Procedure When Changing Jobs

[IrishRover]

My current contract, work permit and non-immigrant B visa run out on 30 September, and I will probably change jobs at that time. Can I accomplish this without leaving the country (twice!)?

As I understand it I will have to go through the following rigmarole:

1. hand in WP

2. leave country within a week with paperwork from new employer and apply for a 90 day non Imm B visa at Thai Embassy (can’t get a year as don’t have a new WP and can’t get new WP without valid non Imm B visa)

3. return to Thailand, go to labour department and apply for WP - which I will get up to expiration of my 90 day visa.

4. before expiration of WP/visa, leave the country again, go to Thai embassy and apply for 1 year visa

5. return to Thailand, go to labour department and extend visa for 1 year.

Is there an easier way?

I am Irish and under retirement age.

Apologies if this has been posted before - I did search the forum, but couldn't find a relevant thread.

Thanks in advance....

[nonthaburial]

I think it goes like this. Upon arrival first time with 90 day visa, get issued the WP, then a couple of weeks before your 90 day visa is due to expire, go to Immigration and submit ALL the paper work again and apply for a visa extension.It is likely that Immigration will give you a small extension under the heading "Under Consideration". With that small extension go to the Labour Dept and get the WP extended to follow the visa.

When you go back to immigration the day you have been asked to return, you are likely to be given (if all docs are correct) a 6 month extension. The process then repeats itself

[Cyberstar]

There might be a shortcut, provided both employers are cooperative. It's possible to have one (physical) workpermit listing two employers. Thus, it IS possible to have a valid, active workpermit already at the very second your current employment finishes... The practicalities on how to have everything lined up as not to have to leave Thailand, is a bit too complicated for my head to figure at this moment.

[grtaylor]

There might be a shortcut, provided both employers are cooperative. It's possible to have one (physical) workpermit listing two employers. Thus, it IS possible to have a valid, active workpermit already at the very second your current employment finishes... The practicalities on how to have everything lined up as not to have to leave Thailand, is a bit too complicated for my head to figure at this moment.

I didn't have to leave at all, mind you the last time I changed jobs was nine years ago, and maybe things have changed.

• I went with someone from the school I was leaving to cancel WP
  
• cancel WP
  
• stamp giving seven days to leave
  
• went into another room at immigration with the people from my new school, and the paperwork showing my new WP application
  
• get one month "permitted to stay" stamp (I think I needed two of these before my WP came through)
  

Thats it, done.

G

[PeaceBlondie]

There might be a shortcut, provided both employers are cooperative. It's possible to have one (physical) workpermit listing two employers. Thus, it IS possible to have a valid, active workpermit already at the very second your current employment finishes... The practicalities on how to have everything lined up as not to have to leave Thailand, is a bit too complicated for my head to figure at this moment.

I didn't have to leave at all, mind you the last time I changed jobs was nine years ago, and maybe things have changed.

• I went with someone from the school I was leaving to cancel WP
  
• cancel WP
  
• stamp giving seven days to leave
  
• went into another room at immigration with the people from my new school, and the paperwork showing my new WP application
  
• get one month "permitted to stay" stamp (I think I needed two of these before my WP came through)
  

Thats it, done.

G

gr, you were a lucky man then, to have two consecutive employers who not only knew what to do, but were on good terms and did it for you. Not much chance of that happening usually.

[IrishRover]

I didn't have to leave at all, mind you the last time I changed jobs was nine years ago, and maybe things have changed.

G

Wow thanks.

The last time I changed, I didn't have to leave, but I figured that's because I went to work for the government and because I still had about a month on my visa.

I didn't know about the one month permission to stay - thanks a lot - if it works thats a lot of time and money saved!

I'll post in a few months and let y'all know how it went

[PeaceBlondie]

I'll post in a few months and let y'all know how it went

You sound like my kind of guy - a roving Irishman who knows when to use y'all. My daughter in law spent almost a year in Texas but never quite kept her y'all speech when she got back to Ireland.

[grtaylor]

There might be a shortcut, provided both employers are cooperative. It's possible to have one (physical) workpermit listing two employers. Thus, it IS possible to have a valid, active workpermit already at the very second your current employment finishes... The practicalities on how to have everything lined up as not to have to leave Thailand, is a bit too complicated for my head to figure at this moment.

I didn't have to leave at all, mind you the last time I changed jobs was nine years ago, and maybe things have changed.

• I went with someone from the school I was leaving to cancel WP
  
• cancel WP
  
• stamp giving seven days to leave
  
• went into another room at immigration with the people from my new school, and the paperwork showing my new WP application
  
• get one month "permitted to stay" stamp (I think I needed two of these before my WP came through)
  

Thats it, done.

G

gr, you were a lucky man then, to have two consecutive employers who not only knew what to do, but were on good terms and did it for you. Not much chance of that happening usually.

You hit the nail on the head - "knew what to do" and "were on good terms"!

G