Khun Robert

Nobody know what the decision will be from the Immigration Officer on the desk where you check into Thailand.

You were living in Bangkok for years using the Visa Exempt Entry, tourist Visa and ED visa to allow you to stay.

All your entries, exits and visa's used are in a database of Immigration which shows up on each entry.

Immigration Officer can ask for 3 proofs:

1. Proof of funds, so make sure you always have 20.000 Thb or equivalent in cash with you.

2. Proof of accommodation, so bring rental contract or hotel booking.

3. Proof of onward travel. 

They most of the times denial you under suspicion of working inside Thailand.

So always bring proof of working abroad and money coming into your bank account from abroad.

Good luck.

• There is no mention of a return ticket on their website: 
• Passport or travel document with a minimum validity of 6 months, and copy
• Visa application form, fully completed
• Recent passport-sized photograph (3.5 x 4.5 cm) of the applicant
• For non-Australian or non-resident applicant, proof of an Australian Electronic Visa
• Copy of an airline ticket indicating the date of arrival to and departure from Thailand
• Evidence of adequate finances (THB 20,000 per person, or THB 40,000 per family)
  • For multiple entries, a certified bank’s letter of balance or official bank statement showing recent balance of no less than THB 200,000
• Confirmed reservation of accommodation in Thailand

Airline ticket indicating the date of arrival to and departure from Thailand, this departure could be to any destination in the world.

It is not a grey area, only made a grey area by people who love to give themselves other job prescriptions.

For Example: a Web designer stays a web designer even living abroad, calling himself a nomad does not change the job.

It is illegal as others already pointed out. 

Problem to catch you is this: Thai Police and Immigration Police are looking around for people working illegal in the country, BUT

they can only arrest you if you really are doing the job.

Sitting behind a computer screen at home or with a laptop on the beach it is very difficult for them to make evidence like pictures that you

are actually working at that moment. So the chance of getting caught is slim.

I can sit in a restaurant/bar every night with a beer talking to other customers about different foods, day tours and even recommend the best one. I can sell it to these customers and Police can do nothing, because I just have a conversation while drinking a beer.

As soon as I write details on a voucher and/or collect money from the other customers they have their prove that I work.

I hope he keep us updated about the next border crossing and outcome.

Would the I/O at the border ignore the recent denial stamp?

I agree that their are no reports of Digital Nomads arrested for illegal working.

According to the labor act, which is old it is simply not allowed.

Next to this, most of the Digital Nomads use the Tourist Visa to enter and stay in Thailand,

they sign a small box on the form with the text:

"Attention for Tourist and Transit Visa Applicants : I hereby declare that the purpose of my visit to thailand is for pleasure or transit only and that in no case shall I engage myself in any profession or occupation while in the country."

I not understand questions like: "Can I work as Digital Nomad". You sign a paper that your purpose is only for pleasure and

that IN NO CASE shall I engage myself in any profession of occupation.

With signing the form to get the Tourist Visa, you already made the  decision not to work in Thailand.

You wrote you are on a Tourist Visa, just start paying tax does not solve your problem:

Attention for Tourist and Transit Visas Applicants I hereby declare that the purpose of my visit to Thailand is for pleasure or transit only and that in no case shallI engage myself in any profession or occupation while in the country. Signature _________________ Date __________

This is what you signed to obtain that visa, mining bitcoins in Thailand sounds to me as engaged in any profession, so by doing that you break the Immigration rules.

So the answer of "How would the IO even know the exchange rate" is: They can use the Internet.

Now I'm totally blown away, you really think that a Thai Official is allowed and have access to use Internet and Google for information?

I believed that internet can only be used by tourist in Thailand.

I have never seen a black box, a screen, a key board, mouse and printer all together named a computer system in a Thai office.

I seen many people play with their smart phones, but that must only be games, not Facebook, Line, Whatsapp, Skype, Thai Visa Forum etc etc.

But on the other hand, when entering Thailand the IO swipes the passport trough a small black box and has a screen on his desk showing all the data,

so it looks like they have something what we call computer systems. 

You must love those tourist who still think Thailand is living in the stone age, but using the internet to ask questions.

Now also for the Dutch Embassy. Income statement can be applied for only with proof of income, tax refunds and monthly payments on bank account. Next to that the Embassy can check with the Dutch tax office if your claim is correct before they authorise your statement.

40 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Same subject in general - but hardly the same type of case(s).  Immigration policies in my passport-country are useless, because people can literally just "walk around" points of entry, enter illegally, then are free to live, work, take govt-handouts, and get drivers licenses, as if they were legal residents.   Every one of these illegal-immigrants, and even most legal ones, make our nation and citizens poorer.  If ONLY we had the same "problem" as Thailand - "too many" people wanting to come with Their Own Money to Spend into our economy, while taking NO taxpayer-funded handouts and jobs from locals.

 

As to processing entries - yes, I think they need more personnel, so they can do a full-scan of every passport, and ask any relevant questions - to be sure no actual dangerous-people get in.  But there are really only 2 questions to ponder:

1. Is this person a national-security risk (i.e. dangerous / criminal)?
2. Is this person from a country with lower wages than Thailand, thus likely to be here to take a Thai's job?

If "yes" on #1 - bye. 

If "yes" on #2, questions and possible refusal of entry. 

But if "No" on both, where's the problem?
 

"Welfare" in The Netherlands pays better than most Thai-jobs - certainly more than an "under the table" job with no work-permit. 

I cannot find any logic for a denial, other than someone in the chain of authority is angry that a change/limit to Tourist-Visa rules hasn't happened, so they are twisting the law to "do it by other means."  

Every year I see lots of Foreigners coming into Thailand and living the dream of Scuba Dive master and/or Scuba Dive Instructor.

Often without work permits and yes lower wage then "welfare" in the Netherlands. But on the other hand, living the dream, laying on a white sand beach, scuba diving alongside coral reefs in clear water with lots of marine life. And if they do a good job, they may have a nice paid holiday, some for only 6 months high season, some stay 1 year or even longer.

55 minutes ago, lordblackader said:

Got to love Thaivisa for comments like this when the answer is simply a quick Google search away, let alone the search box here on Thaivisa itself. 

Sounds the same as: Got the love Thaivisa for questions like this when the answer is simply a quick Google search away, let alone the search box here on Thaivisa itself. 

Stamps in passports are easily identified, just by reading your passport, but a lot of people call every stamp a visa.

Some even invent names like a jojo visa, after some questions it came out to be an Multiple Re-Entry Permit.

It makes it many times hard to give a proper advice directly

.

You're young enough to go for Citizenship. Takes some years but can be done.

Reading this kind of topics is like reading a comic book, always makes me laugh.

All Farangs/Expats getting upset and start typing fast and furious all kind of comments, some to the point, some just to stear it up.

But above all, I read about breaking laws and have to take care, I bring in and paid millions of Thai Baht so I can do.

Most of the comments is against enforcement by Police, Immigration or Ministry of Labour.

Time for the next topic: Driving in Thailand. All these people are pro enforcement of laws by Police, till they get stopped driving motorbikes without a helmet.

Then they shout out loud: Police needs pocket money.

Make up your minds, every country has laws, rules and enforcement. Some in your benefit, most of them not.

I agree with this new rules, all employees should be legal, registered, pay tax and have a right to Social Security and Insurance.

What we see now is just the result of Human Trafficking, lots of illegal migrants who worked long days of hard manual labour for small wages

are kicked out by their employers. People who paid Agents money for a job in Thailand, got here without Passport, Visa etc.

The Employer can tell them all he want, let them do all he want with a simple sentence: I report you to Immigration.

And all with an excuse that I also read in the comments: Thais do not want to do this kind of work.

Ask yourself the question: Do You want to do this kind of work for that kind of money under the same circumstances?

Thanks for clearing. Should I delete the topic or can you close it, before long discussions start?

I just saw a post coming by on Facebook, linked to a German Thailand tip website with a article about new visa regulations starting on 12 August 2017.

The regulation change is that tourists doing back to back border runs or using back to back 60 day Tourist visa will from now on get an in/out stamp as warning

and from 13 Aug 2017 onward they would not be allowed to come back to Thailand unless they can show a valid and correct visa and proofs of purpose for their intended stay.

This new rule supposed to come from Chief Immigration South Thailand Tatchai Pitaneelabut and Police Inspector at Songai Kolok already confirmed that at his

border check point more than 100 border runners a day are refused entries into Thailand.

Source of this article is: Thai Visa The Nation.

I can find nothing about this change on your forums,  thats the reason for this question as it seems you are the source who made this news.

Nice long statement of Buick. His American parents moved to another town, his American friends change plans all the time, his American bank

change policy about money transfers, Time difference between America and Thailand, he does not like to visit an American Police station.

And that is the reason it is not convenience to apply for a Visa or Extension of Stay in Thailand.

You can get advice on a forum, but nobody can tell you 100 % that your application will be approved and getting back in the country

is as without any hassle or question of an Immigration Officer.

So you think a new passport will solve all the problems.

It used to do the trick years ago, now even in Thailand, country

in development, they using the same thing as you: a Computer.

Your new passport could be linked with your old one, like the Netherlands

Government does to make it easy for Immigration Officers worldwide.

But when Immigration use the scan your name, birthday and

nationality will give a match with an old passport and all your entries in Thailand.

20 hours ago, valerian said:

Thanx again for the replies.

 

Still no hard evidence for cases where farangs have been processed for building or taking care of their own property. Despite the "obvious" wording of the law.

So I'll assume all is fine - but will take the fine advice to talk to the local immigration officer just to make sure and sleep well.

Why you want to talk to the local Immigration Office unless you need advice about your Visa or extension of stay.

Try the ministry of Labor, that is the only office who know all the rules about Work Permits.

On of the Visa services in Penang, also member here wrote several times on his Facebook page that the rules changed in Penang.

Just take a look at his ADVISE:  Jim Tachinamurthy.

Also lot of people working in the Scuba Diving are on Tourists Visa.

I know it is not the most reliable source, but in this overview from de Department of Tourism and Sports

the average stay of tourists. The longest stayers are Europeans with an average of 16.85 days, one SETV

should be enough.

http://www.thaiwebsites.com/tourism-income-Thailand.asp