Visa advice

[the scouser]

A friend, a 50-year-old Brit, wishes to spend c. 1 year based in Thailand, but travelling frequently. Is a retirement visa an option? If so, what documentation does he need to produce at the embassy in London and will he need re-entry visas if he wishes to travel in SE Asia once in Thailand? Failing the retirement visa, what's his next best choice. Whilst I'm at it, I have a question which relates to me too. I intend to marry a Thai national in Thailand and reside there. Once married what sort of immigration status can I expect and can I legitimately work?

[lopburi3]

A retirement visa would be an option but why?  He can just come and go with tourist visas and not have to put 800k into a Thai bank account and go through the various hoops.  If he does the retirement he would require a re entry permit to travel outside Thailand.  Unless he plans a longer stay see no reason to even consider a retirement visa.

After marriage you can obtain class O non immigrant visa status and obtain a multi entry one year visa at best.  You have the same rights to find a job/work permit that a class B (business visa) holder would enjoy AFAIK.  If support can be proven (money) your stay can be extended on a yearly basis and after three years of this you could apply for PR status.

[sevinnow]

Lopburi13, are you sure you can get a work permit with an"O" visa,was always under the impression work permits were only granted to "B" visa's?

Regards

Sev

:cool:

[Sunbelt Asia]

Sevinnow,

I'm 1 trillion per cent sure you can obtain a work permit on an "o" visa. It takes place Monday to Friday, every week, except holidays. The law states “non-immigrant visa. Does not state “B" or "O"

[robertT]

This is to advise that my old Non-immigrant 'O' visa issued in Abu Dhabi has EMPLOYMENT PROHIBITED prominently stamped under REMARKS. My new visa (same same) issued in Penang two weeks ago has nothing indicated under REMARKS.

Dunno if it is safe to presume that by omission of the EMPLOYMENT PROHIBITED stamp we are now OK to work with non-immigr 'O'.

Regards

[fester]

Dunno if it is safe to presume that by omission of the EMPLOYMENT PROHIBITED stamp we are now OK to work with non-immigr 'O'.

You can not work with a NON-O only. You need a work permit as well.

[Indo-Siam]

With a 90 day entry permit issued against a non-immigrant "O" visa, you  can apply for and receive a work permit, and once you have that, you may obtain a one-year entry permit extension for reasons of employment.  That is my status.  90 day Class "O" visa issued in Ventienne, November 2002.  Last entry in Thailand January 2003 (using reentry permit issued at Don Muang airport).  Work permit issued Fenruary 2003.  One-year entry permit extension (for reasons of employment) issued by Suan Phlu Immigration at start of March 2003.  Every step was absolutely routine.

They simply extend the non-immigrant entry permit on the basis of employment - in my case it was a Class O - they do NOT "convert it to a Class B".  Employment is routinely permitted against a Class O status - unremarkable.

By the way, when you finally get that "one-year" entry permit extension (which does not require leaving Thailand every 90 days), that "one year" actually expires on the anniverasry (minus one day) of the original non-immigrant visa that was sissued overseas.  My "one year" work permit for some reason expires 13 days prior to my entry permit.  No discernable pattern here.

Regards,

Steve Sykes

Indo-Siam Group

[Charlie]

My cousin is going to LOS with a tourist visa. He is going in for a job interview. Assuming he gets the job with their work permit, has he got to do a visa run to change his " tourist " to non-o. Is it possible to change in LOS immigration ?

Please kindly advise. Thanks.

Regards,

charlie.

[george]

By the way, when you finally get that "one-year" entry permit extension (which does not require leaving Thailand every 90 days), that "one year" actually expires on the anniverasry (minus one day) of the original non-immigrant visa that was sissued overseas.  My "one year" work permit for some reason expires 13 days prior to my entry permit.  No discernable pattern here.

Not correct. The one year expires on the anniversary (minus one day) of your ENTRY into the kingdom, NOT the visa issue date.

[Charlie]

Hi George,

You may have miss mine, george. Any way, here goes.

My cousin will be going to Los with a tourist visa..... going in for a job interview. Assuming he gets the job, together with the work permit, has he got to do a visa run to change his tourist visa to Non-O. Can he change it in Los immigration ?

Please kindly advise. Thanks.

Regards,

charlie.

[ChiangMaiThai]

As far as I know, he can't get the work permit until he is on a non-im visa. So he would have to leave the country and apply for a non-im, then come back and apply for the work permit. I don' think the employer can have his visa changed tourist to non-im just because they decide to employ him. Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.