mockingbird Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 Hi all. I'll be in Thailand for 2 months next month. I'm a contract software engineer, and can work from anywhere. My plan is to take a week off, and then pretty much back to work i.e. 40 hour week. I like the idea of using shared office space (rather than setting up, and spending all day in my apartment). As these are public buildings, I'm a little concerned as to the legalities of working remotely while in Thailand. So...is is technically illegal doing what I do?, does anybody care?, etc. Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anon789561 Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 oh, this old chestnut 5555 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anon789561 Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 it's a grey area. as you won't be doing it for long in my opinion you will be absolutely fine. you will get some work permit scaremongers on this thread i gaurantee it but pay them no mind 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mockingbird Posted December 3, 2017 Author Share Posted December 3, 2017 Apologies if this topic has been done to death. I'm a very infrequent user of this form. Thanks for the response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post anon789561 Posted December 3, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted December 3, 2017 16 minutes ago, mockingbird said: Apologies if this topic has been done to death. I'm a very infrequent user of this form. Thanks for the response. i used to work remotely. it is a grey area. you can't get a work permit as you aren't working for a thai company. as it stands they leave you alone because they still want you here spending. and i got this also before i started doing it lasy year from a good thai lawyer friend i've known for years at baker mackenzie not some farts that can't make cash in thailand so scare monger other people. i now have a permit again as have to do some business within thailand so i had no choice. what you are going to be doing they just turn a blind eye. the subject is tiresome for me as some on this forum just won't accept. put it this way, last year i was working for my UK company remotely from a friends office, he has a medium size firm here and has for many years. he got rid of a new starter girl as she was useless and she called the labour department to say there was a foreigner working without a permit. they came to the offices and i was set there working away. i said i don't work in this company just come to see my friend and use his desk sometimes. they checked my emails and i showed them that all my work was in the UK and even got invoices that i had emailed out in the past and married them up to my online banking which i showed them and they were fine. very nice actually. just carry on basically. i was doing it a good 6 months when they showed up. really, don;t worry about it 5 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mockingbird Posted December 3, 2017 Author Share Posted December 3, 2017 Thanks for that. I appreciate your insights. Like I said...it'll just be for a few weeks in a shared office, writing code. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post BritTim Posted December 3, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted December 3, 2017 There are co-working spaces all over Thailand. According to the letter of the outdated Alien Employment Act, working as a digital nomad would not be allowed. It is quite clear that, at this stage, it is tolerated. There are thousands of digital nomads in Thailand, and they are left alone. Stay abreast of future developments, but for the moment you will be fine. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post elviajero Posted December 3, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted December 3, 2017 (edited) There is no grey area. Carrying out your occupation while in Thailand requires permission, which you won't get. That said, it would be impossible to stop 'tourists' from keeping up with their work while on holiday, which is the main reason why DN's get away with it. As it stands the authorities are unlikely to come looking for you, and almost certainly wouldn't prosecute if they found out what you are doing. Personally, I would avoid co-working spaces, and use coffee shops or work at 'home'. The majority of people doing what you do are not disclosing the fact and keeping off the radar. Immigration Act: Section 37 : An alien having received a temporary entry permit into the Kingdom must comply with the following : 1. Shall not engage in the occupation or temporary or employment unless authorized by the Director General. or competent official deputized by the Director General . If , in any case , there is a law concerning alien employment provided hereafter , the granting of work privileges must comply with the law concerned. Edited December 3, 2017 by elviajero 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post BuddyDean Posted December 3, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted December 3, 2017 Workspace is a bad idea. Spend the money on a bigger place. The DNs are visa running losers. Those making good money online, keep it close to the vest. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elviajero Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, BritTim said: There are co-working spaces all over Thailand. According to the letter of the outdated Alien Employment Act, working as a digital nomad would not be allowed. It is quite clear that, at this stage, it is tolerated. There are thousands of digital nomads in Thailand, and they are left alone. Stay abreast of future developments, but for the moment you will be fine. The Alien Employment Act does not apply to the OP as he is not being employed by a company legally to operating in Thailand. There is nothing in the Alien Employment Act stopping a DN being employed by a company in Thailand. It is the Immigration Act that stops DN's from working at their occupation in Thailand without permission. Edited December 3, 2017 by elviajero Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post stevenl Posted December 4, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted December 4, 2017 7 hours ago, Happy enough said: it's a grey area. as you won't be doing it for long in my opinion you will be absolutely fine. you will get some work permit scaremongers on this thread i gaurantee it but pay them no mind By law the area is black, illegal. By enforcement the area is white, no enforcement. This IMO does not make it a grey area though, it is still illegal. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jspill Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Nobody cares. I've been doing it since 2009 no issues. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrendsd Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 7 hours ago, BuddyDean said: Workspace is a bad idea. Spend the money on a bigger place. The DNs are visa running losers. Those making good money online, keep it close to the vest. If you knew how much some of them made i'm sure you wouldn't be calling them losers, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS1 Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 9 hours ago, Happy enough said: i used to work remotely. it is a grey area. you can't get a work permit as you aren't working for a thai company. as it stands they leave you alone because they still want you here spending. and i got this also before i started doing it lasy year from a good thai lawyer friend i've known for years at baker mackenzie not some farts that can't make cash in thailand so scare monger other people. i now have a permit again as have to do some business within thailand so i had no choice. what you are going to be doing they just turn a blind eye. the subject is tiresome for me as some on this forum just won't accept. put it this way, last year i was working for my UK company remotely from a friends office, he has a medium size firm here and has for many years. he got rid of a new starter girl as she was useless and she called the labour department to say there was a foreigner working without a permit. they came to the offices and i was set there working away. i said i don't work in this company just come to see my friend and use his desk sometimes. they checked my emails and i showed them that all my work was in the UK and even got invoices that i had emailed out in the past and married them up to my online banking which i showed them and they were fine. very nice actually. just carry on basically. i was doing it a good 6 months when they showed up. really, don;t worry about it It is possible to get a work permit if you work in Thailand for foreign clients in software / web development or IT, by using a local umbrella company to sponsor a work permit and appropriate visa (but yes, it's correct as you said that you indeed need the WP from a local company). However, someone like OP this is not really needed if they only stay a couple of months - more relevant for people staying longer term. Interesting story by the way and nice to see that they were so reasonable in that situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Srikcir Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 1 hour ago, jspill said: Nobody cares. I've been doing it since 2009 no issues. Using shared office space? If not, what was the reason? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post samran Posted December 4, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted December 4, 2017 (edited) For the most part, the authorities are fine with it. A few years ago there was a raid on one of the co-working spaces in Chiang Mai by immigration and department of labour. There was a bit of confusion on if people were actually working for the coworking space had the right permits, but those who were just doing their own thing were in the clear, with head of immigration there saying it was fine for digital nomads. https://asiancorrespondent.com/2014/10/thailand-immigration-officials-raid-chiang-mai-co-working-space/#j5Io0YFBpvKOVsJi.97 having said that, the government at the highest level is aware of the need to bring digital nomads into the fold. I presented to the deputy PM earlier this year on the issue and the government are keen to to attract people, particularly those who are working on the cutting edge of IT. A new set of visas are in the works which will have automatic work rights and will not require a thai employer. The government is currently undertaking consultation with various interest groups on the matter. It wont be for everyone who happens to be carrying a laptop, but it will be suitable for those who might have something new and innovative to provide. Watch this space over the next few months. Edited December 4, 2017 by samran 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post FritsSikkink Posted December 4, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted December 4, 2017 11 hours ago, Happy enough said: it's a grey area. as you won't be doing it for long in my opinion you will be absolutely fine. you will get some work permit scaremongers on this thread i gaurantee it but pay them no mind It isn't grey, it is illegal. Being caught is a different thing. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anon789561 Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 8 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said: It isn't grey, it is illegal. Being caught is a different thing. i've been caught, they didn't care 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 2 minutes ago, Happy enough said: i've been caught, they didn't care Good for you but it isn't a guaranty for someone else. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anon789561 Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Just now, FritsSikkink said: Good for you but it isn't a guaranty for someone else. true enough. could also depend on the area you are in and which office they are from but the guys that came to see me were alright Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HooHaa Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 3 hours ago, jspill said: Nobody cares. I've been doing it since 2009 no issues. yes since around 2000 here. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazzupnow Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 iv read on thaivisa a while a go nomads are to be left alone if they do not work for thai company Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The manic Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 5 hours ago, darrendsd said: If you knew how much some of them made i'm sure you wouldn't be calling them losers, How much are they making and how? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunPer Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 15 hours ago, mockingbird said: Apologies if this topic has been done to death. I'm a very infrequent user of this form. Thanks for the response. There are numerous threads about working as digital nomad in Thailand. In theory it's "technically" illegal. However, if you are working for foreign clients only, and keeping a low profile – including not sitting in the pub in evenings ane tell others what you are doing for living, officially live from your savings – nothing probably happens. Presume quite a number of folk are doing the same for a living here, as you plan to do; "presume", as they seem to keep it under the radar. I would not recommend using a shared office space, but keeping the work strictly private; sitting behind a computer all day could as well be that you invest your hard worked savings in the stock market, or you are a ThaiVisa forum addict... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackThompson Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 (edited) 13 minutes ago, The manic said: How much are they making and how? As to the "how" of it - basically Anything that needs to be done to a computing-device anywhere in the world, if it can be connected to the Internet The writing of code to be used on hardware not usually connected to the Internet, usually written using a simulator for the hardware (robotics, medical-devices, etc) Managing of computer-networks / networking-functionality (routing / firewalls / routing-hardware-configuration, etc) Any business function which is performed on a computing device or network (accounting, custom report generation, etc) Operating one's own online-business that sells goods or services Sale of products through an existing online-business (Amazon resellers, etc) Earnings vary, according to many factors. Edited December 4, 2017 by JackThompson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritTim Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 21 minutes ago, The manic said: How much are they making and how? The most I have heard of for a digital nomad spending the bulk of his time in Thailand was about US$70,000 per month. He is a consultant in big data technologies, and commands a basic rate of US$3,000 per day, extra when travel is involved. Digital nomads run the gamut from people barely surviving to some making extremely good money. Most with huge earnings tend not to be based in Thailand, but you can run into them almost everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anon789561 Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Just now, BritTim said: The most I have heard of for a digital nomad spending the bulk of his time in Thailand was about US$70,000 per month. He is a consultant in big data technologies, and commands a basic rate of US$3,000 per day, extra when travel is involved. Digital nomads run the gamut from people barely surviving to some making extremely good money. Most with huge earnings tend not to be based in Thailand, but you can run into them almost everywhere. f***! now that's a nice earner, and i thought i was doing well 555 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinLOS Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Its illegal, without question doubt or wiggle room, to work online from Thailand without a work permit which is too complex and expensive for most nomads to bother with. Enforcement is a totally different issue, like almost every law in Thailand, from riding with a helmet to bar closures to prostitution, its poorly enforced. This is especially the case with a poor developing world country so highly dependent on tourism. The labour dept have been crystal clear in all formal discussion that online work, even without Thai clients or in fact any clients (adsense, affiliate, etc) requires a work permit and not having one is an offense. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobz Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 they raided shared office space in chiang mai once and everyone was let go, despite not having work permits etc. once its proven that money is coming from abroad it seems to be ok. chiang mai immigration chief said also that unofficially its ok to work on tourist visa as long as money is coming from abroad. so avoid having thai clients and you should be fine. technically it could still be argued that you need a work permit. but unless policy changes nobody seems to care. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anon789561 Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 same old same old thread. well i haven't heard any stories of these guys getting arrested as yet. anyone?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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