American DJ Arrested for Illegal Work in Chiang Mai

I don't see anything about sanctions on the venues that hired him. Oversight? If they were serious (they aren't) they would go after the firms that 'pay the piper'... but I imagine that economic arrangements already exist between those bars and the powers that be....

Arresting him for just being a DJ would've been good enough.

41 minutes ago, Emdog said:

I don't see anything about sanctions on the venues that hired him. Oversight? If they were serious (they aren't) they would go after the firms that 'pay the piper'... but I imagine that economic arrangements already exist between those bars and the powers that be....

It's possible that he wasn't being paid.

In the past, there have been foreign DJ's and entertainers of various kinds who perform because rhey enjoy doing it. Maybe they got tips or gratuities of some sort.

That kind of informal entertainment shouldn't be criminilized.

It does nothing to promote local talent and it certainly diminishes the nightlife scene - lr what's left of it anyway.

Doesn't matter if he was paid or not

all 'work' needs a work permit

even volunteer workers need a permit.

57 minutes ago, CMHomeboy78 said:

photos working illegally do not do anythingIt's possible that he wasn't being paid.

In the past, there have been foreign DJ's and entertainers of various kinds who perform because rhey enjoy doing it. Maybe they got tips or gratuities of some sort.

That kind of informal entertainment shouldn't be criminilized.

It does nothing to promote local talent and it certainly diminishes the nightlife scene - lr what's left of it anyway.

Highly unlikely that he wasn't being paid and tips and gratuities are what is known as pay. Foreigners working illegally do not do anything to promote local talent.

Many foreigners play in a band at local venues, probably for no money, but to follow the letter of the law, a work permit is required.

45 minutes ago, johng said:

Doesn't matter if he was paid or not

all 'work' needs a work permit

even volunteer workers need a permit.

True - I used to teach Thai and English to Burmese kids on Phangan Island as a volunteer. I knew that my volunteer work was illegal, but I had no problems with immigration. Fast forward to more recently and raids by immigration against 'undocumented' Burmese schools and volunteers. Nowadays, I can't afford to take the risk of openly teaching as a volunteer! To be legal, I need to be sponsored by a Thai NGO and none of them seem keen on sponsoring someone to help the Burmese kids.....

Lose a lot of expert talent in many fields this way, particularly when a foreigner is volunteering.

Yes, I realise this would open a whole lot of loopholes foreigners would exploit. But I suggest some middle ground, perhaps simple registration.

Poor bloke. Looks scared. As white as a sheet of paper.

The arts in general, and the local performing arts scene in particular shouldn't be held to the same ironclad regulations as big business and property markets.

The issue could be debated endlessly depending on your point of view.

Anyone with a modicum of sense or sensibility realizes the value of a vibrant social and cultural environment.

DJ should have known better... especially in a high profile thing like that... asking for it, or was lied to.

4 hours ago, CMHomeboy78 said:

The arts in general, and the local performing arts scene in particular shouldn't be held to the same ironclad regulations as big business and property markets.

The issue could be debated endlessly depending on your point of view.

Anyone with a modicum of sense or sensibility realizes the value of a vibrant social and cultural environment.

Spot on.

Tell that to the prigs who would hold everybody's feet to the fire.

It starts with the informers snitching on somebody playing their guitar in a bar and ends with these draconian crackdowns instigated by local gauleiters who do their work with alacrity.

20 hours ago, CMHomeboy78 said:

It's possible that he wasn't being paid.

I don't think that is the factor.

Doesn't matter if he was paid or not

all 'work' needs a work permit

even volunteer workers need a permit.

Even cleaning your own apartment? How about picking up a piece of litter on the street? Or helping someone change a flat tire on the side of a road?

Edit: And just imagine if they started banging up tourists for recording YouTubes... That's work, too.

21 hours ago, johng said:

Doesn't matter if he was paid or not

all 'work' needs a work permit

even volunteer workers need a permit.

Yes but the definition of "work" should be rethought and precised, excluding artists IMO.

An artist does not do "work" when delivering a live act, it's a singular one-of-a-kind performance that can't be equally replaced by a local performer.

Out with him, back home

44 minutes ago, impulse said:

Even cleaning your own apartment? How about picking up a piece of litter on the street? Or helping someone change a flat tire on the side of a road?

Edit: And just imagine if they started banging up tourists for recording YouTubes... That's work, too.

The YouTube thing is quite interesting. It’s proliferated rapidly over the last 10 years. Some might be doing it while on holiday and effectively making a holiday memory, others might have a channel as a hobby, but undoubtedly there are foreign people making a living from it and living here.

How the cops or tax authorities identify the latter group I don’t know. I’m assuming they get off Scot free on all counts atm?

Signs of things to come and more scrutiny for small-time entertainment workers, or a specific issue with this one?

On 6/21/2026 at 9:48 AM, Emdog said:

I don't see anything about sanctions on the venues that hired him. Oversight? If they were serious (they aren't) they would go after the firms that 'pay the piper'... but I imagine that economic arrangements already exist between those bars and the powers that be....

Probably the same as in America. There are laws, sanctions and penalties that can be levied on the employer, but there's little evidence of it going beyond the rounding up and deportation routine.

27 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

How the cops or tax authorities identify the latter group I don’t know. I’m assuming they get off Scot free on all counts atm?

It's not hard - if their YouTube content is primarily filmed in Thailand their channel is monetized, then they are working in Thailand. Immigration knows who's living in Thailand and who's only visiting. You even have YouTubers openly talking about and listing their hustles. And then you have a more nefarious bunch - the "digital pimps" who produce videos for girls to get views and ad money (and in some cases also OnlyFans) - they might not appear on camera but it's work! (not to mention bordering on being porn)

41 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

It's not hard - if their YouTube content is primarily filmed in Thailand their channel is monetized, then they are working in Thailand. Immigration knows who's living in Thailand and who's only visiting. You even have YouTubers openly talking about and listing their hustles. And then you have a more nefarious bunch - the "digital pimps" who produce videos for girls to get views and ad money (and in some cases also OnlyFans) - they might not appear on camera but it's work! (not to mention bordering on being porn)

Well, you say not hard. But wouldn’t it mean the cops have to spend hours reviewing YouTube channels so as to identify those primarily filmed in Thailand and monetized?

I mean, I know it’s not physically hard, but boring in the sense of looking for a needle in a haystack?

I don’t know the answer, I don’t trawl YouTube sites so have no idea if it’s possible to do a search on monetized sites filmed in Thailand, for instance.

2 hours ago, impulse said:

Even cleaning your own apartment? How about picking up a piece of litter on the street? Or helping someone change a flat tire on the side of a road?

Edit: And just imagine if they started banging up tourists for recording YouTubes... That's work, too.

Silly silly man, there it is the dumbest reply I'll read here today

Just need look at Facebook and you can find loads of these DJs . Every week there is places on koh phangan and there is a different DJ in every clip playing at same bar etc. Would bet my life most don't have a work permit , samui isn't much better !

The YouTube thing is quite interesting. It’s proliferated rapidly over the last 10 years.

It's especially interesting (to me, anyway) with the new DTV visa aimed at Digital Nomads. The DTV doesn't qualify the holder for a WP. But apparently, it's okay for them to work in Thailand as long as their income comes from sources outside of Thailand.

I have a friend who plays one night a week at a bar and collect donations for a local charity and just recently they passed the million bhat for this charity.

They are provided a volunteer permit by immigration and must have with them when they play. The poice did enter the bar on one occassion and inspected their permits and satisfied all was legit they made a donation and left.

6 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

The YouTube thing is quite interesting. It’s proliferated rapidly over the last 10 years. Some might be doing it while on holiday and effectively making a holiday memory, others might have a channel as a hobby, but undoubtedly there are foreign people making a living from it and living here.

Foreign Youtubers who create monetary content while within Thailand should be required to have a Thai work permit, not because any Thai was deprived of creating such video but because income derived should be tracked and taxable by Thailand in accordance to Thai Revenue Income taxation laws.

31 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Foreign Youtubers who create monetary content while within Thailand should be required to have a Thai work permit, not because any Thai was deprived of creating such video but because income derived should be tracked and taxable by Thailand in accordance to Thai Revenue Income taxation laws.

That would be my understanding also. My guesstimate of how many are actually paying tax would be very low.

Foreign Youtubers who create monetary content while within Thailand should be required to have a Thai work permit, not because any Thai was deprived of creating such video but because income derived should be tracked and taxable by Thailand in accordance to Thai Revenue Income taxation laws.

I don't claim to know, but according to some of the websites pushing the DTV lifestyle, as long as their income comes from non-Thai sources and they stay less than 180 days a year, Digital Nomads on DTV can work in Thailand tax free. They can't get a WP on a DTV. For that, they need a Non-B.

Is a work permit required when begging on the streets?

If I'm walking around town and I notice a large piece of cardboard in the street am I allowed to pick it up and place it in a trash bin, or is a work permit necessary?

28 minutes ago, dingdongrb said:

am I allowed to pick it up and place it in a trash bin,

The original owner of the cardboard couldn't find a bin either.