Hi everyone,

I travelled to Thailand in December and have been wanting to return ever since. I recently started my TESOL classes and plan on teaching in Bangkok. I have done a lot of research on visas and have more or less confused myself. I understand that I can get a non-immigrant visa (ED or B?) for teaching if I find an employeer first. Would it be possible to travel to Thailand and then find a teaching job once I've arrived? Or do I have to set this up first. If so what visa would I get and how long do I have to find a job within the visas limits? And then once I find a teaching job is it possible to change my visa (tourist or what it must have to be) to a work visa?

My other concern is that a friend of mine was hoping to also come along for a little, but he does not want to teach or necessarily even work. How long can he come for on a tourist visa, without having a flight out? I would of course assume a tourist visa, but I'm having trouble finding consistent information on this.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! As you can tell I need all the help I can get

Lauren

get a tourist visa, travel to thailand

find an employeer an than have the paperwork for ur NON "B" visa in hand, along with application for WP and travel to Laos, Malaysia, wherever for ur non immigrant B visa

Back to Thaialnd, start work

Visa exempt entry is 30 days but you should have a ticket out to be sure airline will fly you. Tourist visas allow a 60 day entry s and no ticket is required by airline and you can later extend stay 30 more days if you want at an immigration office.

As said once you find job you would then get paperwork and visit a Consulate in the area to obtain the required non immigrant B 90 day entry visa to allow a work permit to be issued and later extend your stay on a yearly basis at immigration.

If your friend wants to come, stay a long time and not work his best option is a triple entry tourist visa.. If used properly you can get almost 270 days in Thailand witth two border runs and three 30 day extensions. Whether or not he will have to show flights in and out of Thailand depends on the consulate that he uses and their specific requirements.

As far as coming and working, come on a tourist visa, find a job, get the appropriate paperwork from the school and MOE, apply for a work permit, go to a consulate/embassy in a neighboring country and get a Non-B visa, pick up your work permit and you are legal.

Edited July 12, 201312 yr by wayned