Visas For Professional Golfers

[ruds]

Hello to you all,

Does anybody know if there are visa and work pemit exemptions for professional sportspeople? Recently the Golf Asian Tour qualifying was held in Pattaya where many guys competed for prize money without work permits.

ruds

[Sunbelt Asia]

Hello to you all,

Does anybody know if there are visa and work pemit exemptions for professional sportspeople? Recently the Golf Asian Tour qualifying was held in Pattaya where many guys competed for prize money without work permits.

ruds

They would need a work permit.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[BronzeRider]

I sense a bunker here:

What about all the playes in the Johnny Walker Classic? Work permits?

BR

[Prakanong]

I sense a bunker here:

What about all the playes in the Johnny Walker Classic? Work permits?

BR

We were told we really should have short term WP's for all the people we send to BKK for conferences or training or 2 days meetings but we do not bother and I do not know of any other large MNC who bother either.

Would this be correct?

We can not even get multiple entry non-imm B's in Singapore so we all just use a 30 day free entry for those of us from countries which get those andVOA's for others

[Sunbelt Asia]

I sense a bunker here:

What about all the playes in the Johnny Walker Classic? Work permits?

BR

Yes work permits are required.

We were told we really should have short term WP's for all the people we send to BKK for conferences or training or 2 days meetings but we do not bother and I do not know of any other large MNC who bother either.

Would this be correct?

Correct. Work permits are required or at the minimum a non immigrant visa.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[mr_hippo]

Perhaps they paid tee money!

[Maestro]

Perhaps they paid tee money!

I know you said that tongue in cheek, but it highlights another point. The tee money and prizes received by foreign golfers participating in a tournament in Thailand: is it subject to Thai income tax? It probably is.

--

Maestro

[Maestro]

What about all the playes in the Johnny Walker Classic? Work permits?

Yes work permits are required.

I don’t know how long a golf tournament runs but if it is maximum two weeks can it be the simplified work permit, the one that I believe requires only a notification to some department at the Ministry of labour plus payment of a fee? I saw you mention it in another context recently and I seem to remember seeing a link to it once, on ThaiVisa or your site, but cannot find it anymore.

--

Maestro

[mr_hippo]

I remember reading somewhere that all prize n#monies, appearance fees and performing fees are subject to Thais tax

[Sunbelt Asia]

What about all the playes in the Johnny Walker Classic? Work permits?

Yes work permits are required.

I dont know how long a golf tournament runs but if it is maximum two weeks can it be the simplified work permit, the one that I believe requires only a notification to some department at the Ministry of labour plus payment of a fee? I saw you mention it in another context recently and I seem to remember seeing a link to it once, on ThaiVisa or your site, but cannot find it anymore.--Maestro

No. It must be a full work permit. The two week work permit you are talking about is the necessary and urgent Work Acknowledgment. It must meet the following.(a) Administrative and educational works.(1) conference, discussion, seminar or business invitation works.(2) temporary internal audit(3) special lecture and educational works(4) aviation superintendent work( Technical work(1) inspection, follow-up and technical solution works.(2) meeting work on machinery installation and technique.(3) aircraft engineering work, aircraft mechanical work.(4) machine repairing or installing work.(5) petroleum technical work.(6) machinery demonstrative or testing work.(7) technical training and seminar work.(8) movie taking work.© Outbound recruitment(1) labour choice(2) technician test(d) Miscellaneous work(1) purchasing work.(2) tour liaison(3) public contribution work which is of non-commercial or non-profit objectives.As you can see, golf, ice skating, bands, carnival workers are not on the list. We have tried before and always were told the foreigner needed a full work permit. However, they were not subject to the 2 million Baht registered capital requirement per work permit with a letter from the Ministry. 

I remember reading somewhere that all prize monies, appearance fees and performing fees are subject to Thais tax

correct.www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[Sunny Valentine]

So, professional golfing is considered work and you need a WP. Am wondering why amateur golfing (tourists or retired persons) can get along with it, as according to the "Work" definition it makes no different whether you are paid or not?

Sunny

[ruds]

You can't tell me that all the players competing for their playing rights to the Asian Golf Tour in the recent qualifying stages held in Pattaya had work permits. I find that very hard to believe. Surely professional sportspeople can not be expected to get work permits.

[briley]

In many countries the organisers of major sporting events get a blanket work permit for those taking part.

[Maestro]

The two week work permit you are talking about is the necessary and urgent Work Acknowledgment. It must meet the following...

Thank you for these details. I’ve bookmarked it now (which does not necessarily mean that I’ll find it again next time I need it)

If I am invited again to speak at a press conference for a product launch in Thailand I will ask the organiser to get that permit for me. I seem to have done this illegally in the past. If he can’t be bothered to do it himself, what is Sunbelt’s fee, the government fee, what documents do you need?

--

Maestro

[BronzeRider]

In many countries the organisers of major sporting events get a blanket work permit for those taking part.

I agree. I can't imagine top world players standing in line with their forms and photos waiting to be processed.

BR

[Sunbelt Asia]

In many countries the organisers of major sporting events get a blanket work permit for those taking part.

I agree. I can't imagine top world players standing in line with their forms and photos waiting to be processed.

BR

What has happen in the past... The promoter of the event hires our firm to process the WP3 application. The applicant (player) takes this approval letter and gets a non immigrant visa at the Embassy/Consulate. When the applicant arrives to practice before the main event, we arrange for a medical doctor to sign a medical certificate for the Work permit. The Labor Dept officer then goes to the practice area and issues a work permit.

So, professional golfing is considered work and you need a WP. Am wondering why amateur golfing (tourists or retired persons) can get along with it, as according to the "Work" definition it makes no different whether you are paid or not?

"People pay money to watch you play, you are working" as per the Thai Government.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[Sunbelt Asia]

The two week work permit you are talking about is the necessary and urgent Work Acknowledgment. It must meet the following...

Thank you for these details. I’ve bookmarked it now (which does not necessarily mean that I’ll find it again next time I need it)

If I am invited again to speak at a press conference for a product launch in Thailand I will ask the organiser to get that permit for me. I seem to have done this illegally in the past. If he can’t be bothered to do it himself, what is Sunbelt’s fee, the government fee, what documents do you need?

--

Maestro

No Government fee. Our professional fee is 1,600 Baht. We need your passport and the organizer’s company paperwork. ( along with the application signed by organizer.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[Sunny Valentine]

So, professional golfing is considered work and you need a WP. Am wondering why amateur golfing (tourists or retired persons) can get along with it, as according to the "Work" definition it makes no different whether you are paid or not?

"People pay money to watch you play, you are working" as per the Thai Government.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

So, in the case the event is free entry?

Sorry, all these rules don't make any sense to me at all.

Sunny

[Sunbelt Asia]

So, professional golfing is considered work and you need a WP. Am wondering why amateur golfing (tourists or retired persons) can get along with it, as according to the "Work" definition it makes no different whether you are paid or not?

"People pay money to watch you play, you are working" as per the Thai Government.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

So, in the case the event is free entry?

Sorry, all these rules don't make any sense to me at all.

Sunny

He is working, if any one of three criterion happen....

...the event has an admission/gate charge

...the player is paid a promotion fee

.... he has a chance to win prize money depending how he finishes in the tournament.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[ruds]

Hello to you all,

My reason for posting this blog was because as a professional golfer myself and having played golf in Thailand for a number of years I was looking into starting a mini professional golf tour running before the main seasons start in Europe, American, Oz etc but it seems that work permits would be a major problem a may need to rethink. However, Sunbelt if you could come up with a reasonable solution I think I will go ahead with it. The tour would run for approximately 12 weeks.

ruds

[Sunbelt Asia]

Hello to you all,

My reason for posting this blog was because as a professional golfer myself and having played golf in Thailand for a number of years I was looking into starting a mini professional golf tour running before the main seasons start in Europe, American, Oz etc but it seems that work permits would be a major problem a may need to rethink. However, Sunbelt if you could come up with a reasonable solution I think I will go ahead with it. The tour would run for approximately 12 weeks.

ruds

Contact the Tourism Authority of Thailand, asking them to authorize the event. If you have a two million Baht company you then can get unlimited work permits for the pros as long as the tour is occasional and definite. Approach the TAT, if they are interested, you'll form a Thai company and we'll be happy to file the WP3 applications and then the work permits.

http://www.tourismthailand.org

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com