Visa Queries For Moving To Thailand

[Elkidor]

I would really appreciate any advice. I've been looking throught varous forums and have just become mroe confused with visa regulations. I apologise in advance as I expect many of these q's have been answered previously, but here goes:

My boyfriend (long term) has been offered a secondment from his company (where he now works in London) to their Bangkok offices for 12-18 months.

We are both British and his work will arrange a work visa for him - a 12 month non Imm B I figure - would that be correct? If he gets this visa, would he have to do the in and out of the country trips every 90 days still?

For me, I believe my options are:

1) get married and get a dependants visa

2) Go out on a tourist visa and then find work and get a work permit

If we went for 1) would this grant me a non imm 'O' visa? If so, would I have to do the 90 day entry stamp run? I am keen to do voluntary work and have found a number of options. If I want to go through the 'legal' route and get a work permit to do so, is this all easy enough on a non imm 'O' visa? I keep reading you need to arrange a WP from outside Thailand thus arranging a job prior to arrival... Can anyone clarify how this is done?

On the same note, If I were to volunteer at a couple of organisations, would a WP from just one give me freedom to volunteer in numerous places or does it specify one organisation?

I also hope to have Thai classes - inwhich case what kind of permit/visa do I need then - especially if combined with work (unpaid, or even paid!)?!?!

If we went for 2) and I was a 'tourist' at first, would i be ok to do some Thai classes and volunteer - that is, can I get some kind of permit?!

I am considering undertaking a month TEFL course over there also, and to do this what sort of permit/visas would I need, and how could I arrange this?

If anyone can offer any answers to these Q's or suggest any alternatives I would be very grateful. Sorry there are so many q's, but I just can't get my head around it all!!

[lost_in_space]

gee whiz, you're the kind of person the Thais might not know how to technically cope with, but will find a way to accommodate.

Your boyfriend will not have to leave the country every 90 days with a WP. I'm on the same arrangement and haven't left in a couple of years.

There are lots of knowledgeable people on this board. I suspect they will suggest you arrange something more substantial than a 30 day tourist visa before you get here.

As Douglas Adams said, "Don't panic!"

[oooooo]

hello and welcome to the board

ur boyfriend will be taken care of by his company. for u it would be best to acquire a non-immigrant visa so that when u find work u will not have to leave the country.

also if u decide to go to AUA (American Alumni Association), they offer excellent Thai courses, u could get a one-year ED (education visa).

hope this helps.

[Elkidor]

Thank you both for your speedy replies!

I've taken these into account and researched further into the whole thing. But I remain baffled.

I've had a look at the Thai consulate pages and it suggests you can apply for a Non Imm 'O' with a self certification guarantee if you plan to volunteer, but do not have a letter from an organisation supporting this... is this right?

Even so, on the assumption that I can apply for and hopefully get, a Non Imm O, (either this way, or by getting a supporting letter or by getting married and getting it as a dependant), I just need to clarify what I can and can't do being a holder of this visa!

For example, if i were to take a 4 week TEFL course a few weeks into my stay, would I have to change my visa to a Non Imm ED?! (Could I even?!) But given that the course would be for 4 weeks that would be a bit weird - surely. Or could i just get some kind of permit to validate my 'O' visa for the duration? Or just get along with just the 'O' visa?

I have also read that if you volunteer or work you need a work permit (and this is in addition to the Non Imm O visa NOT changing to a 'B' visa I understand) with specific relation/mention to the position and organisation - in which case if I were to do a few hours volunteering a week with 2 or 3 organisations that would mean I would need 2 or 3 work permits - is this possible and/or necessary!??

I just wonder if there are any expat spouses or anyone who has been in a similar situation who can tell me what they have done and whether i'm seeing it as being more complex than it is or if it is just complex!!

[onebir]

I've had a look at the Thai consulate pages and it suggests you can apply for a Non Imm 'O' with a self certification guarantee if you plan to volunteer, but do not have a letter from an organisation supporting this... is this right?

Are you talking about the Hull Consulate? The last time I looked it seemed that people can apply for Non Imm 'O' for any (reasonable sounding) purpose, with no documentation other than self certification. (I was quite surprised and checked carefully - as you may know, there been quite a panic over the last few months on this forum about changes in the rules for 30 day visa-free entry, so I read the consulate documentation very carefully.) Why don't you give them a call and explain your situation?

Re doing the TEFL/Thai course, I understand that the schools can usually get visas changed if need be - although I think people often do short courses on tourist visas with no problems. (But this is based on hazy recollections & impressions. A look at some of the TEFL school websites/Thai ESL forums might be confirm this. Or contact a school...)

Edited February 23, 2007 by onebir

[astral]

Do NOT work if you have a tourist visa.

It is illegal and you risk arrest, imprisionment in the Immigration Detention Centre (not a nice place at all) and finally deportation back to your home country.

Unless you have some special skill that the Thai's do not have, then you have little chance of legal work and a Work Permit.

[Mahout Angrit]

You should be able to get a Non Imm O Visa from a consulate in UK (Hull seems to be the favourite with people on this forum). As already said, call them first and explain your situation.

If you did then you could stay in Thailand for 15 months by just doing 4 runs to a nearby border (you get 90 days on each entry and you can enter as many times as you wish, the last entry must be before the visa expires, so enter on the last day and you get another 90days)

That should see you through your boyfriends contract.

There really is no need to change the purpose of the Non Imm visa if you do a bit of studying (in fact I'm not sure you can). You can even study short term on a tourist visa.

Work is something else, do not attempt to work without a WP. As you have already seen even voluntary work (where you receive no pay) is classed as work if they want to get you. However if you do find voluntary work then talk to the organisation and other volunteers. The organisation may be able to get a permit for you if you intend to be around for a reasonable length of time.

Whatever happens there should be no need to get married to stay in Thailand as you can stay on a triple tourist visa for 9 months (with extensions) and then follow that with 3 visa free entries (3 months) then if you needed more you could go to a nearby consulate in say Malaysia and get another tourist visa.