Non-immigration "O" voluntary visa application process - changes in rules, major problems - solutions?

[sebhoff]

14 minutes ago, BritTim said:

 

Actually, following rules changes a couple of years ago, this is not cut and dried. A lot of volunteer work, these days, is allowed without a volunteer visa or similar. What is and is not allowed is not 100% clear, but most volunteer work that does not involve financial gain is permitted. The OP mentions that they receive expenses. That is enough that I would want an official ruling from the Labour Department on whether the volunteer work envisaged is permissible as a tourist.

Interesting - thanks!

The receive 100€/month from the German sending organisation, plus accommodation and lunches. The rest is their own responsibility.

[BritTim]

7 minutes ago, sebhoff said:

Interesting - thanks!

The receive 100€/month from the German sending organisation, plus accommodation and lunches. The rest is their own responsibility.

 

Go in person to your local Labour Department with every document you can think of. In my experience, the officials are usually friendly and helpful when faced with reasonable enquiries.

[sebhoff]

25 minutes ago, BritTim said:

 

Go in person to your local Labour Department with every document you can think of. In my experience, the officials are usually friendly and helpful when faced with reasonable enquiries.

OK - thanks! Will pass this on to them...

[sebhoff]

OK - here's an update: One of the volunteers has just managed to get a 3-month non-immigration "O" visa for volunteers in Vientiane/Laos. It seems that the old rules are still applied there. It would have been nice to know this a few months ago - and I'm sure other volunteers in a similar situation would love to know this...

I have also been in contact with the "weltwärts" people, suggesting that it might be a good idea for them to coordinate information among the volunteers sent to Thailand from the various sending organisations, but their reply was disappointing. They basically said that the current situation in Thailand involves too many factors to be able to provide helpful information to everybody, and that the sending institutions are sufficiently connected with each other to provide this kind of information themselves. It is my impression that this is not really true... Also, the fact that old rules still apply in Vientiane would be helpful regardless of the individual local situation. Anyway... 

The next step will now be to get a work permit (I think) and then the extension of the 3-month visa. Whether that will be possible without ministerial support will be the next interesting question to tackle.

 

[sebhoff]

Here's my final update to this thread: the two volunteers in Phuket have just been granted an extension to their 3-month non-O visa; they can now stay in Thailand long enough to complete their full year abroad (actually, they could now stay till 10 April 2025!). They first had to submit documents to the Department of Social Development and Welfare, the school was then visited by officials from the department who then wrote a positive report. This was submitted to the Governor's office, which then issued a letter confirming their support for continued volunteer work. The school then organised all the necessary documents for the immigration office (and they had to return twice because some tax-related stuff was still missing) - and now the extension has finally been granted. Total cost was only 1.9k Baht for the full year extension. What an odyssey!!

The German sending institution is planning to send two more volunteers to the same school next year. They seem to be willing to rely on the embassy in Vientiane sticking to the old rules - something I find to be quite a gamble. Other sending organisations working with "weltwärts" seem to have dropped Thailand from their programme. This is for example the case with Volunta, which is actually not surprising, given that of their four current volunteers, only one remains in Thailand (because they also happen to have a Thai passport...).

I also still feel quite strongly that the "weltwärts" people are not doing enough to make sure that up-to-date information is distributed across all volunteers funded by "weltwärts" (i.e. across the various sending organisations). It would have been much easier if their procedures included provisions for this type of information flow!

 

[sebhoff]

OK - for anybody stumbling across this thread, hoping to get help in a similar situation: The "Laos loophole" for getting a non-immigration "O" visa for volunteers seems to have been closed: The website https://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/en/page/non-o-visa-2 was updated today, and it seems that they now also require the dreaded confirmation letter by a government agency. 

The two volunteers in Phuket are flying home tomorrow, after having successfully completed their year abroad. The two new ones arrived in Phuket two weeks ago, and it seems they are now going to face a similar ordeal - but minus one possible solution. Sigh....