Job Discussion Forums

renzobenzo1 · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 85

I am in Taiwan now...have been here for 5 days and found the market a bit dry here in Taipei.
So I am leaving for Thailand in the hope to find work there.

I have read the best visa to get initially is the 60 (2 month) day tourist visa which is fine.
I also know that I need a return ticket to get into Thailand to play it safe.

What I don't know is does my return ticket to Taipei (Taiwan) need to be for that entire 60 day period or can it just be for say 2 weeks just to get the visa, and then I can choose not to return to Taipei and stay in Thailand for 60 days before getting the work permit?....

Basically does my return ticket need to be for 60 days or can it be shorter?

Thanks

renzobenzo1 · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 85

Also can you apply for the tourist visa in Thailand or you have to get it outside of Thailand? ie. make a visa run.

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

Most posters - myself included - shy away from answering visa related questions. There are 2 reasons for this. 1) the rules have recently changed and 2) there are always exceptions to the rules and differences of opinion over what is possible and what is best, etc. It's difficult to give people reliable advice in a changing climate like this. Now that I've covered my a$$ I'll do my best to answer your questions.

First,

You can't apply for a work permit on your own, so don't worry about that. To get a work permit, you need a Non-immigrant B visa, and you can't get a Non-immigrant B visa without a school or agency's sponsorship, usually in the form of a letter from them outlining their offer of employment.

That leaves you with 2 visa options when enterring the country initially:

option 1) you can enter on the 30 day visa-on-entry

or

option 2) you can get a proper 30 day or 60 day visa from the Thai embassy or consulate in Taipei. People often recommend the 60 day tourist visa because it can be extended by 30 days, giving you 90 days in total - enough time to find a job and get settled in a little - before having to jump on a visa-run bus.

(To answer one of your questions above; no, you cannot get a tourist visa inside Thailand. Most people travel over the border to Vientiane for that.)

After you find a job, your employer will either:

A) convert your tourist visa into a Non-immigrant B visa at the main immigration office (at Soi Suan Phlu) here in Bangkok.

or

B) send you to Vientiane to pick up a Non-immigrant B visa

note: admin staff at some schools don't know how to do the tourist visa to Non-immigrant B visa conversion, so don't be too surprised if you end up doing a visa run to Vientiane for your Non-immigrant B visa. Schools that are 'in the know' will get it done at Suan Phlu in Bangkok - and save you the trip. Details on how to convert a tourist visa to a Non-immigrant B visa can be found here - click on Change visa - and guard this link with your life. Many people don't know the procedure even exists.

After you have the Non-immigrant B Visa, your employer will then submit a large pile of documents to the Department of Labor (and possibly DOE if you're applying to a school where you'll be teaching kids) to apply for your work permit. The work permit application process can take anywhere from a week or 2 - to several months - depending on the skill of the office staff who take care of this stuff.

renzobenzo1 · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 85

^^
Yes I understand that and thank you very much, but I am not sure how long I should book my return ticket for back to Taipei.
As in if I apply for the tourist visa and want to stay 60 days for that, can I book my return ticket to Taipei for say 3 weeks from now? I only need the return ticket for evidence for Thai immigration but don't actually want to return to Taipei.

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

Why do you want to book the return ticket for 3 weeks from now? Is it cheaper than to book it for 3 months from now? If you're applying for a 60 day tourist visa and you show them a return flight booked for 3 weeks from now, that would look a little strange, don't you think? They might give you a 30 day visa in that case. Still, it's no big deal. Within 30 days you should have a job lined up and a roof over your head. There are plenty of schools looking for teachers at the moment. Keep an eye on the jobs offered board at ajarn.com and start making some contacts before you leave - that's what I'd do if I were you. If you want to be absolutely sure about the 3 week return ticket question, call the Thai consulate in Taipei and ask them! I'm guessing that they would think it's a little strange to request a 60 day visa and then show them a return ticket for 3 weeks later - but it's only a guess.

ontheroadagain · Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Posts: 66 Location: PRC since 07/04

Bottom line, you cannot apply for a 60 days tourist visa without showing an AR ticket?

ontheroadagain · Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Posts: 66 Location: PRC since 07/04

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=download

This website is in construction, correct?
I mean nothing is working on it...

ontheroadagain · Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Posts: 66 Location: PRC since 07/04

Visa on Arrival

According to the Interior Ministerial Announcements, passport holders from 14 countries may apply for visas at the immigration checkpoints for the purpose of tourism for the period of not exceeding 15 days. The applicant must possess instrument of means of living expenses 10,000 per person and 20,000 Baht per family accordingly.

The applicant must produce instrument of means of transport (full paid ticket) which is usable within 15 days since the date of entry.

Visa on arrival is provided at 12 designated international checkpoints and applicants should produce the application form to which his/her recent photograph (2 1/2 inches) is attached. The application fee is 300 Baht.

Visitors who enter the Kingdom with Visa on Arrival generally cannot file an application for extension of stay except in special cases such as illness which prevents them from traveling, etc. They can submit an application at the Office of Immigration Bureau , Immigration Division 1, Soi Suan Plu, South Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120. Tel. (662) 287-3127 or 287-3101-10 ext. 2264-5 http://www.police.go.th/frconten.htm

Tourist Visa

Visitors touring Thailand are permitted to enter and stay for a period not exceeding 60 days.

- A valid passport (valid for at least 6 months into the future) must be submitted along with the application form, confirmed round-trip airline ticket (plus photocopy of the ticket) and two recent photographs (4 x 6 cm).

TOURIST VISA EXEMPTION

According to the Interior Ministerial Announcements, passport holders from 38 countries do not require a visa when entering Thailand for tourism purposes if their stay in the Kingdom does not exceed 30 days. The applicant must possess instrument of means of living expenses 10,000 per person and 20,000 Baht per family accordingly.

Please also be advised that passport holders from 38 countries who intend to engage in certain activities are requested to apply for a visa before entering the Kingdom. Those who come in without visa are not permitted to file an application for an extension of stay and a change of visa status.

List of 38 countries are as follow :
1. Australia : Commonwealth of Australia
2. Austria : Republic of Austria
3. Belgium : Kingdom of Belgium
4. Brazil : Federative Republic of Brazil
5. Bahrain : State of Bahrain
6. Brunei : Brunei Darussalam
7. Canada
8. Denmark : Kingdom of Denmark
9. Finland : Republic of Finland
10. France : French Republic
11. Germany : Federal Republic of Germany
12. Greece : Hellenic Republic
13. Hong Kong
14. Indonesia : Republic of Indonesia
15. Ireland : Republic of Ireland
16. Israel : State of Israel
17. Italy : Republic of Italy
18. Japan
19. Korea : Republic of Korea
20. Kuwait : State of Kuwait
21. Luxembourg : Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
22. Malaysia
23. Netherlands : Kingdom of the Netherlands
24. New Zealand
25. Norway : Kingdom of Norway
26. Peru Republic of Peru
27. Philippines : Republic of the Philippines
28. Portugal : Republic of Portugal
29. Singapore : Republic of Singapore
30. Spain : Kingdom of Spain
31. South Africa : Republic of South Africa
32. Sweden : Kingdom of Sweden
33. Switzerland : Swiss Confederation
34. Turkey : Republic of Turkey
35. United Arab Emirates
36. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
37. United States of America
38. Vietnam Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

^ Hi

The link you posted above is working fine, but the documents are saved in WordPad and PDF files. To open the documents, you need WordPad or PDF on your 'puter. You can download PDF Reader for free by clicking here. Wordpad is included automatically in Windows 95 and upward. If your computer is running an older version of Windows, just download PDF Reader - it's good to have it. Many documents are stored as PDF files these days.

renzobenzo1 · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 85

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

^ Hi

Yes, I agree, it's a major hassle and a pain in the a$$. That's why nobody likes to answer these questions. As to the 'why this is so' - I could answer the question in detail but it would require a 5,000 word essay. In short, foreign visitors in Thailand have abused the existing lax visa rules for decades, by crossing over the borders and entering again and again and again under the so-called 30 day visa exemption, in some cases remaining for 10 years or more without ever having had a proper visa in their passport. Others bought forged visas on the black market and got caught - one such case within the past few months in Pattaya. A while back when all this started, we had the high-profile John Karr scandal, followed by another pedophile scandal several months later. Both cases received massive international media attention and put the Thai goverment under pressure to act. Media crews and reporters from all of the major TV networks were walking around inside Thai schools asking questions. A journalist even joined the forum here at Dave's, to look for dirt on Mr Karr and anyone who may have known or worked with him. Just as the dust was beginning to settle from the 2 pedophile scandals, two teachers in Thai public schools got caught with fake diplomas, reigniting the anti-foreigner sentiment once again. So here we are. The rules have been tightened up, certain loopholes have been closed, and in some cases, rules that have always been on the books but never enforced - are now being enforced. It's a shame that a few bad apples can spoil it for the bunch, but that's the way it is. When you put a government in the public spotlight, people expect the government to take action. No country wants to be known as a safe haven for criminals and sex offenders.

pest2 · Joined: 28 Oct 2006 Posts: 170