hi,

I would like to know if it is possible to work with a non-immigrant visa o? I know people who have visa o and also a work permit or a stamp or their id card or passport stipulating that they are eligible to work in thailand. i would like to have a confirmation of that and also if i can work what should i do to get that stamp or work permit.

Thank for your help.

It is possible to get a work permit with a non-o visa. But in most cases it will not be given if it is an extension of stay for retirement.

You have to have job or your own comapny to get a work permit.

If you are working your employeer has to supply documents. You have to supply other documents that show your qualifications for the job. It's about the same thing if you have a company.

You can get a work permit, but you will have to find an employer or start a business first. In Thailand you don't get a WP and be allowed to work every where. Instead you apply for a WP, that allows you to work for a specified employer. Changing jobs means you need to get a new WP.

Work permits are allowed for an "O" Married to Thai Visa... But for "O-A" Retirement WP are not available.

If you are "Retired" then you are not working... Even Thai Immigration can make that Common Sense connection.

If you owned your own Business in Thailand or had a job offer, then you would no longer be "Retired", and I'm just guessing, but I would think that Immigration would insist that you change your Visa to a "B".

I'm not sure about "O" Visa for other family member (Child, parent, etc.) but as for an "O" Married, some income from outside, or inside, Thailand may be demanded... If Inside Thai income is allowed (like for "O" Married), then a Work Permit would also be allowed.

An "O-A" Retirement Visa requires all income from Outside Thailand, or already in a Thai Bank.

CS

Edited May 15, 200917 yr by CosmicSurfer

any idea where i can find information about this issue of getting a work permit with an O based on my wife's ed visa. she is a student and my extension is based on family.

problem i am having is that my current employer says that the dept of labor will not let me apply for a work permit bc my extension is based on my family not work. i have already had a work permit and i canceled it when i changed jobs. this employer seems clueless about the o visa as they only deal with converting tourist visas to non imm Bs. they also said that they reason i could get the first work permit was bc it was with a govt job. my current employer is a private lang school.

dunno if they are just being lazy or if what they say is correct. any help would be appreicated.

thanks,

derek

any idea where i can find information about this issue of getting a work permit with an O based on my wife's ed visa. she is a student and my extension is based on family.

problem i am having is that my current employer says that the dept of labor will not let me apply for a work permit bc my extension is based on my family not work. i have already had a work permit and i canceled it when i changed jobs. this employer seems clueless about the o visa as they only deal with converting tourist visas to non imm Bs. they also said that they reason i could get the first work permit was bc it was with a govt job. my current employer is a private lang school.

dunno if they are just being lazy or if what they say is correct. any help would be appreicated.

thanks,

derek

Think in this instance you will find the Labour department is right, as even someone who holds the the Ed Visa is not allowed to work, therefore if your O visa is based on a dependancy on the Ed Visa, its follows you wouldnt be allowed a WP..?

The only requirement for the work permit is that it be a non immigrant visa and that is what you have. Your employer should at least check with the labor department or do it yourself. The problem is that every labor office does things their own way.

Even if you had a tourist visa they still would have to go the labor department to make the application and get the WP3 (work permit application receipt) in order for you to go out and get a B visa.

Think in this instance you will find the Labour department is right, as even someone who holds the the Ed Visa is not allowed to work, therefore if your O visa is based on a dependancy on the Ed Visa, its follows you wouldnt be allowed a WP..?

His passport will show that he is on an an extension of stay as a dependent, I doubt it will show that he is as a dependent of someone on an ED visa. (If he is at an extension of stay, when no extension of stay yet it will only show the type and classification of the visaa, not the reason).

Think in this instance you will find the Labour department is right, as even someone who holds the the Ed Visa is not allowed to work, therefore if your O visa is based on a dependancy on the Ed Visa, its follows you wouldnt be allowed a WP..?

They have not been to the labor department yet. It is only his school that is saying that. They need to go to labor department and at least ask,

I cannot find any rules that says he cannot get a work permit.

The only requirement for the work permit is that it be a non immigrant visa and that is what you have. Your employer should at least check with the labor department or do it yourself. The problem is that every labor office does things their own way.

Even if you had a tourist visa they still would have to go the labor department to make the application and get the WP3 (work permit application receipt) in order for you to go out and get a B visa.

thanks for the response. if you recall i think we had a flurry of posts back about a month ago when i was canceling my extension and work permit for the govt job. all that we went well as you may recall but the new employer just seems to be lazy/clueless. i dont know if calling the dept of labor would help as i dunno if they can speak english. my employer is telling me to leave the country and get a tourist visa. or to try leaving the country and starting over with my non o ( it is multiple entry and good till november).

any ideas as to what i can do, who to call, etc. i have tried to talk to my employer but they just give me the same old crap. we'lll look into it, etc. but i spoke with them a few weeks back and they still havent given me any definitive answer. so i guess i have to figure it out myself. their way of dealing with it is by letting me do all the work, ie leaving the country getting the tourist visa. they do this all the time--convert tourists to non b-so it takes no extra effort on their part. the o is something they have never dealt with and they seem reluctant to make much of an effort.

thanks again

The only requirement for the work permit is that it be a non immigrant visa and that is what you have. Your employer should at least check with the labor department or do it yourself. The problem is that every labor office does things their own way.

Even if you had a tourist visa they still would have to go the labor department to make the application and get the WP3 (work permit application receipt) in order for you to go out and get a B visa.

thanks for the response. if you recall i think we had a flurry of posts back about a month ago when i was canceling my extension and work permit for the govt job. all that we went well as you may recall but the new employer just seems to be lazy/clueless. i dont know if calling the dept of labor would help as i dunno if they can speak english. my employer is telling me to leave the country and get a tourist visa. or to try leaving the country and starting over with my non o ( it is multiple entry and good till november).

any ideas as to what i can do, who to call, etc. i have tried to talk to my employer but they just give me the same old crap. we'lll look into it, etc. but i spoke with them a few weeks back and they still havent given me any definitive answer. so i guess i have to figure it out myself. their way of dealing with it is by letting me do all the work, ie leaving the country getting the tourist visa. they do this all the time--convert tourists to non b-so it takes no extra effort on their part. the o is something they have never dealt with and they seem reluctant to make much of an effort.

thanks again

Show your employer your visa and point out that it is a non immigrant visa as stated on the stamp or sticker. Then show them these reqluirements in Thai and english for getting a work permit that states a non immigratn visa is required and it does not mention any catagory of visa. Just that it has to be a non immigrant visa. Work_permit_requirements.pdf

if i were to go into the department of labor then would i be able to get any info? would they speak enough english to even make it worth my while? my employer says there is no way around leaving the country, bc my extension is family based and my purpose for being in the country is to be with my family, ie not to work. they say that they went to the dept of labor and the dept of labor said they couldnt accept an app for a work permit bc of this. i am somewhat doubtful that they even when but giving them the benefit of the doubt, that means that ill have to either just leave and reenter on my multiple non o , or do what they suggest and get a tourist visa. obv i dont want to do the later bc if i lose the job or quit then if i have a b then i will need to start over. i just dont get it. people in the japanese community do this all the time. husbands come in on a work visa, and their spouses get o family visas then apply for work permits. its just retarded.

if i leave the country do i need to get a reentry thing at immigration, even though i have a multiple entry?

how can i confirm that i have to leave the country?

thanks again

The only requirement for the work permit is that it be a non immigrant visa and that is what you have. Your employer should at least check with the labor department or do it yourself. The problem is that every labor office does things their own way.

Even if you had a tourist visa they still would have to go the labor department to make the application and get the WP3 (work permit application receipt) in order for you to go out and get a B visa.

thanks for the response. if you recall i think we had a flurry of posts back about a month ago when i was canceling my extension and work permit for the govt job. all that we went well as you may recall but the new employer just seems to be lazy/clueless. i dont know if calling the dept of labor would help as i dunno if they can speak english. my employer is telling me to leave the country and get a tourist visa. or to try leaving the country and starting over with my non o ( it is multiple entry and good till november).

any ideas as to what i can do, who to call, etc. i have tried to talk to my employer but they just give me the same old crap. we'lll look into it, etc. but i spoke with them a few weeks back and they still havent given me any definitive answer. so i guess i have to figure it out myself. their way of dealing with it is by letting me do all the work, ie leaving the country getting the tourist visa. they do this all the time--convert tourists to non b-so it takes no extra effort on their part. the o is something they have never dealt with and they seem reluctant to make much of an effort.

thanks again

Show your employer your visa and point out that it is a non immigrant visa as stated on the stamp or sticker. Then show them these reqluirements in Thai and english for getting a work permit that states a non immigratn visa is required and it does not mention any catagory of visa. Just that it has to be a non immigrant visa. Work_permit_requirements.pdf

if i leave the country do i need to get a reentry thing at immigration, even though i have a multiple entry?

No, if you did that then when you came back in you would still be on the extension!

if i were to go into the department of labor then would i be able to get any info? would they speak enough english to even make it worth my while? my employer says there is no way around leaving the country, bc my extension is family based and my purpose for being in the country is to be with my family, ie not to work. they say that they went to the dept of labor and the dept of labor said they couldnt accept an app for a work permit bc of this. i am somewhat doubtful that they even when but giving them the benefit of the doubt, that means that ill have to either just leave and reenter on my multiple non o , or do what they suggest and get a tourist visa. obv i dont want to do the later bc if i lose the job or quit then if i have a b then i will need to start over. i just dont get it. people in the japanese community do this all the time. husbands come in on a work visa, and their spouses get o family visas then apply for work permits. its just retarded.

if i leave the country do i need to get a reentry thing at immigration, even though i have a multiple entry? how can i confirm that i have to leave the country?

thanks again

Dependent on where you are at you should be able to find somebody at the labor deparment that speaks english.

I don't think your current employer has checked with them. And is going by what they think not reality.

Did you look at the requirements I gave you in my earlier post.

I think you are currently on an extensionof of stay not a visa so you do need a re-entry permit if you want to leave and return. If you get a multiple entry visa you will not need one.