My present situation:

I just signed a contract (Rajabat uni) and i need to get work permit and visa. Right now, all i have is a stamp (3o days) in my passport. What's the first step? Some school 'officials' are telling me that i need to go to the immigration in bkk first (they say they'll give me a non immigrant visa over there), but a friend of mine says that i need to go to Penang before that to get a visa. If so, what type of visa? A tourist visa? Or an other kind of visa? Would i need contract + letter from my school for this kind of visa?

Thanks

Ok, they (school officials) are telling me that there's a new law that makes it possible for someone (with a contract and a letter from the school) to get a non immigrant B visa directly at immigration in bkk without having to go to Penang first.. but in order to do that i need at least 21 days left on my 30 days 'stamp visa' ..anyone heard of that?

Kenkannif, our resident expert, will be along shortly, no doubt to assist but I believe that only a tourist visa - that is the formal visa that you pay for and obtain at a Thai consulate abroad and not in Thailand - can be converted into a non-immigrant B visa at immigration in BKK. You've only got the 30 day entry stamp on arrival.

Ok, they (school officials) are telling me that there's a new law that makes it possible for someone (with a contract and a letter from the school) to get a non immigrant B visa directly at immigration in bkk without having to go to Penang first.. but in order to do that i need at least 21 days left on my 30 days 'stamp visa' ..anyone heard of that?

You can change visas from tourist to non-imm at immigration, I did it about Jan last year. There is a special room upstairs for this process (room 301? or 201? or something like this). Yes you need lots of days left on your tourist visa because they take a few weeks to process it. I had to extend my tourist visa downstairs first. I recall a big tense guy behind the desk who was quite strict, requiring all the documents correctly worded etc.

Thanks for your answers folks.

Grover, when you say :"You can change visas from tourist to non-imm at immigration', do you mean '30 days stamp visa'? Or the kind of visa you get in Penang?

I mean, can i just go to the immigration office with my '30 days stamp visa' (provided that i have enough days left (21?) on it), or do i first need to go to Penang to get a (6o days?) tourist visa ?

The school offiicals are also telling me that it only takes a few hours to process, and that if i go to immigration in the morning, i can get my visa on that same day. But why would i need at least 21 days left on my visa then? Doesn't make sense.

ok, i got confirmation that it is possible to obtain a non immig visa from immigration in bkk provided that you have at least 21 days left on your 30 days 'transit/stamp' visa..why does one need to have 21 days left..? This i don't quite get, since i should be given a new non immig visa on the post/on the same day......

^ It does sound a bit odd. But then, This is Thailand .......

..that's right

They can and do do it with less days left on the Visa!

It's a conversion not a new Visa per se....so I asume that's why they like you to have enough time left.