Non-imm B to Non-imm O, during extension of stay

[kevthailand]

Current visa Non B from April 2023

Extension to stay until June 2024

Work permit ends April 2024

 

Work permit is for teaching in Issarn. Want to leave school in next 1 or 2 months and move to BKK to be with wife - not being living together since April and was not / will not be on the rental contract for her condo in BKK . Maybe the extension will be difficult - but I heard the initial 90 day non O is easier to get. Prefer not to have to leave Thailand if possible at any stage.

 

If change can be done while in Thailand, will it involve early morning cancel non B visa/WP in Issarn Imm / Labor dept and if they give me until 23.59, then fly into BKK and visit CW in the  afternoon? If they allow 24 hours that would be better. Want to avoid paying for 7 day? extension if can be avoided.

 

Old posts mention possibility of post-dating cancellation of WP/non B? but didn't understand and trying not to complicate if possible. Not really sure if the non B gets cancelled - or am I changing the reason for extension of stay - and I get some kind of stamp that says that. 

 

Chat GPT says Imm will help me about the process before I do it! Can Issarn comment on CW's "rules" and which one is the most important in the process - do they have a phone number with staff who know the rules? 

Go to the nearest immigration office in Thailand and inquire about the process for changing your visa type. They will provide you with the necessary information and guidance.

[BritTim]

This is a question about extending your permission to stay in Thailand (without leaving) and not about applying for visas.

 

If possible, get your school to give you a termination letter with a termination date about two weeks in the future. Immediately, visit Immigration with that letter to have your permission to stay adjusted. That will give you time to arrange the extension of stay based on Thai spouse after your permission to stay based on working has been truncated. It will also give time to react if Immigration ask for something you do not currently have before giving you the new extension.

[Preacher]

You have to be living with your wife and your wife have to go with you to immigration. They might also want some witnesses to confirm you live to gether and the marriage is genuine. Immigration will not convert to a non-immigrant via as you already have one, but give an extension of stay based on marriage with

 

If you de not meet the requirements, you have to leave the country and apply for a non-O at a Thai consulate, poosibly a multiple non-O.

[kevthailand]

update: 

Yesterday I called all the major immigration centers in Thailand to try to get some answers. All busy or cut me off.

Today Chaeng Wattana did answer and the young lady says farang must leave Thailand / do embassy online to apply for non-O, if you want to change from non-B. After telling her many people do not leave Thailand, she back-tracked and said come to counter L Chaeng Wattana with your documents. I asked if I can come to discuss the process (not apply/bring documents) and she said NO. One can assume the document checker is the gatekeeper to the senior Imm officer, so you can't talk to those people without passing the first step.

 

Next I called Chamchuri (BOI) and they are very helpful - my work is not connected to BOI but they did talk to me.

They said you have 2 choices: Change reason for extension (B to O), or apply for Non-O here in Thailand. They couldn't tell me the best/most advantageous route or the time scale for doing either. But they recommended starting the process at CW before leaving the job - is that why people get a post-dated termination letter? 

I am thinking change of visa type is the best option for me due to working in another province and not staying with wife - just before application - so the arduous "extension of stay based on marriage" document checking could fail. But the document/proof demands for the 90 (or is it 60) day "non-O visa based on marriage" are less stringent, so less chance of being denied. That then gives us 60/90 days to "take photos and get to know neighbors blah" before the next visit to CW.

The disadvantage is, I need to be in the province to cancel non-B (whereas changing reason for extension could have all been done in CW - even the employer can cancel the WP without the employee, right?)

 

So am I right that the process is:

1) Get a post-dated termination letter from employer (can it be a copy??), giving me approx. 28 days

2) Go to CW and make an application for non-O based on marriage: with required docs, funds proof, and above said letter. They will give me a confirmed date, in approx 21 days, to return to get the approved stamp in my passport (and I get to keep my passport)?

3) If I want to avoid cancelling non-B early and needing 7 day extension / 1900B ? / more stamping THEN I must be in Issarn to cancel my non-B on the morning of my 'CW confirmed return date', fly into Bangkok, and dash over to CW on the same day. 

I have no idea what happens if you miss a return date in the world of Thai Imm, but I would think the consequences are not pleasant. Obviously, an overstay is issued and I read on some official Thai document that "a visa change can not be done if an overstay has ever been issued"

 

Any comments about the chances of it panning out like this. Because CW won't talk about about what-if scenarios, then I can only go on advice.

Visa company quotes were 28k and 40k to do this. The 40k quote (very well known BKK agency) said change visa type B>O is NOT allowed in country. Only option is to change extension of stay.

The 28k company said both methods are possible.

A third agency also said, change visa type in country is not allowed. They said BOI are giving false info - or that BOI ex/employees can do things at CW that normal folk can't. They also said that CW can't be used and that another province "up north" are the ones that will receive the brown envelope. Not ideal to have a non-O based on an address/province that I will never live at and cause me headaches for future Imm dealings. No price given yet!

 

What a mess, maybe better just to leave and hope Vientiane hasn't got a denial-quota they need to meet 

 

 

[BritTim]

2 hours ago, kevthailand said:

update: 

Yesterday I called all the major immigration centers in Thailand to try to get some answers. All busy or cut me off.

Today Chaeng Wattana did answer and the young lady says farang must leave Thailand / do embassy online to apply for non-O, if you want to change from non-B. After telling her many people do not leave Thailand, she back-tracked and said come to counter L Chaeng Wattana with your documents. I asked if I can come to discuss the process (not apply/bring documents) and she said NO. One can assume the document checker is the gatekeeper to the senior Imm officer, so you can't talk to those people without passing the first step.

 

Next I called Chamchuri (BOI) and they are very helpful - my work is not connected to BOI but they did talk to me.

They said you have 2 choices: Change reason for extension (B to O), or apply for Non-O here in Thailand. They couldn't tell me the best/most advantageous route or the time scale for doing either. But they recommended starting the process at CW before leaving the job - is that why people get a post-dated termination letter? 

I am thinking change of visa type is the best option for me due to working in another province and not staying with wife - just before application - so the arduous "extension of stay based on marriage" document checking could fail. But the document/proof demands for the 90 (or is it 60) day "non-O visa based on marriage" are less stringent, so less chance of being denied. That then gives us 60/90 days to "take photos and get to know neighbors blah" before the next visit to CW.

The disadvantage is, I need to be in the province to cancel non-B (whereas changing reason for extension could have all been done in CW - even the employer can cancel the WP without the employee, right?)

 

So am I right that the process is:

1) Get a post-dated termination letter from employer (can it be a copy??), giving me approx. 28 days

2) Go to CW and make an application for non-O based on marriage: with required docs, funds proof, and above said letter. They will give me a confirmed date, in approx 21 days, to return to get the approved stamp in my passport (and I get to keep my passport)?

3) If I want to avoid cancelling non-B early and needing 7 day extension / 1900B ? / more stamping THEN I must be in Issarn to cancel my non-B on the morning of my 'CW confirmed return date', fly into Bangkok, and dash over to CW on the same day. 

I have no idea what happens if you miss a return date in the world of Thai Imm, but I would think the consequences are not pleasant. Obviously, an overstay is issued and I read on some official Thai document that "a visa change can not be done if an overstay has ever been issued"

 

Any comments about the chances of it panning out like this. Because CW won't talk about about what-if scenarios, then I can only go on advice.

Visa company quotes were 28k and 40k to do this. The 40k quote (very well known BKK agency) said change visa type B>O is NOT allowed in country. Only option is to change extension of stay.

The 28k company said both methods are possible.

A third agency also said, change visa type in country is not allowed. They said BOI are giving false info - or that BOI ex/employees can do things at CW that normal folk can't. They also said that CW can't be used and that another province "up north" are the ones that will receive the brown envelope. Not ideal to have a non-O based on an address/province that I will never live at and cause me headaches for future Imm dealings. No price given yet!

 

What a mess, maybe better just to leave and hope Vientiane hasn't got a denial-quota they need to meet 

 

It becomes easier to understand the rules if you first internalise the difference between a visa and a permission to stay. Under Thai immigration rules, you do not "change" visas. You either change the reason for your permission to stay; or (ignoring a special case of applying for a visa at Immigration to convert from a tourist entry to a Non Immigrant entry) you leave the country to apply for a new visa.

 

In your case, you want to change from a temporary permission to stay in Thailand based on working to a temporary permission to stay based on your Thai spouse. In principle, the process is uncomplicated. First you have your current permission to stay truncated as a result of the pending termination of your current employment. Then you apply for a new extension of your permission to stay based on your Thai spouse. Get the required documents for each of these two steps, and everything should go fairly smoothly.

[kevthailand]

TY4 advices.

I don't have enough trust in the system and have (wrongfully) experienced Thai Imm issues before, so leaving and getting a Multi-entry non O might be better. When an agency is recommending that - over paying 25k for their services to 'do it in Thailand' - then there's gotta be a message there.

There are lots of other advantage of the ME Non O vs 12-month extension and I don't mind border hops every 90 days 

I will be posting for recent advice on getting that visa - something else which doesn't look straight forward

 

[DrJoy]

20 minutes ago, kevthailand said:

There are lots of other advantage of the ME Non O vs 12-month extension

There have been recent reports that M.E. Non O marriage visa now requires 400,000 THB in your account otherwise you will be issued a single entry visa only

[timendres]

1 hour ago, kevthailand said:

TY4 advices.

I don't have enough trust in the system and have (wrongfully) experienced Thai Imm issues before, so leaving and getting a Multi-entry non O might be better. When an agency is recommending that - over paying 25k for their services to 'do it in Thailand' - then there's gotta be a message there.

There are lots of other advantage of the ME Non O vs 12-month extension and I don't mind border hops every 90 days 

I will be posting for recent advice on getting that visa - something else which doesn't look straight forward

 

Another option is to exit Thailand, and re-enter on a visa exempt (if you quality for that), then convert to a Non-O visa after you re-enter but well before the visa exempt expires. This is what I just did last month. Now waiting to apply for a retirement extension based on the Non-O.

[Preacher]

You cannot change a non-Immigrant visa into another non-immigrant visa. What immigration in Thailand can do is give you a 60 day extension to visit your wife OR give you a 1 year extension of stay based on your marriage. (But you don't live with your wife)

 

If you do not qualify for the 1 year extension you have to get a (multiple) non-O visa abroad. 

[FangFerang]

On 11/7/2023 at 1:49 PM, kevthailand said:

update: 

Yesterday I called all the major immigration centers in Thailand to try to get some answers. All busy or cut me off.

Today Chaeng Wattana did answer and the young lady says farang must leave Thailand / do embassy online to apply for non-O, if you want to change from non-B. After telling her many people do not leave Thailand, she back-tracked and said come to counter L Chaeng Wattana with your documents. I asked if I can come to discuss the process (not apply/bring documents) and she said NO. One can assume the document checker is the gatekeeper to the senior Imm officer, so you can't talk to those people without passing the first step.

 

Next I called Chamchuri (BOI) and they are very helpful - my work is not connected to BOI but they did talk to me.

They said you have 2 choices: Change reason for extension (B to O), or apply for Non-O here in Thailand. They couldn't tell me the best/most advantageous route or the time scale for doing either. But they recommended starting the process at CW before leaving the job - is that why people get a post-dated termination letter? 

I am thinking change of visa type is the best option for me due to working in another province and not staying with wife - just before application - so the arduous "extension of stay based on marriage" document checking could fail. But the document/proof demands for the 90 (or is it 60) day "non-O visa based on marriage" are less stringent, so less chance of being denied. That then gives us 60/90 days to "take photos and get to know neighbors blah" before the next visit to CW.

The disadvantage is, I need to be in the province to cancel non-B (whereas changing reason for extension could have all been done in CW - even the employer can cancel the WP without the employee, right?)

 

So am I right that the process is:

1) Get a post-dated termination letter from employer (can it be a copy??), giving me approx. 28 days

2) Go to CW and make an application for non-O based on marriage: with required docs, funds proof, and above said letter. They will give me a confirmed date, in approx 21 days, to return to get the approved stamp in my passport (and I get to keep my passport)?

3) If I want to avoid cancelling non-B early and needing 7 day extension / 1900B ? / more stamping THEN I must be in Issarn to cancel my non-B on the morning of my 'CW confirmed return date', fly into Bangkok, and dash over to CW on the same day. 

I have no idea what happens if you miss a return date in the world of Thai Imm, but I would think the consequences are not pleasant. Obviously, an overstay is issued and I read on some official Thai document that "a visa change can not be done if an overstay has ever been issued"

 

Any comments about the chances of it panning out like this. Because CW won't talk about about what-if scenarios, then I can only go on advice.

Visa company quotes were 28k and 40k to do this. The 40k quote (very well known BKK agency) said change visa type B>O is NOT allowed in country. Only option is to change extension of stay.

The 28k company said both methods are possible.

A third agency also said, change visa type in country is not allowed. They said BOI are giving false info - or that BOI ex/employees can do things at CW that normal folk can't. They also said that CW can't be used and that another province "up north" are the ones that will receive the brown envelope. Not ideal to have a non-O based on an address/province that I will never live at and cause me headaches for future Imm dealings. No price given yet!

 

What a mess, maybe better just to leave and hope Vientiane hasn't got a denial-quota they need to meet 

 

 

Can you tell me the name of the 28 k company?  Spare checked email is <email address removed per forum rules, please use PM system>