Phuketboy

At the end of the day a tourist visa is for tourists, if you are continually doing visa runs just to stay here or working here, you are not a real tourist are you? I say good on them for cracking down on this. Get the proper visa for your intension and purpose.

They need to actually teach them to drive because they can't. I did my Thai licence earlier this year for both car and motorbike, when my international was running out. The theory test was ok and similar to that which I have taken in western countries. However the actual driving test was a joke. For those who are interested, there were only 3 foreigners this day and about 60 Thais, so we were each put into groups of about 5 and each group did their exam while everyone else watched on from the waiting area next to the course.

On the bike I had to pull up at the start and state my name, turn right, turn left, enter the round a bout and go around once, stop at the stop sign, turn right, stop at some markers then weave between then, stop at another stop sign and continue to the end. That was it.

For the car it was exactly the same, but instead of weaving through the markers we had to do a reverse park between some other markers (concrete bases with steel poles). This space was the equivalent of an empty car space. In the west we do this between 2 actual cars in the street. Well, this is where I was shocked, I was in the 4th group and thought this as easy as like most people on here i've done this everyday. With 23 years driving and a good history and I believe pretty good skill passed no problem. However, only about 2 people in each group (1/3) did the reverse park without issues, everyone else hit the poles with some people hitting both front and back. One lady actually did a bit of damage to the car. What surprised me was that when I went inside the office area to collect my licence, so was everyone else including the lady who did all the damage. I was that taken back I thought out loud, cause I remember saying "Wow, unbelievable" and the girl doing the photos asked me in very good english "what is?". I simply said to her "I can't believe these people are getting a licence when none of them can drive. You are basically giving them a licence to kill cause they are going to leave here, driving 100km/hr with no idea how to drive". Her reply "Welcome to Thailand". The other thing that made me shake my head was that about 90% of the people doing their driving test, drove to the test in their own cars or bikes. Meaning unlicenced driving. I will post in good detail of the actual days events and everything needed for the licence a little latter for those who are interested in finding out more.

A friend of mine's company expenses are 260k baht p/m. For housing and international school.

Then he gets his Thai salary to his Thai account, and also his British salary to his UK account.

Says he can't wait to be able to move his family out of this death-trap 3rd World joke of a place, but is tied here financially for the next few years.

260k baht ($7500) per month in expenses just for housing and school? That can't be right, that is more expensive than back home. I have a daughter in a really good school with a very good english program and when looked into it all, not much different from the international schools I looked at, but I refuse to pay for some of the international schools as their prices are bullsh$%t, even compared to back home. Plus even though it looks all good and it looks like the children do well, their programs were not they great and the kids not doing that well on comparison of cost. My housing costs me 23,000 and school cost me 80,000 baht per term (160,000 baht per year). If your friend is paying 260k just for housing and school then he is trying to live a very lavish lifestyle. Even back home, I pay my staff $1500 (45000 baht) per week which equates to $6000 per month or 180000 baht. Even on this wage they couldn't afford your friends lifestyle. Here I pay staff much less but they are happy and the cost of living is much lower. Certainly not a death trap or a joke of a place.... be smart with your money and don't try and live a grand lifestyle, especially one that costs more than living in the western world.

Maybe they enjoy the experience..? and how do you know how much everybody here makes?

No idea how much they make...just saw ads for English teachers paying 30,000 baht per month. It just seems a miserable existence here if you have no money and a weak salary...what is it that attracts them to stay?

30,000 for an english teacher sounds right, but they are not real teachers are they? A fully qualified teacher, someone with a B.ed in either secondary or primary can earn 120,000 per month.

Another confusing article - many references to tourist visas rather than visa exempt arrivals. Are they now saying that even on a double entry tourist visa you are not allowed to do an 'in-out'?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

If you are a genuine tourist travelling around for 3-6 mths on a double entry, you would still be allowed out an in as you have the correct visa for your purpose. What they are wanting to stop is those who continually stay on tourist visas, just to stay here or work illegally. If you are continually doing visa runs or getting tourist visa to stay here, you are not a tourist are you. The message is clear, get the right visa for your purpose.

Tip nr 1: clean up your mess at the rivers and beaches... You will find out that tourists hate garbage

Tip nr 2: Do something with eco tourism while you have some nice forests and sea life left

Tip nr 3: Learn English to accommodate your tourists

Tip nr 4: Think of tourisme in the long run, it's not good when they feel ripped of

Tip nr 5: Charge the same prices for all, no separate Thai/ Farang

etc , etc

I think some more people can add here !!!

i can, pls stop making out english is the all of the world, it is not, they have 1.7 billion chinese next door.

to speak english is usefull, but it wont break thailand if 1 million english speakers go and 100 million chinese replace them.

and by the way i speak 5 languages, but even i admit, i should learn chinese, which i dont speak.

The language of business is english. If you speak english you can travel anywhere and get by. If you can't you will struggle.

They seem to be making up the rules as they go?

How is this making up the rules as they go? Did you read any of the posts before yours? One member uncovered she was the assistant manager at Sea Bees Diving Phuket. Where was her work permit/paper work? Why didn't she have a non-B visa? So.... no visa, no work permit/documentation, no money, no onward travel ticket. Seems to me they should deport her arse and stamp her passport "never to return".

Meanwhile, thousands of Burmese work on constructions sites here everyday.

Yep and as I have asked before with no answer.

1. how can they do this when construction work is reserved for Thai only?

2. the Russian clubs on Bangla employ many Russian and Ukrainian girls, 4 Thai's = 1 foreign work permit. Each club has approx 20 russian girls but they sure as hell don't have 80 Thai staff.

Maybe she couldn't get a work permit due to her boss/s not doing the right thing. Remember the bust last year when 40 Russian girls were arrested from these clubs on Bangla for not having work permits? They should shut these places down for good and deport the owners and bosses with a never to return stamp. Alternatively, they could simply stop Russians from having businesses here.

“I think for some people who want to do a visa run, the biggest problem is that they can deport you without any reason"

Once in Malaysia she was told the official reason was “not clear reason to visit Phuket”.

“The first question they asked was if I had a departing ticket from Thailand"

A visa doesn't guarantee entry into a country, and yes immigration can refuse entry to someone if they believe a person is not in accordance with the terms of their visa or reason for visa waiver...this is same in any country in the world, and once in country if an immigration department deems your are no complying with the T&C's of your entry they can kick you out

These are not new rules, all that's happening is that Thai immigration is now enforcing the rules and its been a long time coming

Seems to me immigration acted correctly in terms of the posted laws/rules for entry and even offered to try and help the lady with a ticket purchase (how many other immigration departments in other countries would offer help)

You are correct in every way. She didn't have a visa nor a forwarding ticket, she also couldn't show them funds except a bank account. It seems immigration were concerned it may not be her account, totally understandable. Why didn't she offer to get the money out of an ATM instead of just showing them the account? As mentioned in the quote, even if you have a visa (she did not), it doesn't guarantee you entry into a country. It is at the discretion of the immigration officer at the time of entry. This is the case across the globe and definitely not anything new.

If it wasn't for the people trying to stay here for the sake of just being here, doing multiple visa runs every month or every three months, then one could assume immigration wouldn't need to have crackdowns like this. I guess the bottom line is .... keep your visa runs to a minimum, if you don't need to go, then don't. If you are here working then have a work permit with 1 year visa (single entry, if need to leave then get a re-entry permit), if you are married then have a marriage visa, if retired then a retirement visa.

At least Ukrainian tourists are probably safer in Phuket than in Ukraine.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Yes. Ukraine is heading towards a civil war, and it's possible Russia may step in to carve up the country.

Friends of mine from Ukraine went home last month for a few weeks. From Crimea where this is all taking place. When asked them how it was, they told me it was like any other day, people walking about, having fun, getting on with life and they didn't see one bit of trouble. They did say that the only time they saw anything was military personnel at the boarder checkpoints and the airport. Wow media hype seems to make out much much more than this.

Ok the law is the law and they broke it. The police were only doing their job which I understand, but what is with the snitch. Nobody likes scum like that especially one who snitches on their own. (in this case a foreigner snitching on another foreigner). Who is this scum and why wasn't his name mentioned? I am wondering, what crime did he commit? My guess and I am only guessing, is that he did something wrong so he helped the police in order to get off his punishment.

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It is 15 days at a border crossing except for those from a G7 country who get 30 days. Their are otherd that get 30 days or more because of a bilateral agreement.

And the OP comes from a G7 country (UK) correct ?... alt=biggrin.png>..ERGO he will get 30 days

That's correct.

It is this that makes the border jump a viable alternative as it's basically 30 days for the same price as the 7 day extension (give or take).

If the rule states From today, foreign nationals residing in Thailand will no longer be able to exit and then re-enter the kingdom via a land border crossing in order to gain another 30 or 15 day stay in Thailand. Then it clearly states that he cannot do this. He will NOT be able to leave and re-enter with another 30 days. Therefore he will get nothing if he crosses via a land boarder crossing. Best to leave and then apply for a tourist visa. the other option would be to fly out and do this. If he flies he can return and get another 30 day stamp. This is my understanding from reading the stated new rule.

What if you build a bike for yourself, sell it and build anther one for yourself, when would this be a business?

If you build a bike for yourself and sell it then build another and do the same thing, you are not building them for yourself then are you? The fact is if you make money in Thailand you need a work permit...... how many times does this have to be said in these forums? You can't get a work permit as a sole operator, you must be employed by a Thai company either your own set up with at least 4 Thai employees or for an already established Thai company. It's not that hard to set up and there are benefits in opening a company.

what could the benefit be if you have to employ 4 thai employees?

There is no benefit ,you will be working at a loss.

Do you know anything about company structures or business? Yes you need to employ 4 Thai's, this will give you a work permit, it also means you can get a 1 year visa. You list as many job descriptions as you can on your work permit because it's your company, which also means if you list training staff and managing staff work, you can basically do any job you want as long as you have a Thai person standing next to you (if questioned, you are showing them and training them). Having a company also allows you open other businesses under the company umbrella, to purchase property in the company name (a little protection for you), this also includes land. These are just some of the benefits. Use your imagination and learn how to use a company structure (in any country) for your benefit. I am doing this and yes I am very profitable, much more profitable here than my company in Australia, with much less hassle and red tape, taxes and expenses as well.

What if you build a bike for yourself, sell it and build anther one for yourself, when would this be a business?

If you build a bike for yourself and sell it then build another and do the same thing, you are not building them for yourself then are you? The fact is if you make money in Thailand you need a work permit...... how many times does this have to be said in these forums? You can't get a work permit as a sole operator, you must be employed by a Thai company either your own set up with at least 4 Thai employees or for an already established Thai company. It's not that hard to set up and there are benefits in opening a company.

The only way you can claim your travel expenses from the UK to Thailand is if either you are travel to Thailand for work/business or you have an office set up here and you are travelling between offices. If you are looking at cutting costs and worried about expenses, why travel business class? There are a few options open, but as it seems UK tax related, you need to speak to an accountant who is familiar with the tax system and loop holes in the UK. The other option is to set up an office in a tax free haven and run your accounts through that office. You will need to make sure that you don't receive any payment in the UK, Thailand, USA etc. All invoicing and payments will need to go through the office in the tax free country where you set up office. It certainly seems like a lot of expense and running around to avoid tax, so the company will need to be making considerable profits in order for this to be worth while.

There is a loophole for every foreign worker. When you apply for a work permit through your lawyer you can list everything you need to do. You cannot do those jobs listed under jobs for Thai's such as service, construction, etc because they are a Thai only job, however the loophole is that you can put down that you train staff. Therefore as long as you have a Thai person standing next to you, you can basically do whatever you want. If questioned you can state you are training a staff member and showing them what you want them to do. This advice came from my lawyer.

Maybe a little off topic, but how many other industries are there where businesses are getting away with employing foreign workers with the correct number of Thai's for the work permits? For example in order to get 1 work permit a company must employ 4 Thai workers. I guess they need to investigate all the construction jobs then because most construction is done by Burmese (not Thai) workers. Another is the Russian nightclub scene. These clubs for example have at least 10 Russian girls dancing and working, but there is no way in hell there are 40 Thai staff to accompany them. Maybe this needs to be all brought up at the investigation and see where it goes. Anyone else know of other businesses/industry that seem to get away with the work permit issue?

It would be much easier to simply make work permits universal. This would mean you have a permit to work in Thailand, run business and not be worried. This is what happens in other countries, however as we all know Thailand isn't all countries and I understand they want to protect Thai jobs. So make the permit universal for all work except that which is restricted or Thai only.

She's not a kid, she's a young adult. I'm sure you would prefer her to be at home than out and about, running a muck or drinking with her friends. Like you mentioned she is staying home and doing housework, at least she is helping out. School would be stressful as well, especially at her age with some big decisions to make about university courses next year. Let her do her thing as long as she is doing the right thing, what have you really got to complain about? I do like the idea of a road trip as someone suggested. Maybe work out a plan with her and go and explore. I'm sure there is much of Thailand she hasn't seen and it's important for one to learn about the history and see their country.

Have i missed something or maybe I'm reading this wrong. "That election was disrupted by protesters, rendering the outcome incomplete. A new date has not yet been set. Suthep has vowed to disrupt future polls unless his demands for reforms are first met." If that is the case, what the hell was last weekend and again this weekend?

Maybe the demographic profile of the "tourist" has changed ?

More Chinese and Korean people on package deals ?

Russians who buy their booze from the "/7" ?

Not really difficult to understand.

Stand by for the "bargain" low season bar sales !

The low season is just round the corner, that's why even though I do have a bar and restaurant, my main businesses have nothing to do with this area. You bring up some very good points with the people on package deals, although these have always been around same with 7/11. I like the point brought up earlier in regard to the banks not giving credit cards out so easily, this would justify the one week millionaires not having cash hahahahaha.

Sure we are still seeing many tourists coming to Thailand, some first timers looking to explore the land of smiles and others being seasonal who have been here many times over the years. However, is the type of tourist we are attracting changing, or are they getting tighter? I remember being a tourist here many years ago, first time doing all the day tours by day and then partying by night. I don't consider myself to be a big drinker or a big spender at all, but I'm certainly not tight either. When living in a place, we tend not to really go on tours or drink everyday, but when on holiday, I like to enjoy myself, go sight seeing and have a few. Back in Australia or England a night out would easily cost $150 (5000 baht) or more if I was with a partner or getting into rounds. When visiting Thailand as a tourist, I found this to be the same, a night out by myself costing 5000 baht and when buying rounds, 10000 plus would be the norm. This is still the same now that I'm living here.

Talking to some friends over dinner last night and one of the guys who operates a tour company mentioned yesterday that tourists don't seem to be spending money the same as they use to. Another who has a few bars backed this up as he has noticed that tourists are not spending money in the bars like they use to either. Personally, I have noticed this with my bar and restaurant (catering for tourists), but I haven't noticed this with my professional businesses (catering for everyone). So the question was asked, is the quality or type of tourist changing in Thailand. Are the people more health conscious therefore not drinking as much? Are people not doing the tours as much because the tourists tend to be seasonal and have already done these? Have people become more tight with their money the last few years? If this is the case and they don't want to spend money, why come on holiday to another country in the first place? I understand that people want to experience the culture among other things, but Phuket and Pattaya isn't the real Thailand, it's make believe built around what the Thai's think the tourists want to see. As we all know, if they want to experience the real culture and real Thailand then they need to head to Isaan, small villages as well as the cities, to get the full picture and they arn't doing this either.

The questions were asked around the table and quite a few comments and suggestions thrown about as well. Has anyone else noticed this?

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Of course the Thai Bashers are out in force. So who is number 2 in ASEAN? Laos? Vietnam? Cambodia?

I have worked and travelled in all ASEAN countries except the Philippines but I would actually put Thailand as number one. Singapore is great if you can afford it, but sull as dishwater.

Nobody is bashing Thailand, simply expressing opinions!

I would rate Malaysia as second.

It amazes me how there are so many Thai bashers on every single thread in this forum. Some might be expressing their opinions but come on, it really gets tiring. I find it funny though how it's these same Thai bashers who CHOOSE to live here. Yes that's right these people CHOSE to pack up their lives and relocate here. Maybe it was because their own countries are so SH%t and maybe some other reason. But the fact remains, they CHOSE to live here because life was better. Now they constantly bash this country. It's the Thai bashers that will never be happy no matter where they live. &lt;deleted&gt;$ken whingers, that are so miserable in a country they CHOSE to be in. To those people give it a rest, we are tired of hearing from you. I wonder if there are forums where expats bash on your country once they decided to move there. If you are so unhappy with the way things are here, pack your stuff and book the next flight back home, easy.

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1. Yes, of course, to be legal you need the correct visas and a workpermit. And no, this is no bureaucratic nightmare at all.

2. 4 Thai per workpermit. Yes, if you want to make money in Thailand you also have to help the Thais.

3. No, nonsense.

4. No, nonsense.

I don't know how long you've been here but I have seen evidence of quite the opposite to say the least.<snip>

I have been running a legal business here now for over 10 years.

And in all those 10 years you have never seen or experienced nothing suspicious or corrupt or paid one baht of tea money? You must be a real estate agent or used cars salesman...

Running businesses here as well. It isn't very hard to keep things legal at all. It may cost a little to set everything up the first time round, but it's well worth it. I employ many Thai people across 3 different businesses set up under one company. 4 Thai people to one work permit. I also pay 7000 baht per month for a lawyer and accountant to make sure everything is done right and to keep me informed. Small price to pay and far more expensive in either UK or Australia, where I have businesses as well. No tea money is necessary and if anything should happen I have a lawyer on board to sort things out. It was only 4 mths ago I was trying to get my partner and daughter a partner visa in Australia so my daughter could study there. That was more of a nightmare and far more expensive than anything I have ever had to do here.

Good job, well done. This time it was the work permit, but so many people here on incorrect visas so they can stay along with working without a work permit and massive overstays. I say once caught kick them out with a never to return stamp.