Working Permit

[l'artdelavivre]

My husband will be transferred to Bangkok from Australia in 6 weeks time. His companay will apply the 1 year working visa for him and spouse visa for me. If I want to work in Bangkok:

1. do I have to get a job first and the employer will apply a working visa for me or do I have to apply for a working visa first before apply for a job. ( I have a degree from US and have 8 years working exp.)

2. what is the min. salary per month for me to be eligible to apply extension working visa after the initial visa expire?

3. How hard is to get an employer to apply working visa for a foreigner?

4. Are there any info I needed to know before I move over there in relation to working permit and applying for a job in Bangkok

Thank you.

[lopburi3]

1. No such thing as a working visa. You require a work permit from the labor office to work in Thailand. You find a job, make application for work permit and then obtain a non immigrant visa. Often they will want you to have a non immigrant B visa but that is more a company personal department thing than a requirement.

2.

Nationality Minimum Income

1. European Countries, Australia, Canada, Japan,

and U.S.A. Baht 50,000/month

2. South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong Baht 45,000/month

3. Asian Countries, South America, Countries in

Eastern Europe, Countries in Central America,

Mexico, Turkey, Russia and South Africa

Baht 35,000/month

4. African Countries, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos

and Vietnam Baht 25,000/month

3. Very. Most will only want to hire a Thai national.

4. Employment outside of native English language teaching is spotty at best. And often a bit shady as well, so be careful. Networking is probably your best bet.

[l'artdelavivre]

Thank you for your reply.

I speak a few languages, madarin and bahasa malaysia besides English. Would this be helpless in finding work in Bangkok?

[jdinasia]

Everything potentially helps,

Lop3 .. in this situation (assuming the hubby is fully legit) won't her extension of stay be based upon him?

[lopburi3]

If she does the spouse extension but she asked about extending for work so perhaps she plans to go it on her own. I believe the work permit can be issued on such an extension of stay if employment is found but have no personal knowledge. Often times the biggest problem is getting the employer to try it any way that are not used to using.

[samran]

to be honest it depends on what you have done in the past, your qualifications and how much you are prepared to earn.

A number of spouses I've met end up working in the area they used to work in, but on significantly less money. Given, most of the time, money isn't the key driver for them (given the spouses package makes up for this) then these people tend to find work quite quickly.

Australian chamber of commerce is a good place to start networking, other social gatherings, as well as some of the regular job websites and BKK post/the nation news papers.

[Tomkagai]

Had a bit of experience with this question...

As your husband is getting the non-imm B and W/P....you will be issued with a type O visa due to being married/dependent...with this visa you cannot work, if you intend to work you would have to get a non-imm B and W/P through the company you are working for

......the same rules which apply to your husband being issued a non-imm B and W/P etc would apply to you as well if intending to work....

If here on an O visa and them you find a job...you will need to do a trip to somewhere like Singapore with the company paperwork...be issued with the non-imm B and get the W/P paper work started...

Samran..

...Agree with you mate..WP can be issued on an O....just relating the process my mates wife went through when she started working in Thailand...she had to have an non-imm B, issued from Singapore to start the WP process

Edited March 28, 2008 by Tomkagai

[samran]

Had a bit of experience with this question...

As your husband is getting the non-imm B and W/P....you will be issued with a type O visa due to being married/dependent...with this visa you cannot work, if you intend to work you would have to get a non-imm B and W/P through the company you are working for....

not true at all.

totally possible to get a WP with a non-immigrant O. My wife had one for a year or so....

[l'artdelavivre]

Thank you for the reply.

Yes, my husband extension working permit visa will cover mine. The project he will be workign on would last for the next 3 years as it is one of biggest projects in the Asia in his field. I don't need to work should I choose not to as earning an income is not the driven factor for me. I just want to be a little uselful as well as productive to spend my next few years of my time in Bangkok, in regardless of the wages I earn.

I guess networking would be the way to go as suggested. Thank you very much for your time and info. You help is very much appricated.

[jdinasia]

You might then consider doing some volunteer work (still in theory requires a work permit) that wouldn't lock you into what can be a brutal Thai work schedule.

Or even something like the Intensive Thai language program at Chula

Edited March 28, 2008 by jdinasia

[l'artdelavivre]

well, this is a little confusing as some of you dont agree with each other. Well Samran, so you are saying that you wife applied a working permit with non-immigrant O visa and got the work permit?

[jdinasia]

correct .. you do NOT need a non-imm-B to get a work permit

[samran]

well, this is a little confusing as some of you dont agree with each other. Well Samran, so you are saying that you wife applied a working permit with non-immigrant O visa and got the work permit?

she didn't apply, her employer applied......

but yes, it is correct. Her stay in thailand (like yours) piggybacks off the working spouse.

[Tomkagai]

correct .. you do NOT need a non-imm-B to get a work permit

You are correct....on not specifically needing a non-imm B and can do on an O, but recently a mate of mine's wife went through this process she was on an O visa based on the husbands Non-imm B/WP etc and she was made to go and get an Non-imm B in Singapore before the WP was processed...so think a lot of this depends on where you are doing the applications....different offices....different rules...so nothing new there for Thailand..

Irrespective of whether an O or Non-imm B...the lady who asked the question will need a work permit if she intends to work here...she cannot work on the back of her husbands non-imm B and WP

[l'artdelavivre]

Thanks mate! U guys have been very helpful.

[Sunbelt Asia]

correct .. you do NOT need a non-imm-B to get a work permit

You are correct....on not specifically needing a non-imm B and can do on an O, but recently a mate of mine's wife went through this process she was on an O visa based on the husbands Non-imm B/WP etc and she was made to go and get an Non-imm B in Singapore before the WP was processed...so think a lot of this depends on where you are doing the applications....different offices....different rules...so nothing new there for Thailand..

Irrespective of whether an O or Non-imm B...the lady who asked the question will need a work permit if she intends to work here...she cannot work on the back of her husbands non-imm B and WP

In Bangkok, for almost a year they were not allowing a work permit to be applied if the applicant was piggybacking off a spouse permit of stay.

Just to clarify any possible confusion, the extension of stay permit is not called an "O" or "B" as that is for the initial visas. It was an extension of stay being married to a family member who has permission to stay in Thailand.

The good news is the labor Dept in Bangkok changed the laws a couple months ago and now will allow for a spouse to apply for a work permit with this type of extension of stay.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[l'artdelavivre]

The good news is the labor Dept in Bangkok changed the laws a couple months ago and now will allow for a spouse to apply for a work permit with this type of extension of stay.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Just want to clarify the below:

1. a spouse is allowed to apply a work permit if an employment is found under the O visa

2. a spouse is also allowed to apply work permit if an employemnt is found with extension of stay visa, piggybacking off his/her spouse of stay.

3. the work permit is applied by the employer for the employee

[Tomkagai]

As the OP now sees, the rules in Thailand change all the time and interpreted differently at different goverment offices in Thailand.

The best thing to do is get here get settled and then if you want to work and get fixed up...let the company you are working for advise you on the way they do things as regards the current requirements at time of application as there are more ways than one to get yourself the WP...

Sure you will enjoy your time in Thailand and shortly will understand the meaning of the acromym - T.I.T. - This Is Thailand, as related to living and working here...

[l'artdelavivre]

G'day

OK. I guess I will find out when I am out there then. Thank you very one for answering my concern.

cheers

[Sunbelt Asia]

Just want to clarify the below:

1. a spouse is allowed to apply a work permit if an employment is found under the O visa

correct. (This "o" visa is good for only 90 days at a time.

2. a spouse is also allowed to apply work permit if an employemnt is found with extension of stay visa, piggybacking off his/her spouse of stay.

correct

3. the work permit is applied by the employer for the employee

Both have to sign the application. The Employee ( applicant) is the one that has to go with the lawyer to pick up the work permit.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com