What's the advantage of having a B visa over an O visa? Besides the obvious volunteer over paid job part, of course. If you can get a work permit with either one, is there really a benefit on getting a B visa? Do you have more options available (loans, etc.) with a B? It seems a B visa requires a lot more paperwork than an O visa, so I'm trying to figure out the benefits.

My sister is coming to stay for a year so I want her to get one of the two. She can get a work permit because I know a school who's willing to do it for her. Depending on whether she gets an O or a B, she'll either work or volunteer at the school. She doesn't need the money, so either one is fine.

Can she get an O and a work permit and then switch to a B in the future if she decides she wants to work?

It's all very confusing.

When I started working I was already on a one year extensions based on marriage. I had a choice to keep my one year extensions based on marriage or change to one based on working in Thailand. If I chose the marriage extension I had to pay all work permit fees and extension fees. If I chose the one based on business, the employer paid all fees every year.

Going from extensions based on marriage to a extension based on working I did not have to leave the country, but as i remember had to pay an extra 1900 baht to switch. Going from full time work back to extensions based on marriage extension, CM immigration told me I had to go out of country for a new 90 day type O visa and then apply for extensions based on marriage at the end of 90 days.

You can not work with retired extension, but allowed to get a WP and work being on married extensions. Now working PT but maintain my married extensions, but have a WP. Hope that helps some.

When I started working I was already on a one year extensions based on marriage. I had a choice to keep my one year extensions based on marriage or change to one based on working in Thailand. If I chose the marriage extension I had to pay all work permit fees and extension fees. If I chose the one based on business, the employer paid all fees every year.

Going from extensions based on marriage to a extension based on working I did not have to leave the country, but as i remember had to pay an extra 1900 baht to switch. Going from full time work back to extensions based on marriage extension, CM immigration told me I had to go out of country for a new 90 day type O visa and then apply for extensions based on marriage at the end of 90 days.

You can not work with retired extension, but allowed to get a WP and work being on married extensions. Now working PT but maintain my married extensions, but have a WP. Hope that helps some.

Sorry, I should've mentioned that this is an O for volunteer work, not based on marriage or retirement. Not sure if that's different.

My sister is out of the country at the moment, so it really doesn't matter. She'll get either visa before coming into Thailand.

Normally no problm to switch from volunteering to a paid job, without leaving the country. Just the reason for the extension changes, as will the work permit.

Normally no problm to switch from volunteering to a paid job, without leaving the country. Just the reason for the extension changes, as will the work permit.

Thanks. The O visa is so much easier to get (very few papers), so it might be better for her to go that way and then switch once in Thailand. Any ideas on benefits of the B vs. an O visa?

Suggest checking with the Labour Dept in the area she will be located re WP and Non-O visa before making a decision. The local office here (Surat Thani) have recently introduced a new policy and will only issue WP to Non-O visa holders if the visa is based on marriage to a Thai. Otherwise they insist on a Non-B visa before issuing a WP.

Edited November 2, 201114 yr by Bluebell

Suggest checking with the Labour Dept in the area she will be located re WP and Non-O visa before making a decision. The local office here (Surat Thani) have recently introduced a new policy and will only issue WP to Non-O visa holders if the visa is based on marriage to a Thai. Otherwise they insist on a Non-B visa before issuing a WP.

Thanks. I know it's possible where we are. The school checked with immigration yesterday.

Suggest checking with the Labour Dept in the area she will be located re WP and Non-O visa before making a decision. The local office here (Surat Thani) have recently introduced a new policy and will only issue WP to Non-O visa holders if the visa is based on marriage to a Thai. Otherwise they insist on a Non-B visa before issuing a WP.

I think they mean not in the case of a non-O based on retirement. Volunteering also falls under a non-O visa, but often is overlooked as there aren't that many official volunteers.

Suggest checking with the Labour Dept in the area she will be located re WP and Non-O visa before making a decision. The local office here (Surat Thani) have recently introduced a new policy and will only issue WP to Non-O visa holders if the visa is based on marriage to a Thai. Otherwise they insist on a Non-B visa before issuing a WP.

I think they mean not in the case of a non-O based on retirement. Volunteering also falls under a non-O visa, but often is overlooked as there aren't that many official volunteers.

As I understand it, she MUST get the O visa outside Thailand, right? Or can she come to Thailand (visa exempt) and then switch to an O? Would that be a big headache?

Also, I'm still not very clear on the benefits of a B over an O visa if both allow you to have a work permit? I understand one allows you to work ($) while the other only allows you to volunteer for free, but is that it? For example, I have a friend who got a credit card from Kasikorn using his work permit. I'm going to assume that's impossible with an O visa/work permit, right? What about the 5-year driver's license renewal? Or something else I can't think of right now?

Changing to a non-O would be more work, especially if you live outside of Bangkok as most immigration offices will send her to Bangkok for the conversion. If in the EU normally an offical letter from the school will be enough to obtain a non-O visa right away. This would also satisfy the need for a visa, as with a one way ticket one needs to have a visa.

There are no other differences between the visas, besides the reason they are issued.

Changing to a non-O would be more work, especially if you live outside of Bangkok as most immigration offices will send her to Bangkok for the conversion. If in the EU normally an offical letter from the school will be enough to obtain a non-O visa right away. This would also satisfy the need for a visa, as with a one way ticket one needs to have a visa.

There are no other differences between the visas, besides the reason they are issued.

Thanks, that makes sense.