Help Please! - 'B' Visa Document Requirements

[Mondulkiri]

Hi

I'd be really grateful for some advice about obtaining a Thai 'B' visa. In particular, I'm interested in the exact requirements for the documentation.

I will be working at a new school which is in the process of obtaining its operating license from the Ministry of Education. Will a letter from a school that doesn't yet have a license be acceptable at the embassy?

Please could someone provide a list of exactly what documents I need to successfully apply for the B visa? It would also be great to know the details of the documents, ie if I need a letter from the school, exactly what information it should contain.

I understand that if I apply for the B visa in a neighbouring country, the best I can hope for is 60 days single-entry. I then have to go to immigration at Bangkok and firstly get it converted to one year, then multiple entry. Is this correct? How much does all this cost?

I'm considering Vientianne (my preference), Phnom Penh or Penang. Are any of these a better option for successfully issuing a B visa? I understand it needs two full working days, ie drop passport on Monday, collect on Tuesday. Is this right?

Many thanks for your help

[beano2274]

You will need the receipt from the Work Permit office before you can get a Non Immigrant B Visa in a neighboring country.

[beano2274]

Also when you do get one and go to Immigration in Thailand you receive a single entry Extension not multi, unless you purchase a Re-Entry permit at the same time so that you can leave Thailand and return using your valid extension.

[Mario2008]

Getting a B-visaa greatly depends on where you apply. You seem to be applying in the region, which means that there more paperwork involved, but you also seem to be applying as a teacher which is often easier. With a non-B there is no need to convert to anything.

The non-B visa (single) will give you an entry of 90 days, which you can extend by 1 year each year by visiting immigration with the correct paperwork. Normally the paperwork includes tax-documents over the last 2 years, which a new company can't show. So you might not get an extension of stay. Better check with immigration first, as I'm not sure this rule apllies to schools. But the school will need to have it's license by that time. For getting a visa it doesn't matter.

You might want to take a contract with you and a letter from the school stating they will employ you and asking for a visa for you. Having applied for a work permit and be able to show the WP3 form from the labour office will also be helpful. (You can apply for the work permit, but won't give it till you have the right visa. The WP3 form shows that you have aplied and will get a work permit once you have the right visa).

As said, rules differ a bit for schools, so you might want to check the teaching section. Peopel there will be more in the know how wich docuements you need.

Yes, normally it takes 2 working days.

[Mondulkiri]

Thanks for the replies.

I don't have the receipt for the work permit because the school has not yet applied for it, and I won't have this by next week when I need to do the visa run. Is this alone enough to mean that my application will be refused? Do I definitely need to have this receipt?

I'm also not sure that a contract will be available at this point. So with just a letter from the school, is my application likely to get turned down?

As an alternative, does the embassy in Laos issue double-entry tourist visas, or only single entry?

[Mario2008]

Not sure, the rules are a bit different for teachers and in a positive way. You might very well get a non-B visa.

Provided you don't have a lot of tourist visas already you could get a double entry tourist visa from Vientianne. Free until March 31.

[Mondulkiri]

Not sure, the rules are a bit different for teachers and in a positive way. You might very well get a non-B visa.

Provided you don't have a lot of tourist visas already you could get a double entry tourist visa from Vientianne. Free until March 31.

I'm currently on the third entry of a triple-entry tourist visa which I obtained before leaving the UK. But have not been in Thailand continuously, eg I stayed only 5 days on the first entry and 1 month on the second. So presumably would be ok to get the tourist visa in Vientianne? This is my dilemma.... because I guess if I apply for a B visa and get declined, they are not going to issue a tourist visa because they know what will happen!

So the other option is to just apply for the tourist visa in the first place and wait for the school to get everything together, tho of course this necessitates another trip, probably during term time, and the expense of another flight. I also believe it's possible to extend a tourist visa by 30 days in Bangkok, is this correct? That might also be a possibility. I wish there was some way of knowing for certain whether they would issue the B visa with the documentation that i currently have available...

[Mario2008]

A tourist visa can be extended by 30 days, at ANY immirgaiton office. You don't have to go specially to Bangkok for it. All you need is 1,900 baht and a passport photo.