Changing Non-O retirement visa to Non-B

[nowhereman]

I hope I can get some good advice here from you folks. I learned that I have to leave the country to cancel my retirement visa without reentry permit. There are two ways of doing it.

1.      1.  Going to Embassy with all the paperwork for Non-B. ( in my case Vientiane Laos)

2.       2. Crossing land border to Laos (Chiang Khong) and returning the same day to Thai immigration and enter Thailand on tourist visa based on visa-exemption and do the Non-B at the local immigration office.

The second option would be much cheaper but here’s my question. One of the conditions to get visa exemption is to have confirmed return ticket exiting Thailand within 30 days. Do you think the immigration would let me in without an air ticket? I plan to have all the paperwork for Non-B with me.

Thank you very much in advance.        

[BritTim]

You will rarely be asked for an onward flight ticket when entering by land.

 

The Non B visa application at the embassy in Vientiane is significantly less bureaucratic and time consuming than the application at Thai Immigration. If wanting to start work immediately, I would recommend the Vientiane embassy route.

[nowhereman]

12 minutes ago, BritTim said:

You will rarely be asked for an onward flight ticket when entering by land.

 

The Non B visa application at the embassy in Vientiane is significantly less bureaucratic and time consuming than the application at Thai Immigration. If wanting to start work immediately, I would recommend the Vientiane embassy route.

Thank you for your answer, Do you happened to know if the police clearance is mandatory?

[BritTim]

55 minutes ago, nowhereman said:

Thank you for your answer, Do you happened to know if the police clearance is mandatory?

If you are applying for a teaching job, the police clearance will probably be needed, though Vientiane might accept the application without. For other kinds of work, I do not think Vientiane will ask for it.

[Benbkk26]

 I currently have a Non-O marriage VISA and a Work Permit, VISA due to expire next month. 
My employer and I want to transfer it to a non-B VISA and recommend I leave the country to get it e.g Laos, get my non-B, re-enter Thailand and they will sort out the year extension. 

 

My employer said I have to go to CW immigration to cancel my current VISA before hand. It is a single entry VISA so I thought if I left the country it would just cancel it automatically. Is my employer correct? I have to cancel it in Thailand immigration first? 

Next question is about the non-B application process in Vientiane, Laos; is it a good place to do it? Is it smooth? I have been told some places are better than others. 
I work in a big International School, Work Permit, the school will provide all the documentation. 

[BritTim]

4 hours ago, Benbkk26 said:

My employer said I have to go to CW immigration to cancel my current VISA before hand. It is a single entry VISA so I thought if I left the country it would just cancel it automatically. Is my employer correct? I have to cancel it in Thailand immigration first? 

 

If you fly to Vientiane, the permission to stay will automatically be cancelled at the airport, no problem. If planning to leave by land, you should also be OK as your permission to stay is based on marriage (though you may be asked to confirm wanting to do this with no re-entry permit. Since the work permit will continue unchanged, there is no concern with the Labour Office. Your employer is incorrect. If your current permission to stay was based on working, then cancelling the extension before leaving, especially if doing so by land, would be necessary.