Can my retirement extension be converted to a business extension?

[dgarland]

Hi... google search about my question led me to a discussion here but it was two years old (thanks, google) so I figured I'll start a new one.

 

I am currently in Thailand on my 4th or 5th retirement extension. An opportunity has arisen to start working at a nearby university and I am wondering if my retirement extension can be somehow changed into a working extension without leaving the country.  If not, do I have to go back home (USA) and apply for a new visa?

 

Even though my retirement extensions have been pretty uneventful, I get terrible anxiety whenever I go to immigration. So I'm petrified of going back to the USA to apply for a business visa, and it turns out I lack some piece of paper needed by the embassy before they'll grant me the visa?  What do I do then? Come back to Thailand on 30-day exempt stamp, get the missing piece of paper, fly back to the USA and start all over again?  All those back-and-forth flights to get the paperwork right is going to cost more arms and legs than I have. There must be another way that I'm not aware of.  Please let me know if there is a more time & cost-effective way to do this.

[ubonjoe]

You would not be able to do it without leaving the country.

If teaching at University you could leave the country and apply for a a non-b visa without needing a work application approval letter at a nearby embassy or consulate.

[dgarland]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

If teaching at University you could leave the country and apply for a a non-b visa without needing a work application approval letter at a nearby embassy or consulate.

 

That would be great. Is there a preferred "easy" country to do this in? I'd prefer Ho Chi Minh City, if possible. 

 

I'm still wondering what does one do if the documents needed by the consulate are not quite in order or some detail is missing.

[ubonjoe]

No problem at the consulate in Ho Chi Minh city.

List of required documents are here. http://www.thaiembassy.org/hochiminh/en/services/7440/80809-Non-Immigrant-B---Teaching-in-Thailand-|-Thị-thực.html  If teaching at a University the police clearance is not normally required.

If you failed to get the visa you could apply for a tourist visa and then possibley apply for the non-b at immigration.

[diks]

What about doing it the other way around, i.e. changing a business visa to a retirement extension?

[ubonjoe]

26 minutes ago, diks said:

What about doing it the other way around, i.e. changing a business visa to a retirement extension?

Not a problem.

If a 90 day entry from non-b visa a extension could be applied for with it. If a extension based work it could be changed to one based upon retirement after the one for working was canceled.