Non-Imm "F"?

[Lourens]

I got lucky and got a job in Bangkok. My employer arranged for a visa to be collected at a Thai Embassy. I did and got a Non-Immigration type "F" visa. My limited research on the internet indicated that this type of visa is issued for Diplomatic or Official purposes only. Can anyone explain to me what that means other than it's for diplomats or officials?

[Admin]

Made a small searh and this came up:

The Non-Immigrant "F" visa is for "Official".

One example is persons in the Diplomatic Corps.

Are you working for a government company maybe?

[Lourens]

Like I said, I came up with the same information after a short search. No, I'm not working for a government institution as that is reserved for Thai citizens.

[dave the dude]

Like I said, I came up with the same information after a short search. No, I'm not working for a government institution as that is reserved for Thai citizens.

Cut and pasted from The ministry of Funny Affairs website......

DIPLOMATIC / OFFICIAL VISA   
    - Upon official request, Thai Embassies and Consulates-General may grant visas to diplomatic or official passport-holders who wish to assume duties at a foreign Diplomatic Mission or Consulate or International Organization in the Kingdom and to their family members. 
  - Supporting documents are Note Verbal and/or documents issued by the foreign government or international organization, certifying the identity of the person concerned and his/her purposes while residing in the Kingdom. 
 
Dave

[Lourens]

Thanks Dave. That explains it then. I wondered why they would give me an "official" visa. I will be working for an international organization.

[3100034]

Hi woundering about your Visa !
15 years ago i hab a company in England one of my customers in England was the British Government " Forriengn and Commonweath Office" to which i was a Contractor.

I and my staff was issued by the government letters these letters allowed me and my staff to get visa's within 4 hours at any Emmbassy WOW!

My company was working in Countries where it was very difficult to go without lots of questions! all equipment went in diplomatic bags (pakaging was the best i have ever seen you could have dropped eggs out of a plane and they would have survied intact)no customs check!!!

So can you give us a clue what are you doing! are you a tea sturers mate in an something indirectly connected with goverment of another country.

[Lourens]

I'm the Chief Assistant to the Assistant Chief of an international collaboration called the Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN). Not really. I work in a QA/QC lab for WWARN http://www.wwarn.org. We just happen to be based in Bangkok (lucky for me). I too got a letter from my employer that I took to a Royal Thai Embassy. I had to wait all of 30 minutes for the visa to be issued. After I started work, I had to hand in my passport and it was stamped with a Section 15 (of the Thai Immigration Law) stamp. This allows me to stay in Thailand for the duration of my contract (initial 2 years) without ever having to report to Immigration or doing visa runs. I also now have a multiple exit stamp that allows me to come and go as I wish.

What i REALY wanted to say was that I'm an international spy working for a highly secretive organization with contacts in several major superpowers  but that would give the game away.