Non Immigrant B Rule Change?

[jepezi]

A newly hired co-worker of mine went to Laos with all the proper paperwork and the Thai principal from my school to get her non immigrant b visa so that she can start the work permit process. They declinded her, saying that now you have to have them issued in your home country only. Can this be true? Our school has had farang for over 8 years and we do the same process every time. I doubt that it can be true, but they did decline her. She is a Filipino and I'm not sure if this could have affected it or not. Has anyone heard about a rule change?

[geoffphuket]

Any change regarding visa regulations would be huge news on this forum... Nothing posted

Lopburi3 is our guru on this topic

to TV

geoffphuket

[lopburi3]

Although I am no authority on business visas I believe many places require you to start the work permit process first and receive a WP3 before you apply for a B visa these days. Did she have that?

[Sunbelt Asia]

A newly hired co-worker of mine went to Laos with all the proper paperwork and the Thai principal from my school to get her non immigrant b visa so that she can start the work permit process. They declinded her, saying that now you have to have them issued in your home country only. Can this be true? Our school has had farang for over 8 years and we do the same process every time. I doubt that it can be true, but they did decline her. She is a Filipino and I'm not sure if this could have affected it or not. Has anyone heard about a rule change?

You need a WP3 or show a diploma in Loas.

If she goes to Penang or Singapore, should not be a problem.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[Gonzo the Face]

I can tell you this from 1st hand experience.

1 Thai Immigration laws are not created for convenience of the expat .

2 They are not created based in any way on common sense or logic.

3 My opinion is that they are created as a means of being able to collect additional "FEES"

For years, in order for someone [expat] to enter Thailand for purposes of business or business discussion, that person first, before entering the country, was supposed to obtain a Non Imm B Visa. To get this visa, from a Thai Embassy or Consulate, in whatever country, the expat was required to produce a Sponsoring Letter from the group or company that wished to talk with him.

This guarantee letter would be produced for the RT Emb/Cons and under normal conditions the necessary visa would be granted.

In years past this did not mean nor had anything to do with a work permit. If the expat did intend to work in the kingdom then a work permit would become also necessary.

I was desirous of hiring a Burmese National with a passport.

I spoke with the RT Embassy in Yangon and was informed that the individual would first be required to apply for a work permit, then once the approval letter was issued to the applicant, the applicant would then be able to apply in Yangon for the Non Imm B.

I went over this with the individual who spoke reasonablly good English just to be sure I had heard it correctly

My point of stating that what if the person was coming for a single business discussion, why would it be necessary for the person to obtain a work permit approval first , not the work permit but the approval letter. There was no answer other than that is the way it was.

This definitely was not a statement with any amount of logic in it and I still think that the person in the Embassy was either adamently wrong or just plain misinformed

For the record the non Imm B visa was obtained in another country with not a moments difficulty.

I was under the impression that a Non Imm B was to allow entrance to Thailand for Business purposes that in many instances did not and will not evolve to the applicant working in Thailand. So why the necessity or logic of applying for a work permit that will never come about???

TIT

follow the money/

Edited September 1, 2006 by Gonzo the Face

[drogon]

Strange, I suppose some consulates or embassies are less friendly....

I used sunbelt to apply for a non immigrant B visa multiple entry.

Then received the sponsoring letter -> went to the consulate (in my country) and received my visa

the day after.

No questions, just had to give the sponsoring letter, the fee, 3 photos and the application form completed and that was all.

[Sunbelt Asia]

Each Thai embassy/consulate has it own requirements for supporting documentation to obtain the visa, and their requirements are not uniform.

Example: The Thai Embassy in Dubai may require that the applicant provide a copy of the sponsoring company’s director’s passport and letter confirming the applicant lives at such and such residence in Thailand as part of the visa application. However, the Thai Consulate in Houston may require only the application form and invitation letter, with no further supporting documentation. While the Thai Embassy in Manila may require a WP 3 and letter stating want holidays the employee will get off when the request is for a invite to investigate a business.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[Couthy]

It does all seem to change day by day, person you speak to, etc.

Last week we went down the Labour Dept., to start my WP application (Here on 3 months Business Visa)

and was told that the application had to filed within 30 days of my arrival within Thailand.

Previously I worked here for 8 years on a WP when it was a REAL HEADACHE to obtain - I dunno, you go away for a couple of years and they make it easier. They say.

However we will be in Laos shortly and are assured that with the paperwork relevant to our company the new B will bot be a problem.

However, we do work in a very specialised area and as I am the only foreigner in the company, perhaps there are different criteria?.

Cheers,

C.

Edited September 1, 2006 by Couthy