Job Discussion Forums

[Luke in Vermont]

Hello,

I will be going to Thailand in September with 2 friends. We will be looking for jobs before we go, but have heard it is often beneficial to get them when you get there. The only trouble with this is the VISA problem. I've heard you cant do visa runs anymore for more than 3 months total. If thats the case, how do you stay for longer if you cant get a work visa right away? Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do if you dont find a job that offers a work visa right away?

We will be looking in the chiang mai area for teaching/NGO/internship type jobs.

Thanks

Luke

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Hi Luke


Get a 60 day tourist visa from the nearest Thai consulate to wherever you are now. If it's far away, you can Express mail your passport to them - it's worth the hassle. The 60 day visa can be extended by 30 days, giving you a total of 90 days - plenty of time to land a job and get a letter of sponsorship from your new employer, which you'll need for a non-immigrant B visa, which you'll need for a work permit. Here's a typical breakdown of the steps involved: (note that some teachers work without a work permit, but that can be risky; I don't recommend it, but it's your call)


step 1) apply for a 60 day tourist visa wherever you are now

step 2) arrive in Thailand, set up some interviews and land a job

step 3) get a letter of employment from your school's managing director

step 4) take that letter to the Thai consulate in Vientiane (Laos) to get your non-immigrant B visa. It's also possible to convert a 60 day tourist visa into a non-immigrant B visa at the main immigration office on Soi Suan Phlu in Bangkok if the school admin knows what they're doing

step 5) after you get the non-immigrant B visa, your employer will submit your passport (along with a pile of related paperwork) to the Department of Labor (and possibly MOE) to apply for your work permit


2 footnotes:

1) the Non-immigrant B visa is not a work visa per se; it does not allow you to work legally. i.e., you can't work legally without a work permit. 2) bring your original degree or diploma and any other educational certificates you may have obtained over the years; copies are not accepted by DOE and MOE officials. You may also be asked at any point during the application process to present a criminal background check - details on how to obtain a criminal background check are available on the Master Index Thailand 'sticky post' located one or 2 posts above this one; scroll down to the FAQ. Good luck with your plans!