Tourist visa to Non-B Business (Not teaching position)

[Simoun]

Hi, I am new here. I am a Thai company (not an educational institution) about to hire a foreigner for a managing position. Problem is this to-be employee is holding a tourist visa at the moment and I have heard it is nearly impossible to change tourist visa to a Non-B in Thailand. I would like to know if it is worth it to do so (changing tourist to Non-B in Thailand), or better fly him out to the nearest country to apply for a Non-B (and what country would be best for this?)?

 

For more information about the situation I am in, in case it might be useful for you to give me the right solution, I have contacted Labor Department in my area and got him a letter to apply for a Non-B in his home country in Europe before. Unfortunately something happened and he applied for a tourist visa instead. Now he is here in Thailand and it is quite a hassle to fly him back to his home country again for a Non-B. I have searched for information about applying for a Non-B in Thailand but the list of documents that I need to prepare for him is just so overwhelming. It seems so much easier and a lot less document if he applied outside Thailand (only the letter from Labor Department and a letter from my company).

 

I understand there must be a lot of threads asking about this exact same question. I have searched around but none give me concrete answer. I would be very much appreciated if anyone could point me to the right direction. Thanks a lot in advance.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

Not all immigration office can  a change of visa status to get a non immigrant visa entry.

Bangkok immigration can issue the visa and few other offices can accept the application.

The requirement to do the application in Bangkok is here. change visa to non-b docs.pdf

He can apply for the non-b visa at most nearby embassies and consulates unless he is from country that can only apply for visas there.

A work permit application approval letter would be needed for him to apply for it.

[lostinisaan]

It would have been very easy to obtain a Non-B visa at a Thai consulate back in his country of origin. 

 

  

[Simoun]

22 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Not all immigration office can  a change of visa status to get a non immigrant visa entry.

Bangkok immigration can issue the visa and few other offices can accept the application.

The requirement to do the application in Bangkok is here. change visa to non-b docs.pdf

He can apply for the non-b visa at most nearby embassies and consulates unless he is from country that can only apply for visas there.

A work permit application approval letter would be needed for him to apply for it.

I made a call to the nearest immigration office and they were not very helpful. All they said was we need to be there at the immi so they could tell us what we need to do. I do not understand why they could not tell us on the phone what we need to do..

All the information I have found on immigration office website and others were very confusing too..

Thanks a lot for the pdf file, the list is not as bad as the other lists I have seen. At least I think I could prepare all those for the new employee. The only item that could be a problem is number 12 "A copy of the evidence of education and certificate of employment issued by the foreigner’s former employer (must be translated into Thai or English and certified by local or overseas Embassy or Consulate of the foreigner and by the Legalization Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand)". He has not brought his former employment document with him. I guess I could try submitting application without this item..

A work permit application approval letter will not be a problem since I got him this letter before, which already expired.

I have been wondering whether I should try applying for his Non-B in Thailand or flying him out to nearby embassy or consulate.

If I decided to fly him out, are all embassies and consulates request the same documents and have the same process? Is there best option (convenience, economical, etc)? Laos, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, or Cambodia? Or they are all the same?

Thanks again for your reply.

 

Edited November 7, 2016 by Simoun

[Simoun]

18 hours ago, lostinisaan said:

It would have been very easy to obtain a Non-B visa at a Thai consulate back in his country of origin. 

 

  

I agreed. Unfortunately he did not apply for the Non-B while he was in his home country despite we arranged the required documents (a letter from Department of Labor and a letter from my company) and sent to him. He is here now in Thailand on a tourist visa and we just found out it was so much harder to obtain Non-B here. The required document is not simply 2 letters as before..

 

Now we are deciding between trying to apply for a Non-B here in Thailand or flying him out to a nearby embassy or consulate (and which embassy or consulate is best). Flying him all the way back to his home country in Europe might be a little less affordable.

[ubonjoe]

They will want this part of 12 " 12 "A copy of the evidence of education" which would be a degree or some kind of certificate that would have to be legalized at his embassy. That has kept many people from being able to apply for the visa.

The embassy in Vientiane Laos would be a good choice. The list of documents required is much shorter than at immigration. See: http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/upload/pdf/Visa/Non-B business.pdf

[Simoun]

22 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

They will want this part of 12 " 12 "A copy of the evidence of education" which would be a degree or some kind of certificate that would have to be legalized at his embassy. That has kept many people from being able to apply for the visa.

The embassy in Vientiane Laos would be a good choice. The list of documents required is much shorter than at immigration. See: http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/upload/pdf/Visa/Non-B business.pdf

Even though he has brought his education document with him, but I agree that translating and legalizing process is a big hassle.

Thanks a lot for summing up the best choice regarding the embassy. I will have a talk with the new employee whether he prefer going through the process of legalize his education docco or going to Laos..

 

[lostinisaan]

2 hours ago, Simoun said:

Even though he has brought his education document with him, but I agree that translating and legalizing process is a big hassle.

Thanks a lot for summing up the best choice regarding the embassy. I will have a talk with the new employee whether he prefer going through the process of legalize his education docco or going to Laos..

 

 

 

 

When I went to Thailand for the first time and visited the consulate in Stuttgart/Germany, the employees told me to apply for a Non- B when I mentioned that I wanted to stay longer.

 

      It took 12 minutes and I left the consulate with a one year Non-B visa, without showing any documents.

 

    The good old times are unfortunately over.