Is it required to leave Thailand to apply for a Non-B visa from an ED visa?

Question

Is this correct? Sent from an agent who is employed locally by the company who have offered me a job, to provide workpermots etc.

"To apply Non-B, the Thai Embassy request WP3 (the approved letter from Labour Department), and to apply WP3 (take about 2-3 weeks) the expat cannot stay in Thailand during application. If expat is In Thailand, The Labour officer will reject application and need 1 month to delete record. This process is quite difficult to control the application.

As per my early email, to proceed visa conversion to Non-B".

They want me to leave and come back in on a visa exemption which can be turned into a non b visa? I am presently here on an ED visa doing some school while job hunting.

Ask Thailand · Answer

The process described for applying for a Non-B visa involves obtaining a WP3 form from the Thai Labour Department, which requires the applicant to be outside of Thailand during the application. Comments clarify that many immigration offices, such as in Krabi, will not process the conversion from an ED visa to a Non-B visa without the applicant being out of the country, and that common procedure is to leave and re-enter Thailand on a visa exemption for this process.

Robert ******* · Answer

Not every office can do the swap to B visa inside the country. Krabi Immgration will not do it, this out of experience. Labor Office Krabi only give wp3 if foreigner is outside the country and check the stamps in your passport when you collect the WP. Manager told me that one falang was smoking cigarette next to his car on the parking lot when his staff applied for wp using form 3 (foreigner is outside Thailand) she dumped the application in the bin, claiming the staff committed fraud.

Tod ********* · Answer

Nope, the WP3 <-receipt of having applied for a work permit is ONLY for foreigners who aren't in the country at the time their work permit application is turned in to the Ministry of Labor.

It is also common for companies to tell you to exit the country, getting off your ED visa and re-enter on a 30 day visa exempt entry so they can file for a B visa inside the country for you at the immigration office.

Jordan ******** · Answer

Never heard of that

Is it required to leave Thailand to apply for a Non-B visa from an ED visa?

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