What should you do with your Work Permit and Extension of Stay in Thailand if you stop working?

Non-Immigrant B Visa Work Permit Extension of Stay Visa Cancellation Border Run Immigration Procedures Expats in Thailand Thailand Visa Rules

Jun 7, 2018

7 years ago

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Why?

People like to work in Thailand. Going around from Office to Office and many times abroad to get the Non Immigrant B Visa. Than visit Ministry of Labor to collect their Work Permit and visit with lots of papers Immigration for the Extension of Stay based on working. Yeah, all in the bag so we can work legally.

But than, for what ever reason work stops. Okay, we just leave to do a border run or fly out for a new tourist visa, who cares about the WP and the Extension of Stay. 

Several posts been posted in the last few months of people who got refused to leave Thailand, people who got problems to re-enter Thailand and people got fined overstay from the day they stopped working till the day they went to Immigration to apply for a new Extension of Stay.

If you stop working, for what ever reason, the Work Permit is yours, so YOU have to make sure it get cancelled on the day YOU stop working, same as you started working when you picked up the work permit.

The Extension of Stay is in YOUR passport, and YOU are responsible for YOUR passport. After cancelling your Work Permit you visit Immigration and cancel your Extension of Stay. This was based on working and you don't work anymore.

Take care, you don't want being denied exit at a border somewhere on your last day of stay, you don't want denied entry stamps in your passport. And for sure you don't want to face all the problems for travels to other destinations to solve the problem of just ignoring the rules.

Edited: As well as at Ministry of Labor and Immigration Office you signed a form that you understand the rules.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

When you stop working in Thailand, it is crucial to cancel your Work Permit and the Extension of Stay related to your employment. Failure to do so can lead to issues like fines for overstaying or being denied re-entry into Thailand. You are responsible for your visa status and must take proactive steps, including visiting the Ministry of Labor and Immigration to sort out your work permit and visa extensions, respectively. If you need a break between jobs, consider canceling your work permit and extension, then applying for a tourist visa to re-enter the country.

Juliana ***********

@Patrick ********

. Thanks in advance for the info. Really appreciated. I have some questions (maybe dumb ones, sorry, have no idea what I am doing hahaha).

So, I am now on a non-immigrant o type of visa with a work permit. I will change jobs but I need to get some time in the between. I am guessing my best option is to cancel my work permit and extension of stay and do a border run to come back on a tourist visa until I am able to apply for a non-immigrant b. My questions are:

- do I need any específico documents from my previous employer to cancel my working permit? (I didn’t want to do it through them as my termination was not too friendly). Where can I get this kind of info? Haven’t found them.

- I cancel my working permit at the labor ministry in bkk, is that it?

- is there any requirements for the cancellation of the visa extension? It’s done at the immigration office, right? After I cancel that, I would still have the left time from the visa extension to leave the country or do that ends by the time I cancel it and so I need to leave the country straight away?

6 years ago

Juliana ***********

True! And thanks a lot for your advice. Really a life saver!

6 years ago

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

All is easy in good harmony, but in real life and for sure when problems arise life is though.

6 years ago

Juliana ***********

I guess that’s true. I just wanted the simpler solution as I wasn’t expecting any of the problems I had during my stay here with them.

6 years ago

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

And to be honest: You don't just walk into an volunteer organisation of company sit down and tell I work here, same goes for leaving the job. You have to tell in advance you don't want to work anymore. That is why many companies has probation periods at beginning of contract and notice period at end of contract.

6 years ago

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Write a letter that you quit as volunteer end of this week, send a copy to the organisation, go with letter to Ministry of labor and cancel your WP end of this week. Than visit Immigration Office with papers of cancellation of WP to Immigration and cancel your Extension of Stay on the same date as last day WP. Make some travel plans to leave the country on this last day.

6 years ago

Juliana ***********

I see. Truth is I haven’t left my job yet. I was planning to do that by the end of this week. Didn’t realize it was that difficult. What’s you advice here?

6 years ago

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Good question, there must be some agreement to start working I guess. F.E. hours, what do you get, housing, food, how much you pay into the project.

6 years ago

Juliana ***********

actually I am in a volunteer work and I don’t remember signing any contracts although now u mentioned that I might have signed something otherwise they couldn’t provide me an WP. Is that correct?

6 years ago

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

When you start working there is normally a contract, so I hope that when you stopped working some formal paper is made, or did you just left the company?

6 years ago

Juliana ***********

@Robert ******

a letter... u mean written by myself?

6 years ago

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

OK, If you have a letter confirming end of work on day ../../.. go to ministry of labor and cancel this WP.

6 years ago

Juliana ***********

@Robert ******

that is with me.

6 years ago

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Okay, Embassy means in this case Immigration Office. To cancel your WP you need a letter stating that you quit or your employer cancelled your contract. Your termination was not to friendly so I guess you already stopped working there? Do you have the WP or is this still in hands of your employer?

6 years ago

Juliana ***********

I know that I was the one to take care of this things, I mean my passport and extension but truth is my employer did it all for me.

6 years ago

Juliana ***********

@Robert ******

I report myself to the embassy every 90 days. Did not leave the country.

6 years ago

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

First things first: You write you are on a Non Immigrant O visa with a work permit? Do you leave every 90 days the country to get a new 90 days stamp or are you on the Extension of Stay? Than the question is is this Extension of Stay based on working?

6 years ago

Reply to

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Only if you can meet requirements of other Extensions of Stay, like marriage to Thai National for example. If not than there is no other option.

7 years ago

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

It is not a marriage Visa. If you're now on an Extension of Stay based on working you can cancel this Extension of Stay and apply for an Extension of Stay based on marriage. If you are in BKK, check with CW for the requirements.

7 years ago

Reply to

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Even worse, leave to cover your time after you cancel everything, and leave again to apply for new Non Immigrant B visa with papers from new employer or hope that new employer can assist in application at local Immigration.

7 years ago

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

In the event that new employer can arrange all papers before your Extension of Stay and your WP are ending, you can cancel and directly apply for new Extension of Stay with papers from your new employer. It would be amazing Thailand if you pull this of. Otherwise, leave the country and come back on Visa Exempt or Tourist Visa to cover the time between cancel and new applications.

7 years ago

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Andy, Extensions of given based on the visa you have and if you meet the requirements. So please give some more details, just how many time i can have is not enough.

7 years ago

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Threre in NO 7 day grace period. So best thing is to go in advance to cancel it all. If you do it on the last day of the Admitted to Stay period than you have 2 options; Leave the country after cancellations or apply for a NEW Extension of Stay at the cost of 1.900 Thb. If you do not meet any of the requirements you will get the stamp application not approved and have 7 days to leave the country.

7 years ago

Robert *******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Just extra: The Work Permit and the Extension of Stay are both applied for with papers from your employer. If you change Employer you still have to cancel WP and Extension of Stay and apply for new WP and new Extension of Stay. You can not move to other province and just start working without cancelling them.

7 years ago

Reply to

Robert *******

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What steps do I need to take to cancel my work permit and extension of stay on a non-B visa in Thailand?

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