Onestop Visa/workpermit Requirements?

[woodyleonhard]

My one-year Type "B" visa and Work Permit are coming up for renewal on January 30. I understand that the rules are changing, and want to make sure I don't go through the same hassles I had last year!

I paid more than 18,000 baht in Thai income tax in calendar year 2003.

I almost certainly meet the "Technology Transfer" requirements (I've written three computer books while living in Thailand, all of which are available here; one of my books has been translated into Thai - "Special Edition Using Office XP"; I hired a Thai student as a research assistant for one of the books - "Windows XP Timesaving Techniques For Dummies"; and I write the weekly computer column for the Phuket Gazette).

Earlier this week I talked to the President of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce and the Senator from Phuket. They both recommended that I go to Bangkok and take advantage of the One Stop Visa/Work Permit service. They both said that it's OK to renew a work permit in Bangkok, even if it was originally issued in Phuket, and that the One Stop service works very efficiently, so I should be able to get everything done in one day.

I've looked around the Web and found very little info about the One Stop Visa service, other than their address and phone number - can't even find their operating hours. I did, however, find the sample application form on this site.

Has anybody out there had recent experience with the One Stop service? Which rules will be in effect, say, next week? What do I need to bring? (It'd be a royal pain to fly to BKK only to discover that I left something behind in Phuket!) Where do I get the forms? Is there someone at the One Stop office I can email to verify everything in advance?

I intend to write about my experiences in a future Phuket Gazette column, so any additional info you folks can provide would be most appreicated.

Many, many thanks.

- Woody Leonhard

P.S. FWIW, I'm from the US, and have lived in Phuket for three years, with my 15-year-old US-born son, who goes to school in Phuket.