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What is the quickest and cheapest way to obtain a tourist visa in Thailand?

Thailand visatourist visaNon-B visawork permitexpat advicevisa exemptionimmigration process
Jul 7, 2025
2 months ago
Karl *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hi all. I will soon need to leave Thailand for the sake of changing employers. I only have 18 days remaining on my visa and work permit, so not enough time to transfer to my new workplace (teacher).

To the point, which place is quickest and cheapest to obtain a tourist visa, so my new employer can start processing my future work permit and Non B visa. What requirements does a tourist visa applicant need to fulfill these days? I haven't done this for many years.

Thank you for your assistance.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
An expat is seeking advice on the quickest and cheapest way to obtain a tourist visa as they prepare to change employers in Thailand, with only 18 days left on their current visa. Community members discuss various options, including the possibility of entering Thailand on a visa exemption instead of obtaining a tourist visa, and highlight the importance of canceling the current work permit and extension of stay correctly to avoid issues. Suggestions involve checking with the new employer about visa exemption options and the pros of using border run services to obtain a 60-day entry stamp.
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David ********
You can transfer you work permit easy better than leaving Thailand that puts you back on tourist visa harder to do Non B. Get the schools HR to talk to each other they can sort it better than you. Done it many times only takes 1 day
2 months ago
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Tod *********
ALL visas to thailand are now online eVisa thru the web-portal

so what that means is

IF in fact you really have to go get a REAL tourist visa you need to go to a nearby country whose consulate you're going to apply for the visa thru, log into the system, fill out the data, upload your documents, pay, then wait for the visa to be emailed to you in a PDF file that you print and present with your passport when you stamp in

However with that being said

I think it is far more likely that your new employer really just wants you to cancel your current extension of stay (at the immigration office that issued it) then exit/re-enter the country to get a 60 day free stamp (visa exempt) entry stamp <- you can apply for an in country Non-B visa from a free stamp entry no problem at all

CHECK with the new employer again and ask if you can enter 'visa exempt' on the 60 day entry program.

If so you can cancel your current extension (which you need to do anyway) then use a service provider in your area that goes to the border and back to get you stamped out/back in on a 60 day visa exempt entry
2 months ago
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Karl *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
 Can I just leave the country and have my current employers cancel my workpermit while I'm out of the country, or after I return with a visa except? My issue is, I have absolutely no idea when my school will cancel my workpermit. There's only one woman in HR and she doesn't know when she can cancel my work permit. I start at my new workplace Monday 14th and would like to do a border bounce some time between Thursday and Sunday this week.
2 months ago
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Tod *********
@Karl ******
 listen it's not the work permit cancelling that is gonna mess you up when you come back in and try to get the Non-B visa at the immigration office,

It's you not cancelling the extension of stay that's in your passport BEFORE you leave the country <- that's what lets you stay here and just stamping out isn't gonna cancel it officially at the immigration office,

so you need to get that cancelled BEFORE you try to bounce out/back or you're gonna get fined when you go to get the Non-B and extension with the new employer
2 months ago
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Karl *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
 Ok, thank you. My current employer are on a go slow, as I've only given 1 weeks notice. So, I just need a letter from my school stating the date I will stop working and go to immigration myself to cancel my visa? Again, I would ask HR at my school, but it can take days to book an appointment or have a message read.
2 months ago
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Tod *********
@Karl ******
 take your termination paperwork to the immigration office where you got your extension inked in and see if you can cancel it, most offices let you do it a few weeks before the actual termination date on the paperwork and they stamp you in until that date (so you don't have to leave the day you cancel it)

BUT

Some offices make you cancel it effective that day and then you have to buy that 7 day emergency stamp to get out of thailand in a week.

You may or many not be required to show your work permit is cancelled, that's totally up to your immigration office
2 months ago
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Karl *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
 thank you again. Life saver, have a nice week.
2 months ago
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Karl *******
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Karl *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
 Thank you for this and all the support you give to others.
2 months ago
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Karl *******
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Lloyd ********
Big question, do you have a VISA or an extension of stay?
2 months ago
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Karl *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Lloyd *******
 1 year extension of stay based on my non b visa I obtained during the pandemic ( I was on a student visa, then completed my degree and converted the non-ed over to a non-b at changwattana.)
2 months ago
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Karl *******
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Graham ******
Why do you need a Tourist Visa, can't you enter Visa Exempt?
2 months ago
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Karl *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Graham *****
 I'm new to this. Haven't ever done a transfer of WP or visa from an employer to another. Any guidance is highly appreciated
2 months ago
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Karl *******
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Lloyd ********
18 days is plenty to change employer, unless you are moving to a province far away?
2 months ago
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Karl *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Lloyd *******
 My school will probably process the cancellation of my WP next week (I just handed it to them and this is a 3 day working week.) my nonb visa runs out on 26th. I have been advised by my new employer to leave the country and reenter on a tourist visa
2 months ago
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John **********
@Karl ******
 I doubt you are on a visa, much more likely you are on an extension of stay. Once you stop working you need to cancel your work permit and your extension of stay but you can do it in advance with documentation from your employer, then leave the country. If you don't do it in advance you have to cancel both on the day you stop working and leave the country that day. If you don't you can be deemed to be on overstay which can get you a fine as well as impact on future visa applications
2 months ago
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Karl *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John *********
 Can I just leave the country and have my current employers cancel my workpermit while I'm out of the country, or after I return with a visa except?
2 months ago
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John **********
@Karl ******
 leaving the country implies you have already stopped working at that point. Your extension of stay needs to be cancelled the day you stop working at the latest, and to cancel your extension of stay you need to show you have cancelled your work permit.
2 months ago
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John **********
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Lloyd ********
@Karl ******
 Less paperwork for them
2 months ago
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Lloyd ********
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