How long can I work legally at a school while they sort out visas and work permits, etc?
Technically, you can’t work at all until your work permit is issued. Thai law doesn’t have a “grace period” for starting a job while paperwork is in progress — even if the school swears it’s fine. In practice, many schools have new teachers start teaching during the application process, but that’s technically illegal, and if immigration or labour officials show up, you could be fined or deported.
If you want to stay 100% legal, only begin work once your non-immigrant B visa is in place and your work permit has been approved. Anything before that is done at your own risk — and that risk falls on you, not just the school.
