Advice for teachers changing jobs

[Vital Spark]

We've changed jobs, and moved house, from a university in Petchaburi province to the same university (in name) in Nakhom Pathom. No worries, we thought.

The Petchaburi campus handed in our work permits last Thursday (28th) - although we told them to wait until today (1st). No problem, we thought. We were told that we had seven days to get everything sorted. Not true. Our extension on our visas for the old place were cancelled on the 28th. We turned up today at an absolutely dreadful Imm. Office in Samut Sakorn (the Immigration Office in Hua Hin is heaven compared to this place). Anyway, the extremely frosty, non-smiley female demanded a whole load of paperwork which we didn't need or have. She then changed her mind and said in perfect Thai (she couldn't speak a word of English - what the heck is she doing working for Immigration?) we were really bad and have to pay 5 days overstay. 2,500 baht each. Of course they count Saturday and Sunday when they're closed. Our Thai man who does the visas was also perplexed and a tad embarrassed. We had to keep our cool, and smile through gritted teeth, and wai them when we left. Total cost for us both 8,800 baht - and that's just for a 7 day extension.

We then went to the Labour Dept. with another bundle of documents and numerous photos. I swear the Thai Government has more photos of me than my mother! Of course we needed a medical certificate, which we paid huge amounts of money for at the local hospital. 'Sorry, this no good' - well he didn't actually say that, but our certificates weren't acceptable. 'You need to have a blood test to confirm that you don't have syphilis'. You what? 'I cannot do work permit without it'. What the feck is going on? OK. Go with the flow. Off to another hospital. Grumpy nurse, left a bruise on my arm when she took the blood sample. See the doctor. 'I'm pleased to say you do not have syphilis'. Back to the Labour Office. Cost: 1,800 baht for a 7-day work permit.

We'll have to go back to Sakorn Nakon at the end of the week to get our 1-Year visa. I just hope that the witch there has got over her PMT - she looks a bit young to be suffering from the menopause. Oh, and we'll have to pay another 3,800 baht for the privilege. Then it's back to the Labour Dept. and 6,200 baht to let us teach their students.

What really bugs me is that we're trying to be totally legal, and earn a modest living teaching English (and possible helping Thailand in some small way) and we get treated like gutter trash. Grrrr!

Sorry for the rant, it's not in my nature to bitch and moan, but sometimes it just gets to you. If anyone reading this is teaching and considering changing jobs, then this may help them avoid some of the potholes.

Just to sum up:
You need a Tor10 (Tor sip) to get a new work permit, if you've left your previous employer. It's a slip of paper that's given to them when they hand in your work permit. Do it on the same day, if you can.
You need a medical certificate which includes a blood test for syphilis for the Labour Dept.
You have to keep smiling, even though you're thinking other thoughts.

VS

[johnnyk]

VS,
One would think you would be welcomed as legitimate, salaried, tax-paying workers trying to do the right thing. It must be maddening for you, yet con men, drunks and layabouts have no trouble at all!
You are paying them so you can do a proper job. Insane!
Chok dee.

[Vital Spark]

JK: It seems that the more legit you try to be, the more hoops, obstacles, potholes, etc. get in the way.

What's just as infuriating as the Government offices is the Thai employed at the university to deal with the stuff. We told him what he should do, but he didn't listen (now there's a surprise). He had no fecking idea , but of course he wouldn't ask anyone because that would mean losing face. He has difficulty reading our names. What the hell is he doing in that job? Yes, we can speak a bit of Thai, but when I ask him to speak more slowly (in Thai) he just burbles on. Christ, even my lower students could communicate better than him.

VS

[buksida]

I feel your pain. Though not quite as bad as your experiences (and I'm not a teacher) I have been through the change in work permit process 3 times and it was far from smooth. The annual renewal has got harder every year for the past 8 or 9, so now it has become the stuff of nightmares.

The bottom line is that they really don't want us living and working here: turn up, spend your money for two weeks, then fck off.

[Spitfire]

Agree with what's said above but it seems to still be a little bit of a case of "depends which province you are in". I've done the change work place/work permit thing a couple of times also and once was tricky and the other fairly smooth. Yes, there is a lot of messing around but generally the work place did it all. The tricky one was down south and the easy one was in the northeast.

However, this is up in Isaan and they may be much more "Mai pen rai" about the whole situation than down where you folks are. The immigration center in Korat was pretty cool and I got the impression that they weren't that bothered about it. This was a couple of years ago though.

Mr B is right though about us working here, particulary teachers, are viewed as simply as an unwelcome, necessary evil.

I am surprised though VS that you got so many problems considering the blithering idiots that they do OK for many places and hand out work permits to in the first place . Maybe, sorry probably, it's just that area and they are complete w**k**s at that office, which is what it sounds like.

Also can't believe you have to pay for your work permit yourself, that's tight, should be the educational establishment you are working for that should pay it. That's not a good sign IMO. It happened to me once and I told them that it was highly irregular for me to have to do that, the place also wanted me to give them a 10,000 baht deposit in case I broke anything in the lecture rooms , so I just gave them a and went to work for a non facist place.

If I had to change again then I would probably just hand the work permit back to the MoL office myself, fill in the form and keep it myself for the new place of work, when needed. Go to the border and get a new non immigrant visa, have a bit of a quick holiday, then rock up to the new place and start from scratch again. You are fine to work for the new place so long as the matter is being dealt with or the school have applied or are in the process of doing so and will be able to smooth over any dramas that might turn up.

This would probably be the least hasselful way to do it, don't think I'd try to switch places again without leaving the country and try the avenue you went down, too many variables and headstress to navigate. I bet that no matter how well organised you thought you were there would a load of extra stuff to do aswell.

[Takiap]

Although I don't have to deal with such situations, I often tend to believe that while most of us feel they dislike us and that they're trying to make our lives difficult, it's rather to do with them having a different mentallity. Don't forget, the Thais are also faced with these self same type of problems but over the years, they've learn to include an envelope containing something which can help things go a little smoother.......lol.

When I applied for my last visa extension for example, I asked the lady if she wanted the birth certificates of my kids and our marriage certificate. She replied that I must decide if I want to stay here to support my wife, or if I want to support my kids. When I replied "my wife and kids", she said "sorry, cannot"...............go figure....lol