Job Discussion Forums

[Knexus]

Just a heads up...

If you have a job in Thailand ready for you, then you only need the three month non-imm B visa. If the embassy office/officer you work with tries to get you to buy the $175 multiple entry, one year visa insist on the $65 3 month one.

With either visa, when you arrive the NP will stamp you in for 3 months. During that time you should get a Work Permit which cancels out your visa. Having a multiple entry visa that is good for one year is thus unnecessary.

Best of luck!

[MaiPenRai]

[Knexus]

Thank you for clearing up the canceling part! You also sort of answered my question on why more and more teachers seem to be showing up with the multiple entry visa that is good for one year. I guess what gets canceled once you have your work permit is having to get a visa stamp every 90 days?

I asked to be given the appropriate visa since initially my school only told me to make sure to get a visa before I came to Thailand. I was then told by a Consular Office I needed the year long, multiple entry visa... It was soon after I arrived in Thailand that I was made aware I had basically been ripped off. The actual Embassy Office in Chicago said I should only have been given the one entry 3 month non-imm b visa.

I find the cafe to be a more expedient, efficient source of information then administrators under the influence of the Thai culture, haha.

[Pauleddy]

MPR is right, AFAIK.

Once you are settled in a job, a "good" school or uni will normally provide the paperwork for you to obtain a Non-Imm working visa. In my own case, this was bound to my contract. My annual contract started on 30 Sept, so my visa and WP were renewed then BY the HRM dept, altho' you may need to attend Immig with the HRM person. When I first started my job, it was on June 1, but annual contracts started in Sept---so I had a short contract first and paid again for visa after 4 mths. A "good" school or uni will pay yr visa and WP after 2 years or so--u have stayed faithful to them etc.

Note that the main Immig office for BKK has now moved from the cramped place in Suan Plu and is now at Changwattana, which is out near the old airport (Don Muang). For any normal or major visa stuff. Sadly, a taxi from town is over 200b to there.

You will normally need to do the 90 day reporting (a tiresome scam) with any "long-term" visa. This can be done at the one-stop shop (just moved to Chamchuri Square behind Chula FROM Lad Prao), but only takes 30 min. A GOOD SCHOOL will send the HRM guy to do this for you---you only need to fill out the TM 47 form. I was in there yesterday, and there were some teachers from a "bad" school who were doing by themselves. Some old-timers never started the 90 day process and say "don't bother"--but once you declare 90, you must keep doing it!

This will all sound like nonsense to newbs--but go to Thaivisa.com and check the real details. I have never professed to be the No 1 expert, but I have a few yrs here with this nonsense!

Eddy

[NigerianWhisper]

[Knexus]

[Pauleddy]

I was speaking from personal experience. Last time I reported, I was one day over the limit for the reporting period, due to illness. I showed proof, and a hospital appointment, but they still charged me the 2000b overstay fine. The attitude of the officer was arrogant and patronising.

The reporting is now done at Chamchuri Square or at the new HQ near Don Muang. Either place costs a hefty taxi fare from my area, seemingly for nothing, because the process is a two-minute admin wonder.

As the last poster says, a distraction. Sure, people need to have visas, but the 90 day thing is a nonsense. Typically small-minded, bureaucratic and pointless, IMO.

Eddy

[laconic]

Why not do it by mail?

It's possible.

Yes, even in Bangkok.

[Pauleddy]

Yep, I know. It's just that I have always done it the regular way, and I'm probably over-paranoid about not getting all the bits right!

Cheers anyway.

[littleone]

ooooooh, cheers for this!