what will all you DMs and instructors do now?

[martini_effect]

re visas and work permits:

good news for the British....! (or anyone in the UK)

if you are coming from the UK, you can send off your passport to the HULL embassy. all they need is a letter from your employer in Thailand (regardless of whether you will actually have a work permit from that employer, or just work for them without one).

They will then give you a 1 year non-immigrant b visa for £90. This means you have to leave the country every 90 days, but only for a border run. then come straight back in. you can do this for 4*90 days. (the London embassy will only give 3 months unless you provide all sorts of company tax papers etc, so Hull is much easier)

If you are unable to get a work permit from your employer, or you want to freelance, you can contact certain lawyers from the area where you want to work, and they can issue a work permit for you, usually costs around 5000 baht per month. this allows you to work freelance. I did this in Phuket no problems.

but...you need the non-immigrant b visa to get a work permit.
I sent mine on a wednesday, got it back on Saturday.

DIVER CITY BOYS....I'm afraid you will find (as Bubblemonkey said) that when your first 60 day visa has expired, and you've extended and had the extra 30 days, immigration at the border will tell you to come back in 90 days before you can use your 2nd visa....unless you wave some baht around perhaps.

much better if you're coming on a tourist visa to get a triple entry which will see you through for 3 * 60 days. then you have to leave for 90 days, regardless of which type of visa you come back on

by the way...does anyone have any information on a sunken village in Thailand? its on the west somewhere near Myenmar border?

 

[bubblemonkey]

thanks martini, trouble for us is we will be comming into Thailand from Malaysia, maybe we will be able to get the same sort of Visa in KL.

 

[orangelemon]

Agree with Martini, there are lawyers here that will make you part of a 'partnership' for a fee of 4500 and this will in affect make you legal if you have a non-immigrant B visa and a work permit. Make sure the lawyer actually gives you the work permit and doesnt just say to you 'the application will be ok' and tells you its ok to work

 

[martini_effect]

when it comes to Phuket lawyers....perhaps avoid a certain Mr Somjet???
OrangeMelon...do you have any experience of him?
My permit through him was actually fine, but I have various friends who had problems with immigration even tho they had a permit thru Somjet....a bit dodgy I think.

 

[stevenl]

Yes, stay away from Somjet, all kinds of shady business and problems.

I'm afraid you will find that when your first 60 day visa has expired, and you've extended and had the extra 30 days, immigration at the border will tell you to come back in 90 days before you can use your 2nd visa....unless you wave some baht around perhaps.

much better if you're coming on a tourist visa to get a triple entry which will see you through for 3 * 60 days. then you have to leave for 90 days, regardless of which type of visa you come back on

Not true, the new visa regulations only apply to visa exempt/visa on arrival entries. With a normal toursit visa, you will still be able to stay indefinately. But of course you're dependend on the immigration official as well.

 

[orangelemon]

Very good advice, avoid somjet aka phuket visa and accounting http://phuketdir.com/pktvisaccount/index.htm
I personally know of at least 10 people he has either misled / lied to / given bad advice to, including

people that were sent to Kuala Lumpur (for visa to get work permit) with the wrong documents then when asked for the correct ones via fax more incorrect documentation was sent

people who only get their work permits after being detained by police (depite giving him the money and application 9 weeks previous to that) and phoning him / visiting him every other day.

someone (currently doing IDC at the moment) who had to go back to his own country while on a Somjet Visa Application as he had incorrect documentation and would get issued a visa.

People that have paid for work permits but never been given them.

many people that have trusted their business / work permit / visas with to be let down time and time again.

In short stay away,there is something bad here ! ask locally for good legal / accountant practises, of which there are plenty (try phuket town ones)

On reflection I do know of one person here in Phuket that has had his work permit sorted out by Somjet and is happy with the service he gets !

 

[OnTheSpot]

I was happy with him for several years - I got a work permit through him in 2001. Up until 2004 he was fine, but suddenly last year he became completely useless, unable to set up a new company for me, or even do my tax refund for 2005 properly. Eventually I gave up and did it all myself.

I can recommend a guy called Anusorn, with a company called A.S.S Accounting and Business Co. Ltd, telephone 076 217636. A.S.S Web Site

 

[Diver_City Boys]

much better if you're coming on a tourist visa to get a triple entry which will see you through for 3 * 60 days. then you have to leave for 90 days, regardless of which type of visa you come back on

?

As StevenL said I don't have to leave for 90 days, you may be have to...

When thai embassy in any overseas country grants you multiple 60 days visas, try doing your visa run using airport entry and staying at bordering country for few days,Then if immigration officers tries interveiwing you, you can jump on his neck