Hope someone can help

I have the chance to teach english to kindergarden class at temple on a voluntary unpaid basis

The temple said they can sort out the paper work and I have someone to sort out my work permit

The temple has agreed to do a 3 month contract but if i can get the temple to agree to a 12 month contract

once all this all arranged will i be able to renew my non imigrant multiple entry type o visa in thailand and not have to return to the UK to do this

What is your question?

For volunteer work you need a work permit, which shouldn't be to hard. If you have a 12 month contract and work permit you can go to the immigration office and get a one year extension of stay. You can apply for a one year extension in every last 30 days of your permission to stay, so you don't need to wait till your visa expires.

Note that when you are on an extension of stay you don't have to leave the country every 90 days, but instead you have to repart your adress every 90 days. Also on an extension of stay the day your volunteer work stops is the day you would have to leave the country, as that would invalidate the permission to stay.

You do not renew your visa, you can only extend your permision to stay. For a new visa you can go to a Thai ambassy or consulate, it doesn't have to be in your home country.

Please let us know if you are successful in obtaining a non-imm. visa and a work permit based upon volunteer teaching. It'd be a rarity, but very informative to know if are able to do so.

Please let us know if you are successful in obtaining a non-imm. visa and a work permit based upon volunteer teaching. It'd be a rarity, but very informative to know if are able to do so.

I have a non-immigrant for more then 5 years based on volunteer teaching. It isn't difficult, especialy for a government school. Both labour office and immigration are always very helpful.

Edited January 15, 200917 yr by Mario2008

Please let us know if you are successful in obtaining a non-imm. visa and a work permit based upon volunteer teaching. It'd be a rarity, but very informative to know if are able to do so.

I have a non-immigrant for more then 5 years based on volunteer teaching. It isn't difficult, especialy for a government school. Both labout office and immigration are always very helpful.

If you didn't know, to the best of my knowledge, you're a rarity. It's promising to hear of successes, but it's not the norm as far as I know. Best wishes to you.

Thanks.

I think the problem lies more with the schools, that are unwilling/afraid to do the paperwork.

Thanks.

I think the problem lies more with the schools, that are unwilling/afraid to do the paperwork.

The opposite occurred in my particular case, the school was great but it was further up the food chain at the provincial Education Ministry level that ran into snags, but that was all over silly issues (they took great offense at not having been previously informed of my presence at the school and thus refused to cooperate with getting things done legally and thus I had to stop). End of story. I suppose it's all in how it's handled on a case by case basis, but with a bureaucracy that is so easily fouled up and with so many different agencies involved, it's easy to have things come to a grinding halt. eg. it's absurd that it takes the Governor to sign off on elementary school level volunteers like myself and even more ridiculous that the Prime Minister, of all people, to sign off on higher level instructor (a uni. prof. who is a friend of mine). I can't imagine anywhere else that has the head of state sign off on a work permit.

I have been very lucky. The governor was very helpful and made it clear that if I had any problems I just go and see him. At immigration for my first extension of stay the immigration officer asked if I wanted permenent residency. Betas me how he would have done it, but knowing him a little he would have done his best.

"...Governor to sign off on elementary school level volunteers like myself..."

It's the same for employees working for money, as well.

"...Governor to sign off on elementary school level volunteers like myself..."

It's the same for employees working for money, as well.

That's the absurdity of the bureaucracy. To require a signature from someone that high up on something as realistically trivial as a work permit is ludicrous.

When my friend mentioned his required the signature of the Prime Minister, I just shook my head and tried to imagine Bush/Brown/etc. doing the same.

It's that kind of nonsense that throws away a potential resource to this country that could be so beneficial.

Edited January 15, 200917 yr by sriracha john