bud2

Whatever you do, avoid going to the official Samsonite service center in Sirinrat Building on Rama 4 road, Bangkok. I went there earlier this week to repair the broken wheel on my Samsonite luggage and I really regret doing that. This place is run by the Central Marketing Group and they do servicing for a number of different companies and repair all sorts of stuff, not just luggage. I purchased the luggage (from official Samsonite in Bangkok) just over 10 years ago and the warranty had just run out, so they were charging 1400 baht to replace both wheels. When I came back to get the luggage, I could see that they hadn’t used official Samsonite wheels. In fact, they had used some quite cheap replacement wheels that didn’t spin freely. It was a terrible job and I wasn’t prepared to pay the 1400 for it and so a huge argument erupted between Mr Chockchai and me. I ended up paying 900 baht, which was still too much for the bad job they have done. This is the company listed on the Samsonite website and I don’t understand why Samsonite would use such a company as their official service center. 

Whatever you do, avoid going to the official Samsonite service center in Sirinrat Building on Rama 4 road, Bangkok. I went there earlier this week to repair the broken wheel on my Samsonite luggage and I really regret doing that. They do servicing for a number of different companies and repair all sorts of stuff, not just luggage. I purchased the luggage (from official Samsonite in Bangkok) just over 10 years ago and the warranty had just run out. They were charging 1400 baht to replace both wheels. When I came back to get the luggage, I could see that they hadn’t used official Samsonite wheels. In fact, they had used some quite cheap replacement wheels that didn’t spin freely. It was a terrible job and I wasn’t prepared to pay the 1400 for it and so a huge argument erupted between Mr <deleted> and me. I ended up paying 900 baht, which was still too much for the bad job they have done. This is the company listed on the Samsonite website and I don’t understand why Samsonite would use such a company as their official service center. 

Whatever you do, avoid going to the official Samsonite service center in Sirinrat Building on Rama 4 road, Bangkok. I went there earlier this week to repair the broken wheel on my Samsonite luggage and I really regret doing that. They do servicing for a number of different companies and repair all sorts of stuff, not just luggage. I purchased the luggage (from official Samsonite in Bangkok) just over 10 years ago and the warranty had just run out, so they were charging 1400 baht to replace both wheels. When I came back to get the luggage, I could see that they hadn’t used official Samsonite wheels. In fact, they had used some quite cheap replacement wheels that didn’t spin freely. It was a terrible job and I wasn’t prepared to pay the 1400 for it and so a huge argument erupted between Mr <deleted> and me. I ended up paying 900 baht, which was still too much for the bad job they have done. This is the company listed on the Samsonite website and I don’t understand why Samsonite would use such a company as their official service center. 

4 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Thanks for your feedback.  We do not have a lot of reports on people doing this.  I was referring to reports like ...

Thank you for referring to this post, it has some interesting and useful responses.

4 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Visa and work permit are 2 different things, you need both

I cannot get a work permit. I work for an Australian company, not a Thai company.

16 hours ago, JackThompson said:

And you will get hounded at the immigration checkpoint if you enter on a multi the 2nd or later entry without a work-permit, these days

I’ve been coming in and out of both Bangkok airports on this visa for the past two years and have never been asked anything, never been hounded. Maybe I’ve been lucky. There shouldn’t be a reason to be hounded as I’m doing business for a foreign company, I’m not working for a Thai company. There must be thousands of people doing this.

17 hours ago, elviajero said:

Have you already applied or are you going by whats written on the website?

I am now preparing to apply for a new visa. For the past two years, I have had Non-immigrant B multiple-entry visa issued by consulates in Brisbane and Melbourne. Our distributor in Thailand provided their corporate documents for the visa application, but this year, they have a new requirement where asking for this letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour.

12 hours ago, stevenl said:

Check with the embassy, consulates seem to be (forced to be) more strict than previously.

Both Canberra embassy (in its list of requirements) and Sydney consulate (in its FAQ) are listing the Letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour requirement on their website.

I emailed the Canberra embassy to ask. They told me “The Embassy is only authorised to issue a Non-Immigrant visa with multiple entries to those who have a Thai Work Permit or letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour in Thailand.” And also “Your company's business associate in Thailand may lodge the application to the Office of Foreign Workers Administration. We will issue the Non-Immigrant multiple entry visa once we receive that letter from them.”

Royal Thai Consulate General Melbourne at http://www.thaiconsulatemelbourne.com  state:
“As of Monday 15 August, The Royal Thai Consulate General Melbourne will no longer issue Non-immigrant Multiple Entry Visas. All Non-immigrant Multiple Entry Visas will now be issued by the Royal Thai Embassy in Canberra.”

9 hours ago, elviajero said:

A 'Business Visa' is still available, but it seems the Embassy only issue a Single Entry.

The websites of the Canberra embassy and Sydney consulate state that they can issue a non-immigrant B visa multiple-entry visa:

http://www.thaiconsulatesydney.org/Home/visa

type United Kingdom and click Business visa

For business people who wish to visit Thailand for business purposes, for example, to attend a conference or training session, to conduct business with a Thailand-based organisation, to conduct business negotiations or for an exploratory business visit, you may apply for a Non-immigrant "B" visa before entering Thailand. The Non–immigrant “B” visa has 2 categories:

    Single entry visa will allow you to stay up to 90 days in Thailand and is valid for 3 months.

    Multiple entries visa will allow you to stay up to 90 days in Thailand on each visit and is valid for multiple entries within 12 months.

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

i am not saying he can't get a business visa but as he works here to he also needs a work permit. attending a conference is not an issue but "visiting" clients is regarded as work

I don’t think visiting clients is regarded as work. The Canberra embassy website says this is the visa I need for what I am doing.

http://www.thaiconsulatesydney.org/Home/visa

type United Kingdom and click Business visa

"For business people who wish to visit Thailand for business purposes, for example, to attend a conference or training session, to conduct business with a Thailand-based organisation, to conduct business negotiations or for an exploratory business visit, you may apply for a Non-immigrant "B" visa before entering Thailand. The Non–immigrant “B” visa has 2 categories:

    Single entry visa will allow you to stay up to 90 days in Thailand and is valid for 3 months.

    Multiple entries visa will allow you to stay up to 90 days in Thailand on each visit and is valid for multiple entries within 12 months."

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

the APEC travel card might be the next best choice. It allows unlimited 90 day entries. Not sure about you qualifying for it as a UK citizen

I did look into getting the APEC Business Travel Card, which seems perfect, but I don’t qualify as I am a UK citizen, even if I work for an Australian company. From their FAQ: “General eligibility criteria include: are citizens of the participating APEC economies”

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

I think the info about needing a work permit on the embassy website might be an error. The Sydney consulate website does show it.  http://thaiconsulatesydney.org/Home/visa

Thank you for this suggestion, but the Sydney consulate doesn’t list the requirement (for a Letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour) on this list, but does show it hidden away in their FAQ on:

http://thaiconsulatesydney.sparemart.com/Home/newsevent/2873659702583769

halfway done: “Q: As an Australian businessman, I have to go to Thailand very frequently on business. Is there any facility for frequent business travelers like me?
A: Yes, you can apply for a 1-year multiple-entries business visa which would allow you to travel to Thailand as frequently as you want while the visa remains valid. The period of stay is not exceeding 90 days for each visit. However, you must have a valid working permit in Thailand or a letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour of Thailand to support your visa application.”

My company’s distributor in Thailand has been contacting the Ministry of Labour, trying to talk to different people. They don’t know anything about the letter of approval and say that form WP3 is only for applying for a work permit (for a foreigner wishing to work in Thailand for a Thai company; not my case).

The Sydney consulate website is saying yes, you can apply for a 1-year multiple-entries business visa, but is listing a requirement that the Ministry of Labour doesn’t seem to know about. An Australian businessman working for an Australian company cannot get a work permit.

2 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

your conducting business in Thailand is seen by the labour office as working, so you need a work permit too.

I don’t think I can get a work permit as I don’t work for a Thai company. I work for an Australian company. I don’t think an Australian company can apply for a work permit.

I’m from the UK, 45 years old. I work for an Australian company. My job is to travel around Southeast Asia to meet with distributors, visit potential customers and attend conferences. I spend most of my time in Thailand.

For the past two years, I have had Non-immigrant B multiple-entry visa issued by consulates in Brisbane and Melbourne. Our distributor in Thailand provided their corporate documents for the visa application.

Since August 2016, Canberra and Sydney embassies are now asking for a letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour to apply for this visa. They say “To obtain this letter, the applicant’s prospective employer in Thailand is required to submit Form WP3 at the Office of Foreign Workers Administration, Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour of Thailand”. See the website:

http://canberra.thaiembassy.org/Home/visa

and then type United Kingdom and select business visa.

I don’t have a prospective employer in Thailand. I work for an Australian company and want to visit Thailand to visit business associates and attend conferences (this is the “purpose of visit” for this visa). WP3 is obviously for people applying for a work permit to work for a Thai company. I’ve emailed the consulates in Australia; they tell me they won't issue a multiple-entry visa without a letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour.

I want the “Non-Immigrant Visa "B" -- To Conduct Business in Thailand”. I don’t want the “Non-Immigrant Visa "B" -- To Work in Thailand”.

Does anybody know more about the “letter of approval” from the Ministry of Labour and how to get it? Our distributor in Thailand has been phoning the Ministry of Labour to get this information, but nobody knows.

Hi,

Did you apply for a Single Entry Visa or Multiple Entries Visa?

I'm looking at the information at

http://www.thaiembassy.org/hochiminh/en/services/54612-Non-Immigrant-Visa-B----To-Conduct-Business-in-T.html

you still needed to show the list of "Corporate documents of associated partners/companies in Thailand" ?