Hello forum,

Last week I found out that my work permit has expired (I remembered applying for it after I got my Non-Imm B visa and thought to extend it after extending my Non-Imm

With the expiration of my work permit my Non-Imm B has become invalid automatically.

Today the immigration officer at Chaeng Wattana told me I should leave the country and apply again. He also gave me a form with the title:

"Acknowledgement of terms and conditions for permit of temporary stay in the kingdom of Thailand"

I know I should have stayed a bit longer and ask him what the precise procedure is, but I didn't.

Can anyone explain me what the exact procedure is that I should follow now?

Thanks in advance!

DDJohn

Did you have a "Visa" or an "extension of stay" based on work ?

A valid visa would not become "invalid automatically".

It seems you will now have to (with paperwork supplied by your employer) apply for a new "B" visa.

The new visa will allow a 90 day stay . Application for an extension of stay (once again with employer provided paper work ) can be made after 60 days in country.

Last year I received an "extension of stay".

It seems that I can't apply for a new visa here in Thailand

Last year I entered Thailand on a tourist visa

Changed this to a Non-Im B visa which was valid for 1 month

Applied for my work permit

And received an "extension of stay" valid for 1 year

This is also what confused me with the extension of my work permit as I applied for my work permit during my first Non-Im B (valid for 1 month)

Edited October 20, 201510 yr by DDJohn

As said it is very important to appreciate the difference between an "extension of stay" and a valid VISA.

You now do not have a visa which can be "changed".

It would seem (you do not give detail ) that the "extension" is also expired.

You must now obtain a new visa from a Thai Embassy/Consulate in a nearby country.

My extension has not expired yet but will on 10 November.

My guess is that the extension is granted on the fact that I had a work permit.

With the expiration of my work permit, the extension has expired as well.

Correct your reason to stay has expired as your WP has expired, you are now on Overstay, and can be charged accordingly

But when leaving the country, I have never been checked whether my work permit was still valid.

Would you recommend applying for a new Non-Imm B abroad or enter with a tourist visa and change that in Thailand to a Non-Imm B?

My extension has not expired yet but will on 10 November.

My guess is that the extension is granted on the fact that I had a work permit.

With the expiration of my work permit, the extension has expired as well.

Yes your understanding is correct. As soon as the work permit expired it made the extension invalid and you should have left the country. Technically you should leave the country, get a new non 'B', apply for a new WP and later get a new extension of stay.

Did the IO at CW cancel your extension?

Are you married to a Thai?

I am no expert on this but as the extension was good until the 10th November you might have time to resolve the situation because all you need is a new WP and you're good to go.

I can get a new non B abroad but I will need to arrange some documents for that.

The IO at CW gave me a form which I probably should have filled in and handed over to an officer. However I didn't as I didn't know he expected me to do that.

I am not married to a Thai.

I am now in Thailand without a valid visa, so I guess I will have to get a valid visa first before I can solve my work permit issues.

The thing is that I rather enter Thailand on a tourist visa and start applying for the correct visa than apply abroad with a chance that I won't get it. Of course I can still try to apply abroad and if I don't get it, apply here.

Which consulate/embassy nearby offers me the best chances at the moment?

Your employer should of applied for an extension of your work permit before you went to immigration.

If they were to do it before your extension expires immigration would probably give you another extension.

We tried that but they wouldn't give an extension or new work permit without a valid visa.

The work permit office was wrong. Work permits are not tied to you permit to stay.They should at least accept the application and do an approval letter for it that immigration would accept to do your extension.

We tried that but they wouldn't give an extension or new work permit without a valid visa.

Did you have a VALID visa ?

Or an extension of stay already invalidated by allowing the WP to expire?

Hopefully this experience will assist learning.

You now should concentrate on obtaining a new "B" visa.

I am currently staying on a "valid" extension. The extension is valid until 10 November. My work permit has expired on 15 October.

I am currently staying on a "valid" extension. The extension is valid until 10 November. My work permit has expired on 15 October.

Still working ?

I employ myself. I haven't fired myself yet.

I employ myself. I haven't fired myself yet.

Really ?

How many Thai people do you employ ?

Around 30.

Around 30.

Great!

So now it has boiled down to the fact that you "the employer" have failed yourself by failing to keep track of or understand the issues surrounding Visas, Extensions of Stay and Work Permits.

If you want to see it that way, yes. It is not something I am or have to be daily involved with.

It is not the reason why I posed this question.

I can get a new non B abroad but I will need to arrange some documents for that.

The IO at CW gave me a form which I probably should have filled in and handed over to an officer. However I didn't as I didn't know he expected me to do that.

I am not married to a Thai.

I am now in Thailand without a valid visa, so I guess I will have to get a valid visa first before I can solve my work permit issues.

The thing is that I rather enter Thailand on a tourist visa and start applying for the correct visa than apply abroad with a chance that I won't get it. Of course I can still try to apply abroad and if I don't get it, apply here.

Which consulate/embassy nearby offers me the best chances at the moment?

You shouldn't have a problem getting a non 'B' in Laos. It doesn't make sense to get a tourist visa that's going to need converting. If the non 'B' were denied you could enter on visa exemption and convert that.

Thanks Elviajero, I appreciate your input.

If you want to see it that way, yes. It is not something I am or have to be daily involved with.

It is not the reason why I posed this question.

Obviously it is, because you now find yourself in this situation, it does not bode well for your employees, when you can't even manage to keep yourself working in the country legally !

I can get a new non B abroad but I will need to arrange some documents for that.

The IO at CW gave me a form which I probably should have filled in and handed over to an officer. However I didn't as I didn't know he expected me to do that.

I am not married to a Thai.

I am now in Thailand without a valid visa, so I guess I will have to get a valid visa first before I can solve my work permit issues.

The thing is that I rather enter Thailand on a tourist visa and start applying for the correct visa than apply abroad with a chance that I won't get it. Of course I can still try to apply abroad and if I don't get it, apply here.

Which consulate/embassy nearby offers me the best chances at the moment?

"The IO at CW gave me a form which I probably should have filled in and handed over to an officer. However I didn't as I didn't know he expected me to do that."

It was probably the standard notice concerning the (potential but not yet enacted) consequences of being in the country on over-stay.

I am currently staying on a "valid" extension. The extension is valid until 10 November. My work permit has expired on 15 October.

Sorry to say you are not staying on a valid extension, it doesn't matter what date is stamped on the extension, it became invalid on the 15th of October when your work permit expired.

You currently do not have permission to stay so are now overstaying.

However if you fly out before 10th November you will probably have no problem at the airport.