Non Immigrant Visa - After Quitting Job

[Narrator]

Hello,

This is my question:

I am in Thailand on a 1 year non-immigrant multiple entry visa and I have a work permit. What happens to my visa if I quit my job?

If it expires the moment I quit my job, what are the possibilities to stay in Thailand?

I want to start working for an NGO that is not registered in Thailand.

Thanks for getting back to me on this

[ubonjoe]

If you have a multiple entry visa it will still be valid. A visa is not canceled when you quit your job because there is no link between a job and a visa.

If you have an extension of stay based upon employment the extension ends on the date you are no longer working.

[Lite Beer]

Yes. With a Visa, no problem. Carry on using it.

[InterestedObserver]

You made no mention of the expiration date of your visa. Is the original visa still valid?

[Narrator]

If you have a multiple entry visa it will still be valid. A visa is not canceled when you quit your job because there is no link between a job and a visa.

If you have an extension of stay based upon employment the extension ends on the date you are no longer working.

Thank you all for the comments. But now I am not sure. It may very well be an extension of stay that I have. I had a non-imm. visa and went to immigration, with my work permit. Now I have a stamp in my passport, that doesn't say visa, but 'Non-Imm - Immigration Thailand - re-entry permit'. It is valid until end of July 2010. This was issued after an 'application of stay'. Sorry I got the terminology wrong. I am quite new at this. So what is the situation here do you think?

Thanks again

[ubonjoe]

You have an extension of stay. You have to either leave the country on the date your job ends or get a 7 day extension at immigration (1900 baht).

If you had a multiple entry visa that you used to enter the country before you got the extension it would still be valid if it has not expired. You could leave the country and re-enter the country and get a 90 day entry.

Otherwise if you plan on staying here I suggest you make a visa run and get a tourist visa instead of getting the 7 day extension.

[Narrator]

You have an extension of stay. You have to either leave the country on the date your job ends or get a 7 day extension at immigration (1900 baht).

If you had a multiple entry visa that you used to enter the country before you got the extension it would still be valid if it has not expired. You could leave the country and re-enter the country and get a 90 days entry.

Otherwise if you plan on staying here I suggest you make a visa run and get a tourist visa instead of getting the 7 day extension.

This is very useful information. Thank you very much indeed.

[Narrator]

You have an extension of stay. You have to either leave the country on the date your job ends or get a 7 day extension at immigration (1900 baht).

If you had a multiple entry visa that you used to enter the country before you got the extension it would still be valid if it has not expired. You could leave the country and re-enter the country and get a 90 days entry.

Otherwise if you plan on staying here I suggest you make a visa run and get a tourist visa instead of getting the 7 day extension.

This is very useful information. Thank you very much indeed.

One more question though: Can I indeed do the visa runs (once every two weeks, right?) on this extension of stay stamp? I thought this was only for tourist visa or visa on arrival?

[ubonjoe]

As soon as you leave the country your extension will not be valid. You can still make visa exempt entries. There is nothing that says you cannot. It would be better if you went to a nearby consulate or embassy and get a tourist visa.Vientiane is giving out free 2 entry visas.

When you enter the country make sure they don't use your re-entry permit and give you your old permit to stay.

[lopburi3]

Work requires a work permit and they can not be obtained on a tourist visa or visa exempt entry.

[Narrator]

As soon as you leave the country your extension will not be valid. You can still make visa exempt entries. There is nothing that says you cannot. It would be better if you went to a nearby consulate or embassy and get a tourist visa.Vientiane is giving out free 2 entry visas.

When you enter the country make sure they don't use your re-entry permit and give you your old permit to stay.

Thank you very much again. Very clear advise. Great!

[Narrator]

Work requires a work permit and they can not be obtained on a tourist visa or visa exempt entry.

I understand that. Looking at other options. Thanks for the advise!

[InterestedObserver]

Work requires a work permit and they can not be obtained on a tourist visa or visa exempt entry.

I understand that. Looking at other options. Thanks for the advise!

Options, what other options? You need to have valid non-immigrant O or B visa to get a work permit and legally work in Thailand.

[Narrator]

Work requires a work permit and they can not be obtained on a tourist visa or visa exempt entry.

I understand that. Looking at other options. Thanks for the advise!

Options, what other options? You need to have valid non-immigrant O or B visa to get a work permit and legally work in Thailand.

Yes indeed. I am looking at other options than a tourist visa or a visa exempt entry. I am looking at ways to get a non-imm visa and a work permit. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

[bdakota]

If you have a multiple entry visa it will still be valid. A visa is not canceled when you quit your job because there is no link between a job and a visa.

If you have an extension of stay based upon employment the extension ends on the date you are no longer working.

I live in the states and called the Thai Consulate inquiring about a multiple- entry visa. They told me if I was a student or obtained a work permit that this could be granted but that a multiple- entry, tourist visa would not be given. I asked if I could change the status of my visa, i.e. from student to work and she answered yes. Would the student visa fall under the same parameters as mentioned above? Meaning would it still be valid if I quit school and could I continue to legally live in Thailand? According to the rep. it would not and I could not legally stay in the country, unless the visa was changed to say, a work visa. This is all hypothetical, as I do not yet have any type of visa. I'm looking to enter Thailand in Aug/Sept. 2010 and stay as long as a year or 14 months, vacationing for the first 1-2 months and afterwards, securing work. I have no real plans to be a student, but could enroll in a some type of school, i.e. lang. school, if needed, to continue my stay. What' the best way to legally stay the longest amount of time

[ubonjoe]

A multiple entry visa of any type will remain valid until it expires and is not tied to the reason it was issued.

Tourist visas are not issued as multiple entry visas. They are issued by the number of entries requested and paid for. It is normally issued as 1, 2 or 3 entries. The price is 1000 baht ($35) for each entry.

Normally you cannot get a work permit or an extension of stay based upon employment with a ED visa.

[bdakota]

If you have a multiple entry visa it will still be valid. A visa is not canceled when you quit your job because there is no link between a job and a visa.

If you have an extension of stay based upon employment the extension ends on the date you are no longer working.

I live in the states and called the Thai Consulate inquiring about a multiple- entry visa. They told me if I was a student or obtained a work permit that this could be granted but that a multiple- entry, tourist visa would not be given. I asked if I could change the status of my visa, i.e. from student to work and she answered yes. Would the student visa fall under the same parameters as mentioned above? Meaning would it still be valid if I quit school and could I continue to legally live in Thailand? According to the rep. it would not and I could not legally stay in the country, unless the visa was changed to say, a work visa. This is all hypothetical, as I do not yet have any type of visa. I'm looking to enter Thailand in Aug/Sept. 2010 and stay as long as a year or 14 months, vacationing for the first 1-2 months and afterwards, securing work. I have no real plans to be a student, but could enroll in a some type of school, i.e. lang. school, if needed, to continue my stay. What' the best way to legally stay the longest amount of time

Please ignore the long winded paragraph above. I posted on this topic earlier but as it was my first post, (I am greener than green), if philosophically that's possible, it took me a while to relocate the thread and read your replies. Thank all of you for your responses, though there was a dizzying difference in opinions. New Orleans and England are not logistically friendly to LA, though Huston is.

[lopburi3]

Actually there is mail service that most Consulates are happy to use.

[roger1999]

bdakota,

The above post is correct. If you are a kUS citizen and are in the US, you should be able to mail your passport to a Thai Consulate and get your visa in 7-10 days. Read the Thai Consulate web site thoroughly and find out where to mail it to. I mail mine to Chicago since I reside in the midwest. Yours will likely need to go somewhere else.