Hi so I'm new to this site and I'm only new to Thailand. I have been working in a school in the south of Thailand for just over a month now and I have been trying to get them to organise my paperwork so that I could change my Tourist Visa into a Non B working visa. However now my visa is nearly up and it seems like I will have to do a border run to get another tourist visa.

The school is telling me that I need to go to Bangkok to apply for my teachers license before I can get a Non B visa. They have processed all the forms for the teaching license but not my visa.

I have done lots of research and a lot of it states that I must get a working visa before I can apply for a license or a permit.

I would love to know which way this works, do you get the visa, then the license and then the permit?

Additionally my contract clearly states that I started work over a month ago, how can I then bring a copy of my contract to any official government building when it clearly says that I've been working illegally for over a month!?

Could someone please shed some light on the inner workings of this bullshit as I am far too confused and out of my depth and receiving no help from school.

Thank you.

You get the visa first, with paperwork from the school. Than you apply for the teaching license (waiver) and the work permit. The work permit (and extension of stay from immigraiton) will not be issued without the teaching license. You must have a university degree for the teaching license.

You could try to get a wp3 form from the local labour office, that shows you have applied for the WP and might be helpful. But for teachers the wp3 form is usually not requested.