"Ramadon Hayiawe," Deputy Governor of Phuket, is expediting the review of foreign student visa approvals to ensure suitability, with the goal of making Phuket a regional international education hub.
On 24 Aug 2026 GMT+7, at the Chanpanwa Conference Room, 5th Floor (back pearl building) of Phuket Provincial Hall, Mr. Ramadon Hayiawe, Deputy Governor of Phuket, chaired a meeting to discuss and exchange information on developing the procedures for processing Non-Immigrant “ED” temporary educational visas for foreign students. The aim is to ensure these procedures are appropriate and aligned with Phuket’s context, where the number of foreign students is steadily increasing. Attendees included Ms. Panna Promwichian, Phuket Provincial Education Officer, representatives from the Phuket Private Schools Association, non-formal private schools, and other related sectors.
The meeting aimed to foster mutual understanding among government, education, and private sectors regarding the ongoing revisions of regulations, criteria, and document procedures related to foreign students. These revisions have increased workload and complexity in data verification. All parties jointly considered management strategies to ensure legal compliance while facilitating services for schools and students. The discussion also covered ways to improve coordination among relevant agencies to explore data integration and streamline processes for greater efficiency.
Mr. Ramadon stated that Phuket prioritizes education management alongside compliance with laws, regulations, and established criteria. However, as Phuket continuously receives foreign students, the workload for involved agencies has increased accordingly. The province is committed to resolving issues and managing processes in both the short and long term. Short-term efforts will focus on enhancing coordination between agencies, building shared understanding of necessary procedures and documents, and closely monitoring operations to ensure smooth service delivery to schools and foreign students. For the long term, a multi-sector task force will be established to study, revise, and develop operational processes suited to Phuket’s circumstances and capabilities.
Furthermore, Phuket aims to become an international education center for the region. Developing an efficient, transparent support system that facilitates service recipients is essential to building confidence among educational institutions, foreign students, and related parties. Operations must be based on legal correctness and cooperation from all sectors, maintaining legal compliance and good governance principles. All agencies are tasked to integrate their work to establish management approaches appropriate to the situation, which will support education, the economy, and the province’s image over the long term.