Countries which have to obtain Non B visa's in their home country

[gunnerterry]

My school is at present having a problem with a cameroon teacher trying to obtain a Non B visa in order to secure a work permit. Usually our new teachers are sent to Laos or Cambodia with the relevant paperwork to get their Non B. However we have just been informed that Cameroon has now been issued to the list of countries where these countrymen have to return to their home country (or nearest with a Thai embassy) to obtain their Non B! Does anyone know where i can obtain a list of these 'flagged' countries, as this will have a bearing on recruitment in the future.

[Mario2008]

Several Thai embassies list these countries, but cannot guarantee they are up to date.

Often it is a restriction in that they need to provide extra information, the application takes longer and can only be done at the embassy (not a honorary consulate).

[ubonjoe]

I don't know where you can find such a list.

You possibly could find it here on consular affairs website. http://www.consular.go.th/main/th/home

Or perhaps contact them to see if they could provide a list.

[gunnerterry]

Thanks for your ideas. I appreciate your time. Don't know why memos from immigration can't be sent to schools for guideance with certain nationalities it would save alot of time, money and hassle for all involved. This is Thailand! lol

[Tomtomtom69]

I find it strange that this guy managed to get a visa, any visa (particularly a tourist visa) to come to Thailand in the first place unless he got it back home in Cameroon. I was also under the impression that visa procedures there are quite strict (requiring letters from employers authorizing leave, return tickets etc.), but I could be wrong.

It would have been best for him to get a non-B before even arriving here, but in this case going back home would be the best option. Doubt he will have any success at a nearby consulate or embassy and then there would be the additional trouble of even being able to obtain a visa to enter a neighboring country.

Laos wouldn't work, as Cameroonians, most other West Africans, Sri Lankans etc. can only get a Lao visa in Bangkok under the following circumstances:

1. Must live in Thailand on a non-B or other long term visa. Tourist visas aren't acceptable.

2. Must have a re-entry permit for Thailand already in their passport before applying. Otherwise won't get a Lao visa.

3. Must show evidence of inbound/outbound travel by AIR. Can't enter overland, except if an air ticket has been purchased to get the visa, is then thrown away and overland travel is subsequently conducted. However, I can't imagine very many people throwing away a perfectly good air ticket to travel overland instead.

4. Must have confirmed hotel bookings.

I had a Sri Lankan friend on a tourist visa try to obtain a Lao visa in Thailand without success (the Lao consular officer told me in Lao that the above requirements are in place for certain nationals) and Cameroonians would be subject to much the same requirements.

Cambodia is said to be a bit easier but I still think a Cameroonian might struggle to obtain a Cambodian visa in Thailand.

Remember that neither Laos nor Cambodia offers VOA for Cameroonian nationals. They did some years back but stopped issuing those to nationals of a number of countries, including Cameroon a few years ago.

Myanmar would work though. I saw one African guy, from Sierra Leone I think, in the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok who successfully applied for a tourist visa there (I have never heard of Myanmar rejecting any tourist visa applications, especially not if you apply in Bangkok). Similarly, my friend from Sri Lanka was also able to obtain a Myanmar tourist visa on that very same day. So it would seem that Myanmar would work and I don't see any issues obtaining a non-B in Yangon - but Cameroonians may not be in luck there either (can't say for sure though).

Singapore surprisingly doesn't require a visa from Cameroonians (unless that has changed) but then the original problem might apply again: no Thai visas for Cameroonians not resident in Singapore. However, according to the Thai Embassy website in Singapore, Cameroon is interestingly not on the list of restricted applicants, though this list may be out of date.

Yangon or Singapore may thus be the only two realistic options.

So I don't think there are many definitive options for this teacher other than to go back home to apply for a non-B, unfortunately. You could tell him to try Yangon or Singapore, but there's no guarantee of success. Singapore in particular can be quite strict whereas Yangon is quite friendly.

Edited June 4, 2014 by Tomtomtom69

[ubonjoe]

I think it will be a problem anywhere. There was a recent post about a person from Cameroon not being able to get a visa at the embassy in Singapore.