The Bureaucratic Complexity of an B-visa / O-visa Couple

[Guest]

I've accepted a teaching job that starts in August, but I'm starting to worry about the implications of them not completing the paperwork early. So far, I've had great dealings with the HR people at the school, and things are progressing, but I'm not 100% sure I'll have my B-visa in hand (let alone the work permit) before I get on the plane.

 

This could create a mess for my wife and me. Ideally, we'd like to jump through all my hoops by late-June, which would give us the chance to apply for her O-visa before we arrive in Thailand. Less-than-ideal would be me having (at least) the B-visa, but then she'd probably have to enter on a exemption stamp and we'd probably have to do a visa run for her O-visa--while trying to get settled in in a new country and prepare for the start of the semester.

 

Then there's the scenario we're fearing: they try to get me to come in on an exemption, make a visa run the week before the school year starts, which would then necessitate a second visa run for my wife (as I understand it, I'll need my work permit before she can apply for an O-visa, and that application has to happen outside of Thailand). Plus, we have a dog! Ugh, another layer of hassle between the import issues and the logistics if we're making multiple trips in July/August.

 

Does anyone have any experience with these issues? Have they found it easy/difficult to get the B-visa turned around, enabling an O-visa application? Thanks in advance to anyone sharing their perspective.

[ubonjoe]

If you are able to get the non-b visa before traveling to here you wife would be able to apply for her non-o visa at the same time.

If not it would be best for both of you to get single entry tourist visas before starting your trip.

If you have to leave the country to get your non-b visa after arriving here your wife could get a single entry non-o visa at the same time you get your non-b visa. You would not need to your work permit for her to apply for the non-o visa.

For your wife to apply for an extension of stay for being a member of you family you would have to apply for an extension of stay, based upon teaching. She could apply for her extension on the same day you apply for your extension.

 

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

If you are able to get the non-b visa before traveling to here you wife would be able to apply for her non-o visa at the same time.

Thanks for your help!

I was under the impression that, for her to apply for the non-O visa, I needed to have my non-B visa (one source even said I needed my work permit, or at least the contract and something from my employer that explained that my wife wouldn't be working). The possibility of applying for both visas at the same time is a huge relief. 

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, GrumblesMcGee said:

Thanks for your help!

I was under the impression that, for her to apply for the non-O visa, I needed to have my non-B visa (one source even said I needed my work permit, or at least the contract and something from my employer that explained that my wife wouldn't be working). The possibility of applying for both visas at the same time is a huge relief. 

I suspect what you are seeing is confusion between the single entry non-o visa and the extension of stay issued by immigration.

Many people call the extension a non-o visa which it is not. A non-o visa entry is needed to apply for the extension.