End Of Work Permit.. Want To Stay. Advice Needed!

[Brodsky]

Apologies if the answers to these are here, but im pretty baffled by all these complicated visa scenarios!

I'm a british guy, mid 30s, been in Thailand for 2 years with work permit through my employer. I will shortly be leaving this employer but wish to remain in the country for the foreseable future.

What is my best option? Can i get a non-immigrant b 3 month visa based on regular but part time work?

Obviously i want to avoid monthly visa runs and find out what my best options are!

Any advice will be gratefully received!

[KronbergTH]

According to your information, you have to use visa-runs as you cannot get a 3 month visa if your salary is lesser than 60K for US and 50K for EU.

Edited July 26, 2006 by KronbergTH

[lopburi3]

There is no salary requirement for a visa. But without a work permit you are not likely to receive a non immigrant B visa. Your best option would probably be setting up your own company if you can afford it.

[Brodsky]

setting up your own company? how much are we talking about and is this a long complex process!?

[britmaveric]

Sunbelt Asia, can explain this to you!!!

[KronbergTH]

Yes, there is no salary requirement for a 3 month visa. What I tried to say was that the mentioned salary requirement is for extension as he wrote that he had a work permit thru his former employer and wish to remain in the country.

[farangsay]

You'll all have to excuse me if I'm a bit slow but.....

You enter Thailand on a one-year non-imm B say

You get a job/WP

You un-get job (fired , quit , whatever) within the one year period

The non-imm B goes out the window with the WP ?

[lopburi3]

A visa is valid until is expires or is cancelled. Has nothing to do with work permit. A visa extension of stay however, if based on work permit, will end. This is likely the OP case as he is asking how to obtain a new visa and has been here two years.

The cost varies and should be simple if you use a firm to do the paperwork. Someone already suggested you contact sponsor and I would second that - if you want information first read the banner ad website as there is a lot available there.

[monty]

Do note that if your employer cancels the workpermit, and you are on an extension of stay based on this workpermit (meaning you are already longer then 90 days in the Kingdom since your last entry), you'll only have 7 days to leave Thailand!

If you only had a single entry Non-immigrant when you last entered Thailand you'll have to do a borderrun, but you will only get 30 days on arrival (because of no valid visa)

Other alternative is to obtain a visa in one of the Thai embassy's or consulates, but without vaild workpermit this visa will be at best a multiple entry tourist unless you go and obtain it in your home country, where you have a very good chance in obtaining a multiple entry non immigrant...

If you originally entered on a multiple entry non-immigrant, and this visa has not yet expired (valid 1 year from the date of issue) you can just do borderruns until the said visa expires. Each borderrun will give you 90 days of stay...

Using your own company to get yourself a workpermit is not to expensive, but using this workpermit to extend your stay (to get rid of the borderruns) does get expensive, since you'll need to pay income witholding tax for 4 Thai employees, and your own income tax based on a salary of 50,000 Baht/month (or 60,000 if you happen to be American) plus all the additional accounting it brings along!