Currently I have a work permit and a 1 year extension of stay based on my employment. I am about to change jobs and rather than go through the immigration hoops I would prefer to do a quick visa run and get my own tourist visa which I assume automatically cancels the extension of stay.

My plan is to return and turn in my resignation to my employer afterward that way I am safe and secure with a new tourist visa in hand.

The question is do I still cancel the work permit on my own afterward as normal?

The HR staff at the place I work are generally incompetent and are not known to file paperwork on time or care one bit about foreign staff so I am trying to do most of this myself to cover my rear.

I think the rules were changed and now its the responsibility of the employee to cancel the work permit so its best if you go down and do it rather than leave it to somebody else.

Wise choice about getting the tourist visa first

Cancel it yourself as I did. Just visit the labour office and they will give you a letter and the W.P. back.

Immigration makes you jump through such ridiculous hoops.

Edited March 28, 201115 yr by wintermute

Get a letter from HR stating the date your employment ends and visit labour on that day to cancel your work permit with that letter.

Exiting Thailand without a re-entry permit will cancel your permisison to stay and normally that is enough. There is however a case known of a person who was questioned by immigration as to why he didn't had a re-entry permit. When he told he quit his job he was told to cancel his permission to stay at the immigration office before being allowed to leave.

If you don't jump through the hoops in the right order on cancelling your present WP and visa you may have nasty problems when applying for your new one. When I left my last job at the end of my contract, I turned in my WP and went to immo, They insisted I needed a letter confirming the end of employment from my employers. I pleaded nicely with them, but all to no avail. I went back to my employer got the letter and then had to pay 1900 baht for a 7 day extension of stay. I then left and got a double entry tourist visa.

Hope this helps.

What happens if you don't have the proper HR letter and the work place doesn't want to give it to you?

You tell immigration and they make some calls. They are required to provide that letter.

What happens if you don't have the proper HR letter and the work place doesn't want to give it to you?

Write the letter yourself, I did when my work finished.

False paperwork could result in serious consequences if found out. Extremely bad advise.