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What should I do with my BOI work permit and extension of stay when leaving Thailand after my employment ends?

Mar 1, 2025
9 days ago
Sam ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hi, we are leaving Thailand end of June when my employment contact is terminated.

My BOI work permit and extension of stay are currently valid until end of June 2026.

Is there any issue to simply let them expire next year. Our HR says there is no need to cancel, but I have my doubts. Thanks for any advice.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
After your employment in Thailand ends, it's essential to address the status of your BOI work permit and extension of stay. Although they are valid until June 2026, they may become invalid if you no longer have a sponsoring employer. It is recommended to officially cancel them to avoid complications for future re-entry into Thailand and potential irregular status. Your HR's advice may not fully account for these implications, so verifying with the BOI or immigration is advisable.
Adrian *******
you need to go to the BOI office and cancel it. On request they will grant you some extra time to either sort out another visa or leave the country. Your HR department are giving you bad advice.
Sam ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Adrian ******
thanks πŸ‘
Jeff *****
Hope that you get it sorted out well .. Wishing you all success and smooth tidings in your next season
@Sam *******
!! πŸ’ͺπŸ’ͺπŸ’ͺ
Ty *******
Just go home and pursue a career, Thailand isn’t meant to be permanent.
Robert *******
As you signed you need to cancel, it is YOUR responsibility not HR. Therefor HR just say no need.

BOI can get up to 21 days between last day of work and last day of stay inside Thailand BUT it has to be cancelled BEFORE the last day of working.
Sam ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Jordee ******
Yes, I can clarify this for you.

When your employment contract in Thailand ends, your BOI work permit and extension of stay may become invalid before their official expiration date if you no longer have a sponsoring employer. While they are technically valid until June 2026, in practice, you could be in an irregular situation if you leave the country without canceling them.

Key Points:

1. BOI Work Permit:

If your employment ends, the company is generally expected to cancel your BOI work permit within 15 days of your last working day.

If it is not canceled and authorities detect it, there could be issues if you return to Thailand in the future.

2. Extension of Stay Based on BOI:

If your work permit is canceled, the extension of stay also becomes invalid automatically.

You are usually required to leave the country within a short period (typically 7 or 15 days).

What Should You Do?

Even though your HR says there is no need to cancel it, the safest approach is to check with the BOI or immigration to avoid potential issues later. If you leave the country without canceling anything, there may not be immediate problems, but if you wish to return to Thailand in the future, you could face complications with immigration.

If you have any doubts, the best course of action is to process the official cancellation before leaving.

The point: The deadline is usually 7 days after the cancellation of the BOI work permit, but in some cases, immigration may grant up to 15 days. It is advisable to check with the immigration office to confirm the exact timeframe in your case.
Sam ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Jordee *****
perfect. Thanks.
Jordee ******
@Sam *******
Am glad
Jordee ******
Sorry.

The timeframe can vary, as immigration rules in Thailand are often subject to interpretation and change. It’s best to check directly with immigration or the BOI to confirm the specific requirements in your case.
Lloyd ********
If you are never going to come back and need another extension of stay, then fine, just leave. However, to be on the safe side, you should do it correctly and cancel your work permit and then extension.
Sam ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Lloyd *******
thanks for your reply. We may want to come back to retire one day, so in this case I will push for cancellation. Do you know if it’s 7 days to leave after cancellation with BOI? I thought I read that somewhere.
Tod *********
@Sam *******
Depending on the company when cancelling an employment extension you get between 21 days and 7 days from the termination date on the paperwork.

Just had someone cancel their BOI extension and they got 21 days dated from the date their employment contract was terminated. They went to the immigration office a couple weeks early as well
Sam ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
thanks πŸ‘
Lloyd ********
@Sam *******
Yes, I believe BOI get an auto amount of time
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