Hi guys,

I have a dilemma with my extension this year.

I originally had a non-Imm O based on marriage, but for the past 5 years have been teaching as a volunteer at the village school, so have been extending based on my work permit.

My 2-year temporary teacher's licence expired on 30th March and the school is yet to receive a response to the request to extend/renew it.

As my visa is due to expire on 3rd July, I could extend based on marriage, but my dilemma is, if the marriage extension takes more than 30 days to process (I'm assuming the paperwork still has to be sent to Bangkok) and the temporary teacher's licence is actually renewed/extended within the next 4 weeks, I will be hit with late work permit extension (1,000 baht per day?) waiting on Bangkok.

The added complication is that my daughter is getting married, so I need to go back to the UK in mid-August. This is the most important element to my extension process - I need my passport with visa before I leave!

So, in order to make a decision, I would like to know what the current approximate turnaround time is for marriage-based extensions, plus any other advice that could help me.

Thanks

Marriage is always a 30 day under review. You can also extend 60 days to visit wife if that would work better and then do your annual extension from a new non immigrant O visa entry when you return from the UK. Have no idea what you are talking about with the 1,000 baht per day work permit.

work permit validity is no longer tied to your permisison to stay.

Often you can apply for an extension of your work permit before you apply for an extension of stay.

Thanks lopburi3. So I read from your comment that an extension request based on marriage will take at least 30 days. What is an estimated maximum?

Maybe the rules have changed in the last 5 years, but I remember seeing a fine of 1,00 baht a day for late WP renewal at the labour office in Chiang Mai.

Thanks Mario. This means that, assuming I get a temp. teacher's licence renewal in time, I can renew my work permit without having a visa to show.

It should be 30 days in all cases. Very few take longer anymore. But you do this with a valid extension of stay so you have the passport to present if picking up work permit during that period so don't see a problem (unless during the time you are absent - but if you do early June it should not be an issue.

Ah, so the WP requires a valid visa to be seen on the day, but it does not control the length of the WP.

So I would have a 30 day extension from CM pending Bangkok making it a year, allowing me to get a WP extension during the 30 days (up to 10 days before WP expiry).

So I could leave it another week or so waiting for the teacher's licence and if it does not come, I will extend on family, getting an initial 30 days. If it still has not arrived by 30th June, I will have to stop teaching and can forget about the WP.

I will then have an extended visa by end July at the latest, allowing me to travel mid-August.

Thanks for your help.