Change Non Immigrant B Visa to Tourist Visa

[SGz]

Hello, 

I am teaching English here in Thailand and was wondering is it possible to change the Non Immigrant B Visa over to a Tourist Visa? Or what happens if you quit your job, I still have about 6 months left on my visa, would I have to leave ASAP or could I stay until my visa is up?

Thanks for the info

[ubonjoe]

Your extension of stay (it is not a visa) based upon teaching ends on the day you are no longer working.

You cannot change to a tourist visa with leaving the country to get one at a embassy.

At this time you could apply for 60 day covid 19 extension on the day you formally cancel your current extension.

[2530Ubon]

You're fine. I finished teaching 3 years ago and had 5/6 months left too. Stayed here without any issues and did the old in and out tourist visa when the extension ran out. 

Unless you both go to immigration with your passport to cancel the visa, they won't know any different. As Ubonjoe said - you have to go in to the IO and formally cancel the extension.

If you want to teach in another school, or you plan on staying here longer, then I'd recommend cancelling your extension and doing things properly. If not, and your going home anyway in a few months, then just relax and enjoy the next 6 months ????

[SGz]

8 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Your extension of stay (it is not a visa) based upon teaching ends on the day you are no longer working.

You cannot change to a tourist visa with leaving the country to get one at a embassy.

At this time you could apply for 60 day covid 19 extension on the day you formally cancel your current extension.

So, if I understand correctly, I can not change to a tourist visa without leaving the country?

The covid extension would be applied for on the day I quit my employment? Is there a guarantee that the extension will be granted or is this an iffy deal?

[SGz]

6 hours ago, 2530Ubon said:

You're fine. I finished teaching 3 years ago and had 5/6 months left too. Stayed here without any issues and did the old in and out tourist visa when the extension ran out. 

Unless you both go to immigration with your passport to cancel the visa, they won't know any different. As Ubonjoe said - you have to go in to the IO and formally cancel the extension.

If you want to teach in another school, or you plan on staying here longer, then I'd recommend cancelling your extension and doing things properly. If not, and your going home anyway in a few months, then just relax and enjoy the next 6 months ????

I will not be finished with my contract, I would like to quit and just travel and chill. When you say the old out and in visa, do you mean leaving the country for a visa run? As this isn't really possible now with covid restrictions. When you say both, do you mean the school and myself?  I imagine the school would cancel the visa, so where would that leave me? I do not want to overstay and have trouble entering in the future and am not really trying to get a new job teaching. 

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, SGz said:

I will not be finished with my contract, I would like to quit and just travel and chill. When you say the old out and in visa, do you mean leaving the country for a visa run? As this isn't really possible now with covid restrictions. When you say both, do you mean the school and myself?  I imagine the school would cancel the visa, so where would that leave me? I do not want to overstay and have trouble entering in the future and am not really trying to get a new job teaching. 

While it is probably true that Immigration would be unaware that you are no longer teaching (and, thus, you would probably get away with pretending your existing permission to stay is still valid) I recommend you do things properly, and try for the Covid-19 extension. At most offices, you can get this easily just by signing an affidavit to the effect that current conditions make leaving Thailand impractical. If you are unlucky, and encounter one of the offices that insists on an embassy letter, you may need to resort to using an agent to arrange an extension. 

[2530Ubon]

9 hours ago, SGz said:

I will not be finished with my contract, I would like to quit and just travel and chill. When you say the old out and in visa, do you mean leaving the country for a visa run? As this isn't really possible now with covid restrictions. When you say both, do you mean the school and myself?  I imagine the school would cancel the visa, so where would that leave me? I do not want to overstay and have trouble entering in the future and am not really trying to get a new job teaching. 

In and out 6 months later when the non-b extension ran out. That might be possible for you six months later from now - the country is planning to re-open on the 1st Oct (TIT).

The school can not simply cancel your extension - Immigration need to physically have your passport to do it. You can cancel an extension, because it is your extension. The school can't do it themselves unless you gave them your passport and a signed power of attorney. You would be free to travel and chill for the next six months and then leave the country. The covid extension will only give you 2 months - and they are NOT being renewed this time around.

However, if you plan to stay here and teach in another school, then you need to do things correctly. What you plan to do after the next 6 months is up should determine your course of action:

Stay here and teach - cancel extension and apply for covid extension (quickly)

Go home in 6 months - relax.

Edited March 16, 2021 by 2530Ubon

[allencraig]

On 3/15/2021 at 4:05 PM, ubonjoe said:

At this time you could apply for 60 day covid 19 extension on the day you formally cancel your current extension.

Hi ubonjoe, My friend is in a similar situation so I just wanted to clarify what you're saying on his behalf.

 

He entered Thailand in Sept. with a non-b obtained at the embassy in Mexico City. The extension runs until April 16. He would like to stay for two weeks after that to relax and say goodbye to his Thai friends.

 

Are you saying he can obtain a Covid extension on his non-b?

 

Thanks.

[BritTim]

9 minutes ago, allencraig said:

Hi ubonjoe, My friend is in a similar situation so I just wanted to clarify what you're saying on his behalf.

 

He entered Thailand in Sept. with a non-b obtained at the embassy in Mexico City. The extension runs until April 16. He would like to stay for two weeks after that to relax and say goodbye to his Thai friends.

 

Are you saying he can obtain a Covid extension on his non-b?

 

Thanks.

 

You can apply for a Covid extension, regardless of the basis of your previous permission to stay. Any visas you previously had are mostly irrelevant when applying for extensions, and they do not consider the basis of your permission to stay when you request certain kinds of extension (Covid extensions being a case in point).

[allencraig]

12 minutes ago, BritTim said:

 

You can apply for a Covid extension, regardless of the basis of your previous permission to stay. Any visas you previously had are mostly irrelevant when applying for extensions, and they do not consider the basis of your permission to stay when you request certain kinds of extension (Covid extensions being a case in point).

Thanks Tim! Would my friend use the TM-7 form and apply at the K counter at MTT? 

[BritTim]

34 minutes ago, allencraig said:

Thanks Tim! Would my friend use the TM-7 form and apply at the K counter at MTT? 

Definitely, he would use the TM7 form to request the Covid extension. Since the first step is cancellation of his permission to stay based on working (he needs a letter from his employer for that) I believe he needs to use Chaengwattana. If I am wrong, someone will be along to correct me.

[AUinAsia]

When I quit my teaching job the school admin personally marched me down to immigration to ensure that my visa was cancelled. But they were very angry about me leaving so maybe that's why they were insistant. They wouldn't even give me an extra day to pack my things. Said I had to be out of the country that day, after 3 years of service.

[BritTim]

8 hours ago, AUinAsia said:

When I quit my teaching job the school admin personally marched me down to immigration to ensure that my visa was cancelled. But they were very angry about me leaving so maybe that's why they were insistant. They wouldn't even give me an extra day to pack my things. Said I had to be out of the country that day, after 3 years of service.

 

To some extent you were railroaded. You should have been able to apply for a denied extension on payment of 1,900 baht, and been given seven days to leave the country.

[AUinAsia]

19 minutes ago, BritTim said:

 

To some extent you were railroaded. You should have been able to apply for a denied extension on payment of 1,900 baht, and been given seven days to leave the country.

Yes I ended up doing exactly that, The school didn't agree to it, but couldn't stop me. However this 7 day stamp caused me to be denied my next Non B at the embassy in Hong Kong where the woman told me the 'denial' means I'm not allowed in Thailand. She yelled at me and said 'you not allowed in Thailand, you must go back to your own country'.  No matter how hard I tried to explain to her that it was simply an extension, she wouldn't have it. So I wasted a lot of money going to Hong Kong and having my new Non B refused all because this woman decided the wording of 'denied' means that I'm banned from Thailand. Had no problem getting back into Thailand and sorting out my paperwork, but it was a huge waste of money going to Hong Kong for nothing. That denial stamp can cause issues. 

Edited March 31, 2021 by AUinAsia

[JayClay]

14 hours ago, AUinAsia said:

When I quit my teaching job the school admin personally marched me down to immigration to ensure that my visa was cancelled. But they were very angry about me leaving so maybe that's why they were insistant. They wouldn't even give me an extra day to pack my things. Said I had to be out of the country that day, after 3 years of service.

 

Did you give them any notice?

[AUinAsia]

6 hours ago, JayClay said:

 

Did you give them any notice?

One month notice. But they were still angy because a lot of teachers had left around the same time.