Sounds like you should be OK then. That's what I meant in another comment on this post about universities not being familiar with exactly what Immigration needs: they just started the process Oct. 10 - and are "not sure" what type of visa it will be. I'm sure it'll work out, but it's confusing & you don't actually know the steps you need to take for the new visa. (Obviously, if they give you the new visa paperwork before you cancel your student visa, bring that when you go to Immigration & try to find out what you need to do.)

@Bart *************

You are correct. However that is the reality with universities at this time, so if applicants want the job they need to interact with immigration themselves. (And of course a lot of people need the job, it’s not like there are dozens of other offers in their field they can choose.)

Agree with others saying you should go to immigration earlier to both find out what you need to do to cancel your current visa and also how to apply for your new visa. Is your new research job paid? My husband had a similar situation recently - different visas, but for a paid university job he had to cancel his OA, leave Thailand & apply online in his home country for the new visa, "hired by a university", get it there & then return to Thailand under the new visa. Once he canceled the old visa he had to leave Thailand. (Sorry, I'm not sure what paperwork you need, which is your question.)

@Bart *************

No - for hiring visas (rather than student visas) the universities in Thailand mostly don't know what immigration requires. Overall, they don't have a lot of foreign employees.

Take a hotel room or serviced apartment for a few weeks at first & explore BKK, see which areas suit you. It’s a big city. If you decide you want to live in a certain area, can easily rent a place & move right in. Most are furnished.

@Wannikea ********

Thanks. He got a late night flight, will check in before midnight.

@Kool ******

Oh. Well he's from Taiwan, so it's not that far anyway.

Thanks everyone for your advice. I just got through on the Immigration hotline phone number, they said you do need to leave the same day as cancelation for a Non O-A. He's changing his flight to late-night to do it on the same day.

@Kool ******

Oh. At immigration they told him he'd have to apply for the new visa at the Thai embassy in his home country.

@Kool ******

Thanks. By what you are saying, he needs to go directly from immigration to the airport & fly out the same day as cancellation?