Work Permit Canceled 2 months ago and only recently notified - HELP!

[thaimiklo]

Hi guys, I'm new here and think I have a pretty unique situation going:
Was working at a school through a company (through whom I have a Non-B and Work permit). I notified the company that I wanted to stop working at the school but continue working for them doing camps and other corporate/part-time work.
I let my boss know to please notify me if I need to make any visa changes. I began doing other work for this company and again asked if any changes needed to be made. Recently, upon completing my most recently corporate work placement, I asked again if any changes needed to be made and was told I would be kept on the books with no changes should more work come up.

However, when I emailed a staff member at the agency regarding a health insurance question, I was told I need a work permit to be elligible - WHAT?!?

I then made a series of frantic calls to my boss who claimed that I was still employed and no changes were made. My boss then called the staff person I had spoken to and said notified my that there had been a miscommunication: upon notifying the staff member that I stopped working at the school, this staff member went ahead and canceld my Work Permit. This happened over two months ago even though I have been continuing to work for this company.

Now, they want me to leave immediately, with a letter in hand that will cancel my visa. I still have my Work Permit however, and have been told not to show it, not to mention it, and lie and say I left it with the school. I went to immigration the other day and they told me that my visa is still valid and that I have my work permit in my possession to back it up.

My question is. . . a) if I do leave, as I've been asked to, is there any guarantee that I won't be fined 20k overstay fee?
and b)Since I do have all my documents in my possession with a Visa and re-entry permit, should I just wait it out till it expires? (The immigration officer I talked to indicated I can stay through my Visa date.)

My guess is that the agency screwed up and want to get everything squared away, but if I'm going to be fined anyway. . . is there a point in leaving now? Also, would it do me any good to go to the Labour Office to explain what happened?

Help please!

Edited February 4, 2014 by thaimiklo

[ubonjoe]

Your extension of stay (not a visa) ends on the day your job ends.

The best way to do it now is to get a letter from your employer stating a date that your will end and go to immigration on that date to cancel your extension. You would have to leave on that date or apply for a 7 day extension that will cost 1900 baht.

It is possible for your work permit to be cancelled without it being shown.

[FiftyTwo]

If you have a VISA (acquired outside Thailand) you can stay.

If you have an extension of stay (from immigration within Thailand) you have to leave.

Your work permit is irrelevant to the validity of a VISA.

[thaimiklo]

thanks for the input guys.
Still curious about the fact that Immigration told me everything was fine? I even told them that a mistake was made and my boss said my Work Permit was canceled. They looked at my Visa and WP and saw the stamp and said I was good. If that's the case, then isn't leaving just going to be a waste of time and money to change my visa to a tourist, and then change it back over again?

[ubonjoe]

It is possible that if they can get the work permit reissued there will not be a problem with immigration.

What I based my comment on was them not getting your work permit reinstated.

It may well depend upon how diligent immigration is if you want to get anther extension.

[arthurwait]

No work permit means no visa extension. So you are on overstay.

I have never been asked to show work permit at the airport and I don't think they are computer linked. Cancel your visa and leave or just leave.

If you stay and get stopped by the police or nicked then you could be locked up and deported.

Keep your mouth shut and leave then come back.

[angsta]

I have been in a similar situation and when I left via the airport I didn't mention a WP and nobody asked about it. I also had a Non-B that ran out after I had changed jobs and left via the South into Kota Bura, again nothing was mention at the border. If you are leaving Thailand avoid Poipet.

[MeowBundit]

thanks for the input guys.

Still curious about the fact that Immigration told me everything was fine? I even told them that a mistake was made and my boss said my Work Permit was canceled. They looked at my Visa and WP and saw the stamp and said I was good. If that's the case, then isn't leaving just going to be a waste of time and money to change my visa to a tourist, and then change it back over again?

What happen in reality - this is possible to remove you from list of company employees and taxpayers . Without touching your visa extension. The best thing you can do now, cancel extension as soon as possible.

Edited February 4, 2014 by MeowBundit

[belg]

this 7 day rule is just crazy... what about your lease of your condo & others... why they expect to leave in 7 days ? condo, bank accounts, money, car, motorcycle ?

[Mario2008]

this 7 day rule is just crazy... what about your lease of your condo & others... why they expect to leave in 7 days ? condo, bank accounts, money, car, motorcycle ?

There is no 7 day rule, you have to leave the coutnry the same day.

You can get an extra 7 days due to an administrative trick, in essence applying for an extension and are alloed to stay while they consider your application.

[Tomtomtom69]

I can't think of any expat who really "leaves" the country after their job ends. All you are expected to do is leave the country get a stamp from a neighboring country turn around and come straight back. Due to a flawed immigration system you have to be a tourist until such time you can secure a new job or until your new company processes the paperwork for a new visa work permit etc.

[Soutpeel]

this 7 day rule is just crazy... what about your lease of your condo & others... why they expect to leave in 7 days ? condo, bank accounts, money, car, motorcycle ?

Its calling planning dear boy....7 days plenty of time to go out and come back on another visa or waiver

[iamariva1957]

Do not get an extension for 1900bht. Just leave the country NOW and turn around and come back in on a 30-day exemption. Then call they idiots at your employers and start the ball rolling again (if you still want to work with them). Seems to me easier that way and you are able to give yourself more time to get things sorted out at home if you plan to leave for good. The system is screwy to say the least, but work within it and you will not have to lose any sleep due to panic. Been there done that myself. It was easier just to leave now and turn around.

[ericthai]

OP do you have a Visa or an extension of stay? Everything depends on what you have. If you have a visa then you are ok until the stamp date in your passport. If you have an extension of stay then you need to leave. If you are unsure of what you have can you take a picture of your visa and post it?

[Shaunduhpostman]

Do not get an extension for 1900bht. Just leave the country NOW and turn around and come back in on a 30-day exemption. Then call they idiots at your employers and start the ball rolling again (if you still want to work with them). Seems to me easier that way and you are able to give yourself more time to get things sorted out at home if you plan to leave for good. The system is screwy to say the least, but work within it and you will not have to lose any sleep due to panic. Been there done that myself. It was easier just to leave now and turn around.

From my experience, I'm not sure that just a 30 day visa exempt entry is the best thing to get. Sure, it will allow you to stay legally in the country and without accruing any overstay fines, yes. But, if you want to continue working in Thailand, with only an entry stamp, you will have to leave the country again and get a proper visa. The 30 day stamp is not a visa, so it cannot be converted to a visa valid for work purposes.

So, if were you, while you are out of the country, you might as well go to a Thai consulate/embassy and try and get another visa, if only a tourist visa. If things are still as they were 3 years ago, a tourist visa can be converted in-country by your employer given they know how or are willing to go through whatever hassle there is, if any, to do it.

As an aside, I'm not an expert on any of this, but what i do know is from what I have twice been through with employer visa "bunglings" "miscommunications," whatever you are told by your employer regarding some problem with your visa. Personally I don't believe they were mistakes, and to be fair, of course, I have no way of knowing, but the way things worked out financially to the advantage of certain parties makes it suspicious to say the least that there was any error at all, depite what was done having put me in jeopardy with immigration. On one occasion my situation was almost identical to the one you are going through. In that particular case I was slapped with the maximum overstay fine of 20,000 baht upon applying for a new visa a fine which I could not pay and luckily for me my new employer allowed me to borrow the money which I paid back in 5,000 baht increments out of my monthly paycheck.

Good luck, get used to these kinds of things if you want to stay and work here for any length of time. But, once you get this problem sorted, you can enjoy other apsects of life in the magic kingdom. Tho the biz end of things in Thailand can often be pretty nasty. Just the way it is, nothing anyone can do, and i don't think anyone likes it Thai or foreigner, at least you have a lot of company.

[Tomtomtom69]

Do not get an extension for 1900bht. Just leave the country NOW and turn around and come back in on a 30-day exemption. Then call they idiots at your employers and start the ball rolling again (if you still want to work with them). Seems to me easier that way and you are able to give yourself more time to get things sorted out at home if you plan to leave for good. The system is screwy to say the least, but work within it and you will not have to lose any sleep due to panic. Been there done that myself. It was easier just to leave now and turn around.

From my experience, I'm not sure that just a 30 day visa exempt entry is the best thing to get. Sure, it will allow you to stay legally in the country and without accruing any overstay fines, yes. But, if you want to continue working in Thailand, with only an entry stamp, you will have to leave the country again and get a proper visa. The 30 day stamp is not a visa, so it cannot be converted to a visa valid for work purposes.

So, if were you, while you are out of the country, you might as well go to a Thai consulate/embassy and try and get another visa, if only a tourist visa. If things are still as they were 3 years ago, a tourist visa can be converted in-country by your employer given they know how or are willing to go through whatever hassle there is, if any, to do it.

As an aside, I'm not an expert on any of this, but what i do know is from what I have twice been through with employer visa "bunglings" "miscommunications," whatever you are told by your employer regarding some problem with your visa. Personally I don't believe they were mistakes, and to be fair, of course, I have no way of knowing, but the way things worked out financially to the advantage of certain parties makes it suspicious to say the least that there was any error at all, depite what was done having put me in jeopardy with immigration. On one occasion my situation was almost identical to the one you are going through. In that particular case I was slapped with the maximum overstay fine of 20,000 baht upon applying for a new visa a fine which I could not pay and luckily for me my new employer allowed me to borrow the money which I paid back in 5,000 baht increments out of my monthly paycheck.

Good luck, get used to these kinds of things if you want to stay and work here for any length of time. But, once you get this problem sorted, you can enjoy other apsects of life in the magic kingdom. Tho the biz end of things in Thailand can often be pretty nasty. Just the way it is, nothing anyone can do, and i don't think anyone likes it Thai or foreigner, at least you have a lot of company.

My understanding is a visa exempt stamp can also be converted into a non-B visa and extension for work if the paperwork from your company is ready during it's validity.

[jongkolkhoo]

Hi ,

A) where are you ? ( if you are in nakhon si thammarat, I might be able to get help from kom lay Ngan for you)

the white card attached to your passport is stamped with a date that you must leave Thailand .

C) don't worry about the non -b . You do not break any rules if you stay in Thailand with a revoked non-b

I am vey forgetful and had overstayed my time in Thailand many many times. Even my non - b was overdue numerous times.

I got a friendly inspector who will call me to remind me of my forgetfulness and sort it out for me.

I am Malaysian and I always do a quick border crossing to stamp my exit. And come back.

(Every 3 month).

[jongkolkhoo]

Do not get an extension for 1900bht. Just leave the country NOW and turn around and come back in on a 30-day exemption. Then call they idiots at your employers and start the ball rolling again (if you still want to work with them). Seems to me easier that way and you are able to give yourself more time to get things sorted out at home if you plan to leave for good. The system is screwy to say the least, but work within it and you will not have to lose any sleep due to panic. Been there done that myself. It was easier just to leave now and turn around.

From my experience, I'm not sure that just a 30 day visa exempt entry is the best thing to get. Sure, it will allow you to stay legally in the country and without accruing any overstay fines, yes. But, if you want to continue working in Thailand, with only an entry stamp, you will have to leave the country again and get a proper visa. The 30 day stamp is not a visa, so it cannot be converted to a visa valid for work purposes.

So, if were you, while you are out of the country, you might as well go to a Thai consulate/embassy and try and get another visa, if only a tourist visa. If things are still as they were 3 years ago, a tourist visa can be converted in-country by your employer given they know how or are willing to go through whatever hassle there is, if any, to do it.

As an aside, I'm not an expert on any of this, but what i do know is from what I have twice been through with employer visa "bunglings" "miscommunications," whatever you are told by your employer regarding some problem with your visa. Personally I don't believe they were mistakes, and to be fair, of course, I have no way of knowing, but the way things worked out financially to the advantage of certain parties makes it suspicious to say the least that there was any error at all, depite what was done having put me in jeopardy with immigration. On one occasion my situation was almost identical to the one you are going through. In that particular case I was slapped with the maximum overstay fine of 20,000 baht upon applying for a new visa a fine which I could not pay and luckily for me my new employer allowed me to borrow the money which I paid back in 5,000 baht increments out of my monthly paycheck.

Good luck, get used to these kinds of things if you want to stay and work here for any length of time. But, once you get this problem sorted, you can enjoy other apsects of life in the magic kingdom. Tho the biz end of things in Thailand can often be pretty nasty. Just the way it is, nothing anyone can do, and i don't think anyone likes it Thai or foreigner, at least you have a lot of company.

My understanding is a visa exempt stamp can also be converted into a non-B visa and extension for work if the paperwork from your company is ready during it's validity.

The non-b visa is not converted . They replace it with a non-immi stamp allowing you to stay in Thailand for 1 year without the 3 month exit requirement for non-b .

Non-b is given by embassy and no -immi is given by the customs dept. They don't really talk to each other and have given me headache every year .

You need non-b to get non-immi but you can also skip non-immi ( save you $$$$)

Non -b is good provided that the Thai embassy is in good mood and grant you multiple entry 1 year visa.( I need to exit Thailand every 3 month)

The embassy in kl refuse to give 1 year visa recently and made life miserable for me.

Not all Thai embassy are the same. They have their own set of rules and change without notice.

[thaimiklo]

Thanks again for the help and input. I went to immigration to try my luck getting a re-entry permit and all is well. There is no indication of a WP on the date stamped in my Visa and the officer reassured me that I'm fine and even gave me a hint of "just don't say anything if you stop working" ::wink smile wink::
Cheers everyone.