Class O And B And Work Permits

[Bredbury Blue]

I’m sure these questions may have been asked before but there’s too much to search thro on this forum so if I may ask again.

May situation is: been here more than a decade, married to a Thai with kids and own a house, have our own construction consultancy business. Have held work permits with various companies but now hold one with own company and a class b visa for the past 6 years.

Questions:

1. Can you have Class O and a work permit?

2. Could I have either Class O or B and still have work permit?

3. Would there be any benefit and what would it be to change the Class B to Class O, and if there benefits would the immigration allow the change?

[lingling]

I’m sure these questions may have been asked before but there’s too much to search thro on this forum so if I may ask again.

May situation is: been here more than a decade, married to a Thai with kids and own a house, have our own construction consultancy business. Have held work permits with various companies but now hold one with own company and a class b visa for the past 6 years.

Questions:

1. Can you have Class O and a work permit?

2. Could I have either Class O or B and still have work permit?

3. Would there be any benefit and what would it be to change the Class B to Class O, and if there benefits would the immigration allow the change?

1) Yes

2) Yes

3) No big difference, both need to be renewed each year. O requires your wife to come with you to immigration, B requires a few more company stamps on the supporting documentation - otherwise no big diff. Oh, by using O you would of course free up a company sponsored one year B extension in case you employ foreigners in your company.

Edited May 5, 2006 by lingling

[lopburi3]

1. Yes; except if issued for retirement.

2. Yes.

3. An extension of stay is not subject to employment/work permit and believe less Thai employees required for issue. I believe the work permit process is a little different and your extension of stay from immigration process would be totally different.

[Bredbury Blue]

Sorry but i still don't really understand.

I always thought that to work or do business in Thailand (i.e. doing something here that earns income either here or abroad) you first needed to get a business visa - i.e. class B. Then armed with that you could apply for a work permit. If thats correct how could you have a marriage visa - class O - which i guess is aimed at letting you stay with the thai spouse but not work, and then apply armed with that for a work permit?

I'm a missing something here?

[lopburi3]

A work permit can be issued on any non immigrant visa; not just a B visa.

[Bredbury Blue]

I’m sure these questions may have been asked before but there’s too much to search thro on this forum so if I may ask again.

May situation is: been here more than a decade, married to a Thai with kids and own a house, have our own construction consultancy business. Have held work permits with various companies but now hold one with own company and a class b visa for the past 6 years.

Questions:

1. Can you have Class O and a work permit?

2. Could I have either Class O or B and still have work permit?

3. Would there be any benefit and what would it be to change the Class B to Class O, and if there benefits would the immigration allow the change?

1) Yes

2) Yes

3) No big difference, both need to be renewed each year. O requires your wife to come with you to immigration, B requires a few more company stamps on the supporting documentation - otherwise no big diff. Oh, by using O you would of course free up a company sponsored one year B extension in case you employ foreigners in your company.

Actually, even with class B and a thai wife and luuk khrung kids, they require me to take the whole lot down for my annual visit, and i get a stamp in my passport "Thai Wife" the benifits of that stamp i'm not sure but i guess it has some.

[Maestro]

That’s the beauty of the non-O extension for support of Thai wife: you can get a work permit and earn locally the money you need to support your wife. Look at the extension requirements on the web site of the Immigration Bureau. Click on the icon on the left of “Visa Extension” (does not work in Firefox)

---------------

Maestro

[Bredbury Blue]

Thanks for everybody's replies. I'm now the wiser on the subject and can only assume that my thai lawyer put me up for a class b and not a class o 6 years ago as i'm the MD of my own company - would that seem logical reason?

It also seems for the replies that neither has an obvious example over the other and they can both be used to get a WP.

cheers.

[rishi]

Thanks for everybody's replies. I'm now the wiser on the subject and can only assume that my thai lawyer put me up for a class b and not a class o 6 years ago as i'm the MD of my own company - would that seem logical reason?

It also seems for the replies that neither has an obvious example over the other and they can both be used to get a WP.

cheers.

Well, mr BB, you've been here how many years? I'm in a similar situation to yours - can freely choose whether I want to extend my visa on basis of "O"-wife support or "B"-business (latter due to being MD of a properly registered Thai company).

You don't mention your nationality. If you're not a farlang - this post is without interest. However, if you are American, European, Australian, Japanese, something similiar - there most certainly is at least one advantage of the "O"-support wife way (that you might punch yourself for not beeing aware of, long time ago) ... That advantage is: to get your visa renewed for yet another year you only need to show evidence of having paid personal income tax of 40,000 a month... rather than tax of those 45-60,000 bath a month.

[Bredbury Blue]

Cheers Rishi for the advice. 15 years and a Brit in answer to your queries.

Many thanks to everybody for helping clarifying this matter for me.

[davethailand]

Thats a question i've wondered as well.

I also have a B visa with a work permit and i'm also married, if i change to an O with a work permit can i still retain my MD status in my company and still issue my farang musicians with their work permits?

At the moment everythings in my name and under my signature. Will it still be?

[Sunbelt Asia]

I also have a B visa with a work permit and i'm also married, if i change to an O with a work permit can i still retain my MD status in my company and still issue my farang musicians with their work permits?

Yes

At the moment everythings in my name and under my signature. Will it still be?

Yes

www.lawyer.th.com

[davethailand]

Thanks sunbelt, will it be worth it to change or should i just stay as i am?

[malcolminthemiddle]

That’s the beauty of the non-O extension for support of Thai wife: you can get a work permit and earn locally the money you need to support your wife. Look at the extension requirements on the web site of the Immigration Bureau. Click on the icon on the left of “Visa Extension” (does not work in Firefox)

---------------

Maestro

Item 11 of the documents to be shown with extension application is:

Evidence certified by the applicant's embassy or consulate showing the applicant's marital status.

Whereas item 5 is

Copy of marriage certificate

What exactly is Item 11 and is there a difference between items 5 & 11?

Thanks.

[Sunbelt Asia]

Item 11 of the documents to be shown with extension application is:

Evidence certified by the applicant's embassy or consulate showing the applicant's marital status.

Whereas item 5 is

Copy of marriage certificate

What exactly is Item 11 and is there a difference between items 5 & 11?

Thanks.

Item 11 is an affidavit from the Embassy that you don't have more than one wife.

Item 5 is that you are indeed married.

will it be worth it to change or should i just stay as i am?

I surmise you have an extension of stay based on business.

If you plan one day to go for permanent residence, they want to see you are not avoiding tax. Keep it the way it is if you are taking a salary of 80K per month.

If you have no plan on applying for residence, and you want to take the minimum salary for the minimum tax, you should save around 15,000 Baht a year by changing in the second year. ( You will have the hassle of stopping your work permit and applying for a new one) In Pattaya, with the surcharge they have on work permits, it will take care of any potential savings for the first year.

www.lawyer.th.com

[davethailand]

Item 11 of the documents to be shown with extension application is:

Evidence certified by the applicant's embassy or consulate showing the applicant's marital status.

Whereas item 5 is

Copy of marriage certificate

What exactly is Item 11 and is there a difference between items 5 & 11?

Thanks.

Item 11 is an affidavit from the Embassy that you don't have more than one wife.

Item 5 is that you are indeed married.

will it be worth it to change or should i just stay as i am?

I surmise you have an extension of stay based on business.

If you plan one day to go for permanent residence, they want to see you are not avoiding tax. Keep it the way it is if you are taking a salary of 80K per month.

If you have no plan on applying for residence, and you want to take the minimum salary for the minimum tax, you should save around 15,000 Baht a year by changing in the second year. ( You will have the hassle of stopping your work permit and applying for a new one) In Pattaya, with the surcharge they have on work permits, it will take care of any potential savings for the first year.

www.lawyer.th.com

I've been paying salary tax and social based on 60k per month for over 4years.

[rishi]

I've been paying salary tax and social based on 60k per month for over 4years.

As far as i understand the situation - revealed by the professionals - you're in the no-mans-zone. You should either upgrade youself to the 80,000+ level (to get a chance in the PR-race) or go for the wifey-extension (and thus save tax-money).

[RAZZELL]

Item 11 of the documents to be shown with extension application is:

Evidence certified by the applicant's embassy or consulate showing the applicant's marital status.

Whereas item 5 is

Copy of marriage certificate

What exactly is Item 11 and is there a difference between items 5 & 11?

Thanks.

Item 11 is an affidavit from the Embassy that you don't have more than one wife.

Item 5 is that you are indeed married.

will it be worth it to change or should i just stay as i am?

I surmise you have an extension of stay based on business.

If you plan one day to go for permanent residence, they want to see you are not avoiding tax. Keep it the way it is if you are taking a salary of 80K per month.

If you have no plan on applying for residence, and you want to take the minimum salary for the minimum tax, you should save around 15,000 Baht a year by changing in the second year. ( You will have the hassle of stopping your work permit and applying for a new one) In Pattaya, with the surcharge they have on work permits, it will take care of any potential savings for the first year.

www.lawyer.th.com

I've been paying salary tax and social based on 60k per month for over 4years.

You must have a good accountant...