Hi - we are almost up to renew our non-B, teaching at a small school out in Mae Hong Son. This year we'll be down south when the visa expires (Thai summer), and we're thinking of renewing at Penang as it will be the nearest. All the reports I found here at TV say I need to show a WP3 receipt at that office. Now if we already have a WP in hand, and just need to renew the visa, is that good enough? The visa expires in March, but the WP is good until October. Or is Penang bad enough you'd recommend just going to another consulate/embassy?

Thanks!

Why can't you extend your stay at local immigration office? Teachers normally have no problem in that regard and do not need to obtain new visas or make border crossings. If you are actually on an extension of stay you just keep doing - no new visa is required.

The actual work permit should take care of that W-3 requirement but do not believe you can obtain a multi entry visa if that is your intent.

I know it's weird. But I did the 90 day report yesterday. Here's the story - we got our visa in August, and WP in October. But because the contract only stated through this school year, he only gave us our extension up to March 31st. In the office yesterday the 90 day report, and asked if we just fix things up there in March, he said to go get a new visa... But if we got the new contract papers in order, would that mean we can just get a new extension?

And no, no need for a multi-entry visa, just need to continue on as we have been. All is fine at the school, we're expected back for next year, so it's not one of those situations.

You find that even Thai Immigration officers might say Visa, in reality they might mean an extension. I would get the paperwork and someone from the school and go to see if an extension could be done.

But you will need to do it in the last 30 days of your current permission to stay.

If you have the school paperwork you should be able to extend again without obtaining a new visa. That is how it is done - as long as you continue work you should be able to continue extensions.

Thanks very much for the clarification guys.