Visa Trip To Sawannakhet Tomorrow, Or The day After Tomorrow...

[sirchai]

Hello and Swasdee khrap,

I'm planning to go on a visa run as a result of changing schools this week. I do have may documents together, just wanted to make sure that I've got all of them right.

Here's what I've got:

1. Contracts in Thai and English

2. Letter from educational area XX

3. 3. Director's Id copy, signed.

4. My teaching schedule.

5. A map, where the school's located.

6. My wife who wants to join me.

7. Two photographs I still have to produce today. What size?)

8. My degree, transcripts, etc....

Is that enough? Any input would deeply appreciated.

Cheers-

[ubonjoe]

This from the Vientiane website which is the same as Savannakhet's requirements.

For applicant who wishes to work for an academic institute; as full or part-time teacher, tutor or teaching assistant, documents required are;

1. Official letter from the Ministry of Education of Thailand, or other sub-authorities concerned, approving the employment of foreign academic personnel
2. Recommendation letter addressed to the Embassy (stating about the employment and visa application) and accompanied with the certified copy of the ID of the endorser
3. Employment contract
4. Form of the Employment Certification
5. Copy of registration certificate of the concerned academic institute
6. Copy of applicant’s academic certificate/record
7.Copy of the recent police clearance or certificate of no criminal conviction. Not asked for.
8. Copy of the previous/current work permit (if any)

As an in case measure you might want to take your marriage certificate, wife house book and ID card with you to get a single entry non-o as fall back. You can apply for a work permit and get an extension for teaching with it.

Photos are 3.5 x 4.5 cm.

[sirchai]

This from the Vientiane website which is the same as Savannakhet's requirements.

For applicant who wishes to work for an academic institute; as full or part-time teacher, tutor or teaching assistant, documents required are;

1. Official letter from the Ministry of Education of Thailand, or other sub-authorities concerned, approving the employment of foreign academic personnel

2. Recommendation letter addressed to the Embassy (stating about the employment and visa application) and accompanied with the certified copy of the ID of the endorser

3. Employment contract

4. Form of the Employment Certification

5. Copy of registration certificate of the concerned academic institute

6. Copy of applicant’s academic certificate/record

7.Copy of the recent police clearance or certificate of no criminal conviction. Not asked for.

8. Copy of the previous/current work permit (if any)

As an in case measure you might want to take your marriage certificate, wife house book and ID card with you to get a single entry non-o as fall back. You can apply for a work permit and get an extension for teaching with it.

Thanks, thought about that before as a backup. They still seem to issue one year Multiple entry Non-O visas there. Only there.

Might be a better option than being tight to a school. Would I need my wife's house book, where she's registered, or would a copy be okay? The house book is in the village and i don't really have much time to drive around a lot.

I know that they want to see the original marriage certificate.

Thanks a lot for taking the time ubonjoe, your advice is always precise and I deeply appreciate it. Cheers-

[ubonjoe]

They still do the multiple entry non-o based upon marriage with no financial proof needed.

Copy of house book is accepted. You wife needs to sign and date copy of it and ID card.

[sirchai]

They still do the multiple entry non-o based upon marriage with no financial proof needed.

Copy of house book is accepted. You wife needs to sign and date copy of it and ID card.

Thanks ubonjoe. Might take off already today. Still tryin to figure out how to get there. First I wanted to take my Pick up, leave it at the friendship bridge, but i remember that there's a bus service from Ubon bus station to Mukdahan, or Sawannakhet.

I was even asking the driver how many times they're driving a day, but don't remember it.

Was planning to leave my car in Ubon at my still house on campus, then taking the bus to Mukdahan. I'd assume it would make more sense to apply for a Non-O multiple as it's not tight to the school, as we never know how a new school turns out.

Is there a bus leaving to Mukdahan early morning from Ubon, that I could make it to the consulate in time? If anybody did that before, I'd really appreciate your input.

Thanks a lot for the nice replies. Cheers- Mike

[happynthailand]

it take's about 6 or more hours by bus, it stops along the way to pick up people

take the express bus cuts the time in half

from mukdahan bus station to the bridge is about 6km

theres taxi's that will take you to the bridge, don't take a tok-tok in will be a long slow ride

Edited May 5, 2014 by happynthailand

[ubonjoe]

The bus that crosses the bridge starts at the bus station in Mukdahan and goes all the way to the bus station in Savannakhet. It will wait for you to clear immigration at both sides of the bridge.

[tetleythedog]

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This from the Vientiane website which is the same as Savannakhet's requirements.

As an in case measure you might want to take your marriage certificate, wife house book and ID card with you to get a single entry non-o as fall back. You can apply for a work permit and get an extension for teaching with it. For applicant who wishes to work for an academic institute; as full or part-time teacher, tutor or teaching assistant, documents required are;

1. Official letter from the Ministry of Education of Thailand, or other sub-authorities concerned, approving the employment of foreign academic personnel
2. Recommendation letter addressed to the Embassy (stating about the employment and visa application) and accompanied with the certified copy of the ID of the endorser
3. Employment contract
4. Form of the Employment Certification
5. Copy of registration certificate of the concerned academic institute
6. Copy of applicant’s academic certificate/record
7.Copy of the recent police clearance or certificate of no criminal conviction. Not asked for.
8. Copy of the previous/current work permit (if any)

Photos are 3.5 x 4.5 cm.

Strange eh...............i know a guy who has been teaching here for years.........no degree, goes every 3 months to Suvannakhet, gets his Non Imm B, can't get it extended because he can't get a work permit. How the hell does the school get away with this?

[ubonjoe]

I have no idea how they get away with it. He could also be caught for working without a work permit. Of course some people wrongly think having a B visa allows you to work.

[Kasset Tak]

I think it's depend on the person working there at the moment you hand in your application!

I went there with all documents except from the school office area as I need one from OVEC in Bangkok and with Songkran and all it was just a mess. But I could show previous work permit, teacher license and so on... I got a big NO in Sawannakhet.

With the same documents I went to Hanoi and had no problem!

Edited May 6, 2014 by Kasset Tak

[ChrisB87]

Good luck and let us know how it goes. I will have to do this soon too.

[nellyp]

I'm off to do this next week. Can I download the app form from anywhere? I ask because I'm not sure it is the same as other embassies because of the income stipulation not being needed. I heard a rumour that they were changing their premises; does anybody know if this is true?

Cheers

[ubonjoe]

Here is the application form but I cannot be sure it is the most recent. Savannakhet .pdf

There have been no reports that they have done the move yet. Remember Tuesday is a holiday.

[bobroper]

Yes ubonjoe, that's the most recent.

[lostinisaan]

I'm posting this by using lostinisaan's account, as I've got a month/forever suspension

I'm at lostinisaan's house now and typing that.

Here's how my trip went:

I left Sisaket Tuesday morning at 4.30, drove the shortest way, over Yang Chum Noi, Yasothon to Mukdahan. 225 km from Sisaket. Then left my car next to the friendship bridge at the parking lot on the left hand side and went to the Immigration.

No overstay, got stamped out, while my wife went for her border pass. I thought we had luck,when a van stopped and the driver was willing to give us a ride.

Unfortunately, you'll never cook your food without the Chef, as wife forgot to get stamped out. Okay, back and waiting for the "International" bus. That took so long that I hardly made it in time, arrived at the consulate at 10 am +, but could get in and an application form.

I had all documents for a Non-O, as well as for a Non-B, finally decided to go for a Non-B. The guy starts to look at the documents and tells me he wants to see the original letter of educational area one office. I tell him that this is the original, but then he looks at my.documents, degree, transcripts, TOEIC and about 30 other documents.

I'm asking him very politely which documents he likes to have and he wants to send me to get all of them copied. Okay, please keep them all, were my words, paid my 2,000 baht, got my receipt to pick my passport up the next day at 2 pm.

Then a guy I knew who'll start at a school in Sisaket, who had no educational area one document. Gave my word for him, they were okay with that as I knew the one consulate guy from before, to accept a scan, sent to his e-mail.

Then the Rikscha Mafiosi in Sawannakhet. Four of us hopped on one, all I want is a guesthouse near the Mekhong, which is near the consulate. The guy drives around for about an hour, from hotel to hotel, my wife's driving me crazy. Biggest mistake was to travel with her.

The guy charges 200 baht for a ride that ends at the bus station. You could drive around for an hour in Ubon, sitting in a real cab for that amount.

Trying to solve that problem with more Lao beer doesn't make it better. The hangover the next day was terrible. There's a nice, but expensive restaurant just down the road of the consulate, a simple pizza around 400 baht. Nothing special.The one with the penguins in front....

We arrive at the consulate at 1.30 the next day, wait another 40 minutes, finally they open the gate. I take my passport and get out of that place as fast as possible.

Arrived at my car on the other side around 3.30 pm and drove back. The Laos guys are trying to ask foreigners to pay a 40 baht fee to get in, as well when they wanna get out.Please don't pay, even when you think 40 baht is nothing. They try it....ask for a receipt.....

Asking him if I can see his boss, solved the problem. Couldn't get any dollars, so I pay 1,500 baht for a visa that would have been 900 something baht paid in bucks.You can't buy dollars from banks, as they don't sell them again.

I saw a Swiss guy who received his Non- O without financial proof, seems to still work there.Swiss guys don't need to pay for visas, okay, already forgotten.

All in all was bad timing and if I have to go there again, I'll have my own car with a "car passport". No more rip off, being on TUk Tuk's driven by Jaba, or Acid addicted freaks.

Everything in Swannakhet has gotten so expensive, almost unbelievable. There's nothing where I could say I liked to see.

Staying there one night is more than enough. They close the gate at 11 am and don't let more people in. So you'd even be okay when you sneak in around 10.30.- 10.45....

Wish you a good trip. Cheers

Thanks a lot to lostinisaan for letting me use his account to page this.

Sirchai,-( In Exile) -

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Edited May 8, 2014 by ubonjoe
removed some unwise comments

[nellyp]

Do we need to sign and date all copies? I am trying to make the trip as smooth as possible

Cheers

[ubonjoe]

Copies of you wife's house book and ID card must be signed and dated by her. Marriage certificate by both of you.

Your passport photo page by you.