Refusal Of Tourist Visa?

[bells88]

Hi there,

Just wondering if anyone can help me. I've recently got a job teaching in Bangkok and am in the process of trying to sort out the appropriate visas/work permits etc, i'm currently on a 30 day on arrival visa but this will expire in early december. However due to the flooding and a delay in receiving the appropriate documents I don't have enough time left to convert my current visa into the non b so will have do to a visa run. However my concern is that I've already this would be my 5th Thai visa this year (previously 2 on arrival and 2 60 day tourist as I spent several months travelling round the country and also did my teacher training here) and I've heard a few stories about immigration refusing to issue another visa. Has anyone had any experience of this? If I were to have a letter from the school explaining the situation would this make things easier?

I apologise if this is a bit of a ramble, I may be worrying unnecessarily but I hope someone can offer some advice

Thanks

[Colabamumbai]

Have the paperwork from the school before your visa expires in December and do a visa run, everything should be ok, you have some time. Whether a letter from the school will help or not, that is up to the embassy that you go to, Vientiane or elsewhere. You have to do a visa run anyway it can not be converted in the country.

[carbine1125]

Have the paperwork from the school before your visa expires in December and do a visa run, everything should be ok, you have some time. Whether a letter from the school will help or not, that is up to the embassy that you go to, Vientiane or elsewhere. You have to do a visa run anyway it can not be converted in the country.

Tourist visa can be converted to Non Im b if you have 21 days left on it and the proper paperwork from your school

[Mario2008]

Tourist visa can be converted to Non Im b if you have 21 days left on it and the proper paperwork from your school

That rule has been abolished. It is not clear how many days left are currently needed, but there have been reports of 10 days left being allowed.

Currently not every immmigration office will do a conversion, if they don't they will send you to BKK.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I think the OP is a bit confused as to his wording and terminology....

As for conversion from a tourist visa to a Non-Imm. B, while that's possible, he indicated he's NOT currently on a tourist visa, but rather, "i'm currently on a 30 day on arrival visa but this will expire in early december."

That sounds like the typical 30-day visa-exempt entry issued to Westerners at the BKK Airport on arrival, assuming they don't have any actual visa. And that type of entry isn't a "visa" at all. I don't believe a visa-exempt entry can be converted to anything inside Thailand.

The paperwork from his prospective employer should enable him to apply for the Non Imm B at some Thai consulate/embassy outside Thailand.

But if needs more time that his early December deadline to be able to mount his application for that, it would seem another 30 day visa-exempt entry at the airport (after making some brief flight outside the country) would be one route. Another would be to seek another tourist visa from the Thai consulate in one of the adjoining Asian countries.

It's always a muddle to try to keep current on these topics... But as best as I recall, there is no longer a limit on back to back visa-exempt entries done at the airport via international flight arrivals. There used to be, but that no longer applies.

Edited November 17, 2011 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Mario2008]

He has a visa exempt entry, but that can be converted as well.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Thanks for clarifying that Mario, re being able to convert from a visa exempt entry to a Non Imm visa at BKK Immigration inside Thailand.

And if the OP doesn't have his documents together by early December when his current stay expires, was I correct in my recollection that there's no longer any limit on back-to-back visa exempt entries when done via international air flight arrival into BKK???

[beano2274]

The OP will also require the receipt from the Ministry of Labour to assist them in getting a Non Immigrant B in another country.

[aidenai]

He has a visa exempt entry, but that can be converted as well.

That's new to me. It'll mean that Thai Embassies and Consulates are out of business regarding issuing non-immigrant B visas.

[beano2274]

He has a visa exempt entry, but that can be converted as well.

That's new to me. It'll mean that Thai Embassies and Consulates are out of business regarding issuing non-immigrant B visas.

Not really as the amount of paperwork required within Thailand is sufficiently more than required outside of Thailand, example

being all tax details pertaining to all staff employed at the school or business.

[Mario2008]

Thanks for clarifying that Mario, re being able to convert from a visa exempt entry to a Non Imm visa at BKK Immigration inside Thailand.

And if the OP doesn't have his documents together by early December when his current stay expires, was I correct in my recollection that there's no longer any limit on back-to-back visa exempt entries when done via international air flight arrival into BKK???

There simply is no limit anymore.Regardless of manner of entry (air or land) or point of entry.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Right, but there is a difference in the length of visa-exempt stays granted depending on whether the entry point is land vs. air...

Airport entries get a standard 30 days for visa-exempt... But land border entries get less... 15 days, as I recall.

[Mario2008]

That is correct.

[lopburi3]

He has a visa exempt entry, but that can be converted as well.

That's new to me. It'll mean that Thai Embassies and Consulates are out of business regarding issuing non-immigrant B visas.

Not at all - visa can only be obtained inside Thailand in the one year extension of stay process (which many new applicants for non immigrant B visa will not qualify).