Volunteer work for a few days a month

[farangnl]

Hi, I have a non-immigrant visa (depending on my partner's, who works here and has the required work permit). I would like to know if I am allowed do volunteer work for a few days per month here and there.

The only information I can find about doing volunteer work is about people whose purpose for coming to Thailand is doing volunteer work for a longer period of time (1-3 months or so) which requires a non-immigrant visa and a work permit.

I do not want to do volunteer work on a daily basis, nor regularly. Just a day here and there on and off at a school, or orphanage or such. I cannot find information about that. Anyone who can help me out?

[wayned]

Doing volunteer work of any kind requires a work permit and if you are caught you are subject to the same penalties as someone working full time without a work permit, arrest, fine, jail and deportation.

 

Having said that, there are many people the post here numerous times a day that are doing "volunteer" work without a work permit and are not  having any problems., so it's a "crap shoot"!

[MRToMRT]

Does anyone know what the Thai definition of "volunteer" work is?

 

I noted the O-X retirement visa allows work as a "volunteer" within the scope of the Thai definition - but I don't what the definition is.

[BritTim]

Volunteer 'work' that you can legally do without a work permit is one of those areas that is very fuzzy.

 

Certain things which clearly do not compete with those doing paid work are definitely acceptable. For instance, doing prison visits, bringing small gifts of food to those who never receive any other visitors, will never get you into trouble. On the other hand, helping to repair and decorate rooms in a poor school would be against the rules (without a work permit which would be difficult to obtain). Between these two extremes, there are a lot of grey areas.

 

My advice is to do any volunteer work quietly, without making any enemies. Unless someone is seriously upset about something, and specifically reports you, the Thai authorities are not interested in going after well intended volunteers. It is extremely rare for volunteers ever to run foul of the Thai laws on foreign workers.

[Rimmer]

A rather nasty troll post advocating killing dogs has been removed

[roobaa01]

im seeking to volunteer in a private company my status extension of stay based on marriage. what matters are to be considered apart from a letter issued by the company ???

 

wbr

roobaa01

[YetAnother]

18 hours ago, farangnl said:

I do not want to do volunteer work on a daily basis, nor regularly. Just a day here and there on and off at a school, or orphanage or such.

i asked this question of an IO years ago (mae sai) and she literally rolled her eyes (retirement non -o);

given the tenor of todays thailand immigration enforcement , i would Not do it; so many farang haters out there, takes only a stray conversation....

[Suradit69]

36 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

so many farang haters out there

Not to mention the many irrationally paranoid farang out there.  The need to be loved by everyone, constantly and demonstrably, must be a burden.

[saakura]

All those who want to do volunteer work, you can consider doing work like cleaning the beach or local temple each morning, sweeping the Soi where you live, cleaning public places, feeding rabid soi dogs etc. This kind of volunteer work will be appreciated, never get you into trouble. Maybe even get you into the news!! Teaching english to young girls, going to orphanages to help young children etc,  will raise suspicion.

[farangnl]

Thank you all for your responses. So I understand, that... if I should do volunteer work, I should do it quietly...

 

Now... there's this school that requires that I have a criminal record check done, before volunteering...  They'd give me a letter to give to the police  explaining it's for volunteer work.

Feels to me like saying to the police, Hey, I need a criminal record check for volunteer work that  I'm most likely not allowed to do...

Wouldn't that be asking for problems?

 

Is there another way?

For example, can I get a criminal check done without saying what for, or do you only get it with a letter from the organization that you'll be working/volunteering at?

 

Edited November 2, 2017 by farangnl

[Just Weird]

5 hours ago, farangnl said:

Thank you all for your responses. So I understand, that... if I should do volunteer work, I should do it quietly...

 

Now... there's this school that requires that I have a criminal record check done, before volunteering...  They'd give me a letter to give to the police  explaining it's for volunteer work.

Feels to me like saying to the police, Hey, I need a criminal record check for volunteer work that  I'm most likely not allowed to do...

Wouldn't that be asking for problems?

 

Is there another way?

For example, can I get a criminal check done without saying what for, or do you only get it with a letter from the organization that you'll be working/volunteering at?

 

Asking the police for a criminal record check is not working so it is not an offence.   You cannot get into trouble for thinking about volunteering.  It's only when you start working that there could be an issue.

[wayned]

Applying for the criminal background check should not be a problem.  IMHO, the problem that you could have is if one of the Thai teachers gets a burr up their butt about a farang possibly taking extra money from their pocket and report you to the labor office.  I taught for 6 years after I reached 60 and it caused a big problem with one of the Thai teachers that was forced to retire at 60 and came back as a contract employee making far less than me and I was legal.

I have been asked to start a village English school where I live and declined even after they offered to pay me. I would ask myself, is it worth the risk?  I did and decided that it wasn't!