Can i work in thailand voluntarily

With out payment payment

Hey everyone and thanks in advance for your advice. My partner and I are in a fortunate position where we are moving to Thailand, and have the means to support ourselves while we explore our dreams on what we want to do with our lives career wise.

I'm an ecologist, and want to be able to volunteer my time and expertise but also learn from the various conservation projects going on around Thailand. I see Chiang Mai Uni has a great forest ecology department so I'll be dropping in there for a chat with the staff. If I've done my homework correctly I will need the Non immigrant business visa with a work permit to do any of this kind of hands on volunteer work. The question is, am I able to apply for this before I go to Thailand and before I've actually secured any of these volunteer ideas?

We're looking at a longer term visa option with the ability to become residents in the future

Quick question...to get a Non-O volunteer visa, one can either get that prior to their initial entry into Thailand, OR, they can come in on a tourist visa and then convert to the Non-O volunteer in-country, that right, or no?

Just applied for a Non O volunteer visa in Hanoi Vietnam, at the Thai Embassy. As well as all the listed documents you need to provided, I was also asked for a copy of House book (Blue book) for where I live in Thailand and a copy of a rental bill, this was not noted anywhere. I had my rental contract and Landlords ID (copy) signed and dated. When I asked and explained this was not on the website, the lady said yes it has not been updated on the website. Hope this helps.

Hello everyone!

I am living/ working in Thailand on a non-o volunteer visa (with a Thai NGO in Bangkok). It expires end of July but I am thinking of renewing it next week. I am hesitant however…

Previously I always renewed it on the last possible day, because I felt they extended it from that moment onwards - and I didn’t want to loose any days I still had left.

I have heard this might not be true…

Would love to hear what other people have experienced specifically in the context of the volunteer visa extension at the Chaengwattana Immigration office.

Thank you 🙏

Update: I was able to extend my visa early, but need to report back in 20 days - when coincidentally my original visa would expire. I might loose 20 days from my original visa then. Will keep you updated.

Update 2: I did not loose days on my old visa even if I extended earlier (I did however try to gently raise this concern with the immigration staff). 🙂 they extended it from the day that my last visa expired (today). So it expires now on October 25th.

Is there any precedent for getting more than one 60 day extension? I have never been on amnesty, my volunteer visa extensions ran out on Nov 1st, so I'm on the 60 day Covid extension for the first time. Wondering if it is completely unrealistic to expect I could get another one.

(For context: I am a full-time volunteer with a Thai foundation, here since before Covid. Normally I could just leave at the end of a year and reapply for a Non O Volunteer visa, but as it is, those visas are not on the list of reasons to apply for the certificate to come back. I rent a house, own a car, have little kids, and a valid work permit, etc.)

Can anyone tell me or direct me to information on getting a long term, renewable visa as a Mahayana monk, ordained in another country?