Hi everyone,

 

I'm from Italy and I'm a planning a mid term staying in thailand (6 months). I actually work for an italian company in the IT market and I want to keep working while in Thailand.

There is *a lot* of confusion about this kind of work. Which VISA should apply for? I should try to get a work permit or simply get a tourist VISA?

My goal is to be able to move permanently in the future, so I would like to understand if there is a way to make my position legal and to be elegible in the future for longer VISA's (I'm 38, so I'm out of a retirement visa and I don't earn enough to apply for a SMART visa)

Many thanks to anyone will help me to sort out this mess...

Alex

A Multiple Entry Tourist Visa will be your best option.

 

You can’t get a work permit, or work legally, unless you’re employed by a Thai business.

 

Enter as a tourist and keep your work to yourself. Working, even online, is illegal without permission, which you won’t get.

 

If the authorities discovered your online work it’s highly unlikely they’re stop you or prosecute.

Check out the Elite Thai Visa program... 500K baht for a five year visa...

1 hour ago, sfokevin said:

Check out the Elite Thai Visa program... 500K baht for a five year visa...

 

But don't pop the $15,000(+) until you decide you want to live in Thailand long term.  elviajero's advice is sound for an exploratory stay, though some of us would be uncomfortable no matter how low the risk is of getting caught out.

 

I'd also point out that recent changes in the law eliminate any possibility of jail time for getting caught working without a WP.  And unless he's got some vested interest in living in Thailand, the minuscule odds of getting tossed out of the country are better than not giving it a try at all.

 

While the OP's exploring, he should hook up with other digital nomads to get their advice.  Maybe they'll even steer him on a path to get legal by "working" for a company that exists solely (or mostly) to provide WP's to digital nomads.  Nuff said.

 

Edited February 4, 20197 yr by impulse

1 hour ago, sfokevin said:

Check out the Elite Thai Visa program... 500K baht for a five year visa...

555

 

Worst answer of the year.

You can enter on a tourist visa (apply in Italy) which gives you 60 days, and you can extend that whilst in Thailand for an additional 30 days. 

 

I'm not sure how easy it is to leave Thailand for a few days and then return on another tourist visa? I don't believe that is as easy to do now, although I did a few years ago ... perhaps someone in the know could comment?

 

Alternatively, do a 6 month ED Visa, which means attending Thai language lessons ... which might interfere with your work and reduces the possibility to move around. 

 

39 minutes ago, pr9spk said:

555

 

Worst answer of the year.

I agree.

 

It would be more cost-efficient to go for the 1 million Baht option for 20 years.

3 hours ago, sfokevin said:

Check out the Elite Thai Visa program... 500K baht for a five year visa...

He is only coming for 6 months, rather wasteful don't you think?

2 hours ago, pr9spk said:

Worst answer of the year.

you didn't come up with a better solution

 

 

2 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

He is only coming for 6 months, rather wasteful don't you think?

it was a 2 part question in the op, a temp 6 months solution and the 2nd part being a long term solution

3 minutes ago, steve187 said:

it was a 2 part question in the op, a temp 6 months solution and the 2nd part being a long term solution

Yes, excuse me.

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

He is only coming for 6 months, rather wasteful don't you think?

Did you read his post?...

”My goal is to be able to move permanently in the future“

2 minutes ago, sfokevin said:

Did you read his post?...

”My goal is to be able to move permanently in the future“

Did you read mine, it is just 3 cm above yours.

What's it to you?

Edited February 5, 20197 yr by jacko45k

Even those "caught red handed" working online have not been prosecuted.  But, unlike those people, I would not recommend working in a public co-working space and bragging about it on FB.

Do as the rest of them , enter with a tourist visa and extend for another 3 months. 

 

If you want to live here permanently and pay taxes in Thailand  it will cost you a lot of money , I would not recommend that. 

 

OP you have good answers already. Your looking for 6 months. Very easy many options. Forget about work permit etc. Keep your online work private (very easy). Enter los on perhaps setv. Extend 30 day. Leave country for short trip to say Saigon and obtain setv. Repeat process. Remember you also have visa exempt 30 days which can be extended by 30. Your situation is simple. Forget work permit idea

Just to add to my previous post. OP, you sort of 2 separate plans here. I think concentrate on the best way to meet your 6 month stay. During that time access options for more permanent stay. 

Edited February 5, 20197 yr by DrJack54
Error

10 hours ago, sfokevin said:

Check out the Elite Thai Visa program... 500K baht for a five year visa...

That would sort out the eventual long stay aspect regarding visas, but still doesn't give him permission to have a work permit if that is his issue.

11 hours ago, sfokevin said:

Check out the Elite Thai Visa program... 500K baht for a five year visa...

Probably better off saving that money towards an investment, or use it to start up his own business.   

10 minutes ago, Kaopad999 said:

Probably better off saving that money towards an investment, or use it to start up his own business.   

Does not need start up business at this stage and does not need work permit for what he is doing. 

Try 90 days.  If you can stand Thailand for months at a time, look for something long term.  A business visa may work for you. 

 

Neighboring countries are less hassle and have more work, resources than Thailand.  Malaysia gives you 90days without prior arrangements.  Not as much fun as Thailand, but the food is great.  Vietnam has some good programmers and IT people and great food.  Wine and beer are also cheaper. 

12 hours ago, elviajero said:

A Multiple Entry Tourist Visa will be your best option.

 

You can’t get a work permit, or work legally, unless you’re employed by a Thai business.

 

Enter as a tourist and keep your work to yourself. Working, even online, is illegal without permission, which you won’t get.

 

If the authorities discovered your online work it’s highly unlikely they’re stop you or prosecute.

"If the authorities discovered your online work it’s highly unlikely they’re stop you or prosecute."

 

Yes that's possible but it's also quite possible the various Thai authorities would prosecute and that could mean:

 

 - Fine

 - Immediate visa problems

 - Future visa problems. 

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 20197 yr by scorecard

7 minutes ago, scorecard said:

"If the authorities discovered your online work it’s highly unlikely they’re stop you or prosecute."

 

Yes that's possible but it's also quite possible the various Thai authorities could prosecute and that could mean:

 

 - Fine

 - Immediate visa problems

 - Future visa problems.

 

True - but the warning signs would be obvious, as they would start by busting the ones doing it out in the open.

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

"If the authorities discovered your online work it’s highly unlikely they’re stop you or prosecute."

 

Yes that's possible but it's also quite possible the various Thai authorities would prosecute and that could mean:

 

 - Fine

 - Immediate visa problems

 - Future visa problems. 

 

 

 

A couple of years ago, if I remember correctly, a high-ranking officer in Chiang Mai stated that "tourists" are welcome to work online while visiting because it does not take work away from a local.

Longer term, to be legal you should set up your own business, but as JackThompson mentioned above, they are not looking for you. The only bust here in Chiang Mai that I know of, which was resoved with fines, involved a shop advertising as a place to work for foreign digital nomads, and someone squealed. I have several friends who have been working online for years. Of course, they do it from the privacy of their homes and never let anyone know about it, except trusted friends.

Initially the op is coming for 6 months. I run into backpackers taking gap year doing longer. He can bang away on his computer in condo, stroll off to internet cafe for scans/prints etc. Zero problem. Chill

Unless a DN qualifies for extensions of stay based on working, retirement, marriage etc. they can forget about a long term future in Thailand

Why do people red flag themselves its beyond me. Perhaps they believe absolutely no one from Thai immigration ever takes the slightest interest in whats posted here

I'd my bottom Dollar that they do exactly that to gauge reaction to Visa changes as and when

Edited February 5, 20197 yr by Chivas

1 minute ago, Chivas said:

Why do people red flag themselves its beyond me. Perhaps they believe absolutely no one from Thai immigration ever takes the slightest interest in whats posted here

i'd my bottom Dollar that they do exactly that to gauge reaction to Visa changes as and when

I have so many threads and posts about DN and the ongoing debates. One thing I have never heard of is someone in strife over it. Exclude working in a shared space online. Thats just crazy and most like will get busted. This guy is here for 6 months working online foreign company. 

Also seems to me that folks who label themselves as 'digital nomads', etc., seem to have this idea that they are a special and important group and internationally allowed, on some sort of official basis, do whatever they desire, anywhere.

 

Example, a couple of years back, here in a Chiang Mai coffee shop 2 western girls who were basically harassing the customers (many of whom were western) with the line; Have you got your own website, own e-mail account, own google pages account, own facebook page, own twitter account, and more.

 

Many of course said NO, or I have an e-mail account, for years.

 

Response, 'but in the modern you just cannot survive without the whole suite, and the government wants everybody to have the whole suite'.

 

A couple of friends mentioned this to me. Seems some of the coffee shop customers had asked the 2 farang girls 'Is your activity legal in Thailand, do you have  work permits'?

 

Answer every time, 'We don't need any permission from anybody because we are digital nomads (or some similar name)' so we can do anything we like from a coffee shop'.

 

Bottom line coffee shop owner put them out told them to not come back.  

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 20197 yr by scorecard

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

I have so many threads and posts about DN and the ongoing debates. One thing I have never heard of is someone in strife over it. Exclude working in a shared space online. Thats just crazy and most like will get busted. This guy is here for 6 months working online foreign company. 

True, of course, but it seems that he doesn't know Thailand, so why give him some false impression that it's all OK? 

forget work permits. I had one for 9 years and they are expensive and difficult. multi entry tourist visa is a good start. after that an education visa is probably best and it is helpful to learn thai anyway. you will need a good agent to keep it going. PLAN B is the company I used in Pattayay and they were fantastic.