Work Permit Now 1 Year For All

[Tawai]

I am on Non B visa multiple entry from abroad ( 1 year, but every 3 month required to leave the country) for a few years now.

Untill my last renewal work permit was issued only for 3 month, but now it is 1 year even for Non B visa holders ( not extension of stay ).

Sunbelt sendt me the information on their newsletter already a few weeks ago, but i did not understand when this regulation was due to enforcement.

Tomorrow I will be the proud holder of a one year WP, and I will save myself the costly and time consuming trips to the gov. office every three month.

[lopburi3]

Are you sure that it does not have to be re-activated every entry? I have not seen newsletter so perhaps this is indeed something new.

[PeaceBlondie]

On that subject, if I get a new work permit in May, and my non-O retirement visa is changed to a non-B visa to work, will I pay 1,900 baht and still have an annual extension date of November? Or will the extension date be subject to the terms of my school contract? How much does a work permit cost?

[aesthete]

Is the length of the WP granted also not dependent upon the number of employees in your Company?

[Arkady]

Is the length of the WP granted also not dependent upon the number of employees in your Company?

Good point aesthete. The 3 month work permit was a bit of a loophole for those whose employees couldn't manage the four Thai employees needed to get a the 3 month WP and non-imm B visa extended up to a year. It may well be Immigration's way of cracking on down on expats running their own very small companies. This comes from Immigration only as the Labor Ministry (whose role it should rightly be) doesn't care about numbers of Thai employees. As Immigration is part of Thailand's finest they probably feel must legislate on behalf of other ministries. Let's see how this turns out but there doesn't seen to be any movement to lighten up anything to do with foreigners' rights in Thailand.

[dollysamson]

... and my non-O retirement visa is changed to a non-B visa to work ...

Is this possible? Can a non-O retirement visa be converted to a non-B visa to get a work permit? I was told by a prospective employer it isn't possible.

[PeaceBlondie]

... and my non-O retirement visa is changed to a non-B visa to work ...

Is this possible? Can a non-O retirement visa be converted to a non-B visa to get a work permit? I was told by a prospective employer it isn't possible.

I was told that I could do it, by the Immigration Police in Chiang Mai, on Friday last. But he understood I already had a re-extended O retirement visa, and I wanted to be a teacher. He did not see the prior non-B visas in my other, expired passport. Plus, it isn't over till the fat lady sings.

[krobbie]

On that subject, if I get a new work permit in May, and my non-O retirement visa is changed to a non-B visa to work, will I pay 1,900 baht and still have an annual extension date of November? Or will the extension date be subject to the terms of my school contract? How much does a work permit cost?

I also would like to know how much the work permit costs per annum. Anyone?

Cheers

krobbie

[seykota]

My 1 year work permit cost about 3,000 baht.

I had a 1 year multiple entry "O" visa (visiting my wife and son) and this was extended to coincide with the 12 month work permit expiry. When I re sign my contract for another 12 months, the Immigration Department extends my "O" visa for another 12 months as well. My university gets the work permit on my behalf and provides all the required documentation for the "O" visa extension. I have not had any problems extending the "O" visa at Suan Plu Immigration, in and out in 10 minutes.

As has been mentioned in previous threads, if you have an Non Resident "O" visa, do not change to a "B" visa!

[richard10365]

... and my non-O retirement visa is changed to a non-B visa to work ...

Is this possible? Can a non-O retirement visa be converted to a non-B visa to get a work permit? I was told by a prospective employer it isn't possible.

I was told that I could do it, by the Immigration Police in Chiang Mai, on Friday last. But he understood I already had a re-extended O retirement visa, and I wanted to be a teacher. He did not see the prior non-B visas in my other, expired passport. Plus, it isn't over till the fat lady sings.

I still haven't figured out how visas are changed. I had a Non-O that had been extended twice already and wanted to change to a Non-ED and Chiang Mai immigration just extended the Non-O with the Non-ED requirements. So I still have my Non-O but I am studying so it is extended with the school extension requirements.

Strange huh?

[jstumbo]

My 1 year work permit cost about 3,000 baht.

I believe there are plans later this year to raise that to 30,000 baht.

[looping]

I believe there are plans later this year to raise that to 30,000 baht.

"believe"..."plans"...mmm, interesting. Best to 'believe' something when it's actually come to pass, especially in this case.

[Sunbelt Asia]

I am on Non B visa multiple entry from abroad ( 1 year, but every 3 month required to leave the country) for a few years now.

Untill my last renewal work permit was issued only for 3 month, but now it is 1 year even for Non B visa holders ( not extension of stay ).

Sunbelt sendt me the information on their newsletter already a few weeks ago, but i did not understand when this regulation was due to enforcement.

Tomorrow I will be the proud holder of a one year WP, and I will save myself the costly and time consuming trips to the gov. office every three month.

The regulation for Bangkok has not come out yet but it will essentially work like this. ( Nothaburi has already released their regulation.)

Everyone now will get a one year work permit and it will be max. 20,000 Baht. Before if you had a visa expiring in 80 days, even if on page 5 of your work permit you were granted a one year work permit, it was valid for 80 days. You then needed to revalidate the work permit in 80 days by showing you had gotten a new visa or extension of stay permit. Now you will no longer need to do this revalidation.

Your costs will unfortunately go up because of the increase of government fees to max. 20,000 Baht for the year.

Also, you can get a work permit on a "o" visa even if its for retirement or you have a extension of stay permit based on retirement. It's only on a education non immigrant permit or "ed" visa, that they won't allow a work permit.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[Indo-Siam]

The attachments are the Thai original and English translation of the new work permit fees, as being circulated for comment within the Labor Ministry. As there is no mention of any short-term work permits (90 day or 6-month), this may relate to an emerging approach toward issuing only one-year work permits, regardless of the remaining validity of your entry permit.

But - we have not yet heard of any final decision to make any changes.

Cheers!

Indo-Siam

New_WP_Fees.pdf

New_WP_Fees_Eng.doc

[Sunbelt Asia]

On that subject, if I get a new work permit in May, and my non-O retirement visa is changed to a non-B visa to work, will I pay 1,900 baht and still have an annual extension date of November? Or will the extension date be subject to the terms of my school contract? How much does a work permit cost?

In Bangkok at least, you do not need to change the permit of stay on retirement to get a work permit. This flip flops every year or so and now the tide has changed to allowing it again.

If you show a contract, the work permit will correspond to that period rather than one year.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[HarryHacker]

^Indo-Siam

I read this that the fees are not set in stone.

"Remark: Government fee will depend on foreign’ position or occupation and place. "

[Sunbelt Asia]

Is the length of the WP granted also not dependent upon the number of employees in your Company?

Good point aesthete. The 3 month work permit was a bit of a loophole for those whose employees couldn't manage the four Thai employees needed to get a the 3 month WP and non-imm B visa extended up to a year. It may well be Immigration's way of cracking on down on expats running their own very small companies. This comes from Immigration only as the Labor Ministry (whose role it should rightly be) doesn't care about numbers of Thai employees. As Immigration is part of Thailand's finest they probably feel must legislate on behalf of other ministries. Let's see how this turns out but there doesn't seen to be any movement to lighten up anything to do with foreigners' rights in Thailand.

This has already changed since Feb. You now need 4 Thai employees to get a work permit. ( Before it used to just the criteria for Immigration) The only exception is if you are working for a sole proprietorship or are a sole proprietorship under the Amity treaty for the USA/Thailand and are married to a Thai, then its 2 Thai employees required.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[opalhort]

This has already changed since Feb. You now need 4 Thai employees to get a work permit.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Can one of the Thai employees be the wife of the foreigner?

opalhort

[PeaceBlondie]

So, I guess the answers to my questions are that

a - Maybe I will still have an O retirement visa, with a work permit. The officer did not really say.

b - The work permit may cost me 20K per year, even though my salary may only be 29K per month.

But an employer rejected my application this week, saying that at age 65, I cannot get (or, the school or agency cannot get) a work permit!

The Amity treaty also did not seem to work. Maybe I will never be allowed to work legally. What a country.

[Tywais]

But an employer rejected my application this week, saying that at age 65, I cannot get (or, the school or agency cannot get) a work permit!

I would say it was the employer and not the Labour department that made that decision. AFAIK, that isn't a restriction for Labour. You could take a trip out towards the 700 Stadium to City Hall and ask them directly about any limitations to give you ammunition.

My work permit is up for renewal next week and will be out there and if I can remember I'll ask them.

[Sunbelt Asia]

Can one of the Thai employees be the wife of the foreigner?

yes

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[Sunbelt Asia]

So, I guess the answers to my questions are that

a - Maybe I will still have an O retirement visa, with a work permit. The officer did not really say.

b - The work permit may cost me 20K per year, even though my salary may only be 29K per month.

But an employer rejected my application this week, saying that at age 65, I cannot get (or, the school or agency cannot get) a work permit!

The Amity treaty also did not seem to work. Maybe I will never be allowed to work legally. What a country.

If your application was accepted last week, it still would of been 3,100 Baht in government fees.

It is not correct that you cannot get a work permit by being 65 years old. I have a foreign employee that works with us. He will finally hang up his shoes at the end of the year and he is 81 years old with a work permit.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[bobbin]

So.....

What are the practical ramifications of obtaining a work permit(and the job that goes with it) while on 1 year retirement extensions?

The only real benefit of the retirement extension is not having to do visa runs. I'm in my 6th year of extension based on retirement.

I've been reading for years on TV questions from people regarding their work permits and have vaguely ab sorbed the info while knowing it did not apply to me. But I seem to recall questions about having to leave the Kingdom within 7 days of the WP no longer being valid. And the answer was that that was the case. This is one example of a possible conflict.

Would this situation be particularly desireable? The ability to work without having to worrry that when the WP expires that you have to leave. Or will you have to leave? Would you just carry on with the retirement extension and get another WP when you got another job?

[PeaceBlondie]

bobbin, to answer your question, not as an expert but as one with my delayed career on the line:

If I want to work and an employer wishes to hire me (and I can get a WP and proper visa without leaving the Kingdom), it appears likely that when that job ends, I would just return to a pure retirement visa. And not bother working again. It is difficult enough to find a decent teaching job (or some other farang jobs, I imagine), so I would not bother trying it yet again. Just not worth it.

[Sunbelt Asia]

So.....

What are the practical ramifications of obtaining a work permit(and the job that goes with it) while on 1 year retirement extensions?

The only real benefit of the retirement extension is not having to do visa runs. I'm in my 6th year of extension based on retirement.

I've been reading for years on TV questions from people regarding their work permits and have vaguely ab sorbed the info while knowing it did not apply to me. But I seem to recall questions about having to leave the Kingdom within 7 days of the WP no longer being valid. And the answer was that that was the case. This is one example of a possible conflict.

Would this situation be particularly desireable? The ability to work without having to worrry that when the WP expires that you have to leave. Or will you have to leave? Would you just carry on with the retirement extension and get another WP when you got another job?

Having to Leave in 7 days does not apply in this case if his extension of stay is based on retirement. Even if he had a work permit.

Only if he had a extension of stay based on business would the work permit be linked to that permit of stay and he would have to leave.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[Bagwain]

I got my work permit extended yesterday for a further 3 months that ties in with my 90 day 1 entry. I was planning to get another 90 day and then go to Australia and get a 1 yr in Oct as I want to be in Oz for my 50th birthday.

How do the changes effect me if they do?

Will I get a 1 yr work permit with the 1 yr Non B?

If so that would mean only a border run and not a re-application for the work permit each time?

[bobbin]

So.....

What are the practical ramifications of obtaining a work permit(and the job that goes with it) while on 1 year retirement extensions?

The only real benefit of the retirement extension is not having to do visa runs. I'm in my 6th year of extension based on retirement.

I've been reading for years on TV questions from people regarding their work permits and have vaguely ab sorbed the info while knowing it did not apply to me. But I seem to recall questions about having to leave the Kingdom within 7 days of the WP no longer being valid. And the answer was that that was the case. This is one example of a possible conflict.

Would this situation be particularly desireable? The ability to work without having to worrry that when the WP expires that you have to leave. Or will you have to leave? Would you just carry on with the retirement extension and get another WP when you got another job?

Having to Leave in 7 days does not apply in this case if his extension of stay is based on retirement. Even if he had a work permit.

Only if he had a extension of stay based on business would the work permit be linked to that permit of stay and he would have to leave.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

I think I could have phrased some of my questions differently to better make my point.

There is a current thread here regarding the 7 day WP rule and it reiterates that many non-immigrant B visa holders have to leave when their employment ends and return with a new visa.

Seems that people with a retirement extensions are in an enviable position in that apparently they can now get a WP. Initially, there was a proviso that you were not allowed to work on a retirement extension so it was a situation where you could come here to work(with all the regs about WP and visa etc.) or you could come to retire but not able to work(and earn money).

Now apparently, we can do both. And in between jobs and Work Permits we can just fall back on our retirement status. i.e., we never have to leave as long as our retirement criteria are met.

To many under 50 this would be the ideal situation.

So are we retirees the new "Gold Standard" in the visa category?

[ytivarg]

Is the length of the WP granted also not dependent upon the number of employees in your Company?

Good point aesthete. The 3 month work permit was a bit of a loophole for those whose employees couldn't manage the four Thai employees needed to get a the 3 month WP and non-imm B visa extended up to a year. It may well be Immigration's way of cracking on down on expats running their own very small companies. This comes from Immigration only as the Labor Ministry (whose role it should rightly be) doesn't care about numbers of Thai employees. As Immigration is part of Thailand's finest they probably feel must legislate on behalf of other ministries. Let's see how this turns out but there doesn't seen to be any movement to lighten up anything to do with foreigners' rights in Thailand.

This has already changed since Feb. You now need 4 Thai employees to get a work permit. ( Before it used to just the criteria for Immigration) The only exception is if you are working for a sole proprietorship or are a sole proprietorship under the Amity treaty for the USA/Thailand and are married to a Thai, then its 2 Thai employees required.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

You now need 4 Thai employees to get a work permit regardless of visa type, or only for the Non-B?

If this applies for all visa types, I take it that most foreigners will have to close their companies?

[PeaceBlondie]

Seems that people with a retirement extensions are in an enviable position in that apparently they can now get a WP. Initially, there was a proviso that you were not allowed to work on a retirement extension so it was a situation where you could come here to work(with all the regs about WP and visa etc.) or you could come to retire but not able to work(and earn money).

Now apparently, we can do both. And in between jobs and Work Permits we can just fall back on our retirement status. i.e., we never have to leave as long as our retirement criteria are met.

To many under 50 this would be the ideal situation.

So are we retirees the new "Gold Standard" in the visa category?

As an old man who came here to teach at age 60, I disagree that I have been in an enviable condition. All 3 schools did not give me a WP or help me with visa runs, which averaged about 75,000 baht per year. I was turned down in one place because I had a long pony tail, and this week because I am too old. As Sunbelt Asia said, this policy of issuing WP to people on retirement visas is an on-off again item year by year, province by province, and subject to the usual vagaries and unverified rumors by the less-informed.

Whether a retiree can actually get a WP on a retirement visa, and whether he can easily quit one job and easily fall back to his prior status without leaving the country, is not clear to me.

I think the paunched, drunken, back-packing Romanian skinheads have a more enviable position than I have.

[bobbin]

Seems that people with a retirement extensions are in an enviable position in that apparently they can now get a WP. Initially, there was a proviso that you were not allowed to work on a retirement extension so it was a situation where you could come here to work(with all the regs about WP and visa etc.) or you could come to retire but not able to work(and earn money).

Now apparently, we can do both. And in between jobs and Work Permits we can just fall back on our retirement status. i.e., we never have to leave as long as our retirement criteria are met.

To many under 50 this would be the ideal situation.

So are we retirees the new "Gold Standard" in the visa category?

As an old man who came here to teach at age 60, I disagree that I have been in an enviable condition. All 3 schools did not give me a WP or help me with visa runs, which averaged about 75,000 baht per year. I was turned down in one place because I had a long pony tail, and this week because I am too old. As Sunbelt Asia said, this policy of issuing WP to people on retirement visas is an on-off again item year by year, province by province, and subject to the usual vagaries and unverified rumors by the less-informed.

Whether a retiree can actually get a WP on a retirement visa, and whether he can easily quit one job and easily fall back to his prior status without leaving the country, is not clear to me.

I think the paunched, drunken, back-packing Romanian skinheads have a more enviable position than I have.

PeaceBlondie

You mention visa runs while teaching(and no WP ). Teaching while holding a retirement extension would eliminate that. So no need to deduct that expense from a salary that is not that generous.

Yes, without a few trailblazers to point the way, it is a bit unclear. But it seemed like Chiang Mai immigration, while not saying so explicitly, was telling you it could be done in this manner. Perhaps another visit is in order and tell them you want to resume teaching but retain your retirement extension. Let them respond to this specific request.

Sunbelt is saying that if on the r/e, you would not have to leave. That implies you have the WP and the r/e at the same time.

There is also another aspect to this. What if after working for a year or so and paying taxes, you wanted to apply for Permanent Residency? As of now(apparently) the r/e is not a pathway to PR status(which requires 3 years uninterupted extensions) Also they want a certain figure paid in every year...Bt80,000? Admittedly, unlikely to pay that much on a teavher's salary but better than no taxes at all. I wonder what the powers that be would make of that? Sort of a combination of tax paid in and the special circumstance of making a contribution to Thai society. Teaching their children to be able to take their place more easily in the global economy of the future would seem to be an argument with some potential.

PeaceBlondie, you could be one of the trailblazers for some to follow.