kmw

4 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Of course you will get a work permit from them, without it you can't start working. But i would guess if you don't make enough money through them within a few months, they will cancel the work permit. Why should they pay social security tax for somebody who doesn't make money for them. Even if they should not cancel the work permit, for sure they would kick you out after the first year is over.

That's exactly what I guessed as well, social security is only based on the incomings via payroll, however iglu from what I understand is for freelancers and project based online workers, so while some of thier "employees" may not do any turnover in the first few months they may meet the requirements at a later stage, one of my friends have yet to be reimbursed for the out of pocket expense for the visa (still no work) and his renewal of the work permit is comming up in the next few weeks, apparently all is fine with iglu as he is "apparently" working on a project that pays on completion, however I think that's a load of bs and he is stringing them out for another year,

19 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Monthly minimum income with IGLU is 2500 USD, and they take away 30% for taxes etc. So if somebody uses Iglu just to get the visa it costs him effectively 750 USD per month, which is currently 23k THB. So the cost is about 280k THB per year, this makes the Thai Elite visa look cheap. Where did you get your 10k THB per year from?

Can actually use them for the work permit, need to pay out of pocket, and they reimburse next pay cycle, as the other poster said he had a friend who got the work permit with only a 50kthb per year turnover, the 10k is the multi entry cost for work permit, it's not actually 10k but 9800 or something from what I remember,

I personally think the whole boi is all smoke and mirrors, I work for a boi company, we are actually a multi national corporation, all boi does is allow major corporations set up here on thai soil(usually under a different name or subsidiary) within a 6 month period, pay no tax, and are able to issue unlimited work permits for foreigners without the need to employ any thai nationals, 

International corporations should set up here properly instead of taking advantage of the boi loopholes, I feel the board of investment knows exactly what's going on, so the whole boi process is to make it easier for foreign companies to set up shop here with very little hassles, and companies like iglu are taking advantage of this by issuing yearly extendable work permits to anyone 

12 minutes ago, SpanishExpat said:

I know one person, who got his work permit via iglu, but in his case he really had a business in Thailand. ( and he told me it was around 50k/year and they helped him with tax-related issue. However, I never asked for more details). Isn`t the other case the same like the fake ED-Visas with some black-sheep language schools, where you never attend classes? After all what`s going on, who knows when that trick is cracked down .I don`t want to give the immigration even the slightest possibility to accuse me of operating in the grey-zone afterwards.

Your correct, about iglu, I don't personally use them, but have 3 friends who do, mainly just for long term visas, they don't even work, but use the work permit to stay here long term, iglu are a boi company who can issue as many work permits as they want, don't even need to be working or running a business for the hokders,, I think they initially started to help the digital nomads but it seems thier customer base is anyone who wants a 1 year visa to Thailand that can be extended every year, just will be a matter on time for the crack down, however it's probably going to take several years, as it has taken forever for immigration to crack down on ED and metv, roughly 4-5 years 

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

Very irritating is the reality that the embassy/consulate is a terrible source of information on what immigration are likely to do in any particular situation. Indeed, the embassy often does not even understand the official immigration rules, let alone the unofficial ones being applied at some of the major airports and Poipet. People tend to assume that the embassy should be the experts, but relying on what they tell you is extremely dangerous.

I totally agree, embassy's and consulates abroad really have no idea, they will issue as many visas as they can as it's just all monotary for them, I was before on many back to back metv and the Sydney consulate didn't care, only on my last few back to back metv I started experiencing issues with IOs at BKK airport immigration, so my last visa is a boi non b to s

Just a recommendation if people don't want the hassle of metv back to back, you can easily get a boi work permit via iglu, cost is about 10k thb per year, and you don't even need to be working,

It is possible to get a work permit inside Thailand while not being on a non b, however requires a lot of paperwork and take a few weeks, it's just faster to get a non b outside the country usually 1-2 days, then come back in and switch it to a work permit, takes 5 minutes at immigration if using the one stop office 

I had a similar situation a few weeks back, previous I was on back to back metv for the last few years, most recent entry was on business visa, spent 30 minutes with the IO and her supervisor being grilled about my back to back metv, got through in the end, was not a pleasant experience

BOI smart here,

The easiest way to obtain the BOI smart visa is to work or find employment with a BOI company, last time I checked thier is about 400,

Most of the BOI companies are actually subsidiaries of multi national corporations that use the BOI umbrella to operate here on Thailand soil to pay very little to no tax, don't need to employ any Thai nationals and the company can be 100% foreign owned, it's just easier, cheaper and less hassle then a limited thai company, I personally feel it's a bit of smoke and mirrors way to allow multi national companies set up here easily within a 6 month window, instead of doing it properly,

Thai embassies don't issue BOI visas, they issue non immigrant business visas, you need an approval letter by the BOI and your employer before applying for a non b at your embassy, you then come here need to goto immigration at the one stop, this is seperate to normal immigration as it's a different office to get the smart visa label in your passport, not work permit , and non immigrant visa is cancelled/used, in an out within 5 minutes, 

Also it's annual yearly reporting done by your employer, so no need to do the 90 day reports

I was in the same kind of situation in relation to visas but financially on the other end, been here years on end on back to back metv, saw the clamp down comming,

If you break down the elite visa it's about 215 Stirling a month so it's actually not that much, however the upfront payment can be daunting, 

I looked at the PE elite and almost bit the bullet, but ended up going for a business BOE visa, as I work for an Australian asx300, as even with the elite as my work is remote still a small chance of me being caught, 

In your situation perhaps if you have a degree you could go down the teaching path, while the pay is not the best it at least comes with a work permit that will allow you to stay here long term, I have 2 friends who are teachers and they love it, and are mainly doing it for the visa, they only teach a few hours a day, hope that helps

Hey OP, I think your making more of an issue as it's not, in your original post you said your on a BOE visa, same as me,

I actually got mine a few weeks ago, I have been here for the last 4 years and never done a tm30, never has been an issue, probably because we travel around every few weeks and stay at hotels that report, anyway thier are huge gaps as we own several properties here as well, I did ask HR about the tm30 and they told me not to worry,

Also BEO holders also do NOT need to 90 day report, I spoke to HR twice about this as only yearly reporting is needed, at this stage HR was getting a bit annoyed at me as they were kind of taking it as if I thought they were not doing thier job properly,

Even elite PE holders need to 90 day report but they just have a department that does this for them,

So in a nutshell you don't need to worry about tm30 or 90 day,

Link about 90 below as I read prior people saying that everyone needed to do it

http://www.consular.go.th/main/contents/images/text_editor/files/Criteria.pdf

I had an apec card about 10 years ago, as i worked in wholesale travel back then, did lots of travel both for business and pleasure, mainly dealing with airlines and ground operators, always used the diplomat lanes for immigration, never an issue, on the arrival card I would always tick both holiday and business, 

Apec cards are now much harder to obtain these days, well for Australian based business that is, they don't hand them out as much as before, 

I would assume that an IO seeing an apec card would treat the individual the same as seeing an elite card, diplomatic passport etc, so I don't see much issue, in the very unlikely event you get asked just tell them the truth, your here seeing family, however the chances of them questioning apec, dip, elite holders is non existent

Thanks for your replies, I guess HR is correct, as from my other post this is the first time I'm working in Thailand, so just a bit confused, I'm just going with the flow at the moment, 

Hey all I was wondering if you could help, also would to know if thier are any other BOI smart visa holders here,

So from what I gather everyone needs to do a 90 day report, even people on PE visa, however the Elite agent/department does this for them, 

Ive started working for a BOI company with a smart visa/WP ext and have asked them about the 90 day report, HR have told me don't worry about it as it's not needed, but from my understanding every foreigner needs to do this, is HR clueless? Or is it that BOI companies don't need employees to do the 90 day report? I find this hard to believe as even PE visa holders "need" to do the 90 day, just very confused from reading everything online and from HR, 

42 minutes ago, Misty said:

Hi kmw, do you have a work permit, or are you on a tourist visa?

 

Came in on non b, then ext work permit, I didn't have to do any medical or police check, yes prior I was on a metv back to back for years on end as my job is pretty much online, decided to be legit as I can see the clamp down, i work for a BOI subsidiary

6 minutes ago, Snackbar said:

Medical certificate is required for a work permit application. Immigration requires evidence of work permit application before extension of stay consideration. 

Strangly not for me, maybe perhaps because it's a BOI company 

It depends on your job, I'm in finance and never had to do a medical or police check, however I have two other friends who are teachers and they need to to medical and police, 

4 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

 

On a side issue, did you get a business visa on the basis of setting up a company? I can't see how you'd have been sponsored for one by a non Thai company, and setting up a company involves jumping through a whole further bunch of hoops (including 4 Thai staff) so you may actually be no more legal than you were previously if it's just a foil to allow you to keep working for the Australian company. 

Hi, it's a subsidiary of an Australian company, BOI so 100% foreign owned, in thaialnd, no need to employ any Thai Nationals, I'm just an analyst,

OP here, Well I guess I was working illegally over the years officially, however my line of work is totally online, I get paid in Australia and pay tax in Australia, I don't even have a Thai bank account, well I will soon open one,

So in relation to working here in the capacity that takes a job away from a Thai national I think that's a bit of a grey area, but that's then a totally different story and a different can of worms 

Hey all, thanks for all your replies, OP here,

Well first I hope this forum is anonymous, so I will be honest,

I have been living in thailand for the last 4-5 years, I work for a hedge fund based in Sydney that allows me to work remotely, the back to back metv was the cheapest option for me to stay long periods in thailand, I'm definitely not a normal digital nomad, I don't use any co working spaces instead i work from home as I have a home office and don't really disclose to anyone that I work online abroad, 

When at immigration yesterday I knew and also the IO and supervisor probably knew exactly what I was doing over the last few years, but no way was I going to admit I was working when on a tourist visa, I knew they were trying to trap me, as someone my age being on holiday for the last 4-5 years just does not add up, anyway now I'm legitimately here I just was a bit annoyed i was grilled for doing the right thing, while before I was abusing the metv by doing them back to back and I knew that one day it will all catch up with me and I will probably get arrested or denied entry in the future,

I did look at the PE visa but the business visa was cheaper, and even if I got the PE visa i still would have been "working" illegally,

4 hours ago, LongTang said:

 

Agree, So far i have been only questioned by female IO.

I think its a kind of women to women jealousy thing..

 

Totally agreed , I think female IOs are on some kinda power trip

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

If you have a non-b visa you will not have a problem entering the country at either airport.

There is a big difference between non immigrant and tourist visas.

Ah ok thanks, just that I have about 5 metv in my passport and about 10 visa exempt so was getting a bit worried 

Hey all wondering if you could help, this is my first post asking so please bare with me, im planning on flying into Bangkok with a non immigrant business visa, I know DMK is not the best for tourist as they can be a bit harsh, and it's best flying into BKK instead, so if i fly into DMK with the non business visa do you think this is ok?

I have a lot of back to back metv in my passport hence wondering if it's ok to fly into DMK instead of BKK,

I have never flown into DMK, mostly into BKK or CNX in first or business in the premium lane, so just wondering about DMK, will hope to be flying in business with scoot, but also not sure is thier is a premium lane in DMK,

Thank you in advance

Just checked my bill from last year, it was total 870,000 thb total and the visa charges was 6000 but they had some anniversary discount of 16% so came to 5040 for the medical extension, 

I'm a regular at Bangkok hospital and they seem to have a ongoing rolling discount, currently it's 10% here in Chiang Mai 

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The 90 day extension did not have a allowance for you to get multiple entries. You also had a re-entry permit that was applied for separately with a fee of 1000 baht for a single and 3800 baht for a multiple.

Yes I think your correct, I paid 5000thb for the 90 day medical via Bangkok hospital, that had multi entry on it