My future company's lawyer told me I might have to stay in KL for 7-8 days to obtain a non immigrant B according to "the new rules". Can anyone confirm this? I m not sure what the logic could possibly be behind this...

I am 28 with German passport.

Thanks in advance.

Kind regards, Oliver

The company "lawyer" must be correct in making that assertion

Find a new lawyer or a different employer !

Probably the nonsense some are saying that in order to to apply for the work permit you have to be outside the country. This is false info. Your company can submit a WP1 to the Labor Ministry and get the work permit approval letter needed to apply for the non-b visa with you here in the country.

You apply for the visa and pickup your passport the next day.

You apply for the visa and pickup your passport the next day.

But Visa Non-B application must be outside the country (i.e. Laos), chai mai?

Of course they have to applied for outside the country at an embassy or consulate.

It is possible though to do a change to a non immigrant visa at Bangkok and 3 other regional immigration offices with the correct paperwork. But most people have to go out for them.

Thanks guys, now I got the info that i need WP3 for non-immigrant B application and that during the time the company applies for WP3 I must be outside the country, hence the long stay.

What you need to get the visa is a work permit approval letter from the Labor Ministry. This can be obtained after your employer files a WP1 work permit application.

It seems your employer needs to find a different lawyer.

What you need to get the visa is a work permit approval letter from the Labor Ministry. This can be obtained after your employer files a WP1 work permit application.

It seems your employer needs to find a different lawyer.

Just to confirm that Work Permit Application form WP1 should be used for cases where applicants are already in Thailand, whereas Work Permit Application form WP3 should only be used in cases where the prospective employee is not yet in Thailand.

In either case successful filing will be evidenced by a WP1 or WP3 Receipt and in both cases a Letter of Approval can then be requested from the local labour dept.

It is the Letter of Approval that is now normally requested for new Non immigrant '.B' Visa applications in the SE Asia region, not the WP1 or WP3 receipts (A5 sized pro forma paper).

The OP's employer's lawyer is unfortunately not 'fully up to speed' in this area of immigration law.