Hi,

My wife is Thai and I am planning to transfer to Thailand as the company where i work has an office there and they are quite open about it. I would be applying myself for work permit etc and wanted to know how long the process would take (after getting my non-immigrant visa to Thailand) ? it says it can vary by office, for instance about 2 months in Pukhet and a few days in BKK... has anyone done it from Chachoengsao office?

 

Many thanks

i got a work permit twice and both times within 2 weeks had it in my hands Chonburi office

maybe i could just play lucky number instead...????

You can get a work permit on a Non O visa. It is not essential to get a Non B, don't care who says different.

Your initial Non O will be 90 days and in the last 30 you can apply for a married extension. That also supports issue of a work permit.

The benefit being that if you stop work you keep what's left of your extension. If you have a Non B it will be cancelled at end of work and you will get 7 days to pack and leave.

Your company should provide all the documentation you need and you just tag along to the Labour Office and sign where they tell you. Cost of WP is around 2000 baht.  If the company use a lawyer that will probably be 25,000 to 50,000 baht and the lawyer will swear blind you 'must' have a Non B visa. (BS) by the way. Get your company to do the work for you, it's their responsibility.

Forgot to add, Immigration don't issue WP's, Labour Office does.

The company's office will have to be registered here and have a registered capital of at least 1 million baht of registered capital for you to apply for a work permit.

When the application is done for a work permit a copy of your marriage certificate will be needed.

There is some good advice above. Enter Thailand on a Non O as the spouse of a Thai, and plan extensions on the same basis. The work permit application then only affects the timing of when you can start working in the Chachoengsao office. If useful, you could work online through your current overseas office until the work permit is issued.