Visa Information advice

[Super Joe]

Some immigration and employment rules as I understand them:
- You can obtain Non-Imm ‘O’ and ‘B’ visas, yes actual visas, WITHIN Thailand even if you came in on a Tourist visa.
- Department of Employment issue WP's on both Non-Imm 'O' and 'B'.
- You can get an annual extension based upon working or support of family on a Non-Imm ‘O’ visa.
- A Non-Imm 'O' or 'B' 90 day visa entry is not cancelled due to your employment ending, and if you have a multi-entry visa you can continue to use it.
- BUT, if your stay is based upon an annual extension due to working then you have to leave or apply for the 7 day extension.
- WP’s can now be extended for a 2 year period, instead of 1 year as previously issued.
- You no longer have to surrender your WP to the DoE when your employment ends.

My comments added in red:

as the O Visa is a retirement visa - Bizarre, surely you can be ar$ed to do 2 minutes research. It's an 'other' activities catagory that covers several areas, including retirement: http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2489

You can apply for a work permit with a Non Imm O visa but when it is run out you need to apply for a B visa - No, you can keep renewing on an 'O', based on working or support of family

One thing is for sure. If you have a work permit and it is revoked you have to leave the country within 7 days. - Not if you are working but staying on an 'O' extension based on support of family

No, Roel, you are not correct. A Non Imm B visa is always connected to a work permit - No, it's only connected to the WP once you are staying on an extensin based upon working.

From the moment you enter Thailand you have 30 days to apply for a work permit. This is why they give you a stamp into your passport when you get one. – Eh? you get a 90 day permit to stay and whether you apply for a work permit or not does not change your permitted 90 days. Which stamp in your passport would that be?

However, should I resign or my contract be terminated then I would have to leave the country fairly swiftish to get a new non O visa - Not neccessarily spitfire, if you have Thai family and sufficient advance notice of your termination or desire to quit, you can apply to change your extension status to 'support of family', providing you meet all the criteria.

SJ

[loverboy44]

As i said Mr Superwhatever, i never had an O visa and things changed like i saw in your link which is really is a good source if it is right. But if you read it carefully there is no such thing in there that you can work with an O Visa either that you are a coach or teacher or missionary or charity worker.
So maybe you read your links before posting.

[lomuamart]

SJ is right as has been evidenced by both him and other members who are working on a Non O visa.
As he has also said, a tourist visa, or even a 30 day visa exempt stamp, can be upgraded within Thailand as long as you have a minimum of 21 days left on your permitted to stay stamp and meet the financial and other requirements. Imm will give you a 90 day "under consideration" stamp and before that expires you go back and extend in the normal way every year.

[Super Joe]

As i said Mr Superwhatever, i never had an O visa and things changed like i saw in your link which is really is a good source if it is right. But if you read it carefully there is no such thing in there that you can work with an O Visa either that you are a coach or teacher or missionary or charity worker.
So maybe you read your links before posting.

I posted the link in relation to the quote about what catagories are covered under 'O', ie: more than just retirement. Its a high level overview and doesn't go into detail like you can not work on retirement but you can on support of family.
If I was trying to show that I'd have put the appropriate links up from DoE and the new extensions criteria that is posted on page 3 of this HHAD Legal & Visa forum section.

Reading my post again it was sarcy in places, apologies for that, not neccesary.

SJ

[loverboy44]

SJ
i just want to make sure that noone thinks they can come here on a tourist or non imm O visa and think they can easily get a work permit.
Appologies from me as well as i was too harsh too

[Spitfire]

Well, while we're on a positive run, I might also have said too much in my posts last night. Getting a work permit is not easy, full stop, and the MoE does often check stuff, more than they used to. If you are on a tourist visa then you can get it changed over to a non B without leaving the country, certainly in Bangkok, but you are going to need the help of a official from the place you are going to work for to go with you and provide all the official paperwork. Those that I know who have done this to start work basically turned up in Bangkok with the Thai school representitive and the farang just sat there, said nothing and signed a few things, it was basically a conversational exchange between the Thais. If you went on your own then it's going to be a lot more difficult, if possible at all.

The OP (ipods) is asking about becoming a teacher and that is possible with a non O visa, as that's what I do, but again you will need the school/college etc to get their act together and provide help/support and then it will not be a problem. If you have a Thai school official turn up at the MoL with you and saying they want you to work for them and have all the paperwork then it's not a problem, just have to go through the motions.

Teachers get work permits more easily because the Thais are helping them. Regarding the teachers license that you will need, I think that you have to go on a "Thai cultural awareness" course and I have heard all sorts of stories about that. However, from what I'm aware of, you can start work without one so long as you are booked in to do the course sometime as it (this course) has only become mandatory in the last year or so, hence there's a bit of a backlog to get through.

For me, working at a university, teaching adults over 18, I don't need a teachers license to have a work permit, only teachers teaching under 18s must have one.

I'm not sure how it would work for employment other than teaching and regarding anything else then I'm sure it's much harder, which could have been what was being got at. As far as teaching goes then it's possible but you need the school's help.

[ipods]

Thanks all

To save a 24 hour trip to Laos I will ask the school to assist and keep my class O visa and obtain a work permit from that. Whilst it may take a bit of pain it sounds as tho it also allows me to keep my class O visa if I dont get renewed next term.

Also if it comes to it anyone know of a good visa company in bangkok who organises train/flight visa trips (cost if poss) as can only find a bus and thats 9 hours

Those of you who have done it any advice as to who best for my school director to contact at Immigration. Obviously if someone there has done it before (recently)may assist with getting it sorted again.

send me a PM if you like so as not to discuss in open forum

Many thanks

[ipods]

Sorry Me again

I am being told by my employment co ordinator that it is only possble to obtain a work permit from a class O Non Immigrant visa, if you marry a Thai lady.
was this case for you guys who got your WP this way.

I am married to a Brit so any thoughts,

Thanks

[dtaai-maai]

If you are on a tourist visa then you can get it changed over to a non B without leaving the country, certainly in Bangkok, but you are going to need the help of a official from the place you are going to work for to go with you and provide all the official paperwork. Those that I know who have done this to start work basically turned up in Bangkok with the Thai school representitive and the farang just sat there, said nothing and signed a few things, it was basically a conversational exchange between the Thais. If you went on your own then it's going to be a lot more difficult, if possible at all.

I can only go by my own experience on exactly this change of visa, 2 1/2 years ago. I went alone, with paperwork provided by uni, wasn't asked anything. The whole thing was a paper exercise only and swiftly and efficiently done - thankfully in a little office on the 3rd floor away from the heaving mass of humanity downstairs. Piece of cake.

[Spitfire]

Yeah DM, maybe I was a bit hasty there, it's not surprising that there are conflicting stories on the visa issues, as usual. Same for me, just the experiences I have come across, admittedly a couple of years ago, most of them, and again, just a small number of experiences. The usual "There's no hard and fast rules" on this stuff due to all the usual variables and with hindsight then you could well be right.

[bapak]

Sorry Me again

I am being told by my employment co ordinator that it is only possble to obtain a work permit from a class O Non Immigrant visa, if you marry a Thai lady.
was this case for you guys who got your WP this way.

I am married to a Brit so any thoughts,

Thanks

Totally incorrect. WP is available on any O Visa except Retirement. This info is direct from MoL and experience by my staff.

Bapak

[bapak]

...Teachers get work permits more easily because the Thais are helping them. Regarding the teachers license that you will need, I think that you have to go on a "Thai cultural awareness" course and I have heard all sorts of stories about that. However, from what I'm aware of, you can start work without one so long as you are booked in to do the course sometime as it (this course) has only become mandatory in the last year or so, hence there's a bit of a backlog to get through.

"Teacher's Licence" will depend on if you are working at a Government school or not.. Not required at a private school such as a language school. This is factual as I experience the situation on a regular basis.

As an aside, it would appear that the "Teacher's Licence" requirement in government schools is not being enforced as the authorities have suddenly discovered that they are not getting applicants.

Bapak

[dtaai-maai]

ipods wrote:

I posted the other day regarding getting a work permit from a class O visa (multi entry).
Teaching job, Hua Hin Thai school.

Thanks for all the advice.

As suggested I attended immigration with a helpful representive of the school and seemed to be ok subject to the paperwork

However my agent who placed me (Bangkok) seems to suggesting that even so, I need a B visa.

Surely if immigration give me a work permit all must be legal and I don't have to worry about it.

You started a new thread which almost certainly be locked, so I'll reply to the post here.

Now I'm really confused. You don't get a work permit from immigration, you get that from the Department of Employment. The only reason I can think of for immigration to be involved at this stage would be either to extend your current entry on an O visa in line with a work permit or to convert the O to a B. If they didn't do either of these, why did you go to Bangkok?

No doubt someone will explain that I'm talking through my arse, but that's life.

[Super Joe]

Surely if immigration give me a work permit all must be legal and I don't have to worry about it.

Immigration won't be giving the WP, that comes from the Department of Employment (Ministry of Labour) in Prachuap main town government offices.
DoE will have the say on whether they will issue it on a non-imm 'O' or ask you to change to non-imm 'B' before they do it. Never heard of them refusing it on an 'O' though, I originally got mine on an 'O'.

However my agent who placed me (Bangkok) seems to suggesting that even so, I need a B visa.

Are they offering to take care of that for you for a fee ?

I'd make other enquiries after getting the WP with immigration department (now they come into play and not DoE) regarding them giving you the annual extension to your non-imm 'O', when initial period runs out, based on working. If immigration ok with that no need to change over to a 'B' IMHO.

Good luck,
SJ