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What are the rules for obtaining a tourist visa after canceling a work visa in Thailand?

visa rulestourist visanon-immigrant B visawork permitextension of stayThailand immigrationexpat advicevisa cancellationvisa application process
Feb 1, 2018
7 years ago
Jai *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hi ! I have been working in Chaing Mai for about 8 months, and got a work permit and visa.

So now i don't work at the company anymore and they will cancel my visa.

I want to stay in Thailand, so I was thinking of getting a tourist visa.

Now comes the fussy part:

Some people say that it will not be a problem, just leave the country, go to a Thai embassy and get a tourist visa.

Some people say I need to get out and get back before they cancel the visa to get a 90 days stamp.

But then I will be going on the visa, right ?

Does anyone know the rules of this or where to find the rules of this ?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
A user inquired about the process of switching from a work visa to a tourist visa after their work permit was canceled in Thailand. The conversation included various experiences and opinions suggesting that it's essential to cancel your work permit before leaving the country. Some participants mentioned that if you hold a valid visa obtained from an embassy, it should remain valid until its expiration date, but the related extension for the work must be canceled. Several commenters shared their personal experiences with similar situations, emphasizing the importance of understanding the distinction between the main visa and the extension of stay.
Terary **********
@Jaime ******
 I was in the same situation you are in. I do not know all the different things you can do, but I I can tell you what I did do. As I understand it, once you leave Thailand without the re-entry permit the current visa/extension to stay gets cancelled. I left Thailand got a Tourist visa came back. Now every 90 days I find a new place get a new 90 day tourist visa. The work permit/Non-B etc has no effect on my tourist visas.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
Not following the rules as far as canceling an extension of stay based on employment and canceling your work permit has no bearing on getting visas at a thai consulate. BUT it will sure run you off the rails if you ever work here again on a work permit and a Non-B extension.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
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Joe ***********
My one year Work Permit was granted while I was on a 90 Day Non Imm B Visa... My 90 Day B Visa was Extended a month later for one year.
7 years ago
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Jai *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
And I need to cancel it before I can get a tourist visa, if I understand correctly
7 years ago
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Robert *******
It took some time, but happy that you understand it all. Good luck.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
@Jaime ******
 nope, it is confusing quite a lot of the time. Good Luck, (y)
7 years ago
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Jai *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thanks for clearing this up for me, it's not that easy.
7 years ago
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Jai *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Yes I have that stamp.

Then i know how it works, great!
7 years ago
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Tod *********
you would cancel your work permit, cancel your extension, then leave the country to go to a thai consulate and get a tourist visa.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
DO you have an stamp in your passport which looks like this?

If you do you are NOT on a visa you are on an extension and need to cancel your work permit and your extension of stay.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
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Jai *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
And it's a BOI company, so that's why I get an extra 2 weeks after canceling the work permit
7 years ago
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Jai *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
So it's like this, I have a non-immigrant B visa, and we do a extension of stay every 90 days. The extension to stay can be extended until mars 2019
7 years ago
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Tod *********
So you go to the immigration office every 90 days and pay 1900baht to get another 90 day extension?
7 years ago
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Tod *********
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Tod *********
Jamie, the easy way to answer whether you are on a visa or on an extension is have you ever done a 90 day report at the immigration office OR do you leave the country every 90 days and get a new 90 day stamp?

If you have done a 90 day report at the immigration office you are on an extension and it needs to be canceled BEFORE you leave the country to get another visa

IF you leave the country every 90 days to get a new 90 day stamp you just need to cancel your work permit and you can stay until the visa expires like you have been,

No one can cancel that visa whether you work or not.
7 years ago
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Andy ******
you need to return the workpermit immediately and your visa will expre on the same day! you can get a 1 or 2 week extension, then you have to leave the country or aplly foa a different non immigrant visa
7 years ago
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Ellie *******
@An**
, I believe when you are applying 1 year non-b visa multi entry (not extension), you need WP more than 8 months validity. Not opposite.
7 years ago
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Richard ***********
I got a 3 month non b in UK. Then a wp in Bangkok, then a 1 year non b in Penang.
7 years ago
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Andy ******
@Tod ********
 then you can get a work permit only for 90 days
7 years ago
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Tod *********
@Andy *****
 because there is a BIG difference between a year-long multi-entry Non-B VISA <- that you get at a thai consulate in another country and a year long extension of stay <- that you get at the immigration office

On the year-long, multi-entry Non-B visa you only can stay inside thailand for 90 days at a time before you exit/re-enter the country to get another 90 day stamp. That's how that visa works
7 years ago
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Andy ******
@Tod ********
 it does not work that way
7 years ago
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Andy ******
@Tod ********
 why would they need to "border bounce" if the have a year long non B visa?
7 years ago
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Tod *********
@Andy *****
, again that is not correct, you can indeed get a work permit on a 90 day single entry Non-B visa and on a year long multi-entry Non-B visa (the kind that you border bounce every 90 days on to get another 90 day stamp).
7 years ago
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Andy ******
@Tod ********
 to get a workpermit you need a non immigrant B visa that will be extended for the lenght of of your work permit, usually 1 or 2 years
7 years ago
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Tod *********
@Andy *****
 on that you are totally incorrect :/ I know a TON of people on year-long, multi-entry Non-B visas who border bounce every 90 days yet hold valid year long work permits.
7 years ago
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Andy ******
correct, but to get a workpermit, you have to get what you call an extension of stay you can not get a work permit on any visa obtained at an embassy
7 years ago
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Tod *********
@Andy *****
, this image shows you the difference between a visa and an extension.

The two images at the top are visas gotten from a thai consulate outside the country and the bottom left image is a visa gotten from the immigration office inside the country. If you quit work, and canceled your work permit none of those would cancel and they would be valid for stays until they expire.

The bottom right image is an extension of stay, <- that is the one you cancel when you cancel your work permit.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
@Andy *****
 A visa does not get canceled, and it's good until it expires. An extension of stay is what you're talking about and once you cancel your work permit at the Ministry of Labor you go and get your extension canceled at the immigration office.
7 years ago
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Tod *********
@Andy *****
, you are confusing the difference between a VISA and an extension of stay.

They are totally different things
7 years ago
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Andy ******
check it, you will see, just went through it 2 years ago
7 years ago
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Robert *******
After so many years you would be in Thailand on an Extension of Stay, a stamp from local Immigration and yes they must be cancelled on the day the job stops.
7 years ago
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Robert *******
NO, sorry to tell you but you are not correct. Visa can not be cancelled when work is cancelled by end of contract or quit or get fired.
7 years ago
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Andy ******
i held work permits for the last 30 years, trust me
7 years ago
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Andy ******
the visa is only granted in conjunction with the workpermit and therefore only valid together!
7 years ago
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Robert *******
NO, a Visa (Sticker obtained from Embassy or Consulate) stays valid till the Enter Before Date on the Visa.
7 years ago
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Andy ******
visa expires on the same day as work permit is cancelled!
7 years ago
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Robert *******
a Visa will not expire on the same day, only an Extension of Stay based on working. You can not get a 2 week Extension, if he applies for a new Extension and does not meet any requirements the application will not be approved and he wil get 7 days to leave the country.
7 years ago
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Robert *******
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Jai *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Ok, I might have misunderstood it, I don't have it on me.

I will get back to you on it.

And btw, thanks for helping
7 years ago
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Robert *******
Can you show a picture of this Visa after taking out personal info. I do not really believe your Visa is valid till 03-2019. This because the maximum validity of a Visa is 1 year.
7 years ago
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Robert *******
You can stay till the date mentioned in the stamp Admitted to Stay in your passport, than you can still use this visa till the Enter Before Date on the Visa, to re-enter and get another 90 days on entry.
7 years ago
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Jai *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
If it's not a Extenstion of stay based on working
7 years ago
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Jai *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
If I understand you correctly I can stay until mars 2019 then ?
7 years ago
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Robert *******
They can not cancel a Visa, so you can use the visa till the enter before date. Only Extension of Stay based on working must be cancelled when contract finished. Make sure that you get papers that your Work Permit is officially cancelled at Ministry of Labor.
7 years ago
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Jai *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
I got the visa from the Embassy in Sweden before I moved here, it's valid until mars 2019
7 years ago
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Robert *******
The big question first is are you in Thailand on a Visa, obtained by Embassy or Consulate or on a Extension Of Stay based on Working, obtained at local Immigration Office.
7 years ago
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Robert *******
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