Non-O Visa Expired but Still Have Valid Work Permit (and now on 30 days)

[Thai Botanist]

Hi All,

 

Wondering if anyone can offer some advice.

 

I'm the director of a Thai limited company - and have, until now - been on a Non-O one-year multiple entry Thai Spouse visa. I typically travel frequently, and so leaving before each 90 day deadline has not been a problem.

 

I have a valid one year work permit which will expire next January.

 

Due to a mix up in my schedule, and a delayed trip home to apply for another one-year Non-O Thai spouse visa, my current visa expired, and upon returning to Thailand from Singapore late in September I was given a 30-day tourist stamp.

 

In two weeks I will leave Thailand again for a longer trip home, where I will apply for my 'usual' one-year multiple-entry Non-O Thai spouse visa.

 

However, I realize that the moment - I have a problem, since my current 30 day stamp is not compatible with my work permit (as an understatement).

 

Any suggestions as to what to do?

 

I was thinking:

 

1) Just leave it for now, come back with my regular one-year multiple-entry Non-O Thai spouse visa - and then see what happens next January when I renew my work permit. Unfortunately I've also just renewed my passport, and so the stamps that will show that I was here on a 30-day tourist stamp in September will be present in my passport when I go to renew my work permit next January.

 

2) Go to the ministry of labor office right away, apologize for the mix up making it clear it was never my intention to be in Thailand on a 30-day visitors stamp, and ask them what I should do.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

[ubonjoe]

1. That is the best option. 

2. Best to do number one.

Where will you be applying for your non-o visa? Things might of changed since you got your last one.

[Thai Botanist]

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

1. That is the best option. 

2. Best to do number one.

Where will you be applying for your non-o visa? Things might of changed since you got your last one.

Okay thanks for the recommendation.

 

I'll be applying for my non-o in North America. I'll call ahead before we leave to be sure that the docs and requirements are still the same, or whether they've changed.

[mizzi39]

19 hours ago, Thai Botanist said:

1) Just leave it for now, come back with my regular one-year multiple-entry Non-O Thai spouse visa - and then see what happens next January when I renew my work permit. Unfortunately I've also just renewed my passport, and so the stamps that will show that I was here on a 30-day tourist stamp in September will be present in my passport when I go to renew my work permit next January.

 My extension was running out, so I crossed the border into Cambodia, came back on a 30 day, so for those 30 days I may have been in a "grey" area, but then went to Laos and got a 1-year Mult-O based on marriage.

 

My WP does not coincide with my visa, they are about 6 months apart from each other. Labor office told me that my WP is attached to my contract and not visa. Since your status is based on marriage and not work I don't see a problem. Maybe others can clarify.

[Suradit69]

39 minutes ago, mizzi39 said:

for those 30 days I may have been in a "grey" area

Since you're not permitted to work while in the country on a visa exempt entry, it would seem to be a very dark shade of grey.

[natway09]

You could very easily be accused of working illegally if you have no 0 or B current visa  or valid extension. You are not allowed to work on a tourist visa 

[Thai Botanist]

Hi All,

 

In the end we called the labor office and asked them for advice. Their recommendation was that we visit their office and cancel my work permit, and then reapply when I return with my 1-year Non-O in a few weeks. I explained that I'd mixed up my travel dates by one day, and just missed the last valid date in my Non-O visa, and so didn't get the usual 90 days on return from a recent trip.

 

Officially, when this happens, you have 15 days to cancel your work permit. In my case it was 18 days, but there was no problem. They were helpful and efficient at the labor office.

 

When I come back from North America with my new one-year multiple entry Non-O (Thai Spouse), I'll apply for a new work permit. There's only slightly more work / documentation required (and it's all a lot quicker than a few years ago). My current (now cancelled and returned) work permit expired in December, so all in all - not a big deal.

 

Hope this helps if anyone else finds themselves in a similar situation.