Do I Need Return Flight If I Have Work Permit?

[mdotinc]

Hi,

I have heard that to enter the kingdom a person would need to have a return flight to show that they are leaving. If I enter on a non b visa with a work permit, do I need to have a return flight already set?

I only ask because it seems to be less expensive to book a one way there, and I don't even know when I will be returning...so a one way seems better, but not if they will deny entry because of no return flight!

Thanks

[Lite Beer]

If you have a Visa a one way flight will be OK.

[mallyrd]

With any type of visa issued from outside of Thailand then evidence of an onward flight is not necessary.

[walailak]

First of all, you do not need a RETURN ticket.

If you arrive without a visa (and get a 30 day stamp on arrival at the airport) then you will need a return ticket.

You are fine entering with a Non-B, i have it done many times

Hope that this (what I have just said) is going to help you,

[mdotinc]

Thanks!!

I am going to the coral gables, miami thai consulate on monday to get the visa. Is it true that I have to translate all of the paper work into english!?(I had it translated into thai in thailand!) Anyone have any experience with the miami thai consulate? (does anyone know how long it will take to process the visa?)

Thanks

[mallyrd]

Thanks!!

I am going to the coral gables, miami thai consulate on monday to get the visa. Is it true that I have to translate all of the paper work into english!?(I had it translated into thai in thailand!) Anyone have any experience with the miami thai consulate? (does anyone know how long it will take to process the visa?)

Thanks

What you are saying here does not accord with your original post. You cannot get a work permit from any Thai embassy or consulate, you can however get a Non-immigrant type 'B' visa providing you have the right paperwork from the sponsoring company in Thailand.

[mdotinc]

i already have a work permit. My non b has expired so I need a new non -b, which I will be applying for at the miami office

[mallyrd]

i already have a work permit. My non b has expired so I need a new non -b, which I will be applying for at the miami office

There is quite obviously something wrong with this story.

Will one of the forums experts on this issue please respond.

[mdotinc]

what are you talking about? Whats "wrong" with this story?

[lopburi3]

Immigration does not check if you have a ticket or not except in very unusual cases (arrival from Africa perhaps) but airline can check but return is not required - only onward to a country you can enter. But poster will have a visa so it is a non-issue.

I would expect the Consulate may ask for English as it is not Thai staffed as an official Consulate would be.

[ericthai]

Thanks!!

I am going to the coral gables, miami thai consulate on monday to get the visa. Is it true that I have to translate all of the paper work into english!?(I had it translated into thai in thailand!) Anyone have any experience with the miami thai consulate? (does anyone know how long it will take to process the visa?)

Thanks

Yes, I have had several non-B multi entry visa's issued there. It is a law office and they are a honorary consultant. Very easy to do anything. Most of the time it is very quick 5 minutes, would be good to call and let them know you are coming sometimes the guy that needs to sign the visa is out of the office. So calling will help, if you go and he is not there and then you need to either come back or get a prepaid post envelope and give it to them to send to you. For documents i have always provided the complete list, shareholders, tax paid, etc etc. but they never even look at them. If you have a work permit Im sure you can just show her this and get the Non-B visa, but again I would call them first. Really nice girl that works in the office.

For the airline you have a Non-B so no problem, In the last 15 years I have only had the airline ask me one time, which I didnt even have visa, told her i was coming to Thailand for a job with a company there and will get a B visa and work permit after i arrive, she was ok with that. However that was 10 or 12 years ago.

Have a safe return Trip!!!

[p_brownstone]

i already have a work permit. My non b has expired so I need a new non -b, which I will be applying for at the miami office

Surely if the Visa has expired, so has the Work Permit?

Patrick

[OnTheRun]

i already have a work permit. My non b has expired so I need a new non -b, which I will be applying for at the miami office

Surely if the Visa has expired, so has the Work Permit?

Patrick

Not necessarily so, for example my work permit and non B run out at the same time, however we have guys coming in to Thailand for specific jobs, their non B lasts 3 months while their work permits are valid for 1 year meaning they often have to renew their non B prior to coming here. It's gets awkward when their non B is due to run out half way through an assignment. They have to come to Thailand, cancel their non B leave again to say Singapore and apply for a new non B, time consuming and costly. It all depends on the type of work permit initially applied for.

[markg]

Not necessarily so, for example my work permit and non B run out at the same time, however we have guys coming in to Thailand for specific jobs, their non B lasts 3 months while their work permits are valid for 1 year meaning they often have to renew their non B prior to coming here. It's gets awkward when their non B is due to run out half way through an assignment. They have to come to Thailand, cancel their non B leave again to say Singapore and apply for a new non B, time consuming and costly. It all depends on the type of work permit initially applied for.

That seems strange. I can only comment on how it works for teaching jobs.

1. Apply for non-B outside Thailand - valid for 3 months.

2. The school then apply for a work permit which is normally valid for a year.

3. Go to local immigration office and show them the work permit, they then EXTEND the original non-B visa so that it expires on the same date as the work permit.

This means that;

(a) If you stay with the same school and get a further one year work permit, immigration will then EXTEND again the SAME non-B visa. This goes on forever as long as you stay with the same school (I was on one original non-b for 5 years - they just kept extending it.

( The work permit is tied in to the visa. If you leave your job for any reason, then you lose your work permit and technically, your visa is also cancelled.

Other types of employment may be different.

[OnTheRun]

Not necessarily so, for example my work permit and non B run out at the same time, however we have guys coming in to Thailand for specific jobs, their non B lasts 3 months while their work permits are valid for 1 year meaning they often have to renew their non B prior to coming here. It's gets awkward when their non B is due to run out half way through an assignment. They have to come to Thailand, cancel their non B leave again to say Singapore and apply for a new non B, time consuming and costly. It all depends on the type of work permit initially applied for.

That seems strange. I can only comment on how it works for teaching jobs.

1. Apply for non-B outside Thailand - valid for 3 months.

2. The school then apply for a work permit which is normally valid for a year.

3. Go to local immigration office and show them the work permit, they then EXTEND the original non-B visa so that it expires on the same date as the work permit.

This means that;

(a) If you stay with the same school and get a further one year work permit, immigration will then EXTEND again the SAME non-B visa. This goes on forever as long as you stay with the same school (I was on one original non-b for 5 years - they just kept extending it.

( The work permit is tied in to the visa. If you leave your job for any reason, then you lose your work permit and technically, your visa is also cancelled.

Other types of employment may be different.

I think it all depends on the job category when applying for the visa, I am a supervisor / manager the guys who only get 3 months are field engineers. I did ask our legal reps on this and was informed 3 month non B was the best we can get for the field engineers due to their job title. Further to that the guys are in question are not permanently resident in Thailand only coming for specific jobs, that may also have a bearing on it. Very frustrating as some of the jobs are short notice meaning we have to keep on top of the visa issue at all times.

[lopburi3]

Work permits are not tied to visa entry anymore so they can easily be beyond the period of permitted stay. Thus for those with no opportunity to extend (a lot of people) there is no need to visit labor office every 90 days as in the past.

[p_brownstone]

i already have a work permit. My non b has expired so I need a new non -b, which I will be applying for at the miami office

Surely if the Visa has expired, so has the Work Permit?

Patrick

Not necessarily so, for example my work permit and non B run out at the same time, however we have guys coming in to Thailand for specific jobs, their non B lasts 3 months while their work permits are valid for 1 year meaning they often have to renew their non B prior to coming here. It's gets awkward when their non B is due to run out half way through an assignment. They have to come to Thailand, cancel their non B leave again to say Singapore and apply for a new non B, time consuming and costly. It all depends on the type of work permit initially applied for.

Yes I can understand that works fine, and you can renew a Visa and still keep the Work Permit active.

However I rather doubt that you can let the Visa expire and still maintain a valid Work Permit - but I may be totally wrong of course ......... it would not be the first time!!

Patrick

[carabaothai]

If you have work Permit you do not need a return ticket

That was your question

This is the answer

[p_brownstone]

If you have work Permit you do not need a return ticket

That was your question

This is the answer

A Newbie writes!

That was not the question.

Immigration is not interested in whether or not you have a Work Permit – totally different Government Departments.

The question was, if the OP has a Visa does he need a Return Ticket – the simple answer is "no" of course.

The discussion then drifted (mea culpa) into the question of whether the Work Permit is still valid if the original Visa on which it was based has been allowed to expire.

I am open to correction on my opinion that the Work Permit expired when the Visa did.

Patrick

[lopburi3]

Work permit has nothing to do with entry. If you do not have a visa or extension of stay (re-entry permit) and no onward ticket airline can prevent you boarding.

You should never require a return ticket - only an onward ticket to somewhere your passport/visas will allow you entry.

[OnTheRun]

If you have work Permit you do not need a return ticket

That was your question

This is the answer

A Newbie writes!

That was not the question.

Immigration is not interested in whether or not you have a Work Permit – totally different Government Departments.

The question was, if the OP has a Visa does he need a Return Ticket – the simple answer is "no" of course.

The discussion then drifted (mea culpa) into the question of whether the Work Permit is still valid if the original Visa on which it was based has been allowed to expire.

I am open to correction on my opinion that the Work Permit expired when the Visa did.

Patrick

I'll correct you mate, one of my work colleagues came to Bangkok on Friday to cancel his non B visa as it expires on the 20th April, for his next assignment we require him to be here until start June. He is in Singapore today making a new 3 month non B visa to allow this. His work permit remains valid throughout this process without any renewal.

[Mario2008]

A work permit remains valid, but only in combination with a proper non-immigrant visa.

[p_brownstone]

A work permit remains valid, but only in combination with a proper non-immigrant visa.

Sorry to be a bore here, but does the term "proper non-immigrant visa" include an expired Visa?

Somehow I doubt that.

Again of course, I may well be wrong!

Patrick

[lopburi3]

You obviously can not work (use the work permit) without a valid visa entry but the work permit itself survives leaving and getting a new visa. As a matter of fact showing the work permit with eight month remaining is the criteria used by some Consulates to issue a new one year visa.

[Moonrakers]

Thaivisa: Taking a simple question and making it difficult