What are my options for extending my stay in Thailand after canceling my work permit and visa?

Visa Extension Work Permit Cancellation Tourist Visa Covid-19 Extension Immigration Procedures Thailand Visas Bangkok Expat Guide

Jan 4, 2022

3 years ago

Naveen ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Hi friends, 

I have resigned from my job in Thailand and will have last work day on 21 Jan 2022. I understand the office will ask me to go to immigration office to cancel my work permit on last day. Doing so, my work visa automatically cancels. Is there any Covid extension or temporary tourist visa I can get to stay another 30 days or 60 days without exiting Thailand after last day of work. Can I make that multiple entry also?

Any advice will be appreciated. I am based in Bangkok and can visit either one stop service center at chamchuro square or chaengwattana office.

Please advise. Thanks.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

After resigning from your job in Thailand, you must cancel your work permit and work visa at an immigration office. This cancellation triggers a grace period of two weeks. You can apply for a Covid extension or a tourist visa extension immediately after cancellation; however, you generally cannot obtain a multiple-entry tourist visa based on inability to travel. It's advisable to handle these procedures on your last workday to streamline the extension application process.

Kath ******

Happy to share my experience on this. I have resigned in November and I’m in Bangkok. On last day of my job, I have to go to One stop service center in chamchuro square to cancel my work permit and work visa, at the same time. It took around 2 hours. Officials will stamp on your passport of two weeks’ grace period before you have to leave Thailand. With that stamp, I then have 48 hours to go to Immigration Division I in Chaeng Wattahana to apply for visa extension. I applied for 60-day visa extension and it got approved. The 60-day extension date starts from the end date of the two weeks’s grace period.

Points to note:

-the date you cancelled your work permit and work visa will be the date when two weeks’s grace period starts (better go on your last day)

-officials must see the stamps that you have cancelled work permit and work visa before processing your visa extension

-you could theoretically do the aforementioned steps all in one day (like I did)

-the visa extension that I got was NOT multiple entries

Good luck!

3 years ago

Naveen ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Thank you very much Kath Kath and Moderators for the valuable advice. 🙏

3 years ago

Ellie *******

@Naveen *****

if you are working for “standard” company, think like the processes are totally different between you and her. And you would NOT have any buffer time (48h for her) to apply for next extension. You have to get everything done with in the last day of your current extension.

Be careful about that.

3 years ago

Naveen ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Ellie ******

thanks a lot. My office is a non-BOI company and it’s not a self owned company. I visited immigration office at chaengwattana today and the information desk says that first I should cancel work visa, work permit at OSSC chamchuro square as they are the one to issue it. After that there is no time limit of 48hrs to apply for Covid visa extension, I can come any day to chaengwattana office within grace period to apply for Covid visa extension. Is it correct or I really have to be going from chamchuri square to chaengwattana on same day itself? It will be a bit of rush to do it all in one day.

My office tells me that it will be 7 days grace period but OP in reply says it’s 14 days. This is also a bit confusing.

Thanks again for the advice.

3 years ago

Ellie *******

@Naveen *****

If your extension was issued at OSOS, that is the place you need to go to cancel your work permit and your extension with documents from your employer. And you need to go to Chanegwattana to apply for an extension based on being unable to travel due to Covid situtation.

For those companies eligible to use OSOS, yes, there IS a grace period after the last day. You MIGHT get a grace period when you cancel your extension. IF you COULD get some period, yes, you can go to Chaengwattana before that's up. BUT, that grace period varies from 0day to 21days depending on some conditions (that detail is unknown). And I also saw two cases quitting from the same company got different days (one got 7days, another got 14days). So you need to check with Chumchuri for sure.

3 years ago

Benjamin ******

@Naveen *****

>My office is a non-BOI company and it’s not a self owned company.

I'm surprised you're able to use Chomchuri Square if the company you're employed with is not one of those two companies. Can you upload your current Non-B visa/ one year extension of stay based on employment?

TO my knowledge, there is no grace period. My opinion is to cancel your work permit and extension of stay the same day, and on the same day, apply for a 60 day extension of stay based on unable to travel due to COVID-19

3 years ago

Reply to

Benjamin ******

Ellie *******

@Kath *****

, Thank you for the report.

But,

@Naveen *****

, be aware that unless your employer and you are in Bangkok AND able to use OSS at Chumchuri square, the process of this report is not the same as the process you have to go through.

3 years ago

Reply to

Ellie *******

Just clarify a bit.

You have to cancel BOTH of your WP AND your extension of stay based on employment. Your extension would be invalid when you cancel WP, but you still need to cancel it officially.

You can apply for cancellation in several days advance with a letter from your employer stating you will finish working on zzz date.

You can apply for Covid extension immediately after you cancel your extension. You might be granted it.

After you get it, once you are on travel, you are no longer eligible for an extension based on being unable to travel.

3 years ago

Robert *******

The choice is not yours. The Extension of Stay based on employment is cancelled at the office where the stamp is put in the passport.

You need to apply for a new Extension of Stay and meet the requirements, IF you apply for an Extension of Stay due to unable to travel there is NO option for multiple entry as you decided you can not travel.

3 years ago

Reply to

Robert *******

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What are the visa processes after immediate resignation from a job in Thailand, and how can I convert my visa to a tourist visa?

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