to be issued by a Thai consulate), under what circumstances would a student find themselves in difficulty if he/she had complied with the study requirements which had been authorised by the MoE?

Exactly. It seems to me MacWalen is trying out his scare tactics.

MacWalen unless you have any real evidence please refrain from bad mouthing them. I only want first hand experiences.

Has anybody else other than digital signed up with them or even heard of them before?

I also think it seems crazy that if students innocently subscribe to a particular school that subsequently finds itself in trouble

that the student should also be held responsible in any way? Although nothing would surprise me as far as

logic and the Thai government, this certainly does not sound correct and I suppose the only way

to verify if this is true or not is to seek confirmation from the Thai immigration Department?

[khaan]

A short history of the ED-visa schools:

1. First people thought you had to study 200 hours per year to get a ED-visa (which is very little, but hey, smart businessmen discovered a new business in this: the "ED-visa school").

2. Then they said it should be only 180 hours and 20 hours home work. (homework is also studying, smart thinking).

3. Then they changed hours to lessons, so they called it 180 lessons - and a lesson is only 50 minutes. (Great idea!).

4. After that they introduced online studying via Skype (I never understood why would you need a visa for that. You can do that from within your home country).

5. In the next step the students were not required to come to the courses anymore. In fact, a huge percentage of the students almost never shows up for the courses but the schools still give them the paperwork to do the 90-day extensions. (Any student of a "ED-visa school" will confirm this -- Isn't that wonderful?)

6. And now in the next step they call it online assistance, and there's no teacher involved anymore and you pay only half of what you paid before! So only 12500B for access to one website (Isn't that cheap!).

And now a little preview of the future:

7. the last step: the end of the ED-visa

The website (pasathaionline.com) is registered to:

OLAINTERNATIONAL

Phongsin Sinpibarn ([email protected])

1895/39-40 37/1 soi Phahonyothin Rd

Chatu Church

Bangkok,10220

TH

Tel. +66.0870242772

OLAINTER.AC.TH was registered in november 2010. The school is supposed to be 20 years old.

This is the manager:

http://www.facebook....100000160933451

He studied in Australia, so if you call the number above he should be able to answer you questions in English.

WOW kris -an interesting insight and viewpoint

So what exactly in your opinion was the ' philosophy ' of the Thai immigration to introduce the education Visa?

Was it introduced in recognition that the Thai government genuinely appreciated foreigners who

show enough interest in their country to pay money and to spend time learning their language?

Comparing it with other Visa classifications which in some cases make you jump through hoops,

I must admit I have always had this nagging feeling that it all seems a bit " too easy " to be real?

In other words -where is the catch ?

Do the Thai authorities really value the exporting of their language and culture so much

that they introduced a Visa which allows so many foreigners to stay here long-term where otherwise

many of these people would probably be unable to qualify for other types of visa?

Or is anyone in the " authorities " directly benefiting financially from this arrangement?

Edited November 10, 2011 by khaan

[frenchfarangjomtien]

Hello,

Has anybody studied with them ?

Where is this school located ? And is it still the cheapest ?

Thanks.

[MacWalen]

Hello,

Has anybody studied with them ?

Where is this school located ? And is it still the cheapest ?

Thanks.

If you are looking just for a cheap visa school go to Pattaya, there are 20-30 ED visa schools there that are offering cheaper and cheaper visas. From what we've heard immigration is aware of this and steps might be taken to sort it out and blacklist their students like already happened in Saraburi. So good luck with the visa schools guys.

[Mario2008]

1 post deleted for attacking a sponsor.

[ignis]

it will intersting to see on how the 3 month extension will go through.

Only one problem that was the floods, for me and for the school and teachers which they posted every week on there website... I received my paperwork for my 1st extension the day the post re-started in this area Wednesday 2 days ago, my 90days ran out Thursday last week, Wednesday I went to KL for a 60 day Visa.. If I had a crystal ball then could have gone to Immigration for the 7 day extension [you MUST have a visa to continue with the ED visa]......

Next month will go 30 days early to Immigration for the 90 day ED extension.