Changing jobs. How to go about it now?

[What a carry on]

OK, so it seems the only people getting automatic extensions are tourists who arrived here recently. I was waiting for this week's announcement before asking questions on here. I was expecting nothing but bad news and they didn't disappoint me.

 

I was hoping somebody could advise me on how to go about changing jobs. Here is my situation (and I am sure that there are thousands of us right now in a similar situation).

 

1. I live and work in Bangkok. I am married to a Thai national. She has health issues which put her in a high risk group when it comes to the coronavirus. She has recently lost her job due to the coronavirus lockdown. I am now the sole earner. 

 

2. I have an extension of stay in my passport for my current job. I have worked for the same employer for 3 years. I have a 5-year Thai teaching licence 'gold card'. The contract for this job ends May 3 , as does my extension of stay. I do not want to leave this job, (because of the situation more than anything else) but the school are laying off most of their teachers for financial reasons (first in last out etc.)

 

3. I have a new job in a different province. The contract start date is May 4. The salary is well over the 40,000 baht lower limit for a non-O based on marriage. I do not have over 400k saved in a Thai bank account.

 

4. My old school is refusing to work with the new school to get me a new extension of stay/employer name in the work permit. They simply say the process of changing jobs without doing a visa run is 'too difficult'. There are about 7 of us asking them to help (all the new schools will help) but they say they just don't have the time. I think they just can't be bothered to be honest. My new school are also looking into ways to help, but I'm being proactive here in case they come up blank.

 

5. A visa run is not possible to either get a new non-B or 'reset' the work permit process due to border closures.

 

Does anyone know how I can go about getting legal right now with regards to this new job? 

Is it possible to get a '60 day visit Thai spouse' extension and then get a one year extension of stay based on employment with that (without leaving Thailand)? Can you apply for a new non-B with this 60 day extension?

If not, is it possible to get the 'Covid' extension (it seems not) and get an extension of stay/new non-B based on employment with that?

If I should get the '60 day visit spouse' extension, would moving to the new province within a week or so be a good idea (do immigration/labour dept need time to sort things - 14 days or something?) We're thinking of moving early to avoid CW immigration and get a landlord/landlady who will be more cooperative if they need to attend 'interrogation' if we apply for the 60 day visit spouse extension. Our current landlady is in her 80s and will not attend immigration (don't blame her to be honest, especially as we're moving out soon). I doubt she ever registered me living in her condo anyway. Avoiding CW immigration is important as the other office isn't so busy if my wife needs to attend. It's still a risk I'd rather avoid, but it seems they want us to (no comment!).

 

Anyone know if it's possible to change jobs in Thailand right now? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

You could apply for a 60 day extension to visa your wife on day your current extension is canceled.

You could the apply for another one year extension for teaching or one based upon marriage to a Thai. If you can show 2 or months of income from your job you could use that to apply for the extension. 

[What a carry on]

Wow that was quick! Thank you. I can't thank you enough for that. Sincerely.

 

Just one thing though. My new job starts on May 4. The old one ends on May 3 (which is a Sunday). Therefore, if I apply on May 3  (or just before it) as you suggest, I would have no income from the new job until the end of May. I am, however, still being paid by my 'old' job until May 3 (including a bonus of over 100k on top of salary). Would this count with regards to the '2 months of income from your job'?

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, What a carry on said:

Wow that was quick! Thank you. I can't thank you enough for that. Sincerely.

 

Just one thing though. My new job starts on May 4. The old one ends on May 3 (which is a Sunday). Therefore, if I apply on May 3  (or just before it) as you suggest, I would have no income from the new job until the end of May. I am, however, still being paid by my 'old' job until May 3 (including a bonus of over 100k on top of salary). Would this count with regards to the '2 months of income from your job'?

If you make a seamless transition from one job to another the income from your current job should be accepted. You will also need your tax return for last year when you apply for the one year extension.

[What a carry on]

OK Joe, that's awesome.

 

Thank you once again!

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Be sure your old job gets you this document from the labor office, stating your last day of work, and that your work permit has been canceled. Getting your new Non-B and work permit will be a pain without it.

[What a carry on]

Thank you, Crunchwrap!

 

I'll do my best to get that letter from the labour dept. 

 

I'm a little confused about a few things though (if anyone can help?)

 

Does one job need to end on one day (say May 3) and the new one on the next day (May 4). Or does the old job need to end on the same day the new one starts?

 

Am I right in saying that I should cancel the extension and work permit and then travel to the new province and apply for the 60 day visit Thai wife extension? Then, on the same day as getting the 60 day extension for visiting wife, do I apply for the extension of stay for working and being married or do I apply for a new non-B? I thought immigration needed time for the non-B? And finally, should I keep my work permit with me from the old job?

 

Sorry, just a bit confused with this process and want to make sure I get it right (you know how it is if you forget just one thing).

 

Thanks again

 

 

[ubonjoe]

34 minutes ago, What a carry on said:

Does one job need to end on one day (say May 3) and the new one on the next day (May 4). Or does the old job need to end on the same day the new one starts?

You have to cancel your extension on or before the date shown on the termination letter. You can go early to immigration and they will post date the cancelation to that day. Since you will be getting the 60 day extension you will have some flexibility on the days.

If you were applying for another one year extension it would all have to be done on the same day.

[Smokegreynblues]

Without the documents and consent from your old job , about last day of work and resignation , a seamless transition to a new job without border hopping is impossible. I might be wrong but they also need provide a document stating to the immigration that they allow the current extension of stay to be extended and used with the name of the new school. Since it’s a different province school, cancelling of work permit in bangkok, then reapplying a new work permit in another province and taking the receipt of that new work permit to the immigration to cancel the old visa extension  and reapply for the new extension At immigration must be on the same day. If it’s a nearby province it’s possible ,else it is not possible to do on the same day and seamless transition fails. It would have been easier if your new job was in Bangkok province and using the same immigration office and Labour office. The reason they say it’s difficult is the old school simply don’t want to deal with Different Labour and immigration offices in another province. 
 

ps. It’s a nice bonus they provide you. No Thai curriculum school that I know of provides such. I wonder how many schools will lay off teaching staff this year. 

Edited April 2, 2020 by Smokegreynblues

[Autonuaq]

Be wise if you are married by thai law then you should apply for non-o based on marriage or if you jave children apply for nono take care of thai national (child)

 

Makes you independed from the non - B as well the work permit to stay in thailand.

Still need the prerequisits as listed like the income of above 40000 or 400000  in a bank account.

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, Smokegreynblues said:

I might be wrong but they also need provide a document stating to the immigration that they allow the current extension of stay to be extended and used with the name of the new school.

You are wrong. The previous employer only needs to provide a termination letter so that the new extension can be applied for after the current one is canceled.

 

[What a carry on]

Thanks all of you for the advice. The other province is about 2 and a half to 3 hours drive. I'm guessing I might be out of immigration by 11.00a.m, if lucky (I'll wait overnight...how ridiculous is that!)

 

Is it not possible for my old school to go to immigration/labour dept on the 26/04 and do the cancellation in advance (say Friday 01/05/2020) and then go to the other (new school) immigration/labour department on that day (Friday 01/05/2020)? Or, is the only way to do it by going to both immigration/labour departments on the same day (26/04/2020 in this example)?

 

My new school are on this new. I'll keep you all (and anyone who needs to know) posted if anyone is interested?

 

Thanks again to all. Rough time this...

[What a carry on]

I'm unsure if anyone was waiting to find out, but my new extension went smoothly. Immigration in Samut Sakhon (I lived in BKK but my job was in Samut Sakhon) cancelled my extension a few days in advance. I went on 28 April to Samut Sakhon immigration and they cancelled it for 30 April. Then I traveled to Rayong the same day, relaxed for a couple of days and then went to their labour dept and immigration on the 30 April. I got my 1 year extension and should have my work permit within a week or so.

 

I had to take a copy of the cancellation paper from the Labour dept in Samut Sakhon. A copy was fine my old school said they needed to keep the original.

 

So some provinces it seems can cancel an extension 'in advance' which gives applicants time to travel to another province (instead of hurrying on the same day - impossible if you live too far from the new job). Of course, one job needs to end (on the letter the old employer hands in) and the new one start on the same date. Even if you officially don't leave/start on that particular day, it doesn't matter as long as the same matching dates are on the letters handed in by the two schools. My new job's letter has a start date about 4 days earlier than my 'official' start date. They just put the same date to make things work with immigration/labour dept.

 

Just thought I'd pass on the info (although travelling between provinces is now looking dodgy for the time being).

 

If you ever change jobs, I'd try to find out if they can 'cancel' your extension a few days in advance (it may be different province to province). Because if they can do it, as long as you can get both schools to put the same date, you can do an extension 'fairly' easily without leaving the country (once travel becomes easier, of course).