Today I hold a Non Immigrant B visa together with a work permit.

It is time to renew both soon.

Is it possible to renew only the visa and discard the work permit?

I plan to start my own business during this year and it would be nice not to have to go through all the red tape for a visa again.

An other option is to be emplyed by an other company.

Have anyone tried this?

/thomas

Do you have a visa or an extension of stay?

If you have an extenion of stay you will not get an extension without the work permit. Also as soon as you stop working your extension ends and you have to leave the country or get a 7 day extension.

If you start a new company you probably won't be able to get an extension for 2 years.

If you have a multiple entry visa it's not a problem. But you won't get another multiple entry without a work permit from any nearby consulate.

Today I hold a Non Immigrant B visa together with a work permit.

It is time to renew both soon.

Is it possible to renew only the visa and discard the work permit?

I plan to start my own business during this year and it would be nice not to have to go through all the red tape for a visa again.

An other option is to be emplyed by an other company.

Have anyone tried this?

/thomas

Yes it's possible. Just renew your visa while you still have the WP. Not sure if it's technically legal though.

Joe gave the right answer. Offering advice that is not legal is not very smart and can only lead to problems for the OP. Try to refrain from that.

Do you have a visa or an extension of stay?

If you have an extenion of stay you will not get an extension without the work permit. Also as soon as you stop working your extension ends and you have to leave the country or get a 7 day extension.

If you start a new company you probably won't be able to get an extension for 2 years.

If you have a multiple entry visa it's not a problem. But you won't get another multiple entry without a work permit from any nearby consulate.

Thanks for the prompt answer Joe.

I have a Non Immigrant B visa sticker in my passport. It is a single entry though. Is that equivalent to an extension of stay?

Last year I renewed both for one more year.

If I rennew both again and quit the job during the one year period. Can I keep the visa without beeing employed?

/thomas

You no longer have a visa it expired long agp. You have an extension of stay based upon working.

If you are not working your extension ends the day you stop working and you have to leave the country or get a 7 day extension at immigration (1900 baht).

When your job ends your employer will notify the labour department the labour department then will notify immigration. If you have not been to immigration and gotten an extension or left the country on the date your job ended your are on an overstay. It will cost you 500 baht per day of overstay up to maximum of 20,000 baht.

You no longer have a visa it expired long agp. You have an extension of stay based upon working.

If you are not working your extension ends the day you stop working and you have to leave the country or get a 7 day extension at immigration (1900 baht).

When your job ends your employer will notify the labour department the labour department then will notify immigration. If you have not been to immigration and gotten an extension or left the country on the date your job ended your are on an overstay. It will cost you 500 baht per day of overstay up to maximum of 20,000 baht.

Ok.

So the proper way to do this is to apply for a new multiple entry visa?

Can I do this from within Thailand or do I have to go away?

If I renew the extension of stay that I now have together with my workpermit. Can I later change the extension of stay to a real visa?

/thomas

It will not be easy to get a multiple entry visa as long as you have a valid extension of stay. You would have to have your current employers cooperation to do it.

It would mean cancelling your current extension or not renewing it and then going to KL and applying for a visa. Then you would have to do border runs every 90 days and also renew your work permit every 90 days.

Visas are not issued in Thailand they are only done at embassies or consulates.