Dilemma

[Virtualrecluse]

I work at a government university in the north. I have to pay for my own work permit and visa. One month separates the expiry dates on them, the permit on Aug.30, the visa on Sept.27. My contract gets renewed in early-mid August every year. The necessary papers then have to be signed by the Rector. Every year it's the same last-minute rush to get them in on time before the permit expires. This year it was too late; I got to the Labor Dept. one day late. Result: a new permit/book must be issued. This requires a different set of papers, entailing a return to the university and another few days wait. Meanwhile, the Labor Dept. official tells me not to worry since there is still a month to go on my visa. Eventually, the papers get signed. I hand them over at the Labor Dept. and wait for the new one to be issued (1 week later). I pick them up on the Friday. On the Monday (still 9 days to go on the visa) I go to Immigration. The official says " According to the regulations, your visa expires when the work permit expires. Ergo, you have now overstayed by 20 days and owe 10,000 baht. Needless to say, the Faculty will not pay for this as they have no fund from which to compensate me. I must pay it. Thus, it seems to me I am being punished thanks to 1. misinformation by government officials and 2. incompetence by my employer. 

 

Obviously, I am considering resigning. Basically, I want to be able to come back in on a double entry tourist visa obtained in Europe. Much though I am tempted to uproot and seek better treatment elsewhere, the simple fact is that I am too invested in this country to do that-my assets here include a condo and a car. Assuming I pay the fine, I am in the clear with Immigration in terms of overstay and they give me a new one year visa. Should I get a reentry permit as per normal? Can you actually leave the country without one? At what point should I inform the university of my decision to resign-before I go away or while? How long does it take them to cancel the contract and inform the authorities? Is getting back in on a tourist visa viable? 

Thanks in advance for any advice to this thorny question. Am in need of as much sound advice as possible at this moment...

[tonray]

You should have no issues getting a tourist Visa after paying your fine.

 

If you are planning on obtaining a new 1 year extension, you should get a letter from the school cancelling employment. You can exit without it but then will have issues getting a new extension/work permit in the future if you don't cancel extension with immigration.

 

If you so not plan to work again, leave by air and your extension will be canceled...but why not exit after you pay your fine...why get a new extension if you don't plan on working there ?

[mahjongguy]

"... I want to be able to come back in on a double entry tourist visa obtained in Europe. "

 

Double and triple entry Tourist Visas no longer exist. You can easily get a single entry TV, or with considerable difficulty, in your home country, get a Multiple Entry Tourist Visa.

[Virtualrecluse]

31 minutes ago, tonray said:

You should have no issues getting a tourist Visa after paying your fine.

 

If you are planning on obtaining a new 1 year extension, you should get a letter from the school cancelling employment. You can exit without it but then will have issues getting a new extension/work permit in the future if you don't cancel extension with immigration.

 How can I go to Immigration and pay the fine but not request an extension? By extension, you mean extending the annual work visa, I assume. And no, I do not imagine I will be seeking work again here. Once bitten, ...

 

If you so not plan to work again, leave by air and your extension will be canceled...but why not exit after you pay your fine...why get a new extension if you don't plan on working there ? Can you explain to me the steps in the right order i.e. submit resignation/get letter cancelling employment/leave without a reentry permit...

 

[tonray]

3 minutes ago, Virtualrecluse said: