Visa during work probationary period

[chydesno]

I obtained employment in Thailand, but I have a 90 day probationary period. During that time I am responsible for keeping my visa in status. I am in the US and will be returning to Thailand in 3 weeks. I asked for a letter of invitation from the employer, but it is a school and the school is closed now. I have an email stating that I have the job. I understand that I need a letter of invitation to be able to get a 90 day visa either tourist or business. I don't understand how I could get a tourist visa if I have a letter of invitation to work, but that is what I was told I would be getting. Will the email be sufficient? Is it a tourist or business visa I need? Is there another way to get a 90 day or longer visa to avoid going to the border every 30 days until I have a work visa? Any help or even a copy of the Thai law on this would be helpful. I would love to read it myself. Thanks!

[Spoonman]

Ask them for the work permit application receipt then apply for a non b visa.

[wayned]

You won't be able to get the "B" visa with the email. Just get a single entry tourist visa, that will give you 60 days permission to stay on entry which you can extend for 30 days if necessary, Don't show them the email or mention that you will be working. Once you are here and the school repopens that will give them time to get the necessary paperwork in order. Once you/they have applied for a work permit you will then have to go to a consulate/embassy in a neighboring country to get the B visa which you will need to pick up your WP.

IMHO,tyingto get them to do antything while the school is closed and during the Songkran Holidyas would be futile.

[ubonjoe]

A single entry tourist visa is all you will be able to get. Then once you have the paperwork from school you will need to get a non-b from a nearby embassy or consulate.

You can get your tourist visa from one these honorary consulates in person: http://www.thaiembdc.us/dcdp/Thai_Consulate_Directory2

Or by mail or in person from the embassy in DC or one of the official consulates in NY, LA or Chicago.

[joepattaya1961]

There may be a possibility that the email is sufficient.

You will be granted a 90 day - single entry - non-immigrant-B visa, which will give you enough time to start the application for a WP.

From the moment the WP-application has started, you will be granted extensions (month by month) until the WP is submitted and from there your extensions will be done depending on the contract .

IF not.........you'll have to apply for a tourist visa and deal with the non-B-issue in a neighboring country.

[sirchai]

Good luck and welcome to teaching in Thailand.-

Edited April 9, 2014 by sirchai

[sirchai]

There may be a possibility that the email is sufficient.

You will be granted a 90 day - single entry - non-immigrant-B visa, which will give you enough time to start the application for a WP.

From the moment the WP-application has started, you will be granted extensions (month by month) until the WP is submitted and from there your extensions will be done depending on the contract .

IF not.........you'll have to apply for a tourist visa and deal with the non-B-issue in a neighboring country.

It's possible that the e-mail would be enough,if the OP has all other details of the school. A phone number of the HRM would be very h e l p f u l.

One phone call to the school's human resources manager would be enough to receive a 90 day Non-B visa, I'd assume.

Having the right type of visa when arriving in Thailand helps a lot. What I don't understand is the school had sent an e-mail that the OP has got a job, but what does that mean?

Some school superiors in this country would just hire anybody who walks in with their documents and forget about an e-mail and promises they'd made.

If I were you, OP, I'd make sure that you really got the job.

It wouldn't be a problem to send you a letter of employment to apply for a Non-B at a consulate, or embassy in your country.

Okay, schools are closed, but there're always some people on duty. It might be worth to double check your situation, before you fly to Thailand.

The 90 day probation period isn't the problem, you should start to think why they couldn't even sent you a contract/letter of employment, if you really start at this school in a few weeks.

Wish you best of luck.-

Edited April 9, 2014 by sirchai

[wayned]

"Okay, schools are closed, but there're always some people on duty. It might be worth to double check your situation, before you fly to Thailand."

I've worked at two provincial schools in the past and the HRM was a Thai teacher whose secondary job was HRM and did not seak English. In addition on the day the school officially closed and the teachers were on "vacation" there was a mass exodus and they were unreachable until the day that they had to be back. Yes, there was always someone on duty, it was a daily rotation of one of the unlucky teachers that sat in the office but had absolutly no idea of what was going on and most likely spoke no English.

IMHO, unless the Embasssy will accept the email, which I doubt, taking a chance and coming on a tourist visa is the only option.

[ubonjoe]

You could check with one of the honorary consulates about their requirements to get a non-b visa based upon teaching are. Some embassies and consulates require a criminal background check to get the visa.

Contact info for honorary consulates here. http://www.thaiembdc.us/dcdp/Thai_Consulate_Directory2

[sirchai]

"Okay, schools are closed, but there're always some people on duty. It might be worth to double check your situation, before you fly to Thailand."

I've worked at two provincial schools in the past and the HRM was a Thai teacher whose secondary job was HRM and did not seak English. In addition on the day the school officially closed and the teachers were on "vacation" there was a mass exodus and they were unreachable until the day that they had to be back. Yes, there was always someone on duty, it was a daily rotation of one of the unlucky teachers that sat in the office but had absolutly no idea of what was going on and most likely spoke no English.

IMHO, unless the Embasssy will accept the email, which I doubt, taking a chance and coming on a tourist visa is the only option.

Sorry, you're right. Same situation at my school. But I still stay in touch with teachers who'll start in May via e-mail and phone.

I'd assume that it would be worth to send some more e-mails,to make sure that the job is really available.I would definitely not just believe one e-mail that I'm hired.

Even Thais can read e-mails when on a holiday.

Best would be to apply for some other jobs as well, it's a good time now.Best of luck and again, welcome to teaching in LOS>

Edited April 10, 2014 by sirchai

[mmcsusnret]

You can also use the Honorary Consulate in New Orleans, La.

[chydesno]

I will be in the US for 3 weeks. Is that enough time to send my passport to the consulate and get it back? I will not have a return flight and I'm not sure how to request a tourist visa without this requirement. Will my passport get stuck there if I don't have a return flight itnerary?

[ubonjoe]

I will be in the US for 3 weeks. Is that enough time to send my passport to the consulate and get it back? I will not have a return flight and I'm not sure how to request a tourist visa without this requirement. Will my passport get stuck there if I don't have a return flight itnerary?

You have more than enough time to get a visa.

Before sending you passport and application contact the embassy or the consulate to find out their requirements. I don't recall any recent reports of them wanting a ticket out for a tourist visa. For a non-b a ticket is never needed.

Did you check the list of honorary consulates. You might find that you are near enough to apply in person at one them.