Hi,

I'm starting a non-paid internship for 6 months in Bangkok in July and I'm traveling the 6th.

I need a non-immigrant ED visa.

At the Thai Embassy in France they said to me I need the WP3 form as my internship last more than 90 days.

I asked the company I will work for to provide the WP3 form but it takes time and I'm not sure I will get it on time to leave the 6th.

Can I get the visa anyway (non immigrant ED) and regularize my situation in Thailand with the Work Permit or can I get a tourism visa and then regularize my situation once in Thailand ?

Thank you in advance.

Normally for an internship arranged through a school/university a work permit is not needed.

Unless you are doing the internship through a Thai school/university you will not be able to get a non-ed visa at any nearby location. Also you will not be able to extend your your 90 day entry the single entry non-ed visa will give you on entry.

You best option would be a multiple entry non-ed visa from the embassy or from one of the honorary consulates in France.

The Thai Embassy in France is asking for a WP3 receipt, which is supplied when your future employer successfully files a Form WP3 Work Permit application on your behalf.

You require a WP3 receipt (and/or a Letter of Acceptance from the Ministry of Labour), along with the required company papers to apply for a non immigrant 'b' visa.

If you are working and not on a university brokered internship, (even if not paid ) then you would require a non 'b' visa plus a Work Permit.

A work permit will never be issued against an 'ED ' category visa.

It should be possible, if your future employer is willing, to successfully file a Work Permit application and prepare all the papers for a non' immigrant 'b' visa before the 6th.

Thanks for your answers.

I have all the other documents required for the non immigrant B visa (letter of recommendation, internship agreement, registration of the company, etc.).

My question is whether there is a way to travel anyway without the WP3 form (the WP3 when issued by the Dept. Of Labour must be send by air mail then I need another few days to get the visa at the embassy) an then regularize my situation with all the documents for a Non-immigrant B visa with a work Permit ?

No.

You require a visa- without the wp form your visa will not be issued.

If you travel to Thailand without this visa then you will get a visa on arrival if you are eligible as a tourist only.

To chanfe to a working visa OR ED visa you will need to exit Thailand applymfornthe visa at the appropriate consulate or embassy and then re-enter Thailand.

Your options are to delay your flight or to enter Thailand as a tourist noting you shoulfnnkt be working or doing unpaid internship but hey who cares but as the tourist visa is short term you will need tkcleave.

You cannot apply.for the visa inside Thailand. You.must be physically outside so your options are limited to the above.

Changing your flight to after you have applied for and received visa would be recommended as easiest and most simple. The cost of entering exiting waiting several days for your application to be assessed in Penang or Vientiane for example and travelling back should be more expensive.