Visa Timing Trouble, Gap Between Non Immigrant And Student Visa

[ForrestGump]

First off, I would like to say thanks a million to the people responsible for this forum, it has been a great help many times in searching for answers.

I'm currently on a 1-year Non Immigrant Visa with a work permit. Although my Visa extends to the end of 2009, I have to quit my job soon for personal reasons. Thereafter, I plan to study thai in Thailand on a Student Visa. The paperwork nescessary for the Student Visa will take about 6 weeks before I can leave Thailand to apply for the Student Visa. Because I need to quit my job earlier (in this week) there will be a gap of at least 5 weeks in which I will have no Visa. How do I solve this? Can I get a Tourist Visa for the time in-between and if so, can I obtain this in a country to which I don't have to fly? I was recently diagnosed with a heart condition, and I really would like to avoid flying at this time.

Edit: I forgot to mention, my nationality is Swedish and I live in Bangkok

Cheers

Edited January 7, 2009 by ForrestGump

[Maestro]

You can get a tourist visa from a nearby Thai consulate, perhaps Vientiane if you don’t want to fly. This will give you permission to stay for 60 days and if needed you can get a 30-day extension of stay on top of it.

--

Maestro

[ForrestGump]

Thank you kindly Maestro, this is very relieving news

[KamnanT]

It's worth clarifying whether you are on a one year Non-Immigrant "B" visa or a one year Extension of Stay based on employment. A Non-Immigrant "B" visa is issued by an embassy or consulate outside of Thailand whereas a one year extension of stay is granted by Immigration inside Thailand. If you are on an Extension of Stay, then yes, it will expire on your last day of your employment and you will need a letter from your employer and a visit to Immigration. You can apply for a 7-day extension at Immigration (THB 1,900) to give yourself some time to prepare your departure.

However, if you're on a one year multiple entry Non-Immigrant "B" visa with a 90-day period of stay, this visa does not expire when your employment finishes and you may remain in Thailand until the end of your 90-day period of stay. Indeed, you can leave and re-enter Thailand for another 90 days as long as it's before the "must enter before" date on the Non-Imm visa.

So it all comes down to whether or not you have been granted a one year Extension of Stay by Immigration in Thailand.

[ForrestGump]

KamnanT, thank you kindly for your reply. I'm on a one year Extension of Stay so then I will have to leave. But I did not know that I will need a letter from my employer. Unfortunately I will not be able to get this, as I'm not on speaking terms with my employer anymore (since this is a public forum I don't want to go into any details). What do I do then?

[ubonjoe]

If you leave on or before the date of your resignation to get a tourist visa you will not need to go to immigration. Thus no letter is needed. Your former employer is required to notify the labour department that your job has ended. They then would probably notify immigration.

[MTLae]

Dear forrest gump,

I represent a thai school called My Thai Language School (you can find our advertising in the Thai Language section of this forum) which assists students with non-immigrant ED visa.

So if you're still looking for a school, you're welcome to visit us and attend one of our enjoyable lesson. For more information, please contact me.

Regards.

MTL Ae

[ForrestGump]

ubonjoe, thank you kindly, that pretty much sums it up.

MTLae, thanks for your suggestion but I have already signed up at Thaiwalen School.

Cheers

[ForrestGump]

An update, the situation has changed and is now as follows: I will now leave Thailand in about one week to apply for a Student Visa. My employer is unfortunately giving me great difficulties because I will quit my job and will not provide me with any papers or any help in terminating my current one year Non Immigrant Visa, other than what they will have to do on their end towards the departments. My question is therefore: Can I leave Thailand in a week without a canceled Non Immigrant Visa in my passport? Can I then go to the Thai embassy and apply for a Student Visa, and by doing so will they then cancel my Non Immigrant Visa without any other documentation?

Furthermore, my passport is broken due to fabrication error and I'm told by my Swedish embassy that they can provide me with a temporary one if I have to leave in a week (as a new passport will take 3 weeks). Will a temporary passport give me trouble when applying for a Student Visa? I plan to go to Vientiane, Laos.

Just about everything has gone wrong for the past weeks. I've ended up in a real Visa mess and would really appreciate all the help I could get in resolving the matter. My employer is also related to me by family so I really want to just leave with the least amount of trouble caused for anyone.

Thanks in advance.

Edited January 8, 2009 by ForrestGump

[ubonjoe]

As soon as leave the country your extension is cancelled. Your visa probably expired long ago so you no longer have a visa. You will not have a problem getting a visa. But without paperwork from the school it will not be an ED visa.

If your embassy says you can travel on the temporary passport then it should not be a problem to get a visa. Just be sure they understand that it is not a oneway trip that you are planning when they told you this.

[ForrestGump]

Thanks a lot ubonjoe, that cleared matters up a bit. I'll go back to the embassy on Monday and get more info about the temporary passport. I will get all the paperwork from the school in a week, so then the Education Visa won't be a problem.