Kuala Lumpur. Knocked Back For Non-b Multi.

[Thenacity]

Had a very bad experience a couple of weeks ago at the Thai Embassy in KL and am wondering if anyone can help me understand what happened. It was my intention to apply for a Multiple Entry Non-B but all they would give me was a Single Entry.

The girl behind the counter (can't call her a lady as she didn't have the manners) gave me some song and dance about there not being enough time left on my Work Permit. I pointed out that its "Until Date" was 16 Jun 2008 and I was applying for a visa on 8 June 2008, a difference of 8 days. I also pointed out that last time I did this my Work Permit had an "Until Date" of 15 Jul 2007 while my visa application was lodged on 9 April 2007, a difference of 6 days, but was approved for the Multi with not a single problem.

To put my query quite precisely... <deleted>?

Who makes this regulation? Why is it that if you ask politely for a copy of it in English or in Thai they can't seem to provide one?

And to head off any misunderstandings... the packet of supporting paperwork was letter-perfect (corporate ownership, tax papers, the whole nine yards) as was the application form. And yes I was dressed properly and spoke politely. And no my passport isn't about to expire.

With the prior visa I did not go for the extension and was content to do stamp runs to the border and a WP renewal every 90 days. (It makes better financial sense that hiring 3 extra Thais as dead weight.)

So, can anyone explain this to me? Again... <deleted>?

[Jimjim]

It's up to them to give it your or not. You're not entitled to it. Sometimes in SE Asia these days it's hard to get a multiple entry visa, period.

[ThePinkPossy]

It's up to them to give it your or not. You're not entitled to it. Sometimes in SE Asia these days it's hard to get a multiple entry visa, period.

And you are both experienced and qualified to make such a statement.

[digitalchromakey]

Had a very bad experience a couple of weeks ago at the Thai Embassy in KL and am wondering if anyone can help me understand what happened. It was my intention to apply for a Multiple Entry Non-B but all they would give me was a Single Entry.

I suspect I know what your problem was.

For well over a year now, KL have been refusing to issue 1 year multiple entry non immigrant B visas if the validity period in the work permit was not 1 year.

This has nothing to do with the current expiry date, the validity period from many labour departments used to be 6 months and KL's 'argument' is that they cannot issue 1 year visas for work if the validity period is only 6 months in the Work Permit.

This particular problem can and should be fixed by a visit to your local labour dept, where on filing out the correct form and producing relevant paperwork from your employer supporting the 1 year validity, they give you an official stamp towards the back of your work permit, indicating that your validity period is changed to 1 year.

Had the similar problem with KL myself in June 2007, when I politely pressed them, they showed me a copy of this type of stamp. Got a 1 year multiple non immigrant B in Penang 3 months later, with the 1 year stamp.

Edited June 21, 2008 by digitalchromakey

[whatchamacallit]

And you are both experienced and qualified to make such a statement.

...and you're better than them????

[haiku]

On a different thread http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=195553

INTJ told a success story on getting his non O multiple in KL.

And Mr. Potato’s post http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=191451

back in late may got his 1 year multiple entry B in KL. So KL still might be the current hot spot for multiple entry visas. I plan to go down in August to renew my non immigrant B

I currently have a single entry non immigrant business visa valid for 3 months. I obtained it in Vientiane, only because we I was pressed for time to return to my home country in the US. My passport has history. I previously had a 1 year multiple entry B which I obtained in the US last year, and Penang from the year before. I also have a 1 year wp and all required documents. So I’ll give it a try. Hopefully I’ll have luck.

[Thenacity]

Had a very bad experience a couple of weeks ago at the Thai Embassy in KL and am wondering if anyone can help me understand what happened. It was my intention to apply for a Multiple Entry Non-B but all they would give me was a Single Entry.

I suspect I know what your problem was.

For well over a year now, KL have been refusing to issue 1 year multiple entry non immigrant B visas if the validity period in the work permit was not 1 year.

This has nothing to do with the current expiry date, the validity period from many labour departments used to be 6 months and KL's 'argument' is that they cannot issue 1 year visas for work if the validity period is only 6 months in the Work Permit.

This particular problem can and should be fixed by a visit to your local labour dept, where on filing out the correct form and producing relevant paperwork from your employer supporting the 1 year validity, they give you an official stamp towards the back of your work permit, indicating that your validity period is changed to 1 year.

Had the similar problem with KL myself in June 2007, when I politely pressed them, they showed me a copy of this type of stamp. Got a 1 year multiple non immigrant B in Penang 3 months later, with the 1 year stamp.

Thanks for taking the time to reply with something of substance. But I'm not sure your idea is correct because my Work Permit booklet is now nearly two years old. The original issue date was August 2006 with the original Valid Until (and Must Extend Before) date(s) being in October 2006 (per Page 7 of the WP). Since then, as I said, it's been renewed every 90 days or a little less with no break-of-status, just two stamps per page as usual on the "Particulars on Renewal" pages (Pages 8 - 11 at the moment).

Looking at Pages 2 to 7 of the WP where the details are typed in from the initial issuance, there's nothing that shows "2550" or suggests it otherwise going stale in 2007. Unless...

There's a notation at the bottom of Page 5: Work period 1 Year. Is that the precise detail that's in play here?

I can see how that could tie in since the Multi granted in April 2008 would have been during the "1 Year" term of the WP booklet, but this last visa application would have been (well) after it.

So perhaps the question becomes... Is there some way to get a stamp that reactivates/restarts the "1 Year" condition of this Work Permit booklet, or does it mean a new Work Permit booklet has to be issued?

Does anyone know what a such a stamp or notation looks like (and can you attach a scan) or the name of the form used to apply for one?

Again thanks to anyone with something helpful to contribute.

[Mario2008]

The one year on page 5 simply refers to how long the you have permission to work, before you have have to extend, the first time you applied.

Did you apply for an extension of your work permit before you went to immigration? Is is better to go to the labor department and ask there for an extension of your WP, before you go to immigration. The labor department will than give you a form, I believe called WP3, which shows immigration you will get an extension of your WP. Than you won't have any problems.

With the visa you than go back to the labor office and get the extension of the WP.

[digitalchromakey]

The one year on page 5 simply refers to how long the you have permission to work, before you have have to extend, the first time you applied.

Did you apply for an extension of your work permit before you went to immigration? Is is better to go to the labor department and ask there for an extension of your WP, before you go to immigration. The labor department will than give you a form, I believe called WP3, which shows immigration you will get an extension of your WP. Than you won't have any problems.

With the visa you than go back to the labor office and get the extension of the WP.

In fact, when you have a work permit issued with a stamp from a 1 year multiple entry non B (that is not with a visa extension), the WP is renewed until the same date as the 'admitted until' date of your latest 90 day stamp in your passport. You should apply to renew the work permit before the renewal date and you then have 7 days to provide all the relevant paperwork, which can include your actual Work Permit and signed copies of the relevant pages from your passport including those showing your current visa and new 90 day stamp that you got on return from the visa run. Your work permit is then renewed until that date and so on.

For any non B immigrant visa application at a Thai embassy/consulate, after the work permit is issued, you can show the work permit itself and do not need the WP3.

I have been told (don't know if this is true) that you should not carry the WP out of Thailand, so for sure take copies for the Thai consulate/Embassy. I always prefer to take the original for extra security.

[digitalchromakey]

Had a very bad experience a couple of weeks ago at the Thai Embassy in KL and am wondering if anyone can help me understand what happened. It was my intention to apply for a Multiple Entry Non-B but all they would give me was a Single Entry.

I suspect I know what your problem was.

For well over a year now, KL have been refusing to issue 1 year multiple entry non immigrant B visas if the validity period in the work permit was not 1 year.

This has nothing to do with the current expiry date, the validity period from many labour departments used to be 6 months and KL's 'argument' is that they cannot issue 1 year visas for work if the validity period is only 6 months in the Work Permit.

This particular problem can and should be fixed by a visit to your local labour dept, where on filing out the correct form and producing relevant paperwork from your employer supporting the 1 year validity, they give you an official stamp towards the back of your work permit, indicating that your validity period is changed to 1 year.

Had the similar problem with KL myself in June 2007, when I politely pressed them, they showed me a copy of this type of stamp. Got a 1 year multiple non immigrant B in Penang 3 months later, with the 1 year stamp.

Thanks for taking the time to reply with something of substance. But I'm not sure your idea is correct because my Work Permit booklet is now nearly two years old. The original issue date was August 2006 with the original Valid Until (and Must Extend Before) date(s) being in October 2006 (per Page 7 of the WP). Since then, as I said, it's been renewed every 90 days or a little less with no break-of-status, just two stamps per page as usual on the "Particulars on Renewal" pages (Pages 8 - 11 at the moment).

Looking at Pages 2 to 7 of the WP where the details are typed in from the initial issuance, there's nothing that shows "2550" or suggests it otherwise going stale in 2007. Unless...

There's a notation at the bottom of Page 5: Work period 1 Year. Is that the precise detail that's in play here?

I can see how that could tie in since the Multi granted in April 2008 would have been during the "1 Year" term of the WP booklet, but this last visa application would have been (well) after it.

So perhaps the question becomes... Is there some way to get a stamp that reactivates/restarts the "1 Year" condition of this Work Permit booklet, or does it mean a new Work Permit booklet has to be issued?

Does anyone know what a such a stamp or notation looks like (and can you attach a scan) or the name of the form used to apply for one?

Again thanks to anyone with something helpful to contribute.

Ok, the work period you refer to is the relevant validity period.

I suspect that if you look at your last Work Permit renewal stamp it will have an extra stamp mark, which may be vertical in a square box reading [ ตัดครบปี ] this means ตัด - seperate, section off, cut ครบปี - full year, whole year.

My thai is not that good, but my guess is that it means end of one year validity period. I had the same on my WP stamp for April 2007 when I had difficulties with KL.

Edited June 22, 2008 by digitalchromakey

[kissrev1]

They often don't give out multiple entry visas for non-immigrant B because they have a limited number of the to give out, as I understand it. If you are one of the first to get there when you apply, you probably (not definitely) will get multiple entry. The last time I went, I applied for multiple and got it. When I came back to BKK and handed everything over to my attorney he was shocked and asked me how the hel_l I got a multiple entry. So, they must be given out rather rarely. Hope that helps