Hi everyone here,

I am Chinese, having a Non-O visa dependent to my husband who is French working in thailand.

Since I found a teaching job at a school, I was told that I need to cancel my current visa and get back to China for applying a Non-B visa to enter Thailand. In this way, I can obtain my work permit with the Non-B visa.

But today I was told by someone who has a Non-O visa that it is not necessary to change my Non-O visa to a Non-B visa for getting the Work Permit. That is how she got her work permit and working now with the Non-O visa. 

I am not so clear because her family is Thai, she got the Non-O visa, which Is different from me, my husband is not Thai and he is just a foreigner working here. My non-o visa is different from her non-o? So she could get her WP without changing to Non-B?

I don't mind going back to China, the only reason is that my children are very young, my time is very tight until I start my job at the school, so I would like to avoid going back if it is possible.

So, could anyone make me clear about my situation?

Many Thanks!

 

Do you have a valid visa or an extension of stay (obtained from immigration)?  Do you have to make 90 day reports to immigration ? 

My husband's company helps for the 90 days report to the immigration. 

My current visa is not valid yet. It lasts until April 2018.

We came to thailand 2.5 years ago. First the company helped to get a visa until October last year, then they renewed it in thailand. 

Just because of my new job, I need a work permit, they told me to cancel the current non-o visa, then convert to a non-b.

 

You cannot change non immgrant visa categories.

What can be done depends upon whether the local work permit office will accept a work permit application while on extension of stay based upon your husbands extension as his dependent.

If you can get application accepted you could change the reason for your extension to one based upon teaching.

can't see why you'd have to change it to a B as as far as I know you can obtain permit on an O. some many variables though and lets face it alot of schools as far as i have heard have no idea of their own rules. depending where you live it might be worth popping into chamchuri square and asking the info desk there. they're usually very helpful

I have had WP's regularly on my Non O multi entry visas.

Some companies just don't know that it's possible. They even ask Immigration who have nothing to do with issuing the WP and Imm' in my experience always say wrongly 'must be B'

The Labour Dept' in your area is where to enquire. Your company may need some firm but polite pushing to get them to go through with it.

Best of luck.

Thank you all for offering the useful information! By the way, what is chamchuri square? I am going to check it.

about my current non-o visa, it is dependent on my husband's non-b visa. He can work in his current company as long as he wants, which means he can always get his non-b visa and work permit as long as he works here. Which also means I can be here with the non-o visa dependency on his non-b. 

Why I don't want to change it into a non-b, first it is so troublesome to travel with my kids who are very young. Second, I am worried that it might be more complicated when I have the non-b visa. Let's say if anything bad happened and I got fired, I would lose my non-b visa. In this way, if my husband still works in Thailand, it will be more complicated to get me back to a non-o bisa, maybe. 

That is why I would like to keep my non-o visa if it is possible.

Do you actually have a Visa or an Extension of Stay?

xzinthailand only listen to the advice given by Ubonjoe. He is our resident expert the subject and will be the one most likely to give you the correct information for your situation.

 

18 minutes ago, Phuket Man said:

Do you actually have a Visa or an Extension of Stay?

Honestly, I m not clear with the Visa and the Extension of Stay. 

I guess it is an extension. 

 

I got the non-o visa from the Thai consulate  in China 2.5 years ago. When we arrived in Thailand, the company of my husband took us to the immigration department and did something on the passports, then last September or October the company took away our passports and we were issued with stamps which writes we can stay until next April or June, something like that.

 

So, my situation is an extension of stay? I am so dumb about all of paper things. Never tried to understand the visa issue.

 

If it is an extension of stay, is it possible to obtain a work permit without getting out thailand?

 

really sorry for my silly questions. If anyone knows, please let me know!

Really appreciate your time to answer my dumb questions!

13 hours ago, perthperson said:

Do you have a valid visa or an extension of stay (obtained from immigration)?  Do you have to make 90 day reports to immigration ? 

Hi Perth person, I guess I have the extension of stay. But not so clear, because the company of my husband took care of everyone's passport of our little family.

11 minutes ago, Mrjlh said:

xzinthailand only listen to the advice given by Ubonjoe. He is our resident expert the subject and will be the one most likely to give you the correct information for your situation.

 

Thanks a lot Mr Jlh!

hope things will be clearly figured out by stupid me!

7 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You cannot change non immgrant visa categories.

What can be done depends upon whether the local work permit office will accept a work permit application while on extension of stay based upon your husbands extension as his dependent.

If you can get application accepted you could change the reason for your extension to one based upon teaching.

Hi ubonjoe, sorry to bother you with my stupid questions. 

First, I am in Bangkok, the job I found is at an international school, so you think it could be possible to obtain a work permit without converting my current non-o visa to a non-b visa?

second, do you think it is possible to go to the work permit office on my own for getting clear ideas from them? Do they accept me?

third, as I get work permit application accepted, I could extend my visa for the reason of teaching, right?

 

sorry again, my English ability has shrank in the past 3 years since I haven't got chance to talk with native English speakers.

hope I explained my questions clearly.

 

27 minutes ago, xzinthailand said:

First, I am in Bangkok, the job I found is at an international school, so you think it could be possible to obtain a work permit without converting my current non-o visa to a non-b visa?

Yes I think you should be able to apply for the work permit.

The only way to change from a non-o visa to a non-b would be to leave the country to get a non-b visa. It cannot be done at immigration.

 

27 minutes ago, xzinthailand said:

second, do you think it is possible to go to the work permit office on my own for getting clear ideas from them? Do they accept me?

third, as I get work permit application accepted, I could extend my visa for the reason of teaching, right?

You could try going to the work permit office yourself to inquire about the work permit or to apply if you have the supporting documents from the school. You may need proof of what your current extension is based upon.

If you can apply for the work permit you could change the reason for your extension of stay to teaching.

11 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Yes I think you should be able to apply for the work permit.

The only way to change from a non-o visa to a non-b would be to leave the country to get a non-b visa. It cannot be done at immigration.

 

You could try going to the work permit office yourself to inquire about the work permit or to apply if you have the supporting documents from the school. You may need proof of what your current extension is based upon.

If you can apply for the work permit you could change the reason for your extension of stay to teaching.

Thanks again, ubonjoe!

Do you and your husband have your passports or does the company have them?

Replying to your number 11 post.

I have had multiple work permits on a Non 'O' for over 20 years. Not once have I had a Non 'B' although a few times I have been told I needed one, never did.

 

As far as I know, (correct me if I am wrong) you can get a work permit on any Non Imm visa apart from a Non 'OA' which is the retirement visa. A friend of mine had a Non Imm 'F' visa with WP which at the time I had never heard of. Apparently with one of those, no tax is payable.

 

Non 'B's are linked to your WP. You have young kids, go the Non 'O' way if you can which you should be able to do given your situation. That way, should you finish employment, you are still allowed to stay in the country even if you are not working whist the visa is valid.

4 minutes ago, South said:

I have had multiple work permits on a Non 'O' for over 20 years. Not once have I had a Non 'B' although a few times I have been told I needed one, never did.

 

As far as I know, (correct me if I am wrong) you can get a work permit on any Non Imm visa apart from a Non 'OA' which is the retirement visa. A friend of mine had a Non Imm 'F' visa with WP which at the time I had never heard of. Apparently with one of those, no tax is payable.

 

Non 'B's are linked to your WP. You have young kids, go the Non 'O' way if you can which you should be able to do given your situation. That way, should you finish employment, you are still allowed to stay in the country even if you are not working whist the visa is valid.

F. not sure about the tax thing but my mate had one a few years ago. Something he was doing was gov' related on research.

16 hours ago, Mrjlh said:

xzinthailand only listen to the advice given by Ubonjoe. He is our resident expert the subject and will be the one most likely to give you the correct information for your situation.

 

I disagree with that statement. 

There are many knowledgeable posters on here ,such as the  very good advice from overherebc. Which is the best advice I have seen so far on this particular topic.

She should visit the labour department and inquire with the English speaking official. 

 

On 7/8/2017 at 8:37 PM, overherebc said:

Do you and your husband have your passports or does the company have them?

Replying to your number 11 post.

Hi overherbc, we have our passports. But yesterday the company took the, away for the 90 days report. 

The passports should be back today. 

I will ask my husband. He works somewhere of nowhere in thailand. Me and the kids, we have just moved to Bangkok for a week. 

On 7/8/2017 at 8:59 PM, overherebc said:

F. not sure about the tax thing but my mate had one a few years ago. Something he was doing was gov' related on research.

I don't care about the taxes thing. I would like to keep my non-o as long as possible. 

I think I will visit the ministry of labour to find out the exact information.

I will update my news to all of you guys!

thanks so much!

On 7/8/2017 at 8:37 PM, overherebc said:

Do you and your husband have your passports or does the company have them?

Replying to your number 11 post.

Again, in my passport is extenstion of stay. Because I never got bothered to check it. I should have said that the company took care of our visas, not the passports. Sorry for giving you the confusion.

8 hours ago, xzinthailand said:

Hi overherbc, we have our passports. But yesterday the company took the, away for the 90 days report. 

The passports should be back today. 

I will ask my husband. He works somewhere of nowhere in thailand. Me and the kids, we have just moved to Bangkok for a week. 

So the company is doing 90 day reports for both of you at the moment?

13 hours ago, overherebc said:

So the company is doing 90 day reports for both of you at the moment?

Yes, they do everything for us.

"In response to your query that a Non O holder to go for a work permit. The case can be done only to a Non O whose spouse (a Non B holder) is a Thai nationality.
A Non O to a Non B holder who is a foreigner, he/she must cancel Non O and apply a Non B for themselves.
Hope this could be clear to you or more question is welcome."

 

All above written by the Seniro HR officer of the school that I will work for. I don't know her explaination is good or not, though it seems reasonable for me. But I will go to the ministry of labor on my own next Monday.

On 7/8/2017 at 1:49 PM, xzinthailand said:

Thank you all for offering the useful information! By the way, what is chamchuri square?

It's next to Sam Yan mrt station, on Phayathai Road. Assume you're asking regarding the immigration office there, it's on the 18th floor. 

10 hours ago, xzinthailand said:

"In response to your query that a Non O holder to go for a work permit. The case can be done only to a Non O whose spouse (a Non B holder) is a Thai nationality.
A Non O to a Non B holder who is a foreigner, he/she must cancel Non O and apply a Non B for themselves.
Hope this could be clear to you or more question is welcome."

 

All above written by the Seniro HR officer of the school that I will work for. I don't know her explaination is good or not, though it seems reasonable for me. But I will go to the ministry of labor on my own next Monday.

Why would a thai national need a visa?

Labour offfice will give you a full and better answer.

7 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Why would a thai national need a visa?

Labour offfice will give you a full and better answer.

If she had written     Non B holder 'or' a Thai national it would make more sense.

29 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Why would a thai national need a visa?

Try reading her post again.

10 hours ago, xzinthailand said:

"In response to your query that a Non O holder to go for a work permit. The case can be done only to a Non O whose spouse (a Non B holder) is a Thai nationality.

The non-b part is an error.

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Try reading her post again.

The non-b part is an error.

See my previous post.