Got New Wp, Need Visa Extension.

[DaninBangkok]

I'm a US citizen, and have been in Thailand with a job and a work permit for the last four years. I resigned my previous job at the end of April and started a new job several months ago. I duly trudged to Vientiane to get a new Non-Im B Visa (single entry was all they would give me) as no one could figure out how to get a new WP without my leaving the country to obtain a new Visa. Last week I went with one of the people from my office to pick up my new Work Permit. Now I need to go to Immigration to get my Visa extended and to get my multiple re-entry permit.

The problem is that I have been told that Immigration will not extend a Visa until less than one month before it expires. My current Non-Im B expires on 16 September. Does this mean that I have to wait until late August or early September to get my Visa extended? What about trips out of the country between now and then? Must I get a separate re-entry for each one, or if I get a multiple, will it expire when my Visa expires, meaning that I will have to get another one when I get my Visa extended?

This is all new to me. When I received my last work permit, we headed off to Immigration directly from Labor and got the necessary stamp and re-entry permit. It seems that things have changed in the last four years (surprise, surprise...).

In advance, thank you very much to everyone on this board for your help.

DaninBangkok

[lopburi3]

Extensions of stay are and have been during the last 30 days of permitted to stay time (not the visa expiration date). Although some office can make exceptions normally it is only done in the case of extended travel with such proof. You can obtain re-entry permits but they will have the same expiration date as your current permitted to stay so you probably would not want a multi type as you would need a new one after extension of stay if you plan travel.