Norrad

Looks like the saga is continuing on the Hot in the Biscuit page. Now more drug smugglers, international schools, Bitcoin, scammers etc. Getting my popcorn out now as it's like a movie in the making...

https://www.facebook.com/hotinthebiscuit

Around 2000. I've tried to go as cashless as possible, so I use cards for 99% of my transactions.

The embassy in Hong Kong is normally very polite and accommodating, but they are very strict when it comes to paperwork and carefully go through every document. That was my experience applying for a Non-B there for teaching.

That being said I'm sure they are a little bit racist to people of colour. An African-American, who was applying at the same time, was turned away when they checked his paperwork. I remember it clearly because he had a mountain of paperwork and I started to panic because I didn't have all the papers that he had. We were comparing our papers while filling in the application forms together.

34 minutes ago, puukao said:

I will have to turn in my work permit, go to immigration and then do a border run.  

 

 

Don't do it until you have visited the Labour department in your area and had a chat to them. They will advise you on your options.

42 minutes ago, puukao said:

Can they make it impossible to teach any where else?  Like call ministry of education or something....

 

 

No they can't. There is no blacklist of teachers or anything. Schools will often threaten that they will blacklist you, but it's hollow threats.

Now from the severance pay perspective. Government schools are assigned government employees and all other hires are considered contractors and therefore not entitled to severance pay. Private schools, language centers and agencies hire you as an employee and you may be entitled to some severance pay if they fire you. But the teaching profession is strange as it is exempt from many requirements (such as minimum salary and contract lengths) and I have never heard of a teacher actually being able to get severance pay after being fired.

Also refusing to sign a new contract can be seen as you quitting and then any company would not have to pay severance pay.

I'm going to guess that this is a teaching contract (based on the May start date). In that case you will have major problems getting any severance pay out of your employer as schools are exempt from certain rules.

Ultimately he needs a contract with whoever is paying his salary and his Non-B and Work Permit must be tied to that contract. That's the one that will be used officially when it comes to taxes, labour disputes or anything official. The fact that he signed a contract with the school makes him and the school liable should anything happen. The agent is just sitting back taking 4000 Baht straight off his currently contracted salary per month with no liability for them. The government will see the school paying him a certain amount which includes that 4000 Baht.

1 hour ago, jaffas21 said:

So the law is, the amount that is on your contract that you received your non b from is the amount you should get paid? that is 100% correct?

 

Your also saying legally the agent cannot deduct money from the salary thats one your contract, but must be paid extra by the school?

 

Just so I'm clear on all these points

 

Why would the school be paying them from my salary if its against employment law? to save money? then my not just get rid of the agency and hire me direct.

Correct because that's the amount you are going to get taxed on and it's the amount that gets listed in all your paperwork. Any amount the agency makes should be between the agency and the school and should never appear in any of your paperwork.

Try to imagine it like this. You are a builder and company A hires you to build a house for Company B. Company A charges Company B 1,000,000 Baht and pays you 100,000 Baht. Now if you signed both contracts (one for 100,000 Baht and one for 1,000,000 Baht) you are liable to be taxed on both of those amounts. Your only saving grace is that only one of them will be used for your official paperwork as a foreigner and that's the one you will be taxed on.

7 minutes ago, TerryLH said:

If the school is paying them to provide a teacher, the money should not be coming out of your salary.

The school has contracted with you, apparently, to teach there.  Any money going to the agency is above what they pay you, so not out of your salary.

 

If someone gets you a WP to teach at the school, why would it matter who got it for you?

I would compare the two contracts. He said he signed one with the school and that is being used now for his Non-B. Whatever salary is mentioned on that school contract is what he should be getting or he can approach the labour department. Whichever contract is being officially used for your paperwork is the one you should follow.

Quick tip on finding agent details and reviews. Many change company names every time they get bad press. Try searching directly for the agent's name (their personal name). I know one down South that has changed the company name 8 times.

The agency is messing you and the school around. If you are employed by the agency then they need to supply you with documents for your Non-B and work permit, bot the school.

Google the agency's name and see what comes up as naming and shaming is not normally allowed in Thailand, but there are many anonymous sites where people air grievances.

Input errors happen. Don't stress about it. Just show them the exit stamp in your passport if you are ever asked.

In my case I think the issue may have been that I was exiting with my young son, so we were pulled aside by a supervisor who stamped us both out at her desk and simply put the stamped departure cards in her drawer. For all I know those cards are still in her desk and they never made it into the system. According to my old landlord they made a note of it and left.

I'm not going to panic about it as I can simply show them my departure stamp (a full 2 months before my extension was going to expire) and entry stamp to my home country the next time I go to Thailand.

Seems immigration is stepping up their game. I woke up to an email from my old landlord asking if I was still in Thailand, as immigration had been around to check my address. I left Thailand the middle of last year.

Ouch that is a bit of a problem.

The process was painless for me, as I was with my wife all the way through. I think it may be a bit daunting if they aren't doing it together and I know Home Affairs can be a bit prickly if the husband and wife are not living together (I remember that being a big point made that my wife's residence permit would be cancelled if we simply stopped living together, one spouse working abroad was even frowned upon).

If you are in SA then it would be best to speak to an immigration lawyer over there. The other option is for her to just hop on a flight to SA and get a 30 Day on arrival visa, go straight to your local home affairs and convert it to a Temporary Resident Permit (You can take a local Immigration lawyer with you to Home Affairs).

Sort of cryptic post by the OP, but the SA Embassy is super friendly so you won't need a lawyer.

If you are a South African citizen and your wife is Thai then the process is very straightforward. You will need to get your marriage certificate translated and certified by the Ministry of Foreign affairs and she will need to get a Police Clearance certificate from Special Branch police in Bangkok. Take that to the embassy with her passport, and pictures, and apply for a visa based on Marriage.

Against a guy that has supposed military training, is apparently claiming to be in the witness protection program, has stolen the identity of a black dude...

I'm not afraid, but I am also not stupid.

Anyway, thanks for all the advice. Wife's brother and her are making a report, as his latest threats included her brothers.

Mods, please close this thread. Thank you.

That's not the threat. That was just me asking a colleague of his if I think he will follow through with his threats.

The threat is recorded on my phone from a phone call this morning.

He came up with loads of excuses not to give his passport at work.

My wife and her brother are going to the police station now. She at first thought I was just being paranoid, but I recorded the latest threat.

A message from someone who knows him. I asked if she thought he is dangerous.

This place has gone to the dogs. I have been a member here for 10 years and always got good advice.

Yes, things are not smooth between my wife and I right now, but that is because of a bad business decision she made and I am angry about it.

This guy is dangerous, everyone who met him thinks the same. He has threatened me and my family, kids too. I have his resume but not his passport.

You do not understand. This guy is 100% psycho. He applied for a job through my wife, that's how they met. He has been calling her every day since at all hours. I checked his resume and it is all fake. Every detail was carefully selected to match people with his name, but ages and even races do not match.

Because if they don't get him, I'm 100% sure he will follow through with his threat. I don't want the police to go up to him and just tell him to stop threatening me.

I have a guy (foreigner) threatening me and my family. He has a crush on my wife and says he will do anything to get her. He called me last night and told me that I am going to be wearing a halo by the weekend. I'm pretty sure he is here illegally or running away from something in his home country.

Is there some way I could get the police involved anonymously? Just to maybe pay him a visit and chat to him.

Things have gone south, relationship wise, with my wife and myself and it's coming up to get an extension on my Non-O (Single Entry).

I used to get 60 Day extensions based on having a Thai wife, but I can't ask her to go with me this time :-(

Is it possible to get a 60 Day extension based on having a Thai child? I can take my son with me to immigration.

What documents are required to apply for the extension?