Living and Teaching in Thailand

Working LEGALLY in Thailand -- Visas and Work Permits

Getting a work permit needed to work in Thailand legally can turn out to be an adventure on its own. If you find a job with a reputable school, it should be absolutely no problem, as long as you provide the necessary legitimate documents. You will undoubtedly hear of the so-called “visa run”, in which teachers (or any foreign employee, for that matter) need to actually leave the country every 90 days in order to re-enter the country with a fresh tourist visa. This is technically illegal, although many schools (or should I say MOST), in their desperation to fill positions with “native speaking” teachers, do resort to this tactic.

Anyway, if you’re a genuinely certified teacher, from a genuinely English-speaking nation, there’s really nothing to worry about. This holds especially true if you end up at an international school (or at least a reputable one) as they typically hire a law firm or a visa/work permit specialist to deal with this.

Documents YOU will need to provide when YOUR EMPLOYER makes arranges for you to obtain your work permit:

• Copies of EVERY page of your passport, INCLUDING ANY BLANK VISA PAGES, with your signature on each page.
  
• Non-Immigrant Visa. This should be obtained before you enter the country.
  
• Departure Card TM.6 – when you most recently entered the country, this should have been stapled to one of the pages in your passport.
  
• A signed copy of your university degree.
  
• A signed copy of a your valid teaching certificate.
  
• CV or Resume detailing your past positions, duties, length and place of employment.
  
• Three (3) full-face pictures, 5x6 cm, wearing business attire. This is NOT a passport photo AND (believe it or not) you CANNOT be smiling (!) in the photo.
  
• If married to a Thai National, you will need the original and a signed photocopy of your Marriage Certificate. Include wife’s (or husband’s) Thai ID card, birth certificates of your children and your household registration.
  

Later, I’ll have a short write-up on the often confusing world of visa extensions, re-entry permits, 90-day reporting, etc.

posted by Mister Ray @ 1/28/2006 11:12:00 PM