Work Permit And Visa - Help!

[Dazzler]

I will finish my contract here in a few days time.

My company has indicated that it will terminate my Work Permit (fair enough), but that this will in turn invalidate my Non-Imm B Visa. The Visa will not expire until September 30, so just because I am no longer employed, does my Visa become automatically invalid at the same time?

Help!

Thanks

[lopburi3]

A visa will only allow up to 90 day entry so it appears you are on an extension of stay rather than a 90 day entry if date is September. Your extension of a B visa entry would be for work. Your work has now ended so your extension will also end. Believe you must report to immigration within a week after the work permit ends and they will give you a few days to leave and obtain a new visa or whatever.

[Dazzler]

Thanks lopburi3.

So basically, once the job ends, I have to 7 days to apply for a visa extension, or leave and come back on a tourist visa?

[lopburi3]

I believe when you go to immigration they will give you another week or 10 days. But have no experience on a B visa so others should be able to provide better details.

[paully]

Yes, you can ask for, I think, an extension of up to 30 days to remain after your work permit is cancelled and your extension of leave ends (they gave me another 14 days last week because I only wanted this).

The procedure is as follows:

1. Take your blue work permit book back to the Labour Dept in Din Daeng (second floor). Do not take a number or join the big queue in the main room, this is for new work permits/extensions. Instead, take the 1-page form they'll give you for surrendering a work permit and head through to the smaller room at the back (there's a sign on the door). Pick up a number from the desk on the right, wait, and fill in the form.

2. When your number is called, the officer will look through the wp and the form, stamp the wp as cancelled and complete and give you a little tear-off sheet from what looks like a small memo pad. This is the Tor Dor 10 form, the official receipt of wp cancellation. You now have 7 days, including weekends, to leave the country or apply for a visa extension, or face an overstay fine.

3. Within the 7 day period, go to Immigration on Suan Phlu. Do not go to the information desk at first, head down the corridor, past the stairs to Room 102 (assuming you're non-asian). Take a number from the desk (red for business) and wait. The official has to look at your Tor Dor 10 form and stamp your passport with a stamp indicating that your wp has been cancelled and your extension has now finished. The official's boss has to sign the stamp in the passport. This is when they'll hit you with a fine if you're outside the 7 days.

4. Now, go back to the information desk near the entrance. Explain you want an extension of stay, they'll give you a number for section 2 and an application form TM7. While you're waiting, fill in the TM7 form, attach a passport photo and make sure you have a copy of your passport, the Tor Dor 10 form and the 1,900 baht fee ready.

5. When called, go to section 2 and hand over the passport, form, copies and fee. The official will check the papers, stamp them and give you a receipt.

6. Then go back to Room 102, take another number (orange one now) and wait. They'll look through, stamp the passport with an 'under consideration of the police department' stamp with a date your extension is valid until and indicate which boss to go to to have the passport stamp signed.

7. Breathe a sigh, give a nice smile and be on your way.

Edited June 2, 2005 by paully

[Neeranam]

I will finish my contract here in a few days time.

My company has indicated that it will terminate my Work Permit (fair enough), but that this will in turn invalidate my Non-Imm B Visa. The Visa will not expire until September 30, so just because I am no longer employed, does my Visa become automatically invalid at the same time?

Help!

Thanks

A few years back, 2001, I got my new wp for a year and also my visa. I left my work the same week. Everyone was telling me that I had 7 days to get to immigration, some in the know said that the Labour dept and Immigration were not connected. I took a chance and didn't do anything. After one year, I got a new 1 year visa but it was through an "agency", no problem. The only problem I had was when I got a new wp, I had to take my old wp to the police station and pay a 1,500 baht fine, then back to th Labour people. That fine was cheaper than leaving the country for a new visa. This might be risky though, maybe not.

I heard that if you go to the Brit. Emb they will give you some kind of letter to extend your 7 days to a month.

[Dazzler]

Paully

Thanks a lot for your good advice, I think this is the procedure I will follow as it is risk free.

Neeranam

As I have less then 4 months on my WP and Visa, I will not take a chance as you did in 2001!

If I had 7,8+... months left until expiry, I might have had a difficult choice to make!

Thanks for your help,

Dazzler

[kenkannif]

I heard that if you go to the Brit. Emb they will give you some kind of letter to extend your 7 days to a month.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They used to (you then took it to Imm). I tried it a while ago though and it doesn't seem to be doable so much anymore, or maybe it was just us (at least the Brit Embassy seems moody to do it).

Edited June 2, 2005 by kenkannif

[Ajarn]

If your visa is still valid, I can't see any reason why you just can't simply go to the border for another 90 days, thereby automatically canceling your extension based on your job.

[paully]

But would it be 90 days entry? It depends whether Dazzler has an unexpired multiple-entry non imm B visa. Otherwise, he'll just get the 30 day entry stamp at a border.

[Ajarn]

But would it be 90 days entry?  It depends whether Dazzler has an unexpired multiple-entry non imm B visa.  Otherwise, he'll just get the 30 day entry stamp at a border.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, exactly. He didn't mention when he first got his visa, but since most 'B''s are multiple-entry, and valid for one year, it seems a preferred option, rather than going to immigration, assuming the original B is still within the original year...

One other point. Some years ago, a friend reported that Penang would only issue him a one-entry tourist visa because of the 'Must leave the Kingdom within 7 days' immigration stamp in his passport (from leaving a job, too).. The same stamp (then, at least) that Immigration gave to some 'undesirables', according to Penang, he said.

Edited June 2, 2005 by Ajarn

[paully]

Yes, Dazzler's now confirmed that he has got a multiple-entry non imm B visa valid until September. Border run and a new 90 day entry is the way to go.

[kenkannif]

No he's got a multiple re-entry permit!