There's no real answer to that besides what the IO you are going to stand in front of thinks about letting you in again. If it looks like you are trying to live in Thailand on visa exempt entries, you are getting stopped sooner rather than later. If it doesn't look that way at all, you might never even experience being questioned about it.

He needs a non B visa and a work permit. Visa comes first. They should provide him with all required paperwork to apply at the Thai embassy*before* he travels, as he won't be able to work legally without it. He *could* just travel on over and then sort it, by going to a neighboring country for the visa at a Thai embassy, but he would not legally be allowed to start working on a tourist visa or visa exempt entry. If the employer wants him to start sooner rather than later, or if he depends on getting paid from the get go, it's better to have the visa before coming here. In tandem with the visa they also need to provide required paperwork for a work permit. If they are not willing or able to provide all the required documents for these two things, run away.. Not worth it to work illegally and risk deportation/fines/jail time.

@Adam *******

your only way to move it is to let it run out, and then start again with a new visa later and then extensions of that.

Edit* or leave the country without a reentry permit, so that the extension gets cancelled.

@Adam *******

your window to apply is from 45 days before up until the last day. No matter when you do it, you would not move the date of expiration at all. It will be exactly one year on top of your current expiry date.

You can be a munk on any visa. Just like you can study on any visa. The time restrictions will of course depend on what visa you have, and the "stay until" stamp in your passport. You can't get a non b if you are not working, but yes, you can work on certain other visa types too. For example the ones based on marriage or kids.

@John ******

it means you have to get a separate original RC for everything. It is made for a single purpose, and can only be used for that. You cannot use the same one for different things. You can however get and use just one if you for example are applying for both motorbike and car license at the same time in the same office.

@Nongnuch *******

that was probably the fee for missing copies of things etc.. Fair enough.

@Jim *******

a pink ID card can be mandatory for keeping SSO (social security) paid out of pocket after having worked in Thailand for minimum 12 months. If you get laid off or resign, you can keep the SSO for a minimal monthly fee, but it often requires a pink ID card.

That's about the only thing I can think of though.

So absolutely not for everyone.

As Brandon mentioned above, you might get Thai price at some national parks etc.. But it's hit or miss. Same with a work permit. It works sometimes. Also you can sometimes use t as an ID, but it actually says directly on the card that it is not an officially accepted form of ID as it lacks the chip.

Authorization letter? From who? What type of visa?

To add, many immigration offices doesn't care even if it's the same address as your lease, just the same province is good enough. And some don't check at all for the tm30.. But anyway, even at the most strict interpretation of it, you just need to have checked in with the latest tm30 on you, at the required address before applying. Date doesn't matter in regards to your lease contract. Not at all.