Advise On Work Permit And Visa Upon Ending Work

[yann]

Hi there,

I have some questions regarding work permit and visa upon ending my job here in Thailand.

I will be finishing up my work in Thailand at the end of December 07, and would like to stay on in January to travel. I have a 1-year non-immigrant B work visa that ends in December. But my current 3-month entry stamp is valid until end of November, and the same for my work permit too.

1. I need to extend both my entry stamp/visa and work permit for one extra month until Dec 07. Do I need to do a visa run, or is there an option to just extend it at the immigration office/labor ministry? Say if I do a visa run, I would get a new entry stamp that is valid for 3 months (Nov 07 until Feb 08). Would the labor ministry extend my work permit until Feb 08 (following the entry stamp), or until Dec 07 (when my 1 year visa ends)?

2. I read on the forum that once I end my job in Dec, I have 7 days to leave the country. Is that true, even if I have an entry stamp that lets me stay until Feb 08? If it's 7 days, how can I extend that time if I intend to stay and travel for about three weeks? Would you recommend going out of the country, and re-entering on a 30 days tourist visa?

3. What are the paperwork and other procedures I would need to take care of when I finish my work? Hand in my old work permit to the labor ministry? What about tax payer card?

Thank you for any advice you can offer.

[yann]

Just want to add that my visa is a multiple entry 1 year nonimmigrant B visa. Let me know if you need any other info. Thanks.

[lopburi3]

1. You will receive work permit extension to your permitted to stay until date - Feb 8

2. 7 days to leave applies only to extensions of stay - you are not using that so can remain the full permitted to stay until time.

3. Work permit should be returned. Don't know anything about tax payer card.

[yann]

Thank you Lopburi3.

It sounds like the best option is to go do a visa-run and get another extra 3 months stamp, so that I am permitted to stay until Feb.

But would you know if there is any easier way to extend visa entry stamp and work permit for that extra month (from end of Nov to end of Dec)?

Would you mind clarifying what is an "extension of stay", that isn't applicable for my case?

Thanks again!

[lopburi3]

Extensions of stay are what you obtain from immigration, with extensive paperwork, that allow you to stay without leaving every 3 months. You do not have that. A new visa entry would appear to be the easy route for you.