90 Day Non-O Visa For Ngo Job

[sussex]

I've been offered a job with an NGO here - which means I need to obtain a 90 day Non-O visa (not Non-B, since it's not a business). Because this is an NGO, work permit regulations are different, and before I can actually apply for a WP, a special committee of the Labour Ministry needs to have a meeting to approve my application to apply for a WP (i.e. I need to include a letter from them in my WP application). They are apparently meeting in August but my current extension of stay expires before then (monthly extension based on letter from Labour Ministry - the letter asks for 90 day extension but immigration will only give me 28 days at a time until I get the WP, hence my thinking that getting a 90 day visa outside Thailand will be simpler. My original visa was 1 year non-o from Hull and the immigration lady said I should try and keep it "alive" with extensions but I'm not keen on eating up passport pages every 28 days).

My question is, given that I can't actually apply for a WP until I have this approval letter, I don't have a WP3 form or WP to show the embassy when I apply for a 90 day non-o. So what documents should I have instead? A letter from the NGO, and a letter from the Labour Ministry saying that my application is under consideration?

Any tips on a nearby embassy which is most likely to grant me a 90 day non-o in this situation would also be most appreciated. Multiple entry is preferable, though I can always go buy a re-entry permit at immigration.

Alternatively, if I avoid all of the above and get a 30 day exempt stamp, how easy is it to convert that to non-o within Thailand once I do have the work permit?

Thanks!

[Mario2008]

Till what date is/was your non-O from Hull valid? If it is still valid, simply leaving and re-entering Thailand would get you another 90 days.

If no longer valid, not many people apply for a WP to work for an NGO. You can of course try to get a non-O with a letter from the NGO and the confirmation that your application is under consideration by the Labour Ministry.

In that case I would have the NGO send an email to the Thai consulate where you will be applying, explaining the situation and asking them to render help to you in order to obtain a visa. It might work. If not, they will issue a tourist visa, which will be good for 60 days and can be extended by 30 days. (No working allowed on this, not even even volunteering).

[sussex]

The non-o from Hull expired a few months ago, though I exited and re-entered just before it expired so got an extra 90 days, and now am on the monthly renewals.

So a letter from the NGO and Labour Ministry should suffice for new visa application - thanks, that's what I wanted to know, as all info about obtaining non-o visas is related to marriage or family.

[sussex]

Oh, and another thing - when I got my 28 day extension of stay, I also got a 90 day reporting card stapled in. But if I exit and re-enter the country before the 90 day period, does the 90 day countdown start from the latest entry stamp? Or from the original date in the card? I've never had to do the 90 day reporting before as I travel a lot.

[Mario2008]

When you leave, the 90 day clock stops. It starts from day 1 the day you return to Thailand.