Bye-bye 12 Month Non Im B Visas!

[robsamui]

Hello again Sunbelt.

I began my work permit in March 2005. I have paid full tax as an employee and have the tax documents from the govt for last year, plus also 3 months PND#1 - as well as all the required company documents from my employer. The company is capitalised at 8 million baht and I have a UK passport.

So - what's the chance of KL coming up with 12 months? (Happy grin ...)

Rob

If you are born in the Uk, the odds are high you will get a non immigrant "B" visa then as you have been working since March. Take with you 6 months of the PND #1.

Sorry to say but most all Embassies or Consulates in Asia are no longer giving one year multi entry "B" visas even with a wp.

KL is only doing it in a case by case situation but you need to be American, Aussie or European .

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Thank you!

I'll just have to take pot luck, I suppose.

I hope toilet-mouth is reading this ...

Cheers,

Rob

[monty]

Rob,

If your monthly salary is over the minimum required for your nationality (60,000 for Europeans, 65,000 for Americans I think it currently is)

AND the company you work for has made enough profit in the previous fiscal year to pay their foreign employees for the coming year then you are entitled to extend your stay in Thailand to one year (counting from the day of last entry).

As long as you keep on paying taxes on your required minimum salaries and your employing company keeps on making enough profit, then you can keep on extending your visa without ever leaving Thailand.

Which in all probability is what JD is doing!

Monty

[robsamui]

Rob,

If your monthly salary is over the minimum required for your nationality (60,000 for Europeans, 65,000 for Americans I think it currently is)

AND the company you work for has made enough profit in the previous fiscal year to pay their foreign employees for the coming year then you are entitled to extend your stay in Thailand to one year (counting from the day of last entry).

As long as you keep on paying taxes on your required minimum salaries and your employing company keeps on making enough profit, then you can keep on extending your visa without ever leaving Thailand.

Which in all probability is what JD is doing!

Monty

Thanks Monty - that's interesting. BUT - I'm on 40,000 a month. I wonder if this will throw spanners into various works (as in "why is your employer not paying you the minimum"?) It might be more prudent to just keep on going to KL every 3 months...

R

[monty]

Then unfortunately you don't qualify for the 1 year extension!

Indeed visa run's are your only possibilty, along with every time extending the WP.

[scottie dog]

It very much looks like a 12 month Non Immigrant B visa has ceased to exist, except in the country of your origin.

Today I spent a small fortune phoning Thai embassies in Indonesia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia. The story was the same throughout - 90 days only. None of them will issue a 12 month multiple entry Non Im B, even though I have all the papers, work permit and pay tax.

Oddly, the same theme kept cropping up - which I just can't understand. I asked - can you issue a 12 month Non Im B visa: answer - yes we can (from HK, Sg and Jakarta). Then I was asked - when does your work permit expire. I answered - in 2 weeks time, matched to my visa. They then said - oh, sorry, then we can only give you a three-month visa.

What on earth is the thinking behind this!

Is it now the Thai Government policy to refuse ANY visas of more than 3 months? (except for residents and retirees?)

I suppose that for most people it's no big deal to go half way across the world every 15 months just in order for them to be allowed to come back here and work again. But for me, it's simply not viable. What a pain!

Rob

Why can you not renew you non im B in country. I always do!

Why don't you READ my posting!

I suppose you mean "in your own country"?

I suppose you have family and friends you can stay with? A bank account with savings in it and a credit card or two? People to visit and catch up with? I suppose you enjoy going "home" every year for a nice with with folks? Well, would you do this if you had no family and friends and had to stay in a hotel, after having changed all your baht into stirling, just so you could come back here again?

Like it said - for me it's simply not viable.

Rob

Hi Rob Sorry to confuse you! I should have clarified my comment " why can you not extend your Non Im B here in Thailand". In all the years I have had Non Im O and WP I have never had to leave the country except on holiday. I get a one year multy entry visa tied in with the wp issued in country. All I do is report to Imm every 90 days. No leaving of country, no 400,000/800,000 in the bank. My lawyer fixes this up every year.

[Sunbelt Asia]

Hi Rob Sorry to confuse you! I should have clarified my comment " why can you not extend your Non Im B here in Thailand". In all the years I have had Non Im O and WP I have never had to leave the country except on holiday. I get a one year multy entry visa tied in with the wp issued in country. All I do is report to Imm every 90 days. No leaving of country, no 400,000/800,000 in the bank. My lawyer fixes this up every year.

For a start up company it is impossible to get an extension of stay based on business. The gross turnover on the audit has to be higher than the foreign salaries for the coming year. The balance sheet as well must have a net equity of one million Baht. No way to get an annual audit if the company was just formed today till Jan 2008.

You also must be getting an salary of 50K per month if you are American/ European and four Thais must be employed per work permit. This is not required to get a work permit, only the extension of stay based on business permit.

www.sunbeltasiagrouop.com

[psb_psb]

Non IM B visa's are now only obtainable from Perth Aussie + Huston USA

that was the information i was told by theofficer in KL

and the only way one can stay longer than 3 months is to show your face

at immigration with WP, company papers and tax reports

that information i obtained from the thai immigration in bkk

that’s my situation as a company director, not sure if your an employee

[Sunbelt Asia]

Non IM B visa's are now only obtainable from Perth Aussie + Huston USA

that was the information i was told by theofficer in KL

and the only way one can stay longer than 3 months is to show your face

at immigration with WP, company papers and tax reports

that information i obtained from the thai immigration in bkk

that’s my situation as a company director, not sure if your an employee

Along with the company annual audits.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[minimart]

Rob,

If your monthly salary is over the minimum required for your nationality (60,000 for Europeans, 65,000 for Americans I think it currently is)

AND the company you work for has made enough profit in the previous fiscal year to pay their foreign employees for the coming year then you are entitled to extend your stay in Thailand to one year (counting from the day of last entry).

As long as you keep on paying taxes on your required minimum salaries and your employing company keeps on making enough profit, then you can keep on extending your visa without ever leaving Thailand.

Which in all probability is what JD is doing!

Monty

Thanks Monty - that's interesting. BUT - I'm on 40,000 a month. I wonder if this will throw spanners into various works (as in "why is your employer not paying you the minimum"?) It might be more prudent to just keep on going to KL every 3 months...

R

I know of a quite a few guys working on less than the minimum salary requrements in Isaan and they've never had a problem extending their visas etc. so good luck Rob.

[scottie dog]

Non IM B visa's are now only obtainable from Perth Aussie + Huston USA

that was the information i was told by theofficer in KL

and the only way one can stay longer than 3 months is to show your face

at immigration with WP, company papers and tax reports

that information i obtained from the thai immigration in bkk

that’s my situation as a company director, not sure if your an employee

Along with the company annual audits.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

I Do not understand some of these postings!! The OP is talking about a Non Im B with WP. Why Can he not renew in thailand.I always do!!

[Mid]

painfully obvious that is different strokes for different folks ,

up till now it just got done somehow and nobody questioned it ,

sure is some stories coming out of the woodwork now .........................

[kudroz]

I Do not understand some of these postings!! The OP is talking about a Non Im B with WP. Why Can he not renew in thailand.I always do!!

Because, in order to get an "1 Year Extension of Stay based on Business" (like you're doing) they requirements are

- Minimum Salary being 50k or something if you are American/Canadian/European

- Need to have a balance sheet showing a minimum equity of more than 1M Baht I think and show enough money to pay for the foreigner's salary for 12 months

- Some Thai employees ratio for each foreigner employed

(sorry don't remember the exact numbers at the top of my head, just trying to answer your question to give you an idea)

So, many people with a work permit do not meet these requirements. People who have a workpermit from their wives' sole-proprietor business comes to mind, or people working for starup companies who cannot show an audited balance sheet before some time, etc.

Edited January 11, 2007 by kudroz