Tourist visa to a work visa

[dannicaleigh]

If I had a tourist visa--how hard is it to change it to a work visa once I am already in Thailand?

Thanks in advance!

[ubonjoe]

There is no work visa.

If you find a job you would apply for a work permit and then you would need to get a non immigrant B visa to have the work permit issued and then an extension of stay based upon working.

In some cases it is possible to change a tourist visa entry to a non immigrant visa based upon qualifying for an extension of stay based upon working. But most people go out of the country to get the non-b visa,

[Mario2008]

I would be much easier to apply for a non-B visa abroad.

1. apply for a work permit and get a wp3 receipt and a letter of approval from the labour office

2. take these documents, together with company papers, to a Thai consulate and apply for a non-B visa

3. return to Thailand on your non-B visa and get a permission to stay for 90 days

4. get the work permit from the labour office

5. after 60 days apply for a 1 year extension of stay.

If a teacher you can apply for a non-B without the need to first apply for the WP.