dbrenn

The benefits of PR are well known and understood - but tell me, just what are the benfits of Thai citizenship?

From my perspective and those I have spoken to who have considered the situation many times, the value the protection foreign citizenship gives to us in Thailand, far outwieghs the benefits got through Thai citizenship - which would result in the loss of all the protection accorded through foreign citizenship.

In Thailand - no matter what your dual nationality is, the law is: if you hold Thai citizenship, you are first and foremost considered a Thai citizen.

Fair enough, some may value the so-called tax and property benefits accorded by way of Thai citizenship, but quite frankly - so long as my marrige survives, my Thai assets are as secure as they could ever be.

..... that all said, there is something I like in been able to pack bags and go overnight with my family (to hel_l with any property assets) if the need arose. I have always been careful to make sure there is something offshore should the need arise.

I guess its down to ones personal and business circumstances - the few ex-pats I know who are Thai citizens, are so mainly because of business interests.

You are correct that as a Thai ctizen you would no longer receive support from the embassy of your original nationality while in Thailand, but how likely is it that you would ever need that kind of assistance? If there were a genuine emergency I could always hop across the border and claim British protection in a neighbouring country, but I don't think that is very likely at all. The benefits outweigh the disadvantages - I can call Thailand my home, I can do any kind of work I like there with no need for a work permit, I have rights of ownership, I can get the Thai rates for everything, and I enjoy peace of mind that I never enjoyed while subject to a whole raft of discriminatory rules that apply to PRs.

Funnily enough, I even got to vote in the last election - they had put my name on the electoral role although technically there is a five year wait for this after naturalisation.

dbrenn, how did you go about choosing your Thai name?

You no longer have to take a Thai name, which makes travelling on two passports a good deal easier. I still use my oroginal name. However, just like the Thais do, you can change your name any time you wish once you are a Thai national

Out of curiosity, what are the Thai language requirements for a grant of citizenship ?

My understanding is school grade 6 level competency (Prathom 6).

Not so - all you need is:

1) a working knowledge of the language - enough for general conversation, the same as for PR

2) the ability to sign your name in Thai (however scruffily)

A while back I posted a thread here describing my application for Thai citizenship.

As you can see, the requirements for Thai citizenship are similar to the requirements for PR, and are mainly centred around living, working and paying tax. I can see a lot of people on this forum talking about PR applications, but surprisingly nobody seems to be applying for citizenship. This is a bit strange, given all the benefits that citizenship confers compared with the very few benefits that PR holders enjoy. People I talk to on this subject dismiss the idea of applying for Thai citizenship as 'impossible', when actually it isn't - you don't need to know any influential people and all it takes is following a well defined process.

Are any PR holders out there putting their applications in?

Of course there will always be fanatics who are violently opposed to anything and anyone who does not agree with their views. Groups like the Masons, Rotary and Lions do no harm whatsoever, and in many cases help the local community by organising charity events. People who don't agree with them don't have to attend them.

Live and let live.

I've found the following to be true about biking in Thailand. 10,000 km (city and country riding) and safe so far.

1. Trucks and buses are the biggest danger. Always have to make sure you have a double buffer zone to escape an erratic lane change.

2. Motorway U-Turns are a death trap. Always try to use a bigger vehicle as a shield. If passing a U-turn area solo, move left and watch out!

3. Ride slightly faster than the rest of the traffic. Then you can control more of your own destiny. If passing, do it fast and loud.

4. Be ready at any moment for other motorcycle to do stupid things.

5. Wear all the gear all the time.

6. Be very careful when stopping for a red light if you are near the first to arrive. Always stop at the edge of a lane. The closest I came to being a statistic was when I stopped for a red light on the motorway and a car blasted right past me (within inches) running through the red light. This also applies in the opposite. Be very careful when going on green ... 50% chance someone the other way will blow through the red light.

7. Avoid riding at night.

8. Watch out for animals. Large animals like Buffalo can be spooked by big bikes. I once had a buffalo charge me. That was scary! If I go down, my bet is it will be because of a dog.

9. Use your horn and ride with your brake covered.

10. Practice evasive maneuvers and emergency stopping. Know what you can't and can't do before you need to try to do it.

On the other hand, I've found Thai car drivers (not trucks or buses) much more aware of motorcycles than in the West. I also believe motorcycle touring is the best way to explore Thailand.

Not sure that I agree with using a bigger vehicle as a shield at a u-turn. Better to see that the way is clear, then accelerate hard to match the speed of the traffic flow, than risk having a big vehicle pushed into you if he hasn't looked, or being caught on his inside blind spot and squashed under his wheels if he turns more sharply than you expect.

We should also add that you need to focus much more on the state of the road surface in Thailand than you do back home. There are various hazards like ruts and pot holes that can catch you out, not to mention piles of elephant and buffalo droppings ...

I rode a bike in Thailand for years and went touring all over the country, first on a 400cc Honda CB1 and then on an 1100cc Honda Blackbird. Had a fantastic time.

Thailand's roads are not for beginners - I nearly killed myself a couple of times when I was just starting out on big bikes in and around Bangkok, mainly because I was young and silly at the time. In Thailand, defensive riding is a must - trucks in particular are prone to very erratic lane changes and on one occasion I was run off the road by a truck overtaking a truck that was overtaking another truck! Luckily, I just had time to slow down and get off the road. Main highways should also be avoided at night as that's when the really crazy drivers are about. Avoid riding over the Songkran holiday, when everyone is drunk and groups of idiots will throw buckets of water at you.

For an experienced and competent rider, Thailand is a great place to enjoy two wheels. Not recommended for beginners.

I lived on a boat for a year in the UK, spent 10 months of that year cruising around the UK's extensive waterway network, probably the best year of my life (although the fact I was cash rich at the time and didn't need to work helped also).

But I remember when I first decided to buy a boat, a friend of mine who had a yacht down on the south coast somewhere told me these exact words.

"Are you really sure about this? Because once you buy a boat it's like having a hole in the water that you have to continuously keep trying to fill up by throwing money into it".

He was not wrong, and I can't imagine a house boat is any different. Maintenance is not optional and we are not talking about a quick coat of paint every few years like a normal house.

Boats are very expensive to maintain. There's an old saying that goes 'If it flies, floats or f***s, RENT IT!'

Hello All, It has been long time since I posted something here 

I am Thai, early 30s, well educated.

I have been going out with Mr. Brit boy for 1.5 year. He is very sporty. He runs marathon and stuff. Most of weekend, if he is not with me , he is out biking around Thailand with his gang. I met some of them occasionally. I never had any problem when he goes away with them, coz I trust him and I know those girls who he always go with.

2 month ago, he went back to England for xmas, he was kinda saying that he would be going to Vietnam for a bike trip. I thought he would go with the normal gang like always. But it turned out that he was going alone with this farang girl who I know nothing about.

He said he was arranging the trip when he was in England. It was spontaneous thing. They had been emailing back and forth for this trip. The special thing about this trip is they would just go biking from town to town, very intimated experience I must say.

I was very sad when I found out all about this.

Then I tried to compromise about this by asking him to set up dinner / lunch with this woman so I know who my bf is going with. He came back and said to me that she did not want to meet me. She thought it was a bizarre idea that I wanted to meet her.

I asked him to cancel the trip coz I could not take it. I was crying and being miserable about it for a week and he knows about that.

He said he could not cancel it because this thing has been planned for month and the girl took the work days off for this. Besides, he really wanted to go. He said it was just another trip, nothing else and I was just overreacted about it.

He left last Friday and will be back on next Sunday.

I am completely devastated.

Advices, comments, comforts … anyone?

He has absolutely no respect for your feelings, and neither does his lady friend. Change your phone number and cut off all contact with him. There's nothing to talk to him about that hasn't already been said. Move on.

Hold tight ... if you can. Things are going to change. The Thai Baht is under huge pressure (because of its relative value) and Thai exports are suffering big time.

The Baht will "tumble" sometime over the next 6 - 12months - i really cant see it been able to sustain its relative position for much longer. Knowing how the authorities like to hide bad news, when that tumble comes it will be fast and quick.

Don't bet on it. Thailand has higher foreign reserves than the UK does right now. Thailand has neglible foreign liabilities compared with the estimated 4.2 trillion pounds that the UK owes the rest of the world.

The Thai banking system is not as exposed to the financial crisis either, having learnt hard lessons in 1997. Siam Commercial Bank, for example, made a profit last year. British banks are a disaster area in comparison

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columni...bankruptcy.html

While Thailand was exporting rice, the UK was exporting debt

Just did a border run. <deleted> do russian nationals still get thirty days? What a load of shoit

With some countries Thailand has an agreement to give each others nationals a permission to stay of 30 days without the need for a visa. Nationals of countries where Thailand has such a bilateral agreement with, such as Russia, get 30 day regardless if they arriva via land or air. (They were also exempt from the 90 day rule).

Correct - Russia allows Thais to visit visa exempt for 30 days. The Thai language document below gives more inforrmation on countries that allow Thais visa exempt entry. Russia is listed in the grey right hand column (ordinary pasports), item 16.

http://www.consular.go.th/visa/For_Thai_passport_holders.pdf

Fair's fair - Thailand does reciprocate ...

ATM's in thailand have no security... its quite easy to program that on those old crappy machines.

Not true - ATMs in Thailand use standard security and encryption systems common to ATMs the world over. I have heard of dummy ATM machines that are placed by fraudsters, but not so far in Thailand. They scan the magnetic stripe on your card and record your PIN number as you key it in so that copies of your card can be made later, spitting your card back out and telling you that the network is down. However, the CVV2 number necessary for making Internet transactions is not included on the magnetic stripe of a credit or debit card, so I don't see how this particular case could have led to phony Internet transactions, all of which depend on a card number, card name, expiry date and CVV2 that must be read by someone who has access to the card itself. Was someone hiding inside this machine recording the card details? Or, maybe the machine optically scanned the CVV2 in addition to recording the card number and PIN. Clever.

There were a couple of cases in the western world of dummy ATMs being placed in public places. Not impossible - fake contractors could have installed it, but it would be found out very soon and would cause an uproar and likely press coverage as hoards of disgruntled people complained to the media....

He seems to know alot about law and is very convincing........ He may well have praticed law some time in his life but decided to go bad?

I used a Thai lawyer for many years - he always seemed honest and knowledgeable and built himself a very good business serving the expatriate community. Suddenly, he started offering high interest investments to some of his customers, but only the new ones. They were offered returns of 2% a month on investments of more than 200,000 Baht with no strings attached and no minimum term. He was so credible that a lot of people invested large sums of money. Then he disappeared leaving his company behind still operating. Turns out he had started running a Ponzi scheme and had run off with the proceeds. Just like Bernard Madoff, but on a smaller scale of course.

I could never understand why he did that - he was successful as a lawyer, had a nice business, then turned bad, but only bad enough to con his new clients, leaving the old clients like me untouched. Just before he vanished, I remember asking him why he had not invited me to participate in his investment plan, and he told me that he would send me information, which he never did. I tend to be rather cynical, but I really did trust this guy because I had known him for many years and had always received such good service from him.

Another very credible sounding lawyer I know of was fired by his client (also a friend of mine) for helping one of his sales managers launder nearly one million dollars that he had embezzled by inflating the cost of products from suppliers to his company.

If I needed a lawyer these days, I would probably pay more and go to one of the reputable companies rather than a small outfit or sole operator. You just don't know who to trust, but at least a large company has its reputation to safeguard and is less likely to disappear.

My sympathies to the OP for his suffering at the hands of this charlatan.

Much as I dislike to say it, you should go and see a solicitor specialising in family law and explore your options and your liabilities.

If possible you want to detach yourself from her, but keep custody of your daughter. This is going to cost you money but a legal seperation and custody of your daughter is your number 1 priority.

Your wife has Thai friends in the UK, she will probably have an idea of what she can screw from you if she divorces you.

Get expert legal advice.

Agreed - the OP should remove himself from any physical danger (the stabbing wife and the axe wielding mother-in-law) and get expert legal advice on what to do about this completely bizarre set of circumstances. If he has kept a accurate record of events, with times, dates, places, and has witnesses, the family court may treat him more fairly when it comes to division of assets, but he really needs a good solicitor to help him.

A very sad story, and I feel very sorry for the OP having married a gold digging psychopath.

I have a worrying question which i hope someone can help clarify for me-

I have a long outstanding debt to a UK Bank, not big, but enough. The debt collecting agency got my number here and has now said that if i don't pay it will be passed to the courts in UK to get a court order to approach immigration here and request the cancellation of any visas i have to stay in Thailand. I work here on a non B. Is this really possible ? Needless to say, I am very worried about this!

Yes it is. They arrested then deported a German bar owner from Pattaya recently because He owed 4 Million baht to credit cards.

They are getting tough in the Uk now and they also can change unsecured debt into secured debt and take your house...even though it was initially called an unsecured loan. It's called a change order.

Yes they can get you and the Thais will co operate.

Utter drivel.

Whilst it was always the case that the deliberate accumulation of debt with the intention to permanently deprive, known in the criminal calendar as conversion, an extraditable offence, would place one in jeopardy the OP is by no means within that compass. Unsecured debt can be charged to an asset if liability is not protected but then that was always the case but realising the asset is only possible within jurisdiction and if it exists.

Your post is alarmist and misleading in the context of the OP and is accordingly of little value. Your certainty is as misplaced as your ignorance is unwelcome.

I think that the German guy must have done something much more serious than be in default on his credit cards and that the real reason for his arrest was something completely different.

I'm not a lawyer but I thought that conversion relates only to the property of another over which you have custody? For instance, if you are lent something and subsequently sell it. Or, if you accidentally take someone's jacket from a cloakroom and then decide to keep it because it is better than your jacket.

Hence, running up a personal debt in your own name would not considered a conversion - you have not 'converted' anything in a legal sense, and there would be no way of proving that you intended to permanently deprive anyone of anything.

Agree with the other posters. There's also a time limit on certain debts too, like credit cards, I think it's 3 years they can chase you and after that there's nothing they can do.

I don't know what the time limit is on a Bank Debt though, but normally they only get the debt collectors in when it's getting to the end of the time limit and all other resources have been used up.

UK debts become 'staute barred', i.e., the creditor can no longer pursue the debtor if there has been no communication between the creditor and debtor in which the debtor has acknowledged the debt for more than six years. More info at the Office of Fair Trading website , and this document defines how debt collection agencies are allowed to operate:

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_...edit/oft664.pdf

And here:

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/

Default on consumer debt is a civil matter arising from breach of contract, and is not a criminal offence. A UK debt collection agency has no leverage whatsoever with a foreign immigration agency, and they are in breach of the guidelines set out by the Office of Fair Trading by telling you that they have powers which actually they do not.

Child support is a completely different issue, and in the US non payment of child support can indeed result is revocation of a passport.

Severance pay is not related to your working notice period at all.

Go to the labour court and ask their advice.

You may even mention to your director that you have sought legal advice and that you know he is talking bullshit.

I beleive that you could cancel your work permit yourself? Do you have your termination in writing yet?

He does not do anything in writing... Afraid that can be used against him?? A real snake (not joking).

Is it true that I can cancel my work permit? He mentioned that the accountants/lawyers we use to handle all paperwork regarding permits, have to fill the necessary paperwork. Might be just the papers to cancel the work permit.

I have known a few farangs who have taken cases to the Labour Court, and in every case they were awarded the severence pay that they were entitled to by law. The Labour Court seems very fair, and usually leans towards the employee, as was the case when a Thai employer fired a friend of mind on a pretext that he was planning to start his own business. My friend took his employer to court and the severence pay was awarded in full. His employer initially refused to pay but came up with the money when the court threatened to sieze assets.

Get a lawyer who is familiar with the (very well defined) Thai Labour Law, and go to the Labour Court.

Not approved yet, still waiting for approval from foreign ministry. Applied in 07. Some have applied in 06 and still have not gotten any reply.

name='THAIJAMES' date='2009-01-10 08:58:17' post='2457678']

Incidentally Thaijames, I'm assuming from your post that your own application was approved.Do you mind adsvising when? I have a mate who was in the same batch as you but hasn't heard anything yet.

I applied in December 2006, had the interview and Thai test (passed with 100%) in March 2007, and am still waiting, and waiting, and waiting . . . . . .

I know two other people in the same situation.

It's a shame that they keep people waiting so long these days. When I applied for PR back in 1997, the time raken was considerably shorter:

1) Applied in December 1997 (I was one of fewer than 20 UK nationals who had applied, with just a few days remaining to the close)

2) Inteview in March 1998 - no interview really, just fingerprinting, signing forms and small talk

3) Granted in August 1998

When I applied, there was a clear emphasis on a favourable work permit / salary / tax combunation, as there still seems to be. I humoured the official and he took a liking to me, which may have also helped. The thing that stuck in my mind was his blaming of the IMF for the 1997 financial crisis in Thailand, which of course was just patriotic nonsense. I nodded and dutifully told him how astute he was to have concluded the true cause of Thailand's problems. He smiled and said "I'm glad you agree". I later asked him what my chances of success were and he replied "Around 90%". In any complicated dealings with Thai bureaucracy, how much they like you as a person is often a deciding factor.

I've noticed a couple of things from friends of mine that have applied since. Firstly, a couple of my friends were advised not to apply on account of the fact that they only declared the minimum salary of say 60K (for Brits). The officials told them that the immigration commission looks unfavourably on this, so while there seems to be no hard and fast rule, the more you earn over the minimum, the more favourably you are viewed, all other things being equal. Secondly, the process does seem to be taking longer and longer.

Ditto for citizenship - a much more discretionary affair but the weighting is still on income, with how much they like you as a 'package deal' also vitally important. Took 3 years to get mine, which I did myself with no help from a lawyer or anyone influencial. I've heard of others taking anything from 2 years to remaining in limbo for a decade or more.

You have to take into account what they consider work. I don't believe i would need a work permit to sign a check in the USA. I know many thais that have 10 year visas that fly to the USA to participate in Trade Shows. They do not need work permits to work at a trade show. Technically in Thailand you do although I have never known it to be enforced. I was told that when I used to fly here to purchase merchandise to sell in the USA that i needed a "B" visa and a work permit. I only flew in for 30 days at a time 3 or 4 times a year. Imagine the nightmare i would have to go through to get work permits for each 30 day stay since i was always in the USA for 2 months then thailand for 1 month then back to the USA for 2 months. I would have had to apply for a new work permit 3 or 4 times a year.

You are right that, technically, you need a non-B to visit Thailand for non-employment type business visits such as visiting suppliers/clients and attending trade fairs, and some people actually do this. I never heard of a multi-entry non-imm B being declined for people who use it in the way that immigration intends - short visits, applied for in the home country, while obviously residing outside Thailand and spending a short amount of total time in Thailand without residing or taking up employment. Problems only seem to arise where non-imm B holders spend all of their time in Thailand with no work permit, or with a work permit but running an outfit that doesn't meet the criteria on employing locals, making it obvious to immigration that they are living and working and not just business visiting. These are the people who are, in the eyes of immigration, are breaking the rules by not regularising their stay with a work permit, limited company that looks like a limited company rather than a sole proprietorship, competing with the locals, not paying taxes and so on. Only these people are getting squeezed with rule changes, and this tightening of the screws does look like a pattern that should be taken into account when making long term plans on where to live. Loopholes are a dangerous place to live, and temporary business visas the world over are subject to rule changes that can exclude people as the host country changes its strategy on migrant workers.

My advice to anyone planning to live in a country on a temporary resident visa like a Thai non-imm, a US H1-B, an Aussie 457, and so on, would be:

1) Have a plan B in case the rules change agaist you, as well they might

2) Get permanent residence as soon as you are entitled to it

3) Don't live in loopholes and expect any kind of security

4) Never, ever plan on staying permanently if you can only just meet the requirements for a temporary resident visa lke a non-imm. The rules will get tougher as time goes by and you could find yourself getting turfed out at short notice

Incidentally, most short stay business visitors don't seem to bother with non-imm B visas at all, and just get the stamp on arrival. Not technically legal, but for short stays on genuine business I have never heard of anyone having problems.

Doing a forum search for your posts, including the trash can shows 4 posts made yesterday and still there. One in the trash can was from June.

The last post besides this one was Posted on: Yesterday, 2008-12-24 13:39:27 from "1 Year Non-b Visa Rule Changes In Penang" topic. Did you post any since that time?

Hi Tywais, SBK,

Checked again and my posts are back! Maybe a temporary server glitch, or problems with my PC?

Anyway, thanks for following this up, and a Merry Christmas to you all.

Cheers,

Dbrenn

Hi Mods,

Why were my recent posts deleted? They didn't break any of the rules as far as I could see. The 2 or 3 most recent posts that I made appeared and wer gone a day later. Is there something wrong with you board?

Cheers,

Dbrenn

QUOTE (vitalia @ 2008-12-24 13:28:35)

What is your problem here ? If you run a company here, you should not need to leave and renew your work permit & visa outside of Thailand. You can either do it at immigration in Bangkok or at the BOI one stop service centre.

I have been here for 11 years on a work permit & visa, running a company and at no point have I had to leave the country to renew my visa & work permit.

Of course, if you don't have a work permit & are working here illegally, then it would be an issue.

This only works if your Thai registered company employs 4 Thai employees. Otherwise you cannot renew your Non B visa in Thailand because as part of the process Immigration will check out the number of staff your company employs with the Labour Department. It has nothing to do with paying taxes or being legal. I have been here for 4 years now and have no choice because of the rules but to renew Non B visa OUTSIDE Thailand. Welcome to Thailand ...

True, there are criteria on extensions. The fact that this is getting harder and harder indicates that Thailand feels that the locals can cover for this non-exporter-SME-insufficient-Thai-employing sector of industry, and is putting the squeeze on people who don't measure uip to its criteria - large, employing locals, exporting, and so on. Squeezing in this way serves to put pressure on people to meet the criteria or move on. Thailand simply doesn't view a person who purportedly runs a limited company, but is in fact a sole proprieter with no or very few local employees, as bona fide with respect to its immigration laws.

The unequal application of a standard (you can get a WP with less than 4 but not the visa) probably has more to do with lack of coordination between government departments than anything else. But, the message is very clear - Thailand is making it hard on people who don't meet its immigration standards for foreign workers who might be competing for jobs with the locals, or who can't step up to complying with the rules. I know that this sounds hard, but it's a definite trend, and its the same in most other parts of the world. Immigration Law the world over is there to differentiate between people with purely selfish national interest as the only objective. It's the same everywhere, only harder in most other places.

, this "news" seems to be only relevant (if indeed it is confirmed as truth) to visa runners who go to Penang for that very purpose, hence skirting the laws of this country. I suspect that Thai Embassies in Singapore and other major cities have never heard of such news anyhow.

Perfectly true. A bona-fide businessman would not be doing visa runs to Penang, and Thai immigration knows this full well. Only people wanting to stay and work illegally on a shoestring budget and avoiding tax do that.

I mean, we all know that there are those who want to get around the rules and stay in a country unchecked and indefinitely in the 'Resident Tourist / Unpermitted Worker' category that has existed in Thailand for so long, even when they don't qualify, and in doing this they avoid paying the taxes that everyone else has to pay. What puzzles me is why these people howl so much in protest and deride Thailand so vigorously when the rules are, finally, enforced.

Can anybody post the papers required to extend your single entry 3 month Non Imm B at the local immigration office???

So long as you and your employer have met the ctiteria and obtained a work permit at the local Department of Labour office. In Bangkok, visas and work permits are dealt with in the same office, but in the provinces you might have to go to the Labour Department and Immigration offices separately. Regards posting the forms here, you are far better off to go to any reputable local law office, who will advise you on the criteria, do all the paperwork for you and guide you through the application process. All you then have to do is show up at the department, sign things, pay the fees, smile and be nice to people and it's done.

If you are extending after the first year, you will need to show evidence that you have paid personal income tax for the preceding year.

What is your problem here ? If you run a company here, you should not need to leave and renew your work permit & visa outside of Thailand. You can either do it at immigration in Bangkok or at the BOI one stop service centre.

I have been here for 11 years on a work permit & visa, running a company and at no point have I had to leave the country to renew my visa & work permit.

Of course, if you don't have a work permit & are working here illegally, then it would be an issue.

Absolutely right! I stayed in Thailand for years extending a single non-imm B without ever having to return to a foreign embassy for a new non-B.

In order to work legally in Thailand, you don't need a multi-entry non-B at all. What you need is just a single entry, so that you can apply for a work permit and then extend your stay each year in Thailand without having to go to Penang or any other foreign embassy. Of course, this does mean that tou have to pay tax and go through the official channels to get the work permit, but you have to do that everywhere else.

I guess that Thailand realises that multi-entry non-imm B visas are completely unnecessary to those really intending to work legally by completing the process and getting the work permit once in Thailand. All you need is yearly extensions on a single entry non-B visa to stay in Thailand as long as you have your job. Not unlike job dependent business visas in most other countries, US, UK, Aus for example. The only difference I can see in the Thai system is that you need to get a separate work permit, as well as a separate re-entry permit if you want to leave Thailand on such a visa, but that's no big deal if you are working and meet the criteria. Western countries tend to roll the initial entry/re-entry/ work permit into a single business visa, which makes it a one stop shop BUT they often have very rigorous criteria in which an applicant has to prove he is not taking a job from a local, have his skills recognised by a formal body, undergo stringent medical and criminal record checks and so on. My medical to get my Thai work permit involved a doctor just resting his stethoscope against my shirt while asking me if I felt OK. There was no criminal record check, no reference checks, no background checks - nothing.

Thailand is actually one of the easiest places to get legal, provided you have something to offer.

I can't think of anywhere that issues 'multi entry' work visas and lets people renew them forever without having paid tax or completed the process by getting a work permit onshore.

What's everyone complaining about?