Advise On My Visa Situation

[thailand_teacher]

Hey everyone I am looking for some advise here as what to do next. I am employed at a school in Khonkaen, I have a 1 year visa which expires in May 2007 and I also have a work permit which expires at the same time. I have been offered a new job in Bangkok with more money and better benefits, so I have taken it. But my visa and work permit are tied to my old school. If I cancel the work permit I will have 7 days to leave Thailand right? Is there some kind of way I can transfer my current visa and work permit to the new employer, without having to leave Thailand. Has anyone been in this situation themselves and what did you do to sort it out.

Cheers!!

[Ijustwannateach]

AFAIK if you arrange for the new school to "pick you up" during the in-between time they can quickly transfer the work permit to themselves without you needing to restart the whole process- but this requires cooperation of your old school, as during this time limit you will have to take two or three papers from them (including their half of your teacher's license and a "paper of release") to the new school along with the work permit. They're required to give it to you, but there are no provisions for reinforcement or time limits- so basically if they don't want to help you you'll have to do a new visa run.

The other question is whether your new school knows what they're doing and can process you properly through the system within the time limit even if you have all the right paperwork. It's usually far easier for them simply to make you start over again, so make sure before you do it that they have their ducks in a row, and that they agree if they mess it up that they'll pay for your visa run. And really, now is not a good time to make a visa run- you should emphasise to your school that it will be a lot easier to hire you if they do everything right to pick you up under the old work permit.

Good luck.

"Steven"