Hello everybody,

I used to work as an employee in Thailand and had a work permit all sorted out by my employer and never once had to do a visa run.

My circumstances have changed now as I have started my own business and at present I have a non-immigrant category "B" multiple entry visa and have a 2 year work permit.

Question?

I have been advised by the people who handle my legal and accounting issues that I have to do 3 month visa runs and a once yearly visa run out of the country to obtain the category "B" visa at a Thai Embassy ??

Surely this cant be correct?

Can anyone please kindly advise me if what I am being told is true?

Unless you have an extension of stay based on your own business you will have to do the visa runs.

With a multiple non-B you are allowed unlimited entries into Thailand and on each entry stay in Thailand for a maximum of 90 days. You can return the same day as long as the visa is valid. By leaving and re-entering just before the visa is valid you can get almost 15 months out of the visa.

Not until you go to immigration and get a 1 year extension of stay do you not have to leave the country.

A new company generally does not qualify for an extension of stay, as the company will not have the required tax documents.