Hi,

I re-entered the country without a re-entry visa (my company forgot to arrange one for me!), i now have been stamped with a 30 day tourist visa.

Does this mean my work permit is now cancelled?

Is there anyway i can correct this without having to leave the country again?

Do i need to apply for a non-imm B visa again?

Am i able to work or not?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

If you still have 21 days remaining on your 30 day entry stamp you can apply to immigration to change (convert) your Visa Exempt stamp into a Non-Immigrant visa and then get an extension of stay based on working. If not, then you need to leave the country and get a Non-Immigrant "B" visa from somewhere.

Your work permit should not be canceled, so you can work.

Many thanks, unfortunately my 30 day visa expires on the 21st of this month.

I guess its back to square one then!

Are you sure i can still work right now?

I did a similar thing only it was my fault for not checking the expiry date of my multiple re-entry permit before travelling. I continued working and combined a visa run to PI with business and got a new visa. However the company handled the rest so I don't know whether the work permit was automatically cancelled and had to be re-applied for. I don't think it was as I don't recall having to go down Chonburi Labor office to collect it.

But I was not offered the opportunity to convert the 30 day exemption stamp to a non-Immi B but this was about ten years back.

You can not work on a visa exempt stamp.

Oh, so I was technically working illegally for a week. Actually, thinking about it, it's bluddy obvious innit?

Actually it wasn't me it was a friend, well actually a friend of a friend!

Many thanks, unfortunately my 30 day visa expires on the 21st of this month.

I guess its back to square one then!

Are you sure i can still work right now?

Certainly not after 21st April. If your permission to stay in Thailand expires, then you are in country illegally. Technically your work permit could be canceled if you violate any of the provisions under which it was issued, such as not having a valid Non-Immigrant visa. Whether or not your work permit is actually canceled depends on who finds out about your situation.

As Lopburi3 said . You cannot work with the entry stamp you have now. You are working illegally.

As Lopburi3 said . You cannot work with the entry stamp you have now. You are working illegally.

Question for all interested parties: If a work permit has not expired or been officially canceled, and the holder of the work permit is legally in country on a 30 day Visa Exempt stamp, why then can't he work? Is there some obscure pronouncement on this from Immigration or the Labour Department? Admittedly, the holder of the work permit should get a Non-Iimmigrant "B" visa ASAP.

This from the Dept. Of Employment. http://www.doe.go.th/service3_en.aspx

- An alien who lives in the Kingdom or receives a non-immigrant VISA to live in the Kingdom can work in Thailand after having received a work permit. (Any violation thereof shall make the employee liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months, or to a fine not exceeding 5,000 Baht, or to both penalties)

Luckily im still on my vacation now! Looks like its a trip out of the country before the 21st!

Thanks very much for your feedback.

This from the Dept. Of Employment. http://www.doe.go.th/service3_en.aspx

- An alien who lives in the Kingdom or receives a non-immigrant VISA to live in the Kingdom can work in Thailand after having received a work permit. (Any violation thereof shall make the employee liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months, or to a fine not exceeding 5,000 Baht, or to both penalties)

Thanks Lite Beer. Have you ever heard of anyone being arrested for only having a 30 day entry stamp and still working with a valid WP, valid meaning not expired or canceled?

Not having a valid non-immigrant visa means the Work Permit is invalid. That has always been my understanding.

Many thanks, unfortunately my 30 day visa expires on the 21st of this month.

I guess its back to square one then!

Are you sure i can still work right now?

Unfortunately with a tourist visa (including a visa exempt stamp on entry I believe) you are specifically prohibited to undertake any employment in Thailand. I believe the stamp says something about that, i.e. "foriegner entering on tourist visa is prohibited from employment" or words to that effect. So when you recieved your 30 day visa exempt stamp, you came into that category. You are a tourist, and can't work in the Kingdom.

I would think the best thing for you to do is to basically do a visa run to somewhere that you can get a non-o B visa. You will need a letter from your company and suppporting documents for the non-o B visa.

I'm not an expert on this, so I could be wrong. Probably Lopburi 3 can give you more authorative information.

Too late now, but you should have applied for a exit/reenty permit yourself....but I guess you figured that out by now anyhow.