There is a good chance of getting a job with my company, BKK branch. It's a highly specialized IT job, would be joining our BKK office and based there but reporting into US headquarters.

Payroll would be local as well as other conditions + expat health insurance but no package.

On the books, I would be an employee of Thai branch.

Now, the hiring (US) manager has no idea how it goes about work visa. I thought it won't be a big deal but he got me worried.

Before he flies me over for the final deal he wants to know I can get WP and what company has to do.

For coming to Japan from Oz it was sorted out through an agency which translated my documents and got my 3 yr WP (+ 3 last year) on the grounds of "company transfer", although I am seen as a local hire here and before the law, I am same as any Japanese employee.

How would that work in Thailand? Would my company need to prove they can't get a local to do the job (which they really can't unless he is moving from within).

Being officially married or not to Thai plays any role with such a WP? I would not think it does.

Edited August 3, 200718 yr by think_too_mut

Believe being married does ease the financial requirements for the company involved and local number of employees required. But will let those more familiar with business visas expand.

Believe being married does ease the financial requirements for the company involved and local number of employees required. But will let those more familiar with business visas expand.

All employees (40 +) in the BKK office are Thai nationals.

OK, I found it. For a foreign company I need a letter of transfer, which is not a problem and with photos and passport I have to apply for WP.

But it says, prior to that, I must have a "Non Immigrant" visa in my passport.

What is that?

I may engage professionals and let them sort it out with my company.

It is a visa that will allow work - you can not work on a normal tourist visa. The company letter would be used to obtain the visa. To obtain the work permit is going to take a whole lot of company paperwork and that is where it might well be worth your time and effort to obtain the use of firm as it does not appear your company is in a position to know what will be required if your the first foreigner.

The situation would be the same as if, say, IBM, sends an engineer from the US to work in BKK for an uncapped timeframe and the engineer accepts local terms and conditions.

Would they have to go through this complicated dance as if they were a 3 people shop? And every year like that?

Edited August 3, 200718 yr by think_too_mut

OK, I found it. For a foreign company I need a letter of transfer, which is not a problem and with photos and passport I have to apply for WP.

But it says, prior to that, I must have a "Non Immigrant" visa in my passport.

What is that?

I may engage professionals and let them sort it out with my company.

For your Visa, check here:

http://www.thaiembdc.org/consular/visa/visa.htm

You can apply for a Business or Family Visa (Marriage to a Thai), and then later apply for a WP in Thailand.

The extension of stay (1 year), based on business is a bit easier for reason of business, and is done pretty fast at the one stop service center.

http://www.thaivisa.com/359.0.html

For the WP, get some professional to do it, as it does require a bit of paperwork from your company.

Good Luck!

The situation would be the same as if, say, IBM, sends an engineer from the US to work in BKK for an uncapped timeframe and the engineer accepts local terms and conditions.

Would they have to go through this complicated dance as if they were a 3 people shop? And every year like that?

Yes.

The one year extention of stay and WP, requires a bit less of paperwork ...

It is a visa that will allow work - you can not work on a normal tourist visa. The company letter would be used to obtain the visa. To obtain the work permit is going to take a whole lot of company paperwork and that is where it might well be worth your time and effort to obtain the use of firm as it does not appear your company is in a position to know what will be required if your the first foreigner.

Is it always that complicated?

How do all the teachers get their visas and WPs if it so hard for me to get from one Multinational office to another? From Tokyo to Bangkok.

Humble schools can do it, is it really such a problem with MNCs? Only me have to worry, all others just get it in some other way?

Is it what all the Japanese and Korean managers in Samut Phrakhan, Choechangsao, Rayong have to go through?