Difficult New Non-Imm B Procedure when Applying from Australia

[dbrenn]

One of our managers who visits Thailand regularly is trying to renew his one year multi entry non-imm B visa in Oz. There are some recent changes:

1) The Brisbane consulate has closed down

2) The Sydney consulate told him that all non-B applications must now be submitted to the Royal Thai Embassy in Canberra, and that consulates can no longer issue this type of visa

3) The Canberra Embassy directed hum to this new (highly onerous) application form http://canberra.thaiembassy.org/doc/form/Visa-form%20B%20(Canberra)171214.pdf

4) He was also told that the Embassy refuses applications that have incomplete supporting documentation, and that the application can take up to 21 business days to approve, while they hang on to his passport

Seriously, the application form must be completed four times by hand, and copies are not accepted.

[ubonjoe]

Is he from Australia? The form B is normally only needed for people from these countries.

"FORMB only for nationals of: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Vietnam and Yemen; and Travel Document holder."

If he is from Australia he should perhaps contact one of the honorary consulates in Melbourne, Perth, Hobart or Adelaide to see what they say.

[dbrenn]

Is he from Australia? The form B is normally only needed for people from these countries.

"FORMB only for nationals of: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Vietnam and Yemen; and Travel Document holder."

If he is from Australia he should perhaps contact one of the honorary consulates in Melbourne, Perth, Hobart or Adelaide to see what they say.

Thanks UJ. He is Australian born and bred. He told me that an Australian guy at the Sydney consulate told him of the rules.

That said, I suspect that you are right, and that he has been pointed to the wrong application form. As you say, the Form B that he was pointed to has the header:

"FORM B only for nationals of: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Vietnam and Yemen; and Travel Document holder.

Form A is slightly less onerous.

I've advised him to check again ...

[ubonjoe]

I can recall a member asking about all the info on the form B. As it turned out he though it was a special form for a non-b visa application.

[Fullstop]

Just arrive on a tourist visa. Get it converted in-country at Immigration to a Non B. Simple.

(Provincial Immigration Departments are also doing the conversion now..no need to go to Chang Wattana in BKK)

[BlackJack]

Just arrive on a tourist visa. Get it converted in-country at Immigration to a Non B. Simple.

(Provincial Immigration Departments are also doing the conversion now..no need to go to Chang Wattana in BKK)

any link on this will be appreciated as I have not seen this anywhere

thanks

[ubonjoe]

Just arrive on a tourist visa. Get it converted in-country at Immigration to a Non B. Simple.

(Provincial Immigration Departments are also doing the conversion now..no need to go to Chang Wattana in BKK)

That is only possible if a work permit application has been done and there is supporting documents from an employer equal to those needed for an extension of stay.

The person mentioned wants a multiple entry non-o visa for business purposes not working.

[Fullstop]

Just arrive on a tourist visa. Get it converted in-country at Immigration to a Non B. Simple.

(Provincial Immigration Departments are also doing the conversion now..no need to go to Chang Wattana in BKK)

That is only possible if a work permit application has been done and there is supporting documents from an employer equal to those needed for an extension of stay.

The person mentioned wants a multiple entry non-o visa for business purposes not working.

Three new teachers at my school..on tourist visas, no work permit yet...got it done at Chanthaburi Immigration a month ago. were told that all provincial offices are doing it now. That's all I know.

[ubonjoe]

Just arrive on a tourist visa. Get it converted in-country at Immigration to a Non B. Simple.

(Provincial Immigration Departments are also doing the conversion now..no need to go to Chang Wattana in BKK)

That is only possible if a work permit application has been done and there is supporting documents from an employer equal to those needed for an extension of stay.

The person mentioned wants a multiple entry non-o visa for business purposes not working.

Three new teachers at my school..on tourist visas, no work permit yet...got it done at Chanthaburi Immigration a month ago. were told that all provincial offices are doing it now. That's all I know.

I wrote that a work permit application needed to be done. A work permit cannot be issued without a non-b visa.

There are some offices within the central region (division 3) that are allowed to accept non immigrant visa application that are then sent to Bangkok for approval.

There are 3 offices located in the 3 other regions of the country that are allowed to process the applications also.

[Capt Rob]

Is he from Australia? The form B is normally only needed for people from these countries.

"FORMB only for nationals of: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Vietnam and Yemen; and Travel Document holder."

If he is from Australia he should perhaps contact one of the honorary consulates in Melbourne, Perth, Hobart or Adelaide to see what they say.

Ubonjoe, although my experience is a tad dated ( 2013 ), the Adelaide consulate told me that procedures then had changed and consulates could not provide other than download links for (retirement ) visa.

Subsequently there was a bit of an inhouse ruckus in Thailand, when 'visa blanks' had gone missing on a large scale.

Rob

[Maestro]

Removed an off-topic post and the replies to it.

This topic is not about the change from a visa-exempt entry or tourist visa to a non-B visa at an immigration office in Thailand. The member in question should start an new topic with his problem.

[dbrenn]

Is he from Australia? The form B is normally only needed for people from these countries.

"FORMB only for nationals of: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Vietnam and Yemen; and Travel Document holder."

If he is from Australia he should perhaps contact one of the honorary consulates in Melbourne, Perth, Hobart or Adelaide to see what they say.

Ubonjoe, although my experience is a tad dated ( 2013 ), the Adelaide consulate told me that procedures then had changed and consulates could not provide other than download links for (retirement ) visa.

Subsequently there was a bit of an inhouse ruckus in Thailand, when 'visa blanks' had gone missing on a large scale.

Rob

That's the same as what we were told by the staff at the Sydney consulate. Only the Thai Embassy in Canberra can issue a multi entry non immigrant B visa. Recent rule change means that no consulate can do this any more.

What was last year a 15 minute wait at the Brisbane consulate is now a convoluted process that requires wads of supporting documents (even using form A).

With the process taking up to 21 days, during which time they hang on to your passport, many frequent business guests here will be hard hit.

Edited June 16, 2015 by dbrenn

[ubonjoe]

Is he from Australia? The form B is normally only needed for people from these countries.

"FORMB only for nationals of: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Vietnam and Yemen; and Travel Document holder."

If he is from Australia he should perhaps contact one of the honorary consulates in Melbourne, Perth, Hobart or Adelaide to see what they say.

Ubonjoe, although my experience is a tad dated ( 2013 ), the Adelaide consulate told me that procedures then had changed and consulates could not provide other than download links for (retirement ) visa.

Subsequently there was a bit of an inhouse ruckus in Thailand, when 'visa blanks' had gone missing on a large scale.

Rob

You are writing about something totally different.from getting a multiple entry non-b visa.

You were told that because you were asking about a retirement visa which equates to a OA long stay visa which only the embassy or Sydney consulate can issue.

[thedemon]

Is he from Australia? The form B is normally only needed for people from these countries.

"FORMB only for nationals of: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Vietnam and Yemen; and Travel Document holder."

If he is from Australia he should perhaps contact one of the honorary consulates in Melbourne, Perth, Hobart or Adelaide to see what they say.

Ubonjoe, although my experience is a tad dated ( 2013 ), the Adelaide consulate told me that procedures then had changed and consulates could not provide other than download links for (retirement ) visa.

Subsequently there was a bit of an inhouse ruckus in Thailand, when 'visa blanks' had gone missing on a large scale.

Rob

That's the same as what we were told by the staff at the Sydney consulate. Only the Thai Embassy in Canberra can issue a multi entry non immigrant B visa. Recent rule change means that no consulate can do this any more.

What was last year a 15 minute wait at the Brisbane consulate is now a convoluted process that requires wads of supporting documents (even using form A).

With the process taking up to 21 days, during which time they hang on to your passport, many frequent business guests here will be hard hit.

Can he qualify for an APEC card? That allows unlimited 90 day entries for the 3 year life of the card.

[tigermoth]

Yes you do not need the B form. I was recently in Australia and and found similar problems with even the A form. The amount of info required was staggering. This was for the retirement visa. It took me a month or more to collect it all and it was not cheap. A police check cost $52 and then everything had to be notarised, including the copies, justice of peace not acceptable. This was going to cost me $60 per page!! By the time my costs looked like getting up around $800 odd dollars I gave up and got a tourist visa and am now sorting it all out here at considerably less expense.

[dbrenn]

Is he from Australia? The form B is normally only needed for people from these countries.

"FORMB only for nationals of: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Vietnam and Yemen; and Travel Document holder."

If he is from Australia he should perhaps contact one of the honorary consulates in Melbourne, Perth, Hobart or Adelaide to see what they say.

Ubonjoe, although my experience is a tad dated ( 2013 ), the Adelaide consulate told me that procedures then had changed and consulates could not provide other than download links for (retirement ) visa.

Subsequently there was a bit of an inhouse ruckus in Thailand, when 'visa blanks' had gone missing on a large scale.

Rob

That's the same as what we were told by the staff at the Sydney consulate. Only the Thai Embassy in Canberra can issue a multi entry non immigrant B visa. Recent rule change means that no consulate can do this any more.

What was last year a 15 minute wait at the Brisbane consulate is now a convoluted process that requires wads of supporting documents (even using form A).

With the process taking up to 21 days, during which time they hang on to your passport, many frequent business guests here will be hard hit.

Can he qualify for an APEC card? That allows unlimited 90 day entries for the 3 year life of the card.

He does have an APEC card which would allow 3 month entries as you correctly point out.

However, he also holds a work permit here, so needs a non B to support that. He works part time and the Thai part of his salary is too low for the yearly extensions on his existing non B.

Edited June 16, 2015 by dbrenn

[Phuketboy]

He will need to make sure that he has paid his taxes for a salary equal to 50,000 baht per month. It doesn't matter if his salary was less than this, a good accountant will be able to doctor this up. I always renew my non-b in Thailand through my lawyer. I have also done this outside of Thailand and found the easiest place to do it was in KL. Drop off in the morning day 1 and pick up in the afternoon day 2. If he is travelling to Thailand, he could stop at KL on the way through and do visa there. Malaysian airlines stop here so do a few others (shouldn't cost anymore in airfare tickets to go Australia - KL and then KL-Thailand, at least it didn't for me when I stopped there last).

[ubonjoe]

He will need to make sure that he has paid his taxes for a salary equal to 50,000 baht per month. It doesn't matter if his salary was less than this, a good accountant will be able to doctor this up. I always renew my non-b in Thailand through my lawyer. I have also done this outside of Thailand and found the easiest place to do it was in KL. Drop off in the morning day 1 and pick up in the afternoon day 2. If he is travelling to Thailand, he could stop at KL on the way through and do visa there. Malaysian airlines stop here so do a few others (shouldn't cost anymore in airfare tickets to go Australia - KL and then KL-Thailand, at least it didn't for me when I stopped there last).

Please go back and read the OP.

He is wanting to get a multiple entry non-b visa for business purposes. He is not working here so has no work permit.

FYI KL stopped dong multiple entry non-b's if you had a work permit some time ago. They would not do one without a work permit. I am not ever sure a single entry can be obtained there now.

[dbrenn]

He will need to make sure that he has paid his taxes for a salary equal to 50,000 baht per month. It doesn't matter if his salary was less than this, a good accountant will be able to doctor this up. I always renew my non-b in Thailand through my lawyer. I have also done this outside of Thailand and found the easiest place to do it was in KL. Drop off in the morning day 1 and pick up in the afternoon day 2. If he is travelling to Thailand, he could stop at KL on the way through and do visa there. Malaysian airlines stop here so do a few others (shouldn't cost anymore in airfare tickets to go Australia - KL and then KL-Thailand, at least it didn't for me when I stopped there last).

Please go back and read the OP.

He is wanting to get a multiple entry non-b visa for business purposes. He is not working here so has no work permit.

FYI KL stopped dong multiple entry non-b's if you had a work permit some time ago. They would not do one without a work permit. I am not ever sure a single entry can be obtained there now.

Sorry if I wasn't clear UJ - he is a regional manager, and does spend time a very limited amount of time actually working here, so he does have a work permit. The salary he gets paid here is too small for the yearly in-country extensions, hence he needs a non-B multi entry.

[ubonjoe]

Having a work permit should make it easier to get the non-b. I am not sure what is going on with the Sydney consulate. There are certainly no changes on their's or the embassy's websites.

If he has at least 8 months left on his work permit he could get the multiple entry non-b in Penang.

[thedemon]

The Australian Thai FTA makes specific mention of a work permit not being required of Australian business people on temporary entry, as follows;

• Thailand will not require a work permit for Australian citizens who are business visitors conducting business meetings in Thailand for up to 15 days, and up to 90 days for APEC Travel Card Holders.

http://dfat.gov.au/trade/agreements/tafta/Pages/key-outcomes-of-the-thailand-australia-free-trade-agreement.aspx

The main condition in meeting the criteria is not receiving remuneration in Thailand. There are a couple of other conditions but I recall that they aren't very onerous. Perhaps in the future his Thai income could be diverted via another regional office and job function tailored to suit the exact wording of the FTA. That way no need for visa or work permit.

Perhaps the nature of the job makes that impossible. Just a thought.

[dbrenn]

The Australian Thai FTA makes specific mention of a work permit not being required of Australian business people on temporary entry, as follows;

• Thailand will not require a work permit for Australian citizens who are business visitors conducting business meetings in Thailand for up to 15 days, and up to 90 days for APEC Travel Card Holders.

http://dfat.gov.au/trade/agreements/tafta/Pages/key-outcomes-of-the-thailand-australia-free-trade-agreement.aspx

The main condition in meeting the criteria is not receiving remuneration in Thailand. There are a couple of other conditions but I recall that they aren't very onerous. Perhaps in the future his Thai income could be diverted via another regional office and job function tailored to suit the exact wording of the FTA. That way no need for visa or work permit.

Perhaps the nature of the job makes that impossible. Just a thought.

Thanks, but as I've said above, the person in question receives a small remuneration in Thailand and spends periods here actually working.