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Easier work permits? Any experience yet?


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Apologies if this is already covered by a thread somewhere. A link to any such thread might help. I've searched for one, but haven't yet found anything useful. Early days, I suppose!

A few months ago, a retired senior civil servant told me that the necessary legislation had already been put in place to make work permits more readily available to retirees. And just a few weeks back, there was a news report on Thai Visa confirming that. Now having been told that some sort of employment might be possible in future, I think now is the right time to investigate if anyone has yet to experience these new regs; and how they are working out in practice. As most employers in Thailand know very little about employment law, and probably don't want to go through a specialist company, it may be necessary for me to steer them in the right direction. I'm interested in doing things to the book.

Cheers!

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Not sure the new working aliens act or decree really has anything in it to make it easier for those retirees.

The only thing I have seen is a news article about it with very little information.

The ministerial regulations issued to comply with the act/decree will be more important than than it. They will define the requirements to get a work permit.

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5 minutes ago, Scottjouro said:

Why would they do this as why would a retiree need a work permit ?...they are retired !....if a retiree has a work permit he is no longer a retiree !...therefore one suspects there is no legislation to change 

Playing devil's advocate, a lot of retirees decide on part time employment or voluntary work for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is just to keep busy. Quite common also is wanting to make a little extra cash to supplement their pension. In Thailand, there is currently no good way to accommodate such activities. They cannot get a long term extension based on working because the earnings from part time employment do not reach the necessary threshold. On the other hand, currently, those on a retirement extension cannot undertake employment (voluntary work or paid). 

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11 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Playing devil's advocate, a lot of retirees decide on part time employment or voluntary work for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is just to keep busy. Quite common also is wanting to make a little extra cash to supplement their pension. In Thailand, there is currently no good way to accommodate such activities. They cannot get a long term extension based on working because the earnings from part time employment do not reach the necessary threshold. On the other hand, currently, those on a retirement extension cannot undertake employment (voluntary work or paid). 

But to allow this they wouldn't have to change anything related to work permits, they would just have to chang the retirement visa by removing the "employment prohibited"

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When the last hype about changing work permits was in the news (by a small English law firm) I can't remember seeing anything mentioned about changing the retirement visa.

 

I do remember reading some drivel in the article that if a person was issued a work permit, this would allow the person to work at, for whoever and and do whatever they wanted. For this part of the article, I would call bovine manure.

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43 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Playing devil's advocate, a lot of retirees decide on part time employment or voluntary work for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is just to keep busy. Quite common also is wanting to make a little extra cash to supplement their pension. In Thailand, there is currently no good way to accommodate such activities. They cannot get a long term extension based on working because the earnings from part time employment do not reach the necessary threshold. On the other hand, currently, those on a retirement extension cannot undertake employment (voluntary work or paid). 

One doesnt need to be paid to get a work permit...so that arguement is moot, if they want to earn extra cash, then need the go the same route as everyone else who works legally....fact is they are no longer retired...

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26 minutes ago, Scottjouro said:
1 hour ago, BritTim said:

Playing devil's advocate, a lot of retirees decide on part time employment or voluntary work for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is just to keep busy. Quite common also is wanting to make a little extra cash to supplement their pension. In Thailand, there is currently no good way to accommodate such activities. They cannot get a long term extension based on working because the earnings from part time employment do not reach the necessary threshold. On the other hand, currently, those on a retirement extension cannot undertake employment (voluntary work or paid). 

One doesnt need to be paid to get a work permit...so that arguement is moot, if they want to earn extra cash, then need the go the same route as everyone else who works legally....fact is they are no longer retired

So, if I understand your point correctly, you do not think there is any such thing as being semi retired. Whether you work (or volunteer) 6 hours a week or 40 hours a week, you are part of the working population. That is fine. We all view the world in different ways. I still think it unfortunate that someone 70 years old and living in Thailand on a pension cannot legally provide free or low cost English lessons to poor students. I do not see this restriction as benefiting Thai society whether the person is in your view of things "working", or as in mine "semi retired" 

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1 hour ago, BritTim said:

I still think it unfortunate that someone 70 years old and living in Thailand on a pension cannot legally provide free or low cost English lessons to poor students.

I don’t believe anyone in authority is going to stop a retiree giving free English lessons to poor students. Foreigners volunteer to help in their communities all over Thailand without any problems.

 

I someone is concerned about helping out they just need to contact the powers that be locally to get the go ahead. IMO it breaks no laws if it’s occasional and unpaid, and if it does, I highly doubt they’d prosecute or want stop it.

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2 hours ago, Scottjouro said:

One doesnt need to be paid to get a work permit...so that arguement is moot, if they want to earn extra cash, then need the go the same route as everyone else who works legally....fact is they are no longer retired...

I think the issue is around what is considered work or employment. I don’t see a retiree giving their time helping out in their community for free as work. The law says you need permission to carry out any occupation, or to be formally employed by a business. 

 

In the OP’s case, if he wants paying, it could be considered work/employment, otherwise IMO it wouldn’t and couldn’t be considered his occupation or that he is being formally employed.

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For my work ia no work permit needed anymore.

Just one of the view i think the rest does need a work permint.

Expect after 4 to 8 years they will put it back  that it is needed when the country has enough knowledge.

 

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6 hours ago, Scottjouro said:

One doesnt need to be paid to get a work permit...so that arguement is moot

On a non-o retirement visa they can't work (get a work permit), and to get a non-b they need to get paid at least 50k THB (or something similar). So effectively they have to be paid to get a work permit thus the argument is not moot ?

Edited by jackdd
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1 hour ago, jackdd said:
8 hours ago, Scottjouro said:

One doesnt need to be paid to get a work permit...so that arguement is moot

On a non-o retirement visa they can't work (get a work permit), and to get a non-b they need to get paid at least 50k THB (or something similar). So effectively they have to be paid to get a work permit thus the argument is not moot ?

  • Some labour offices have been known to issue work permits to 'retirees'. If that happens and the retiree works they break the terms of their permission to stay.
  • You do not need to be paid anything to get a non 'B' visa. The minimum incomes only apply when applying for an extension of stay.
  • You don't need to be paid to get a work permit. The Alien Employment Act states that a work permit is required even if the work is unpaid. This is to stop employers claiming the employee is unpaid to avoid getting permission (a work permit).
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10 hours ago, Scottjouro said:

Why would they do this as why would a retiree need a work permit ?...they are retired !....if a retiree has a work permit he is no longer a retiree !...therefore one suspects there is no legislation to change 

Nothing is ever really that cut-&-dried in the gig economy /free market lie era. But might as well have a good laugh about it, nevertheless. ?

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9 hours ago, chrisinth said:

When the last hype about changing work permits was in the news (by a small English law firm) I can't remember seeing anything mentioned about changing the retirement visa.

 

I do remember reading some drivel in the article that if a person was issued a work permit, this would allow the person to work at, for whoever and and do whatever they wanted. For this part of the article, I would call bovine manure.

It was a particularly bad article. But it did perhaps indicate some slight change of mind is afoot. I'm hugely skeptical myself. I've often said that I would probably go to my grave with some sort of job still on the go, but I now strongly doubt that work ethic is worth a damn. Doubtless that is exactly how the Bannons of this World want us oldies to react, but screw them anyway!

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12 hours ago, jackdd said:

On a non-o retirement visa they can't work (get a work permit), and to get a non-b they need to get paid at least 50k THB (or something similar). So effectively they have to be paid to get a work permit thus the argument is not moot ?

No incorrect...you need the 50k to get an extension of stay, not the work permit, one can be issued a WP without any form of salary or consideration...so lets be perfectly clear here...

 

Work Permit issued by DOL - salary / considerations  - NA

Extension of stay for employment issued by Immigration - requires the salary stated for the particular nationality - Not a Non-imm B visa either

 

 

 

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12 hours ago, jackdd said:

On a non-o retirement visa they can't work (get a work permit), and to get a non-b they need to get paid at least 50k THB (or something similar). So effectively they have to be paid to get a work permit thus the argument is not moot ?

Work is not prohibited on a marriage extension. Proof of income required by Immigration.

 

Work permit still required to work legally. No proof of income required by the DOL.

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43 minutes ago, Scottjouro said:

No incorrect...

So if what i wrote is incorrect you are saying that somebody whos only long term visa / extension choice is retirement can start working legally in an unpaid job (after getting a work permit) and stay long term in Thailand?

 

21 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Work is not prohibited on a marriage extension.

Yes i know, so i wrote "non-o retirement", because this thread here is about "retirees" and not about "spouses of Thais".

 

Both of you should pay attention to the word "effectively" that i used in my conclusion.

Edited by jackdd
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13 minutes ago, jackdd said:

So if what i wrote is incorrect you are saying that somebody whos only long term visa / extension choice is retirement can start working legally in an unpaid job (after getting a work permit) and stay long term in Thailand?

 

Yes i know, so i wrote "non-o retirement", because this thread here is about "retirees" and not about "spouses of Thais".

 

Both of you should pay attention to the word "effectively" that i used in my conclusion.

Your statement around the 50k was incorrect as is your understanding of how the system actually work this was obvious in your post, irrespective of the extension type/visa 

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4 minutes ago, Scottjouro said:

Your statement around the 50k was incorrect as is your understanding of how the system actually work this was obvious in your post, irrespective of the extension type/visa  

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/effectively

used when you describe what the real result of a situation is

Edited by jackdd
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3 hours ago, jackdd said:

Yes i know, so i wrote "non-o retirement", because this thread here is about "retirees" and not about "spouses of Thais".

A retiree is not specifically tied to one type of Visa or Extension.

The topic is about work permits and retirees, you singled out the 'non o retirement' as an inclusion into the debate.

Spouses of Thais can also be a retiree and obtain work permits, so the inclusion of such information shouldn't be criticised and is actually more beneficial for a member to be aware of.

 

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