Living & visas
The guardian visa through your child's school: how families live in Thailand
Many families live in Pattaya for years thanks to school: the child studies on a student visa and a parent stays alongside on a guardian visa. It is a clear, legal route for anyone moving with children. Here is how it works, how much money must sit in the bank, which documents you need and how the yearly extension goes.
In short
- The child gets an ED student visa, the parent a Non-Immigrant O (guardian) visa. In practice one child gives a visa to one parent.
- For the yearly extension the parent needs 500,000 ฿ in a Thai bank for the last 3 months. The extension costs 1,900 ฿, re-entry 1,000 or 3,800 ฿.
- You cannot work on a guardian visa, not even as a volunteer.
How it works
When a child is enrolled full time at a licensed school, they get a Non-Immigrant ED visa. One parent gets a Non-Immigrant O visa marked guardian, meaning guardian of a student. Both visas are processed as one package based on school documents.
- One child, one parent. Schools say so and immigration follows it in practice. Two children at school allow visas for both parents.
- Not every school or age. Some Pattaya schools prepare documents from age 3, others only from Primary. Check before choosing a school.
- The school does not issue the visa: it prepares the paperwork; the embassy and immigration issue the visa.
How much money you need
Distinguish the first visa from the yearly extension.
- The first visa at a Thai embassy. Each embassy sets its own threshold: for example, Seoul accepts a statement from 30,000 ฿, Singapore asks 500,000 ฿ per parent. Check the website of the embassy where you apply.
- The yearly extension at Thai immigration. The parent needs 500,000 ฿ in a Thai bank account for the last 3 months. Accounts in Russian banks do not count.
- If both parents apply, 500,000 ฿ each.
How to open a Thai bank account is covered in A bank account in Thailand.
Steps
- Choose a school
Make sure it issues visa documents for your child's age and for parents.
- Pay the fees
Usually the full year: immigration asks for receipts.
- Prepare documents
The child's birth certificate translated into English and certified, passports, photos, a lease.
- Get the first visa
At a Thai embassy or consulate via e-Visa. Child and parent apply on the same day and enter together. The first visa is usually a 90-day single entry.
- Extend for a year
At Thai immigration (for Pattaya, Chonburi immigration in Jomtien) for 1,900 ฿. After that the extension is repeated every year without leaving the country.
Housing documents matter too: a yearly lease and the owner's documents. If an agency lets the condo, you also need the owner's contract with the agency and a power of attorney. One Pattaya family lost two days because of exactly that power of attorney.
What it costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| One-year visa extension | 1,900 ฿ |
| Re-entry permit | 1,000 ฿ single, 3,800 ฿ multiple |
| 90-day address report | no fee, late fine from 2,000 ฿ |
| School visa documents | from 3,000 – 4,000 ฿ to 15,000 ฿ depending on the school |
Without re-entry the yearly extension is lost when you leave, so get it before you travel. School fees for visa documents vary: Garden International School Rayong lists 15,000 ฿ for visa documents in its 2026–2027 fee schedule, other schools quote on request. School fees themselves are in Schools and kindergartens in Pattaya.
How the extension goes
From families' experience in 2023–2025:
- Booking. In Bangkok online booking opens about a month ahead and morning slots go fast.
- At immigration with a booking it takes a couple of hours; in Pattaya one family finished in a day.
- The bank statement is issued on the day of application; sometimes a bank letter and an updated bank book are needed.
- School report. In 2025 Bangkok immigration asked for the child's school report for the first time, so bring it.
- TM.7 forms should be filled in neatly: corrected ones are sometimes rewritten on the spot.
What the guardian visa does not allow
- Working, including remotely for Thai clients, and volunteering.
- Missing 90-day reports: the fine starts at 2,000 ฿.
- Letting the balance drop below 500,000 ฿.
If a parent works remotely for an overseas employer, the DTV may suit better, see The DTV and wintering. If they work in Thailand, they need a work visa, see Working in Thailand.
Tips
- Choose a school both for its curriculum and for whether it handles visas for your children.
- Keep 500,000 ฿ in a separate account and do not touch it.
- Get birth certificates translated and certified in advance.
- Keep all school payment receipts.
Natalia will help you choose a school or kindergarten, arrange a visit and find a condo nearby.
FAQ
What is a guardian visa in Thailand?
A Non-Immigrant O (guardian) visa for the parent of a child studying in Thailand on an ED visa. It is issued on school documents and extended every year.
How much money do I need for a guardian visa?
For the yearly extension, 500,000 ฿ in the parent's Thai bank account for the last 3 months. For the first visa the threshold is set by the embassy and varies by country.
Can both parents get a visa through one child?
In practice no: one child gives a visa to one parent. With two children at school both parents can get visas.
Can I work on a guardian visa?
No, neither paid work nor volunteering. For remote work for an overseas employer there is the DTV.
How much is the guardian visa extension?
1,900 ฿ for a one-year extension, plus re-entry at 1,000 ฿ single or 3,800 ฿ multiple if you plan to travel.
Sources
- Royal Thai Embassy Singapore: Non-Immigrant O (Guardian)
- Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Non-Immigrant ED and O (guardian) document list
- Thai government portal: extension of stay for a student's guardian
- BOI: immigration rules summary, extension and re-entry fees, 2025
- Garden International School Rayong: 2026–2027 fees
This article is for general information and is not legal or tax advice. Laws, fees and project terms change: before a deal we check the current conditions for the specific property.
