firebasejay

21 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The school should be familiar with doing a termination letter unless everybody has just left the country when they planned to not be working anymore.

If the school wanted you to stay longer they could apply for a 3 month work permit. A extension to visit your child of your current permit to stay that was gotten from a non-b visa would allow you to continue working.

You cannot change from a non-b visa to a non-o visa while in the country. You can only change the reason for your current extension to one based upon being working to one based upon being the parent of a Thai or for visiting them.

Yes, I was under the impression our teachers just left and went to get new visas or left Thailand altogether. Some teachers just seem to disappear, never to be heard from again.  I might just not have been aware of the termination letter process. I will ask a colleague what his experience was when he left the school, though I think in his case he was already on a Non-O when he left the school, but it's possible he still got a letter.

Glad for the info on the 3 month work permit extension. I didn't know it was possible and sounds like it might be an agreeable solution to all parties involved. It sounds similar to when the teaching license waiver expires mid term and the whole extension process has to be repeated after a new waiver is obtained.   I'm worried about leaving on bad terms if I have to cancel employment before the term is finished (nor do I wish to not live up to my obligations), and the possible lack of cooperation that could lead to. Just getting them to do the normal contract, work permit and visa extensions for the staff while exam crunch time is going on is concerning in and of itself, never mind anything extra, particularly for a teacher who is leaving. 

I will also shelve that fantasy of changing visa types. Covid sure is a nuisance or all this would be a lot simpler.

Thanks so much for all your help. It puts my mind at ease about my options.

15 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

He could change the reason for his extension and keep working with his existing work permit if is still valid. He would need permission from his employer to change the reason for the extension.

He can have a work permit and work with extension based upon being the parent of Thai.

At least since I've been at this school, the work permit extension expiration date is the same date that the contract ends, and the visa extension runs through that day accordingly, so all 3 expire on the same day, March 31.     The complication this year is that covid delayed the start of the school year, so the work to be done in the current term extends past the expiration of our contracts/permits/visas.

@ubonjoeI assume the "permission" from the employer to change the reason for the extension is only in the event that the school renews my work permit for another year before I inform them of my intention to move on. Or is the permission simply the same as the termination letter? I suppose the day I announce my intention to quit the job should be on or before the day the school collects work permits to take to the labor office for extensions.  My intention is to let the work permit expire, though I still have not made the final decision yet. My purpose today is to make sure I won't be in a bind extension-wise if I don't stay on with the school and don't have the option of just heading to Savannakhet for a non-O on the 31st of March.  I think the "visit a child" 60 day extension option should suffice, but I will clarify with immigration before I make any decisions.

If the termination letter doesn't suffice as permission to change reason for extension of my Non-B, or the school doesn't provide such permission (I think this will all be outside the box and very confusing for them, it's not something that's done normally), how difficult is it to switch from my Non-B to a Non-O without leaving the country?

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Are you the legal father of your children by way of legitimization or marriage to their mother? If not you will not be able to apply for a extension of stay based upon being the parent of a Thai.

 

You will need the termination letter to apply for a 60 day covid 19 extension or a extension to visit your children since your employment is ending. Immigration want that to confirm you are not just leaving your job without notifying your employer.

You can apply for the one year extension of stay (visas are not extended) of the original 90 day entry you got from the non-b visa you had,

 

Yes. I was married to their mother but we divorced over two years ago. I have full legal custody of my oldest child per the divorce agreement and pay monthly support for my other children (who stay with her), also per the agreement. The agreement is official and entered into record at the local amphur where we lived.

Glad to hear the confirmation that I can use my Non-B for the new type of extension rather than worrying about converting or obtaining a new Non-O visa.

Thanks for the clarification on the termination letter. I might have to make my final decision and leave the job earlier than I was hoping, which might put them in a bind at the end of the school year, due to covid delays extending the current term into April.  I will visit the local immigration office and present the suggestions you've offered ahead of time to make sure I don't get caught up at the last minute.

 

17 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You can apply for a 60 day covid 19 extension after your extension stay (visas are not extended) based upon working is canceled by using a termination letter from your employer on the same day it is canceled.

I assume your children are Thai and you will be applying for a extension of stay based upon being the parent of a Thai (a dependent extension or visa does not exist). You could also apply for a 60 day extension to visit your children.

Yes, that's correct.  My kids are Thai nationals (minors) with ID cards and my name on the birth certificates.  So if i can't get a termination letter for whatever reason (administrative delay due to the fact that our school year is extending past my visa expire date, etc) I can still do the Covid extension based on my kids? 

Alternatively, does an expiring contract/work permit (through March 31) equate to a termination letter?  Though I'd like to avoid waiting until the last day to do this if possible.

As opposed to trying to obtain a new Non-O, I'd like to eventually do a one year extension of my Non-B for the purpose of taking care of my kids but due to a transfer delay the 400k in my bank won't hit 2 months until April 1st, the day after my visa expires, and I still have other paperwork to assemble, such as proof of residence.  

Thanks again. Such good info in your threads.
 

Hi all, good info here..

Can I get a Covid 60 day extension using my non-B visa which expires at the end of March? I am preparing for the possibility that I won't renew my teaching contract with my school and want more time to prepare to switch to a one year extension for the purpose of taking care of my dependent kids, rather than having my visa extension be based on employment.  Normally I would just cross the border to Lao and switch to a single entry Non-O (to be extended 3 months later) at the Thai Consulate but that doesn't sound like an appealing or feasible option at the moment.

Thanks for any advice

@ubonjoe,

Here on thaivisa they still list that you have to report 7 days before or after the reporting date. I just confirmed from another site with more recent info, it seems, that you are correct. You can report up to 15 days early. http://www.apply-thailand-visa.com/90-day-immigration-reporting.html

Typical Thai logic here. If you go on vacation IN Thailand and report to a different office you have to report your local vacation address but if you do a border run at any border in the entire country while on vacation (re-entry permit in hand, of course) you just report your home address with no questions asked.

At least it's not a wristband or a microchip implant....

This is great news.. our new, wonderful Big C has proven useless to us.. just the redundant pizza and chicken joints which we already had to begin with at Tesco and avoid anyways. Am curious to see what Topps has to offer

WatUp,

Thanks for the info. I'll be getting a Non-B this time around, but from what i've been able to find out, using an agent not only makes the process easier (and possible) but is also required. Glad you posted the prices. I read in another thread where as recently as 3 weeks ago, in PP, someone was gouged for $150, and they had even tried to get more for expedited svc. The agent in question was a referral from an officer at the gate of the embassy.

I agree. PP is a great place to hang out whether you are getting a visa or not, and can even head to the beach as part of the trip. A lot better than Vientiane or Savanakhet, anyways, where you're just killing days.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Sounds like you got steered by the cop. That extra $$ was probably for the referal, which is standard practice in Cambodia. Can't figure on why the first 2 agents turned you away, but, per usual, I guess it depends on who you talk to. False information abounds in SEA. I suspect your struggle had nothing to do with new laws.

Am trying to get more info, but here's a recent successful Non-B at PP using an unnamed agent. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/754225-phnom-penh-when-use-agent-can-get-multi-o/#entry8289551

Can anyone recommend an agent in PP who's gotten the job done so I can avoid depending on the referal of a tuktuk, guesthouse or police officer?

EDIT: When in doubt, ask Google. Lucky Lucky Motorcycle Shop apparantly has a good visa service (of course, they also rent motorbikes). http://www.movetocambodia.com/practicalities/how-to-get-a-visa-for-thailand-in-phnom-penh-cambodia/

Got to PP Monday 28/07/2014. I had all required documents with letters from my university, etc.
I asked 2 different visa agents if they could help me get a Non B single entry (note that you cannot get a Non B multiple entry here, only single entry visas).
Both of the agents said because of the new situation in Thailand that I had to go to the embassy myself.
Okay fine I thought, I'll avoid the agent fee. The tuk tuk driver took me to the embassy, but i wasn't allowed in. Instead, I spoke to a police officer in a booth outside--he made a phone call, and connected me to an agent. He said he could get my visa in 3 days. He wouldn't accept less than 150 USD (80 for the visa).That's 20 dollars more than I paid last year but I agreed.
Left my documents and passport with the officer. I didn't leave any money initially.
The next day the agent called me claiming I needed to pay more for the standard 3 day turnover. I refused politely. I told him in a university teacher and not a wealthy businessman and we had already agreed on the $150 fee. I also mentioned that a $70 fee was quite high in the first place.
He begrudgingly agreed.
Received my visa 3 days later.
I will never come back to Phnom Pehn for my Non B again. I'm afraid that the new visa law has only succeeded in creating more lawlessness, at least here anyway.
Now of course your experience may differ, but I would advise against coming here for business visas currently.
Oh I'm a US citizen if that makes any difference.
Just wanted to share my experience. Cheers

You apply at the office where you got the extension or at the Airport when leaving.

Assuming you are flying out.

Unfortunately I won't be flying out. Fortunately I haven't left for the south yet, but the local immigration office is a long drive which effectively kills a day.

These little visa nuances and technicalities can be a real pain here in Thailand.

Thanks for the info.

I'm on a 1 year extension on a marriage non-O, but am leaving the country for a week or so. I need to get a re-entry permit before I leave so I don't lose my current visa extension, which is good until January.

Do I need to get it at my immigration office up-country where I apply for my extensions and do my 90-day reporting, or can I pick one up at an immigration office from another location down south, which would be far more convenient, given current circumstances?

Thanks

I went to PP for my non B last week and an agent handled all of it. I never stepped foot in the embassy. No idea about an O though.

WatUp, At PP, what documentation did you need in order to get your Non-B? What agent did you use (was it someone hawking on the street outside the embassy or an office), and how much did it cost you?

I'm also wondering if using an agent greased the process for you (ie. my understanding is these guys often slip a few notes to the immigration officers to get to the front of the queue, and I assume to overlook any potential paperwork issues).

Am asking you because your experience is so recent and at the same embassy I plan to go to. I have experience getting Non-O marriage visas and know various aspects of the process can vary from office to office and depending on who you talk to.

I appreciate your response.

I also noticed a huge jump in my electric bill the past few months. Normally we'd pay around 1700thb and suddenly it was 2100. I was out of town, but just got a bill today, again for the inflated price (my wife blamed the rise on consumption increases, but she was wrong). I used to scan bills and receipts etc and checked one from 2012. There was no FT charge on it. I noticed that now there was an FT charge of 323 baht, which is added to the price before VAT is calculated, which is another jump. I didn't know it was FT until I came to this thread, it was only identified in Thai and with the rate of .6900 baht. The following confirms what it is.

I visited the site linked to from this thread and found this page about the current FT rate, and it says as such:

The Lastest Ft during January 2014 – April 2014

The Electricity Regulatory Commission passed a resolution concurring the Fuel adjustment charge (Ft) is going to be collected in electrical invoice during May 2014 – August 2014 at 0.6900 baht/kWh

Further information needed , contact MEA Call Center Tel. 1130

It's my hope that the FT will be dropped from the bill again on my next bill and things will get back to normal. http://www.mea.or.th/profile/index.php?l=en&tid=3&mid=2986&pid=2985

My wife as such has a reluctance to confront anyone about the increase in the bill, which is very Thai of her, so hopefuly it will resolve itself. If i'm misreading what the site says, however, I need to head down there and find out why we no longer have the FT exemption.

We own a residential home in Isaan with one A/C unit that isn't very normally used except in the hot season.

Thanks for the info

no luck for me either.. TOT DSL in chanthaburi

been blocked for 2 days... the "www.espn.go.com" trick gets you to the main page but my sub pages are still blocked... but at least i can view box scores and fantasy sports. i hope this goes away after the world cup is over

Eventually, as with wheat farming in the US, big agribusiness will become the principal answer to reducing costs while increasing yields and efficient use of land in order to remain competitive in the rice market. Trying to accomplish this outcome with thousands of small independent farmers will fail. A few will survive as higher-priced specialty producers, e.g., of unusual or heirloom organic varietals. Others will form managed co-ops, leave the land or switch into other markets. I don't advocate this, but it will eventually be forced by similar actions in other countries like China, and ambitions in countries like Myanmar, causing relentless downward pressure on prices.

this seems to be underway with so many farmers grabbing the easy loans and putting up their fields. where i live, it's rare a farmer doesn't go in debt to cover the costs of a new planting.. as the bottom falls out, I fear soon they will be little more than indentured servants on the land they once owned, if they are lucky. it's sad, too, because of the way property values have skyrocketed the past few years

just like in america in the 1930s, the banks are poised to take over

My father in law stopped growing rice on his 3 rai, against my wifes advice, planted rubber trees. He may have failed to do his research.

i hope he has an alternative income. depending on where he is, it will be anywhere from 5 to 10 years before he sees a dime in return. hopefuly for his sake the rubber market will have corrected itself by then

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For everyone cheering a possible block of FB, please remember that companies use it also as a media for publicize their business and communication with customers, it's not only for selfies with soldiers and food.

Excellent point. I found it extremely useful recently when searching for accomodation. Most websites (if there were any) were dead, but FB listings were alive and well and often gave me the info I was looking for.

One of my complaints about Thailand in years past was I couldn't just go online and find what I needed like back home. But FB is becoming the Thai Yellow Pages

site down in chanthaburi but 3G app working, for whatever that's worth

Funnily I could "login using Facebook" anyways, here at TV

This could cause widespread depression accross the land as selfies pile up without their daily quota of "likes"

My wife is a teacher in a government school. As it is quite far from our home, we live at the school five days a week and go back to our home town on the weekends. I do some volunteer work around the school to help pass the time. Every morning, the students assemble and are subjected to a forty five minute to one hour tirade from a random teacher while standing in the hot sun. After that, they depart for their classrooms. About one hour later, some clusters of students can be seen wandering about the campus, others playing football or volleyball, some eating snacks that they purchase AT the school canteen, and some sneak over the fence not to be seen again until after lunch, two hours later. The number of students involved in this extra curricular activity is usually around a quarter of the students who are present on any given day.

My wife is an excellent teacher and really works at her job of educating her students, unlike many of her counterparts. I know this because I assist in her English classes and observe her in action. So, when I noticed that some of her students were among the slackers I saw every day out and about, I was really puzzled. I asked her why she allowed this and she gave me one of those "Welcome to Thailand, farang" looks and explained the situation. She said, "Look at the students that are here in my classroom from start to finish, every day. They are here because they WANT to learn! Their minds are like sponges, soaking up all of my lessons and they love my classroom projects!" Then she asked me, "Do you see those students out there playing and fooling around? They DON'T want to learn, they couldn't care less, and resist my every attempt at teaching them. Many of them, if they are forced to stay in the classroom, will just sleep the day away. Why should I waste my time and energy on them when I have all of these eager students needing my attention? I will have to pass the slackers with minimum grades anyway, so why not EDUCATE the students who actually care?

It was then I realized that my wife had found a way to work within the faulty system and still deliver a decent basic education to at least some of her students. I must say, these students that she has taken under her wing are quite bright and well behaved kids. We have even started an "after school" program for about a dozen of them where they learn handicrafts, cooking, and put together little English skits and entertainments for presentation at school functions.

Thanks for sharing this. Very refreshing to hear such a perspective.

I get a bit fed up with all the negativity here on thaivisa so it's nice to have a break from it

Also, thanks for taking the time to contribute to your community rather than just pointing out all that's wrong with it

Few parents do much more than read to them when they're little and make sure kids are doing homework.

If you're actually doing a good job you'll find the Thai school system completely redundant by year two or three. Once they're over 12 it's a pretty big job, most parents can't/won't take the time nor have the knowledge/confidence to 100% home school.

Getting them into a top uni as above would be a big challenge, I'd like to think I could do it if I devoted myself to that end full-time for a half-dozen years, but don't think that's an option for most.

True. few parents take the time

Most farang i've met here in Thailand have nothing but time on their hands (that also said, the older the kids get, if they have been taught to think, the more independent they become in their assignments)

most parents that target top uni's, from what i've heard (i'm not one of them) send their kids to top notch private schools, thus making this current conversation about something else

And even if they end up not wanting or being able to do so, from a purely educational POV the school system here is just SO FREAKING BAD compared to many even less developed nations I'd be ashamed to inflict it on my kids no matter how much fun I was having living in Thailand.

whether here in thailand or anywhere else, naturally it's our responsibility as parents to compensate at home for what we feel they lack in the classroom, even if that comes down to full-scale homeschooling... i guess we all have to make sacrifices to be here in order to take advantage of the many positives this society and culture have to offer (we wouldn't be here otherwise, right? the beer sure isn't cheap anymore...)

I don't like handing my kids over 100% to any system, be it here, or there. god forbid i should trust a bunch of politicians and teachers i don't know to lay out the blueprint for my kid's lives

This OP sounds like he's exaggerating on the numbers of roaming kids in his town a bit, but I do agree. I am concerned at the low level of supervision at my son's school. Kids have an extraordinary amount of freedom

I see a spattering of kids at the Big C mall when we go to the city but they appear to be responsible students and not "vagrants, assuming appearances aren't too misleading, and it looks to me like they just got out of school early, which isn't in uncommon in our province (central Isaan). Seeing them there isn't all that regular though, and it's usually not in large numbers unless it's a Friday afternoon. I have noticed the schools often tend to dismiss early before the weekend. In the city, I don't see hordes roaming the streets, and the internet shops seem to do a pretty good job of observing the law that prohibits students from being in there before 2pm, but maybe i'm just not obsessively paying enough attention and am rather focusing on chaotic traffic and getting through it without a collision or a manslaughter charge.

Ironically enough one of the reform ideas proposed by the PDRC was to make the provinces more accountable locally, by having provincial governors directly elected instead of appointed by Bangkok. Seems the red-shirts and the PDRC might actually have something they could agree on.

Yes, some kind of semi-autonomous status for Lanna and Isaan - and even the South - starts to make sense.

Indeed, Lanna was semi-autonomous till 1939; it retained its own Kings and Princes but paid tribute to then Siam.

To understand some of the secessionist rhetoric, it is necessary to have a historical perspective on how the current regions of Lanna and Isaan were created, and later assimilated into Thai-land. Same with the problems in the South, which have a different history.

Join with Isaan and take advantage of the friendship bridges and the mekong for some trade outlet. That's been a pattern of economic growth interest for a while regardless. can't replace the port but it alleviates the landlock issue

in any case, a big war will happen before anybody gets to secede successfuly, most likely. Thailand is still interdependent even if they don't want to admit it. The bigs still need their lower classes to shit on in order to feel good about themselves and won't let them slip through their fingers that easily

...for the umpteenth time........

....look up the definition of TREASON......

you'll see a picture of Suthep

No doubt they would bring Thaksin back as their democratic elected leader for life, succeeded by his son.

They would have their red army, red schools, red law for the masses with leaders exempt and anyone who didn't agree with them would be banned, like the singers.

"Democratic" Lanna Republic, as democratic as North Korea. The Thai armed forces should act quickly here, these people have to be put in jail.

they can share a 20-man prison cell with Suthep