Background:

I am a British female and have been working legally for a year as a teacher in Bangkok. I entered the country with a Non Immigrant B visa, obtained with a letter of invitation to work from my current employer. The stamp in my passport says, "Extension of stay permitted up to 5 Sept 2009." I am leaving my current place of employment at the end of July and starting in a new school, also in Bkk on August 19th.

My questions:

-I think the visa and work permit are linked and that when my WP is cancelled, I will have to leave the country within 5 days. Is this true? Or can I stay legally until 5th September, as my passport says?

-Do I have to get a new visa in order to stay in Thailand legally until my new job starts on Aug 19th?

-If I need to get a new visa, do I need to go to a Thai Embassy on Foreign soil and apply for a new Non immigrant B visa with a letter of invitation to work from my new employer? Or can I just do a border run and come back in on a tourist visa on arrival?

Thank you in advance.

Barry at Lang Suan House (they do work permits) reckons there is a way to stay in Thailand when you are changing jobs and somehow retain teh same visa with a new work permit. He told me while I was pizzed at a NZ function a year ago so I don't remember the details.

You even have to leave the country the same day your job ends, but can get a 7 day extension from immigration for 1,900 baht.

So, yes. You would need to get a new visa to legaly stay in Thailand untill the 19th. A tourist visa will be enough, this will give you 60 days and you can apply at the consulate in vientianne, laos.

To apply for a new Non-B visa it is not enough to just show a letter of invitation from oyour new employer. Consulates in Asai want to see that you ahave applied for a Work Permit. (If you would travel to Europe or Australia the letter will be enough). So if your new employer has his paperwork in order apply for a new work permit tomorrow, then you would be able to get a new non-B.

Edit: a border hop will give you only 15 days if you come back to Thailand by land, 30 days if by air and wouldn't solve your visa problem. With a tourist visa for 60 days you would have the option of applying for a convesion to a non-B, for which you have to have at least 21 days left on your permission to stay.

Sorry, new 'member' here. Why is there no definitive information available relating to such often asked questions ? Before I chose to move here (2 years ago) I 'did the rounds' and all that I found was "conflicting" information. I accept that each case is different - but NOT THAT DIFFERENT.

Both the Thai and British ('cos that is what I am) government sites are most unhelpful in such matters (IMHO) - ThaiVisa forums relate only personal experience and 'emotive' comment.

I am currently trying to work with the BCCT to get a "this is the situation now" FAQ re visas and WP's for UK nationals online. Of course it will change daily, and local 'rules' will always apply - but it has got to be better than people basing decisions on the experience of someone else who may have totally different circumstances to themselves.

While most immigration procedures are documented and available on the internet, most labour office procedures are not or only available in Thai.