It's been a week since I came back to Thailand. I'm back in Ubon. I'd been in Ubon for a week - getting my paperwork in order and a week in Bangkok - getting my visa done.

The visa work got done finally! Changed from a tourist visa to a non-immigrant (non-B). Took me 2 tries, the same papers (I added one more which I ideally should not have needed at this time) and the same officer who rejected them the first time. The difference? Time of presentation. As a wise soul on the internet said, go the the immigration office in the evenings. Apparently the officers are supposed to finish all their appointments for the day before EOD and if your turn happens to come at 4:07 PM (I got my number in the queue at about 1:40 PM), :-) :-) :-)

Basically, the documents you need to change your visa are:
Change of Visa Application form
Copy of all pages (with stamps) of the passport
Work Contract
Letter from the Education Department
Letter of Employment from your school
A letter from your school (covering letter of sorts)
Copy of the school's director's ID
Copy of your education qualification
(And I was asked for) TOEIC score (since I'm a non-native English teacher applying for a teaching job)

The first time around, my papers were rejected becaues:
a) I didn't have my TOEIC scores (which from my understanding, I only needed when I was processing my work permit. Luckily for me, I was taking the test the next day).
b) The covering letter from school did not have "To the Immigration Bureau" written on top. The officer insisted I bring a new letter from the school - an original copy, not a fax - something I couldn't have gotten done at the time 'cause the school was closed for vacations). When I went back, I just hand wrote it and gave it in (I had various plans to defend that). The officer didn't even look. Just asked me to sign some papers ("Quickly, quickly", he said) and gave me the visa.

This apparently is only the first step. The visa is valid for three months, by which time, I need to go back to an immigration office and get it extended to a year (which apparently is only 9 more months). Then comes applying for the work permit and then a teacher's license. But I've been told, the hard work is done, and from here, It's just a bit simpler.

Simpler, is after all, relative. :-)