Sorry if the question has been posted, I actually read many post about it but still prefer to ask cause it looks to change all the time.

I m director of a company in Thailand.

This company is 8 months year old, and we still don't have employee, we start to make little bit of money, not enough to pay a farang + staffs etc. by respecting the thai law queries.

I made a 3 month business visa last year in Singapore, any difficulty.

I knew that I was needed like one year more before to request work permit, so, on advice to my accountants (2 different company in Bangkok and working with farangs), they told me the best way was to go back to my own country (France) to request a one year Non B visa.

So I did...

Unfortunately, in France, it was like 2 hours waiting for visa in last october, they refused me to give it.

Because I insisted, explained that I paid 40k to fly to Paris, etc, I add a kind of explanation with the wrong person, so she gave me a toursit visa .

My tourist visa is finished I have to move to get another NON B then launch work permit process (cause now my company can support staffs and salary).

The question is where should I go ?

my passport already has a business visa from last year.

then a tourist visa.

I absolutely need it in order to launch work permit process.

I know what document to prepare, the question is where should I go to be sure to get it.

I thought about Penang but after the problem i met in Paris, I prefer to ask cause i was too much confident last time and lost time and money...

Thanks a lot for your advices and sorry for my Frenglish

You do not need to have a non-B visa to start the work permit application. In fact, you will need to start the WP application now and get some paperwork confirming that before you will get a non-B visa. Than when you have a non-B visa you get the actual work permit.

As it is a new company you will not get an extension of stay at this time. You will get a single non-B and once you have the work eprmit itself you can gain go abroad and apply for a multiple non-B.

For soem reports about different consulates in the region look here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/189375-latest-reports-of-getting-a-visa-in-the-region/

You have been badly advised.

You must successfully file an application with the Labour Dept for your Work Permit before you apply for a 90 Day Single Entry Non Immigrant 'B' Visa.

Labour will normally be a little relaxed about Thai staff numbers for a start up company.

Here is the application form:

Form_tt1.pdf

Once you have the WP3/WP1 Recipt for filing your Work Permit application you then request the Letter of Approval from Labour and take this plus the other papers listed in the link below to a Thai Consular facility (e.g. Laos, Malaysia (not KL))

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15388-Non-Immigrant-Visa-%22B%22-(for-Business-and.html

Once you get the visa (it will only be single entry) re-enter Thailand you will get a 90 day non 'B' stamp in your passport, you use this to get your actual WP issued by Labour.

Edited February 5, 201412 yr by digitalchromakey