Can I switch from a working visa to a tourist visa in Thailand after my contract ends?

@Steve ******

You will cancel your work permit at the labor office. You will need the following:

1. The form for the Work Permit Cancellation and two copies

2. The original work permit.

3. If the employer can not cancel the work permit in person with the employee, a Power of Attorney form with a 10 THB duty stamp and a copy of the employer’s ID card. A 10 THB duty stamp can be acquired at most stationary shops.

The extension of stay becomes invalid when the work permit is cancelled, and a person must leave Thailand no later then 11:59PM the same day. The extension of stay must be cancelled, and either a new extension of stay acquired, or an extension of stay denied stamp issued to stay longer.

@Benjamin *****

thanks where do you cancel it, at Immigration?

Steve James No, if you cancel your work permit and extension of stay based on employment ahead of time, all what you're doing is moving the existing "admitted to" stamp to the same date of your last working day. You can not apply for another extension of stay until your existing extension of stay is cancelled.

Unless you're planning on quitting your job really soon, I do not expect the 60 day extension of stay based on unable to travel due to COVID-19 to be around for much longer, and the last day to apply for it is November 26.

@Benjamin *****

If you cancel the WP and extension ahead of time, can you also apply for the covid extension on that same day ,i.e. ahead of time?

@Benjamin *****

The 7-day stamp to leave the country is a good option, but wouldn't switching to a COVID extension be better? Allowing OP a full 60 days to prepare flight and so on to leave the country?

Keven Je > Ah, so from Nov. 15-30, agreed with the school, he wouldn't be officially working

No, he wold be working. He would have gotten the date changed on the "one year extension of stay based on employment" changed from, let's say, December 31 to November 30th.

@Benjamin *****

Ah, so from Nov. 15-30, agreed with the school, he wouldn't be officially working. He would preparing to leave the country?

Keven Je No, cancel the extension (and the work permit) ahead of time. For example, if the last date of work is November 30, cancel the extension of stay on November 15th, and have the "admitted to" stamp post dated to November 30th. That would allow a person time to finish up the work, and to make plans to leave Thailand.

@Benjamin *****

thanks. It s much appreciated