Where Should I Get My Type B Visa?

[Youngie]

Hi there. Please could somebody give me some help on the following predicament and queries. I am brand-new to the country and keep on getting conflicting advice which has left me a bit confused.

The facts:

I hold a British passport.

I am currently in Thailand under a tourist visa.

I am 31 years old.

I have an offer of a job and have a 'letter of sponsorship' from my future company.

I am due to 'start work' in 3 weeks.

My future company has recommended that I acquire a 12 month, multiple entry, type B visa. I am aware that technically it does not permit me to work but does allow my company to apply for a work permit.

I was told that the 'letter of sponsorship' would be enough to ensure that I could receive a 12 month, type B visa. However, when I attempted to attain the visa in Vientiane in Laos, I was given a long list of other documents that I would have to supply (company's latest balance sheet, registration of VAT, list of shareholders, list of expats employed etc etc).

I would like to avoid getting all the documentation as it sounds like a pain for both me and my future company.

I have been told that I have 2 options:

Option 1. Fly back to the UK and apply for a 12 month, multiple entry visa. Apparently they are easier to acquire from your home country - is this correct?

Leading on from the last para, according to their respective websites, the amount of documentation needed to attain a multiple entry, type B visa from the Thai Consulate in Hull appears to be less than the amount of documentation that needs to be submitted for the same type of visa from the Thai embassy in London. According to the Hull consulate website you only need a sponsorship letter. Is this right and if so, why? Seems odd considering that they are in the same country...

Option 2. Go to a nearby capital such as KL or singapore and apply for a 3 month type B visa and hope that the Thai authorities will let you extend it when necessary. I have been told however that they will require the same documentation as for the Laos embassy; that visas are not guaranteed from neighbouring SE Asian countries and that the authorities can occasionally be a bit difficult about extensions.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Many thanks in advance.

[lopburi3]

Unless you obtain outside the immediate area it is likely that you will also require a work permit receipt to obtain even a single entry. There is no requirement for a non immigrant visa to apply for a work permit - so that should be in process now. Once you obtain the receipt for application (believe takes several days) you can then go with that and full company paperwork to obtain the single entry visa from a local Consulate.

Be aware that not all employers are going to be looking out for your best interests - indeed some will attempt to have you work illegally without ever getting a work permit.

[digitalchromakey]

Hi there. Please could somebody give me some help on the following predicament and queries. I am brand-new to the country and keep on getting conflicting advice which has left me a bit confused.

The facts:

I hold a British passport.

I am currently in Thailand under a tourist visa.

I am 31 years old.

I have an offer of a job and have a 'letter of sponsorship' from my future company.

I am due to 'start work' in 3 weeks.

My future company has recommended that I acquire a 12 month, multiple entry, type B visa. I am aware that technically it does not permit me to work but does allow my company to apply for a work permit.

I was told that the 'letter of sponsorship' would be enough to ensure that I could receive a 12 month, type B visa. However, when I attempted to attain the visa in Vientiane in Laos, I was given a long list of other documents that I would have to supply (company's latest balance sheet, registration of VAT, list of shareholders, list of expats employed etc etc).

I would like to avoid getting all the documentation as it sounds like a pain for both me and my future company.

I have been told that I have 2 options:

Option 1. Fly back to the UK and apply for a 12 month, multiple entry visa. Apparently they are easier to acquire from your home country - is this correct?

Leading on from the last para, according to their respective websites, the amount of documentation needed to attain a multiple entry, type B visa from the Thai Consulate in Hull appears to be less than the amount of documentation that needs to be submitted for the same type of visa from the Thai embassy in London. According to the Hull consulate website you only need a sponsorship letter. Is this right and if so, why? Seems odd considering that they are in the same country...

Option 2. Go to a nearby capital such as KL or singapore and apply for a 3 month type B visa and hope that the Thai authorities will let you extend it when necessary. I have been told however that they will require the same documentation as for the Laos embassy; that visas are not guaranteed from neighbouring SE Asian countries and that the authorities can occasionally be a bit difficult about extensions.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Many thanks in advance.

The advice you have been given is correct.

If you are applying at Embassies/Consulates in countries neighbouring Thailand you will need the following list of documents

Non-Immigrant Visa Category "B" (Business Visa) is issued to applicants who wish to enter the Kingdom to work or to conduct business.

(1) Foreigners who wish to work in Thailand must provide the following documents:

- Passport or travel document with validity of not less than 6 months.

- Completed visa application form.

- Recent passport-sized photograph (4 x 6 cm) of the applicant taken within the past 6 months.

- Evidence of adequate finance (20,000 Baht per person and 40,000 Baht per family).

- Letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour. To obtain this letter, the applicant's prospective employer in Thailand is required to submit Form WP3 at the Office of Foreign Workers Administration, Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour Tel. 02-2452745, or at the Provincial Employment Office in his or her respective province. More information is available at

www.doe.go.th/workpermit/index.html

- Copy of Work Permit issued by the Ministry of Labour and alien income tax or Por Ngor Dor 91 (only in the case where applicant has previously worked in Thailand).

- Corporate documents of hiring company in Thailand such as:

1) business registration and business license

2) list of shareholders

3) company profile

4) details of business operation

5) list of foreign workers stating names, nationalities and positions

6) map indicating location of the company

7) balance sheet, statement of Income Tax and Business Tax (Por Ngor Dor 50 and Por Ngor Dor 30 of the latest year)

8) value-added tax registration (Por Por 20)

- Document indicating the number of foreign tourists (for tourism business only), or document indicating export transactions issued by banks (for export business only).

N.B.

- An alien who receives a Non-Immigrant visa can work in Thailand once he or she is being granted a work permit. An alien in violation of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) concerning taking up employment without work permit or the Royal Decree B.E. 2522 (1979) concerning holding employment in certain restricted occupations and professions shall be prosecuted and imprisoned or fined, or shall face both penalties.

- It is recommended that the applicant should apply for visa at the Thai Embassy/ Consulate in the country where he/she has the residence;

The letter of acceptance is actually the slip of paper (receipt) that is given when a WP3 Work Permit application form is filed with labour.

You can always try consulates nearer to Thailand, some are ok for a one year non B multiple with basic papers and some are definitely not.

[laxman1960]

Vientiane was a breeze for a 3 month Single Entry Non Immigrant B, of course I had the complete list of papers as well.

When I applied 15 months ago in the USA, I submitted the full set of papers as well to get my 1 yr. Multi-Entry. Didn't want to risk it with only an offer letter/work confirmation.

Dan

[peter1982]

Hi everyone,

I just opened a company Thailand with a capital of 2 millions baht, so I plan to ask for a non immigrant B visa in Laos.

However I see the list of documents needed and there are some papers I couldn't obtain as my company just opens 3 months before like for example the balance sheet paper.

What kind of paper will I need to get a non immigrant B visa 3 months in Laos ( i'm going in 2 weeks)? Is it easy to get a non immigrant B visa 3 months there? Thanks for your reply.

best regards.

[digitalchromakey]

Hi everyone,

I just opened a company Thailand with a capital of 2 millions baht, so I plan to ask for a non immigrant B visa in Laos.

However I see the list of documents needed and there are some papers I couldn't obtain as my company just opens 3 months before like for example the balance sheet paper.

What kind of paper will I need to get a non immigrant B visa 3 months in Laos ( i'm going in 2 weeks)? Is it easy to get a non immigrant B visa 3 months there? Thanks for your reply.

best regards.

Recent posts state that Vientiane has become very strict recently and people have been refused non immigrant B visas due, for example, to not having a WP3 receipt.

If you have successfuly filed your WP3 application and have the receipt plus as many papers as you can obtain, then you can try to argue your case.

It would also be helpful to take your first 3x Por Ngor Dor 1 monthly tax returns/receipts and also your Por Ngor Dor 91 filed for your 2007 income.

A covering letter, written on on your company letterhead paper, explaining the circumstances may also help. All the papers should have your company stamp as well.