Work Permit Finished, Exiting The Country

[steveloader]

Hi everyone,

Thanks in advance for any help.

Basically I am currently on a 1 year extension of stay because of work, have a BOI work permit. My next report date to immigration is not until 15th October and my extension stamp is not until 30June2012.

I will be finishing this job on Monday. Because I am going to carry on living here I thought it would be best to just leave on the Monday, exit the country and go to Malaysia and get a new visa.

My question is can I just literally leave, are immigration at the border going to ask me for my work permit or letter to say I have left ? Does anyone know what I need to do or is just exiting the country on the day enough ?

Thanks again

Steve

[Soutpeel]

If you are on extension of stay for the purposes of employment, the day you finish work your permission to stay expires, and you have to leave the country, unless you pay THB 1900 for a 7 day extension.

Your company will supply a letter that needs to go to immigration/labour, not a requirement to return your blue book anymore

Immigration will not ask you for your WP at a border, you can just leave

[Mario2008]

Best is to go to the one stop service center with a letter from your employer, stating your last day of employment. They will than cancel your WP and permisison to stay, they might even give you up to 14 days to leave the country for free at the one stop service center.

Just leaving the country is not good enough because you need to cancel your work permit, although you can leave that up to your boss it is sometimes wiser to do it yourself.

[steveloader]

Thanks for the replies.

As far as cancelling the work permit and letting the labour department know, my boss said they are going to arrange all that. So it sounds like all I need to do is just get out of the country on that day when I know they are cancelling the permit.

I think the main worry I have is I don't want to get all the way to the Malaysian border and they say where is your letter or permit but this has been answered so seems ok. One of my friends did also say he did not have to show anything when he left the country but this was a few years ago so I thought I would check.

Thanks again

[puchooay]

I have heard reports of people being turned back at borders because they have a "live" extension of stay for employment in their passport. The border patrols wanted to see evidence of last day of employment to check that the passport holders were not on overstay.

Best to go and cancel everything and then leave.

[steveloader]

I have heard reports of people being turned back at borders because they have a "live" extension of stay for employment in their passport. The border patrols wanted to see evidence of last day of employment to check that the passport holders were not on overstay.

Best to go and cancel everything and then leave.

Has anyone heard anything about this ?

I did think to myself before that there doesn't seem to be any link between the job, permit and border check. Does it flash up on the screen that you have finished work or have you got to show evidence that you have left. If so what would that evidence be, a letter ? Or when you cancel a permit is there a document they give you ?

Puchooay, you have hit the very point I am worried about. How does that immigration officer know at that point at the border that you have finished the job ? There is no interaction between the passport and any other documents. How does he believe you or know your not on an overstay. The stamp says 30 June 2012, Jomtien said the 90 day reporting is only for an address check so what's stopping someone just staying. Ofcourse I am not going to do that but you see my point. Logically there has to be a link of information either on the immigration officer's PC, in my passport or a demand for proof otherwise how do they know.

The more I think about it I might just do a Cambodia run, that way if I do get turned back then its not too far.

If someone has recently done this then I think this may be the best advice.

Thanks

[lopburi3]

I have seen a report of person being turned back at Laos border because he had an extension of stay but no re-entry permit to protect it for his return. When asked he said just finished work and he was not allowed to leave and instructed to return to his immigration office and get his extension of stay canceled.

I will be finishing this job on Monday. Because I am going to carry on living here I thought it would be best to just leave on the Monday, exit the country and go to Malaysia and get a new visa.

Consulate may well not issue you a visa if they see an active extension of stay.

[steveloader]

Thanks for the replies.

I think maybe some people are basing their replies on the permit not being cancelled. It will be cancelled, that is not my concern. So there wont be an active extension.

My issue and original question is more to do with what have I got to take with me, show, supply to the border when I leave on that day. That is all. If it is all instant from the Labour dept on the officers PC then fine, I have no problem. Or If I need a letter from the employer then surely a letter is just too easy isn't it. People could just start a job, if they leave then stay for the remaining, get a letter from the boss and job done.

I have to assume the permit will be cancelled on that day. Surely if the rules are to get out of the country on that day then it wouldn't be fair to not deactivate it on that day. I cant plan ahead on the assumption it wont be cancelled.

So I ask again if anyone knows exactly what to take with them or do which is anything over and above making sure I get out at the border on the day the active extension is cancelled.

Thanks

[lopburi3]

As you intend to return/work I would advise doing the procedure correctly - and that requires a letter from employer and going to Immigration that issued the extension of stay and requesting it be canceled. If this is the One stop center you may be allowed extra time to leave and not have to leave the same day or buy an extension of stay.

The fact is we don't know if you would need anything at the border or not; as that is not the correct procedure. Nor can we predict what the Consulate will think if the see an extension of stay that has not been canceled or run out.

[steveloader]

As you intend to return/work I would advise doing the procedure correctly - and that requires a letter from employer and going to Immigration that issued the extension of stay and requesting it be canceled. If this is the One stop center you may be allowed extra time to leave and not have to leave the same day or buy an extension of stay.

The fact is we don't know if you would need anything at the border or not; as that is not the correct procedure. Nor can we predict what the Consulate will think if the see an extension of stay that has not been canceled or run out.

Hi Lopburi,

Thanks but again this does not answer my question. Everything to do with cancelling the work permit along with cancelling the extension is all being done by a Thai administrator at my work. I am not intending on cancelling my permit just by leaving. I am talking about what I have with me at the border after all that has been done. Surely there is something for borders, not everyone flies out. I don't need to know if the consulate will regard the extension as live because I have to make the assumption that by the time I am applying (2 days later) my work would of cancelled that on the date that I left.

If you do not know what I have to take with me then that is no problem but that was my original question. Just because you don't know doesn't mean there is no answer. The question is valid as someone must know, I cant be the only person finishing a job on an extension and then leaving to come back.

Thanks

[steveloader]

Ok case closed.

To cover all bases what I am going to do on my last day of work I will go with the Thai admin girl go to the work permit issuing office and cancel, go to Jomtien who issued the extension and cancel and also get a letter from my employer. Get three documents go the border on the same day, done.

This way I'm doing all that's possible, if that doesn't work then I am just plain unlucky.

Logic, always a great back up plan when no one has the answer.

[puchooay]

If you cancel everything then you will have a stamp in your passport allowing you to stay until that same day. Border will not require anything from you other that your passport and TM card.

It will be quite obvious to them what has happened.

[steveloader]

If you cancel everything then you will have a stamp in your passport allowing you to stay until that same day. Border will not require anything from you other that your passport and TM card.

It will be quite obvious to them what has happened.

Thanks, you have been the only helpful person today. Answered my original question directly.

Thanks

[pacovl46]

The first few times I just exited the country and cancelled my visa that way. The work permit still needed to be cancelled on it's own at the labor office it was issued. Last time they wanted to see a letter from my ex-employer stating that I'm not working there anymore and they wanted to see my cancelled work permit, too. I had to go all the way back to Nakhon Ratchasima to do so. Funny thing was, when I came back to the border the guy in the booth this time didn't even look at my work permit, leave alone wanting to see the letter from my ex-employer. Another suggestion I'd like to make is don't go on the day your visa expires (unless you are 100% sure you've got everything you need), but 2 days earlier. This way you will still have enough time to do whatever it is they want you to do if something is wrong or missing because otherwise you'll be on overstay and they WILL cash in on that if given the chance. Oh, by the way, the guys at the border said that the letter could've been faxed, but my ex-school wanted me to sign it personally. That's why I had to go back. Maybe your ex-employer won't be such a <deleted>.

[pacovl46]

If you cancel everything then you will have a stamp in your passport allowing you to stay until that same day. Border will not require anything from you other that your passport and TM card.

It will be quite obvious to them what has happened.

If you cancel your work permit you will still have 7 days to cancel your visa, BUT they still want to see the letter from your ex-employer. Without it they won't let you exit.

[pacovl46]

As you intend to return/work I would advise doing the procedure correctly - and that requires a letter from employer and going to Immigration that issued the extension of stay and requesting it be canceled. If this is the One stop center you may be allowed extra time to leave and not have to leave the same day or buy an extension of stay.

The fact is we don't know if you would need anything at the border or not; as that is not the correct procedure. Nor can we predict what the Consulate will think if the see an extension of stay that has not been canceled or run out.

Hi Lopburi,

Thanks but again this does not answer my question. Everything to do with cancelling the work permit along with cancelling the extension is all being done by a Thai administrator at my work. I am not intending on cancelling my permit just by leaving. I am talking about what I have with me at the border after all that has been done. Surely there is something for borders, not everyone flies out. I don't need to know if the consulate will regard the extension as live because I have to make the assumption that by the time I am applying (2 days later) my work would of cancelled that on the date that I left.

If you do not know what I have to take with me then that is no problem but that was my original question. Just because you don't know doesn't mean there is no answer. The question is valid as someone must know, I cant be the only person finishing a job on an extension and then leaving to come back.

Thanks

You will need:

your passport, your cancelled work permit and the letter from your ex-employer stating you don't work there anymore to exit the country. That's what they wanted to see from me 4 months ago.

[tonypace02]

Deleted.

[tonypace02]

If relations between you and your former employer are good and you trust him, fine. One former teacher was fired from two jobs because the Thai teachers did not like him. In both cases they tried to scuttle him with the work permit. Both cases ended in litigation. He won the first and the school is trying to negotiate out of the second. Call immigration. Information for more precise information, some of which will be contrary to the advice given here. The immigration agents  saved the teacher ฿40,000 + trips to another country. In fact, in the current case, the teacher was able to go from his non-immigrant B to a retirement visa without leaving the country or making a border run. I know all about this because I provided transportation for the teacher.<div>If it is at all practical, visit immigration. Be sure to have your receipt for your WP with you but <b>do not </b>show it unless asked. </div><div>I recommend three things when dealing with immigration:</div><div>1. Dress nicely;</div><div>2. Be charming and polite (My friend could charm the pants off a statue of Germaine Greer); </div><div>3. Fill out all of your forms at home or wherever your computer is; and have all of, or too many of your documents, copied; and have the correct size pictures. </div><div>Forms and current information can be found on <a href="http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=download">http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=download</a>.</div><div>A neatly typed Form TM 7 downloaded on your computer will also look good. </div><div>You will have to bring with you a copy of every page in your passport that has a Thai visa stamp on it from day one. Also, in most cases. a current vald driver's license, along with a copy of your lease agreement will validate your address, if they are both the same. The license isn't often necessary but these are bureaucrats so it is a nice touch.</div><div>You can usually get a packet at immigration that outlines all of the requirements, especially if your next visa is a retirement visa (over 50 years old). But, again, DO NOT VOLUNTEER ANY FORMS OR INFORMATION THEY OR THE PACKET DO NOT REQUIRE. (Advice from an immigration officer)</div>

[steveloader]

As you intend to return/work I would advise doing the procedure correctly - and that requires a letter from employer and going to Immigration that issued the extension of stay and requesting it be canceled. If this is the One stop center you may be allowed extra time to leave and not have to leave the same day or buy an extension of stay.

The fact is we don't know if you would need anything at the border or not; as that is not the correct procedure. Nor can we predict what the Consulate will think if the see an extension of stay that has not been canceled or run out.

Hi Lopburi,

Thanks but again this does not answer my question. Everything to do with cancelling the work permit along with cancelling the extension is all being done by a Thai administrator at my work. I am not intending on cancelling my permit just by leaving. I am talking about what I have with me at the border after all that has been done. Surely there is something for borders, not everyone flies out. I don't need to know if the consulate will regard the extension as live because I have to make the assumption that by the time I am applying (2 days later) my work would of cancelled that on the date that I left.

If you do not know what I have to take with me then that is no problem but that was my original question. Just because you don't know doesn't mean there is no answer. The question is valid as someone must know, I cant be the only person finishing a job on an extension and then leaving to come back.

Thanks

You will need:

your passport, your cancelled work permit and the letter from your ex-employer stating you don't work there anymore to exit the country. That's what they wanted to see from me 4 months ago.

Great, thanks for that

[lopburi3]

If you cancel everything then you will have a stamp in your passport allowing you to stay until that same day. Border will not require anything from you other that your passport and TM card.

It will be quite obvious to them what has happened.

If you cancel your work permit you will still have 7 days to cancel your visa, BUT they still want to see the letter from your ex-employer. Without it they won't let you exit.

Your extension of stay (not visa) ends the day your work ends unless you obtain a 7 day extension of stay from immigration (it is not free or automatic). You are required to cancel an extension of stay the day employment ends.

[steveloader]

If you cancel everything then you will have a stamp in your passport allowing you to stay until that same day. Border will not require anything from you other that your passport and TM card.

It will be quite obvious to them what has happened.

If you cancel your work permit you will still have 7 days to cancel your visa, BUT they still want to see the letter from your ex-employer. Without it they won't let you exit.

Your extension of stay (not visa) ends the day your work ends unless you obtain a 7 day extension of stay from immigration (it is not free or automatic). You are required to cancel an extension of stay the day employment ends.

Thanks, that's exactly what I am doing on Wednesday. Cancel work permit, get Thor Thor 10 document, go to Jomtien, cancel extension, get new 7 day extension. Job done