Hi

I hope to be coming to Thailand on a non-imm 'o' visa. However there is a possibility that either just before or just after coming to Thailand, that I would be offered a job which may mean having a different class of visa and a work permit. I have a few questions on this :

* Is is possible to hold 2 non imm visa at the same time ie non imm 'o' and non imm 'b'

* If working doesn’t work out and I would like to stay in Thailand can I fall back to the non imm 'o' - which i will have obtained fairly. I wouldn’t like to think that as I have the non imm 'o' first that I have to lose this for another and then if things don’t work out I would have to come back to my home country and apply for a non imm 'o' again.

* If I cant have the two visas at the same time then is it possible just to get a work permit on the non imm 'o' or if that is not possible (employer doesn’t like this or is not normally done sort of thing) then is it possible to use the non imm visa for employment till it expires

thanks in advance for your advice

In short yes you can, I have done it.

I got my Non-O issued in Sydney.

I then took some really BAD advice (not from anyone on TV) and went to Laos and got a NON-B.

The company setting this up were so @#$%@ stupid, they didn't know what to do next - even with a whole lot of Stamped and Signed forms from a Government Department supporting my W/P.

So I took my own advice - and things I learnt here, went home to Surin, crossed the boarder back to Cambodia and re-entered on my NON-O.

It does confuse the Immigration people a bit and you have to make sure you use the correct Visa Numbers, otherwise they get annoyed you are trying to enter on an Expired/used Visa.

Needless to Say, I took the exact same forms changed the Visa Numbers and "B" to "O" and got the WP the following day.

Sorry I didn't properly answer the last part of your question.

* If I cant have the two visas at the same time then is it possible just to get a work permit on the non imm 'o' or if that is not possible (employer doesn’t like this or is not normally done sort of thing) then is it possible to use the non imm visa for employment till it expires

It can confuse your employer. Not many people have Non-O and turn up to their employer. My previous a Large Multi-National their department for processing W/P's never even had a process for what to do with a NON-O.

Just remember and I don't care what people here say, you need to earn about 46,000 a month to support a W/P on a NON-O. My Local Ministry of Lobour is the friendliest you could imagine, but that one will not be bent.

What the Marraige ertificate is for is to not to have to show other Tax records, they still want to see you are making 46,000 a month. I have heard this from Bangkok, Surin, Suphanburi and Kanchanaburi.

If there is a way round this I am very interested. I rolled up to Bangkok MOL with the Marraige Certificate, a letter from the employer and My Passport - with NON-O, and they told me to show the 46,000. Same for the other MOL Offices.

When you get a firm job offer your Non Imm O visa can be converted to a B by immigration here in Thailand.

No need to have two visas

You dont need to bother about getting different types of Visas. You can get a WP on a O visa, there is no need to change it to a B. Dont know about the previous poster but I work with a couple of guys on a O and they have never been asked about income - they earn less than the 46k mentioned.

As far as I am aware the process for getting a WP is the same whether you have a B or a O ( might be wrong though ).

I'm in agreement with Bluffer, have friends with Non O and WP

Hi and thank for your replies - I think it is just a case that i need to explain to my potential future employer that it is ok for me to have a non imm o visa and i can have a wp wih that.

In the event that i dont get a non imm o and get a non imm b for employment, if i decide that the job is not for me, then does the visa finish with the job or is it still good for 1 year ? If the employer gets funny about things, is it possble for them to speak to the thai authorities and have the visa cancelled ?

look forward to your comments...