Can I hold both a retirement visa and a work permit in Thailand?

retirement visa work permit Thailand immigration NON-B visa expat employment visa rules

May 7, 2019

5 years ago

ORIGINAL POSTER

I’m presently on a “retirement visa “ and most probably starting work in Thailand in the upcoming months .. Is there anything I need to do immigration wise before my WP is issued by employer ,or can I hold both valid WP and “ retirement visa “ at same time ? TIA

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TLDR : Answer Summary

It's not permissible to work legally in Thailand while on a retirement visa; this visa usually prohibits employment. To be eligible for a work permit, you should switch your visa from the retirement category to a Non-Immigrant B visa, which allows for employment. The employer can apply for the work permit at the Ministry of Labor, but note that if you're currently on a retirement visa, your extension of stay must also align with your new employment status.

NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES

Go to the Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
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Tod *********

Okay, almost NO ministry of labour will issue a work permit when someone is on a yearly extension of stay based on being over 50 (retirement). I know people who have had them and this year they were forced by the MOL to switch to a different type of extension OR lose their work permit.

What you would do is change your extension from one based on "retirement" to one based on working

OR

If the company you will be working for can't do that you'd take documentation from them to a thai consulate in another country and get a 90 day single entry Non-B <- the B means business visa so you can hold a work permit..

5 years ago

Marty *********

My original O-A has printed on it “employment prohibited”. My understanding is that also applies to my yearly extension .

5 years ago

Tod *********

BUT your yearly extensions based on being over 50 do NOT have that stamp on them <- meaning you could have indeed gotten a work permit while on that extension

That is you could have done it until the Ministry of Labour changed their policy at the end of last year and started making people switch to extensions based on marriage, raising children, or going to get a Non-B visa.

5 years ago

Reply to

Tod *********

Cath *******

You cannot be on a retirement visa and then work legally in Thailand. I know someone who got busted for that and he wasn't even "working", just on suspicion of doing so was enough to usher in a bunch of immigration police officers to raid the place he was at and to secure the passports of everyone there to check for overstays, illegal work, etc. He had to pay a large fine at the very least.

5 years ago

Tod *********

you COULD <- as in used to be able to, hold a valid work permit while on a yearly extension based on being over 50 (retirement). BUT at the end of last year the Ministry of Labour <- the people who issue work permits started moving people on those extensions over to ones based on marriage, raising kids, or sending them out to get new Non-B's.

5 years ago

Reply to

Tod *********

Robert *******

Your employer is not going to provide you a visa, only Immigration Office or a Thai Consulate can provide a visa. Your employer has to apply for the Work Permit at the Ministry of Labor and you have to change from your "retirement visa" to a Non Immigrant B visa.

5 years ago

Reply to

Robert *******

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Should I apply for a retirement visa or a work visa while living in Thailand?

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