Extension of stay on a non-B visa

[roseclaire]

Hi everyone,

I have tried looking around the forum but I couldn’t really find anyone in the same situation as me.

This is my situation. I work in a cooperative (and not a company) for a contract that is meant to last one year. I obtained a B visa for 3 months back in France, so according to my entry stamp I am allowed to stay into the 20^th June 2016 (I entered on the 23^rd of March).
Once in Thailand I obtained easily my working permit valid from 1^st March 2016 to 30^th April 2017.

Now comes the time to extend my visa so that is last into the end of my working permit. And we are facing difficulties. They asked for a proof that my company published the offer and did not get any satisfactory application (the job was designed especially for me, never published and we were never asked for that proof for the visa or the work permit). My cooperative has never employed a foreigner before so they have no clue either.

Do you have an idea as to how to go around this?

So I am now trying to think of alternatives:

- Can I go into another immigration office than the one I live next to (Surin)?

- From what I have found online, if I have to exit the country, my work permit will expire, right? Or will I be able to use it to get a new visa in a neighboring country?

- Do you have any other ideas on how to go around it and get to stay legally working in Thailand?

Thanks a lot,

[digitalchromakey]

1) No, you must go to the immigration Department in the same area as where your Work Permit was issued (and where you actually work).

2) No, your Work Permit does not expire due to exit from Thailand per se, but would not be valid without a current and correct non immigrant entry stamp.

3) Do not know as to how your co-operative is constituted under Thai Law (Co., Ltd. or Ltd Part.) but if you can produce the required paperwork, then you should get an extension.

It may prove much easier to go to Penang for a one year multiple non 'b' (providing your WP is valid for >8 months. You would then need to make 90 day border runs to keep a valid entry stamp.

[ubonjoe]

The requirements for getting a extension of stay based upon working requires a lot of supporting documents. You must also be earning a minimum salary based upon your nationality. For most western countries it is 50k baht. The requirements can found in clause 2.1 and the annexes of police order Police Order 327/2557 basis for extension of stay.

You best choice may be to apply for a multiple entry non-b visa at the consulate in Penang Malaysia. Their requirements can be found here. http://www.thaiembassy.org/penang/contents/files/services-20140508-110623-169095.pdf

Leaving the country does not cancel your work permit.

[roseclaire]

We are only missing some of the supportive documents. We are ltd. but the immigration office seems to consider that because we are a cooperative, we have to go though other rules and it seems like there is even more supporting documents than what you have sent in the attachment Ubonjoe.

Anyways, thanks a lot about those two pieces of information on the work permit and the multiple non b visa available in Penang. Is Penang the only consulate that delivers it? Laos or Cambodia would be much more convenient for me.

[ubonjoe]

We are only missing some of the supportive documents. We are ltd. but the immigration office seems to consider that because we are a cooperative, we have to go though other rules and it seems like there is even more supporting documents than what you have sent in the attachment Ubonjoe.

Anyways, thanks a lot about those two pieces of information on the work permit and the multiple non b visa available in Penang. Is Penang the only consulate that delivers it? Laos or Cambodia would be much more convenient for me.

Not sure what clause of the police order would be for a cooperative. There is no other type of extension that has more requirements than one under clause 2.1.

Penang is the only nearby location that does a multiple entry non-b visa.

[PoorSucker]

Is Penang the only consulate that delivers it? Laos or Cambodia would be much more convenient for me.

Penang or Kota Bahru is the only places that will make a multiple non-B for you if you have eight months left validity on your WP.

[roseclaire]

Just to keep you posted: we went back today with all the documents they had asked for last time. They inspected the documents, called somewhere another immigration guy to ask for information, read their book and regulations and came to the conclusion that they could not grant me an extension of stay due to the type of company I was working in. That this case was not specified in the law and therefore there was no way to know what documents they needed me to bring and so I could not get the extension.
They nicely explained that I should go to Laos to get a multiple entry B (which I know is impossible and specified in their website).

Thanks a lot for the advises, I guess I am now planning a trip to Penang...