Changing Non B extension to visiting Thai wife extension

[zyphodb]

Hi all, but more particularly @Udonjoe.

as said above I'm retiring from my school and need to Change Non B extension  to a visiting Thai wife extension, I went to the local immigration to attempt to do this, they had a new officer, she promptly rejected the schools finishing letter I'd been given and said that I had to go to the immigration office where my wife lives, with my wife to do this, which is 550 km away. She was very abrupt and rude to me, obviously didn't like me or "farangs" in general, having lived here for 10 years I recognize the type, I retreated, somewhat confused to the school office where my head of department and a couple of office workers went to immigration without me to try to find out what was going on. They came back with what this officer said that I had to do.

 In short, she told them to get confirmation of finishing from the Ministry of Education and my work permit closed. I know that this is the procedure for closing a Non B visa but NOT an extension as this, as far as I'm aware will instantly invalidate my visa extension and make me have to go to immigration on the same day that my work permit is closed to get a 7 day extension by the end of which, I'd have to leave Thailand, which I don't want to do.

 I think that my best course of action is to explain to the school why not to do this, make sure that I have a "correct" letter from them stating my finishing date and signed by the director, and take that, my wife, her house book, marriage certificate and ID card, and my yellow house book to her province ASAP to get me extension changed to non O visiting my wife and then doing a one year marriage extension at some point later. @udonjoe and anyone else who has experience, do you think that I am doing this correctly?

[ubonjoe]

The immigration officer was at least partially correct but used the wrong wording about applying for a 60 day extension to visit your wife. It is a normal requirement for your wife to be with you when you apply for the extension.

You will need to cancel your extension based upon teaching (your non-b visa cannot be canceled) to apply for the 60 day extension at the office where you applied for it. If you could get a termination letter from the school and go to immigration before the date on the letter they could post date the cancelation to that day to give you time to apply for the 60 day extension.

[zyphodb]

@udonjoe So my wife has to come to the province where I'm working? I can't go to her province to do it as I didn't get my original non B there?

And I need the letter from the school stating my finishing date?

[zyphodb]

@udonjoe Sorry, getting a bit confused as I'm quite flustered about this. I can get the visa cancelled at the school province, then go and get the wife visa in her own province?

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, zyphodb said:

@udonjoe Sorry, getting a bit confused as I'm quite flustered about this. I can get the visa cancelled at the school province, then go and get the wife visa in her own province?

A visa cannot be canceled.

You would submit a termination letter to cancel your extension of stay based upon teaching at the office that issued it. You will need to submit the letter prior the date on the termination letter and have the cancelation postdated.

Then you could go the immigration office where you wife is living to apply for the 60 day extension to visit her. She will need to be with you when you apply for it.

[zyphodb]

Udonjoe, thank you very much,

 you've helped to make sense out of a very confusing and stressful situation for me, hopefully I can resolve this in the next couple of weeks...