Non-immigrant B visa soon to be no longer available...

[ThomasAJ]

said the girl at the Thai Consulate in Brisbane Australia as she was handed our application forms for a 1 year unlimited entry visa.

We did not enquire about any more details so cannot offer any more info other than a heads-up.

We received the visas for "Business and Travel" but cannot work there - whatever the true definition of work is?

I guess it may be in the context of being employed.

[beechguy]

Why do you guys post, such misleading headlines? True, in the future, at Brisbane and other locations, they may not be available, but that doesn't apply to all locations. One has never been able to work by having a "B" Visa, a Work permit is required.

[PoorSucker]

Probably they will not be able to issue any multiple entry visas anymore.

Like in the UK, multiple entry visas must go through the embassy.

You can not work on any visa, only a work permit allows you to work.

[ubonjoe]

The non-b visa will around for a long time to come. But is getting harder to get multiple entry non-b visas.

The non-b is for working or business. Business means meetings with customers or suppliers and etc.

[ThomasAJ]

Why do you guys post, such misleading headlines? True, in the future, at Brisbane and other locations, they may not be available, but that doesn't apply to all locations. One has never been able to work by having a "B" Visa, a Work permit is required.

*Not* misleading at all in the context of what we were told.

I was told "this will no longer be available".

You have no right to say "but that doesn't apply to all locations" because you cannot possibly know.

[beechguy]

Why do you guys post, such misleading headlines? True, in the future, at Brisbane and other locations, they may not be available, but that doesn't apply to all locations. One has never been able to work by having a "B" Visa, a Work permit is required.

*Not* misleading at all in the context of what we were told.

I was told "this will no longer be available".

You have no right to say "but that doesn't apply to all locations" because you cannot possibly know.

I'm not the one whining and bitching about jumping through hoops to spend my money. You are correct, I haven't applied for a visa in every country, but I have in several, I wouldn't be stupid enough to make a blank statement that covers every Consulate and Honorary Consul. I would have at least put Brisbane in the title, to give some context, most of us are not going there, all though I did go to Perth and applied and received a one year Multi-Entry "B" from the former official's office.

[maxman71]

I have been able to get numerous Non-Imm B multiple entry renewals at various Thai consulates since 2006.

The key to getting multiple entry Non-Imm B's IMO, is having a valid work permit.

I have also found that having a WP can make it much easier when transacting other business matters, like wire transferring significant amounts of funds overseas from a Thai bank account. If one does not have a WP when transferring a large amount of funds (more than USD 20,000 I seem to recall the banksters at Krung Thai telling me), they may very well require you produce documentation as to the source of the funds in your Thai bank account. These requirements and limitations may only apply to US Citizens/US Permanent Residents/Green Card holders as a result of FATCA, but I don't know for sure.

I further note that if you have a WP and it gets cancelled/expires, before you turn it in to the Thai Labor authorities as required, be sure to make COMPLETE color copies or color scan to a storage device. This is so if you need to wire transfer large amounts of funds out of Thailand after your WP is gone, the fact you had a WP can serve as documentation you earned the funds while working in Thailand and relieve you of having to go through the huge hassle of proving where the funds originated from. This was also told to me by the friendly banksters at Krung Thai.

Bottom line from my experiences and observations, having a valid WP is golden.

Edited December 2, 2014 by maxman71