paulbkk Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Hi, I currently have a Non ED visa, and i need to change it to a Non B, because i will be getting a work permit. I want to know if i can do this in Bangkok???? I dont really want to leave the country. I remember before i had a tourist visa, and i got it changed to a Non ED at Suan plu. I know the office has now moved. Has anyone have any information on this subject. Thanks Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monty Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Theoretically you'd be able to change in to a non B, if the application for your work permit has been done, and your salary and employer would qualify you to get a 1 year extension based on that work permit. As far as I know hardly ever done, most people end up having to travel abroad to get the non immi B visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Agree with Monty. You can try, but most likely you will end up doing a visa run to get a non-B abroad. You will need to apply for the workpermit first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manzan Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 The company i am going to do some work for in Rayong just told me not to bother with getting a Non B visa, and that they will change the status of the visa to a non-b when i arrive "as a visitor". I am a bit unsure, i am already in holland and getting the non b wont be so difficult, also, if i just travel to thailand without a visa, what visa would they change to a non b, or would i have to apply for a tourist visa, so they change that visa to a non B? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaiphoon Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 If you plan to travel to Thailand without a visa or a ticket out of the country within 30 days of arrival (to meet Thai immigration 'visa exempt' regulations) the airline may not let you board. As I suspect you have no plan to leave within 30 days you will need a visa to travel. If arriving on a tourist visa there is a conversion process you can go through (2 step process) from Tourist visa to Non-B visa to extension of stay based on employment, as long as you have at least 21 days remaining on your permission to stay and your employer can provide appropriate paperwork. The fee for conversion is 2,000 baht plus 1,900 baht for the extension of stay. It is not possible to convert a tourist visa to Non-B visa only at Thai immigration. The alternative is to obtain single entry Non-B visa from own country (cost is about the same as paying conversion fee) and use that to skip the conversion process and move directly to extension of stay based on employment. As you say it won't be difficult to obtain Non-B visa in your own country, that is what I would do. Be aware that when on extension of stay based on employment should your employment end, you would have to leave the country on your last day of working (or obtain 7 day extension from immigration). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manzan Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Thanks for that, I think i will get the non B here and avoid possible problems with conversion. also saves me having to find some reservation for a ticket out of the country do i need the extension of stay, if my work is just for 2 months? after that i will work in myanmar, and will travel back to thailand after 2 months there or so. the non B entry is valid for 3 months, so i just need the work permit, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaiphoon Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Single entry Non-B visa will give you 90 day permission to stay on entry into the Kingdom, so should suffice for your immediate needs. Yes you need work permit and your employer should submit papers to local labour office. It usually takes around 7 days for WP to be issued, but does depends on labour office. Make sure your employer gets Form WP3 receipt from labour office (confirms WP has been applied for) and you can work legally from that point pending actual issue of the WP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monty Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Getting the visa will be your best option. The conversion, when done at a not so cooperative immigration office can be a catch 22 game. You only qualify for an extension based on employment once you hold a valid work permit, but the labor department won't issue you with the work permit until you have non immigrant status, which immigration won't convert you to till you qualify for the extension (for which you need the WP) Hence my note that most (if not all) people I know of in that situation end up getting a non immi visa abroad (Laos, Malaysia,...). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulbkk Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 Thanks for the replies. So I will have to take yee old trip to laos to get my Non B. I just wondered cos I was able to change my tourist visa to a Non ed visa without leaving the country. I thought I might be able to do that again with my Non ED to Non B... Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tod Daniels Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 If I might ask, where did you attend school here in Thailand? Normally when enrolled to attend a private thai language school; your school provides you with documents from the Ministry of Education which state you must acquire your ED visa at a thai consulate or embassy. FWIW: I took the MOE paperwork to Suan Plu when I attended thai language school several years ago just to see if I could do an in-country conversion. Immigrations wouldn't convert my Non-O visa to an ED visa in-country. They did point out the wording in the MOE invitation letter which stated I could get the visa at a thai consulate or embassy. Seeing as Immigrations in thailand ISN'T a consulate or embassy they stated they couldn't do it. With that being said, I have seen people enrolled in Government Universities for degree programs or continuing education who did get paperwork from the uni and MOE allowing the issuance of the ED visa in-country. So I'm just curious, where did you study here? As you mention you're in Holland now so why make the process harder on yourself than it needs to be? I’d send off to a close thai embassy in the EU and get a 90 day Single entry Non-B with a document on the company's letterhead saying you're to be employed (it can't be that hard to do). Once you're here, apply for an extension with the additional documents provided by your company. It would certainly be better than a trip to Lao PDR, especially as you're already in Holland now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monty Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Good question. Most big universities can get you a 1 year extension in one go (instead of the 90 day extensions for language schools). The one year qualification would mean you can convert in-country at immigration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulbkk Posted January 13, 2010 Author Share Posted January 13, 2010 I study my Masters degree at a university in Bangkok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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