Work permit without a non b visa?

[manonthemon]

Is it possible to hold on to a work permit without a valid non b visa?

Let me explain. I'm in Thailand on a 3 month single entry non b visa based on an application for work permit which I should receive soon. Unfortunately, due to some complications I won't be able to extend the current visa, I will actually be leaving Thailand soon and returning one month later, probably with a tourist visa, only to leave again to go for a visa run to apply for a non b.

Will my work permit remain valid so that I can take it with me for this visa run, apply for a new non b and live happily ever after?

[digitalchromakey]

Why not leave Thailand and apply for a single/multiple entry non immigrant 'b' visa at Penang, this will definitely retain the validity of your WP.

If you don't yet have the WP, but it is in process then Labour will issue the Letter of Acceptance.

You would then get a fresh 90 day non 'b' entry permission to stay stamp on your return.

Required paperwork:

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15388-Non-Immigrant-Visa-%22B%22-(for-Business-and.html

Return on a Tourist Visa and your WP is technically invalid will the all consequences thereof re working illegally.

Edited March 12, 2015 by digitalchromakey

[manonthemon]

My passport is full, applied for a new one but will not get it in time, before I leave for my holidays away from Thailand.

So will the wp remain valid if my non b expires?

[digitalchromakey]

My passport is full, applied for a new one but will not get it in time, before I leave for my holidays away from Thailand.

So will the wp remain valid if my non b expires?

Simple answer is no, but you might get away with it for a few days.

Passport full, what is your nationality?

UK passports, for example, are invalid for international travel once you have applied for a replacement.

[overherebc]

My passport is full, applied for a new one but will not get it in time, before I leave for my holidays away from Thailand.

So will the wp remain valid if my non b expires?

Simple answer is no, but you might get away with it for a few days.

Passport full, what is your nationality?

UK passports, for example, are invalid for international travel once you have applied for a replacement.

Last year I applied for a new passport, UK, and 4 days later did an in out at Poipet to get another 90 days on my Multi O. No problem. I honestly don't think the UK authorities inform everybody and their brother that you have applied for a new passport.

[digitalchromakey]

My passport is full, applied for a new one but will not get it in time, before I leave for my holidays away from Thailand.

So will the wp remain valid if my non b expires?

Simple answer is no, but you might get away with it for a few days.

Passport full, what is your nationality?

UK passports, for example, are invalid for international travel once you have applied for a replacement.

Last year I applied for a new passport, UK, and 4 days later did an in out at Poipet to get another 90 days on my Multi O. No problem. I honestly don't think the UK authorities inform everybody and their brother that you have applied for a new passport.

Yours is the third report I have read to that effect, however the UK HMPO Website states that:

You can’t travel with it (your old passport) after you’ve applied for a new one - but you will be able to keep your existing passport for ID purposes.

[manonthemon]

Regarding the validity of WP when visa is cancelled/lost/expired - I found information in this topic claiming that it remains valid.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/306016-12-month-visa-cancelled-forgot-to-get-re-entry-permit/

Can anyone confirm? Will my wp we valid if I lose my visa (not yet an extention of stay but a 3 months non b visa) due to lack of a reentry permit when I leave Thailand?

Edited March 12, 2015 by manonthemon

[digitalchromakey]

Regarding the validity of WP when visa is cancelled/lost/expired - I found information in this topic claiming that it remains valid.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/306016-12-month-visa-cancelled-forgot-to-get-re-entry-permit/

Can anyone confirm? Will my wp we valid if I lose my visa (not yet an extention of stay but a 3 months non b visa) due to lack of a reentry permit when I leave Thailand?

No not per se, you don't need a re-entry permit when you leave Thailand, but would require a non immigrant visa on re-entry to continue to work.

You will not be able to work should you return with a tourist visa or a visa exempt entry, as this would breach a condition of the WP which requires that you continue to hold a valid non immigrant visa or extension of permission to stay.

Working of Aliens Act 2551

Section 28. In the case a holder of permit violates or fails to comply with the conditions of such permission, the Registrar is entitled to revoke such permit.

Holding a valid non immigrant visa is a condition of WP Issuance, so loss of non immigrant status whilst in Thailand is grounds for revocation.

However one may leave Thailand due to an expiring 90 stamp from a used non immigrant visa, then re-enter Thailand using a freshly obtained non 'b' visa.

There is no requirement for you to hold a valid non immigrant visa whilst you are the holder of a WP and being outside of Thailand.

Similarly there is no requirement to be the continuous holder of a non 'b' whilst on a WP; so the original visa can expire, one can leave Thailand to obtain a new visa then re-enter without prejudicing one's extant WP.

Edited March 12, 2015 by digitalchromakey

[manonthemon]

Thank you

The problem is that, like I mentioned before, I have no space left in my passport so I won't be able to get a new non b during my trip outside of Thailand. This is why I wanted to return to Thailand for a couple of days on a on arrival entry stamp, collect my new passport from the embassy and go for a visa run to get a non b based on my wp. Will they automatically cancel my wp because of this few days on a wrong visa in the country?

[chrisinth]

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Regarding the validity of WP when visa is cancelled/lost/expired - I found information in this topic claiming that it remains valid.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/306016-12-month-visa-cancelled-forgot-to-get-re-entry-permit/

Can anyone confirm? Will my wp we valid if I lose my visa (not yet an extention of stay but a 3 months non b visa) due to lack of a reentry permit when I leave Thailand?

I may be wrong but I was always of the understanding that your work permit was only valid until your permission to stay expired, whether that be visa or extension.

So with that thinking, your work permit would expire when your 90 day non-b visa expires.

Looking at your work permit, when is the latest stamp valid until?

Edit: Just read digitalchromakey's post #8. Seems I'm wrong, please disregard this post.

Edited March 13, 2015 by chrisinth

[ubonjoe]

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Regarding the validity of WP when visa is cancelled/lost/expired - I found information in this topic claiming that it remains valid.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/306016-12-month-visa-cancelled-forgot-to-get-re-entry-permit/

Can anyone confirm? Will my wp we valid if I lose my visa (not yet an extention of stay but a 3 months non b visa) due to lack of a reentry permit when I leave Thailand?

I may be wrong but I was always of the understanding that your work permit was only valid until your permission to stay expired, whether that be visa or extension.

So with that thinking, your work permit would expire when your 90 day non-b visa expires.

Looking at your work permit, when is the latest stamp valid until?

Edit: Just read digitalchromakey's post #8. Seems I'm wrong, please disregard this post.

Work permits have not been tied to a permit to stay for several years now (2008 if I recall correctly).

[ubonjoe]

Thank you

The problem is that, like I mentioned before, I have no space left in my passport so I won't be able to get a new non b during my trip outside of Thailand. This is why I wanted to return to Thailand for a couple of days on a on arrival entry stamp, collect my new passport from the embassy and go for a visa run to get a non b based on my wp. Will they automatically cancel my wp because of this few days on a wrong visa in the country?

Your work permit will no be canceled because they will not know about it.

It seems you have no other choice than to do what you wrote about.

You could be denied boarding your return flight unless you have a return or onward ticket since you will not have a valid visa.

[manonthemon]

Great!

This brings me back to the question - will I be able to get a re-entry permit or a new non b visa in a emergency travel document?

[overherebc]

Great!

This brings me back to the question - will I be able to get a re-entry permit or a new non b visa in a emergency travel document?

Your ETD will have the journeys you can make printed into it. eg Return journey, lets say BKK/KL/BKK. You are only permitted that one journey, or, it can have perhaps one more added at the time of issue. No other travel is allowed using it so the chance of getting a re-entry permit in it is non-existent I would reckon.

Edit

You have to show travel documents for the journey as well, plane tickets/booking etc.

Edited March 13, 2015 by overherebc

[ubonjoe]

That depends upon how your home country does emergency travel documents. Some only issue them for a trip home.

If they issued one that will allow you leave and return to here you can get the re-entry permit or a non-b visa in it.

[overherebc]

That depends upon how your home country does emergency travel documents. Some only issue the them for a trip home.

If they issued one that will allow you leave and return to here you can get the re-entry permit or a non-b visa in it.

When I got mine, UK Embassy, they wanted all journeys specified, only one in my case, and tickets etc to be shown. I was told that any other journeys would require another ETD. After that journey the ETD I was told was no longer valid.

[pbonline]

Please tell us how it all went when you are back

[digitalchromakey]

Great!

This brings me back to the question - will I be able to get a re-entry permit or a new non b visa in a emergency travel document?

Presume your home nation's embassy doesn't do extra passport pages.

If your ETD shows a return journey to Thailand on its notes pages, then you should be able to get a re-entry permit against your current 90 day non 'b' stamp.

As regards a new non 'b', first you obviously need to be visiting a country that recognises your particular nation's ETD, then check with that county's Thai Embassy as to whether they will issue you with a Single Entry non immigrant 'b' visa.

I recollect reading about one individual poster on this forum who had managed to get a sixty day Thai Tourist Visa in a UK ETD whilst in SE Asia mid last year.

[manonthemon]

I will.

As of now i have a number of options:

- I will go to local immigration and try to convince them to squeeze in the re-entry stamp somewhere in my passport. I was told that if I make it sound urgent enough, they might show some flexibility.

- I will apply for a temporary passport at my embassy. This is something different than a ETD and works like normal passport, just has no biometric data. It can be made within one day at my embassy at additional cost. I will then try to get a reentry in this document Suvarnabhumi airport.

- There is still hope that I will get my new passport before I leave.

If I'm lucky, one of these will work out and I wan't lose mu visa and will be able to apply for an extension of stay based on a WP once I'm back in Thailand. Though this would be only 3 day before my current visa expires....

[digitalchromakey]

I will.

As of now i have a number of options:

- I will go to local immigration and try to convince them to squeeze in the re-entry stamp somewhere in my passport. I was told that if I make it sound urgent enough, they might show some flexibility.

- I will apply for a temporary passport at my embassy. This is something different than a ETD and works like normal passport, just has no biometric data. It can be made within one day at my embassy at additional cost. I will then try to get a reentry in this document Suvarnabhumi airport.

- There is still hope that I will get my new passport before I leave.

If I'm lucky, one of these will work out and I wan't lose mu visa and will be able to apply for an extension of stay based on a WP once I'm back in Thailand. Though this would be only 3 day before my current visa expires....

OK.

Hope it's clear that you should also have no problems applying for an extension of permission to stay with your existing WP against a fresh, current 90 day non 'b' entry obtained against a newly issued single or multiple entry non immigrant 'B' visa.

You shouldn't either have any problems with subsequent renewal of your WP as labour will not be looking at this time period (or your temp passport), just your immigration status at the time.