Is it legal to be a digital nomad in CM?

[davidst01]

I read on another thread ''Actually, you’re the fool. The head of Chiang Mai immigration said digital nomads were welcome in Chiang Mai and did not need a work permit if they are not doing business with Thais. This is why so many are in Chiang Mai.''

 

Is this correct or B.S? 

thanks

[elektrified]

https://chiangmaibuddy.com/can-a-digital-nomad-work-in-chiang-mai/

 

Clear? No.

[Briggsy]

You are very, very unlikely to be arrested for earning money online whilst in Thailand provided there are no Thai interactions, no Thai customers (if you have customers) and no Thai Baht movements.

 

If you are staying using tourist visas or visa exempts, then at some point you will be denied another visa or denied entry.

 

Remember, this is not the West. Any question starting, "Is it legal in Thailand to...." depends upon the whim of the officer whose decision it is and the direction of the wind. If the [political / financial / social / Facebook] winds change, then the law changes with it.

 

The important question is not, "Is it legal..." but "Who will I call when I need to?"

[donnacha]

1 hour ago, davidst01 said:

Is this correct or B.S? 

It is correct that some head of something, at some point, said this. It was widely reported at the time, but all he was doing was stating the obvious: no-one gives a damn what all these crazy farangs are doing on their laptops, as long as the money they earn comes from outside the country, or from other farangs.

Some future head of something or other will almost certainly, at some point, say something entirely different, but it won't change anything.

Seriously, don't allow yourself to worry about this stuff. A load of FUD always gets thrown around by the bitter, older guys on this forum who consider it a moral afront that we have the freedom to work on interesting stuff and be our own bosses.

In particular, the poor wretches working as English teachers tend to bang on and on about how they had to go to the trouble of getting a visa, and how we should all be arrested and thrown out of the country because we haven't, but that is all just a fantasy. Even if there was such a law, and even if the government wanted to enforce it, there is simply no practical way for them to do so.

Just keep your head down, do your work, and enjoy Thailand.

[moontang]

That quote has become a dn legend, but few seem to remember him getting sacked after the interview with CityLice. 

[stuartd1]

The only thing that might prove a problem is if you bring earnings from this years income into LOS which may be taxable, but I somehow doubt that will be an issue!

[daveAustin]

If you go down this road and anyone asks what you're doing for coin, suggest keeping it to yourself and use a paid-for VPN. Say you've got a rich daddy, getting money from overseas stocks or whatever. Would also avoid tourist visas.

[donnacha]

3 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Would also avoid tourist visas.

Why?

They are cheap, fast, require no complicated documents, get you 90 days in the country, and you can easily use two or three of them every year. Even doing a couple of them back to back is no problem. Visa waivers might be a problem for that, but actual tourist visas are terrific.

If you are talking about staying in Thailand 365 days a year, sure, you probably need something like an ed visa, but doesn't that squander the main DN advantage of being able to move around?

No sane person would stay in Chiang Mai, anyway, for the third of the year when 2.5 PM is above safe levels.

[EricTh]

It is illegal to earn any money whether online or offline in Thailand while you are on tourist visa or retirement.

 

Tourists are supposed to visit tourist places and spending money not doing work on their website and earning money.

 

If somebody reports the person working online in Thailand, then that person is in trouble. I've seen quite a few promoting and selling 'retirement' books and videos.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2019 by EricTh

[elektrified]

1 hour ago, EricTh said:

It is illegal to earn any money whether online or offline in Thailand while you are on tourist visa or retirement.

 

Tourists are supposed to visit tourist places and spending money not doing work on their website and earning money.

 

If somebody reports the person working online in Thailand, then that person is in trouble. I've seen quite a few promoting and selling 'retirement' books and videos.

 

 

 

 

Who told you it is "illegal to earn any money online in Thailand while you are on retirement."?

[orang37]

22 hours ago, donnacha said:

No sane person would stay in Chiang Mai, anyway, for the third of the year when 2.5 PM is above safe levels.

 

Well, that still leaves some wiggle room for autophagous necrophiliacs.

 

~o:37;

[Winky Wilson]

You can only be a digital nomad while on holiday in Thailand. If you renew your tourist visa and they suspect you are a DN, you will be buying a ticket out of the country.

[Hanuman2547]

Is it legal to be a digital nomad in CM?

The short answer is that it doesn't matter if it is CM or Thailand the answer would be NO.  However, many are able to do it.  Personally I would just stay in Thailand a few months out of the year and spend the remainder of the time somewhere else.  Who wants to be in Thailand during the hot season of March, April, and May?  

[chrisinth]

2 hours ago, Winky Wilson said:

You can only be a digital nomad while on holiday in Thailand. If you renew your tourist visa and they suspect you are a DN, you will be buying a ticket out of the country.

How many times has that actually happened to DNs?

[Thaidream]

On 5/19/2019 at 1:48 PM, donnacha said:

t is correct that some head of something, at some point, said this. It was widely reported at the time, but all he was doing was stating the obvious: no-one gives a damn what all these crazy farangs are doing on their laptops, as long as the money they earn comes from outside the country, or from other farangs.

Some future head of something or other will almost certainly, at some point, say something entirely different, but it won't change anything.

Seriously, don't allow yourself to worry about this stuff. A load of FUD always gets thrown around by the bitter, older guys on this forum who consider it a moral afront that we have the freedom to work on interesting stuff and be our own bosses.

In particular, the poor wretches working as English teachers tend to bang on and on about how they had to go to the trouble of getting a visa, and how we should all be arrested and thrown out of the country because we haven't, but that is all just a fantasy. Even if there was such a law, and even if the government wanted to enforce it, there is simply no practical way for them to do so.

Just keep your head down, do your work, and enjoy Thailand.

All good and well- but if you are American you are wasting your time working as a digital nomad making much less than you could make in a Western country.

 

-You are not contributing  to the Social Security system for pension or Medicare and if you continue working as a DN- you won't have much when you retire.

 

-You are  20 something or 30 something- and if you have any type of University Education, you should be employed by a Western country making top dollar especially in the US .  If you do not have a University education- you best get one- instead of wasting time as a DN

 

-If you have millions of dollars/pounds/ Euros in the bank and just want something to keep you busy- a DN is great.

 

-If you need to keep working to provide  food. clothing and shelter- for yourself or a family- you are truly wasting your time and talents.  If you don't care about it now- trust me- someday you will- especially when your peers who have been working at high salaries in the West are heading for retirement with great portfolios and/or pensions that are guaranteed for life-  the problem is you won't be one of them.

 

I speak , not out of jealousy, nor envy.   There was a time when I worked in Thailand at wages below what my Western counterparts were making but I thankfully woke up- listened to someone who told  me  I was wasting my time and talents. 

 

Be careful- the years fly by and you cannot go back in time.  Best wishes for a productive and happy life!!

[AlexRich]

Any retiree or tourist with a stock portfolio connected online to a broker is potentially making money whilst staying in Thailand, presuming that they are even only occasionally buying or selling.

 

So no issue with digital nomads ... it's illegal to drive over the speed limit but I suspect 90% of the driving population around the world are doing 31 mph plus in a thirty.

 

I don't quite understand why people get on their high horse about this subject ... digital nomads harm no one, and bring money into the country. 

[CMoldie]

On 5/19/2019 at 1:48 PM, donnacha said:

Even if there was such a law, and even if the government wanted to enforce it, there is simply no practical way for them to do so.

Just keep your head down, do your work, and enjoy Thailand.

There is such a law, basically saying that anything that a Thai can do cannot be done by a foreigner - even if it is unpaid.

However, as you say, there is simply no way of enforcing it - except in one specific set of circumstances. In both of the instances where I am aware of a foreigner being  prosecuted for not having a work permit, they were reported to the Labour Department by Thais that they had had a dispute with. Then it got investigated and prosecuted. Incidentally, neither was deported - even though one was given a 6 month suspended prison sentence.

So "keep your head down" is a key piece of advice. Do not get into disputes with Thai people and don't go out of your way to let people who have no need to know how you earn your living. Then everything will be fine.

Incidentally I am old and live in Chiang Mai all the year round. I am neither bitter nor insane.

 

[bkk6060]

Not sure if it is illegal, but in my opinion they should be paying some

5 hours ago, AlexRich said:

Any retiree or tourist with a stock portfolio connected online to a broker is potentially making money whilst staying in Thailand, presuming that they are even only occasionally buying or selling.

 

So no issue with digital nomads ... it's illegal to drive over the speed limit but I suspect 90% of the driving population around the world are doing 31 mph plus in a thirty.

 

I don't quite understand why people get on their high horse about this subject ... digital nomads harm no one, and bring money into the country. 

Playing with your personal portfolio in most cases is not a job description.

A day trader maybe.

 

As an old fart it just seems a rather odd job description.

"Digital Nomad"

Is it accepted as a job on a loan or credit card application?

 

If they are actually working and making money in a country, I think they should get a work permit and pay taxes. Just my opinion.

But, I doubt anyone here will ever catch up to it..

 

 

 

[AlexRich]

5 hours ago, DonDoRondo said:

Intuitively I would guess that some of these folks are involved in writing fake product reviews?  

Restaurant reviews?  In general getting people to part with money / personal information?

Swaying public attitudes?   Posting on social media, forums, newspaper comment section?

 

Here in CM first it was the mainlanders and now these turds.  Time to move on.

 

                                               

  

The people that do damage in Thailand are the boiler room and real estate scammers. 

 

The so-called list of crimes you have detailed above is pitiful. Get a life.

[AlexRich]

2 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Not sure if it is illegal, but in my opinion they should be paying some

Playing with your personal portfolio in most cases is not a job description.

A day trader maybe.

 

As an old fart it just seems a rather odd job description.

"Digital Nomad"

Is it accepted as a job on a loan or credit card application?

 

If they are actually working and making money in a country, I think they should get a work permit and pay taxes. Just my opinion.

But, I doubt anyone here will ever catch up to it..

 

 

 

They do work online, and it’s little to do with Thailand, and doesn’t interfere with Thailand in any way. The advantage to Thailand is that they are spending money with Thai businesses and landlords. So if they move on there is a cost ... to Thailand. 

 

Why an expat would have an issue with them is beyond beyond my understanding, other than the human condition of thinking that someone else is somehow getting something and wanting to stop it .... whatever pleasure they get from that?

Edited May 21, 2019 by AlexRich

[MaksimMislavsky]

1 hour ago, AlexRich said:

Why an expat would have an issue with them is beyond beyond my understanding, other than the human condition of thinking that someone else is somehow getting something and wanting to stop it .... whatever pleasure they get from that?

Quite a lot of people do get pleasure exactly from that and they can be pretty resourceful.

[AlexRich]

2 hours ago, MaksimMislavsky said:

Quite a lot of people do get pleasure exactly from that and they can be pretty resourceful.

 

Yes, they do. But you'll notice they like to dress it up around some "fake" principal ... "poor Thailand will lose tax revenue" ... not "I'm a nasty jealous type who feels bad when others are getting something beneficial but get great personal pleasure from seeing that something being taken off them" ... which is a lot nearer the truth of the matter.

 

 

[CH1961]

13 hours ago, AlexRich said:

They do work

Illegal with Tourist Visa. 

 

Even Digital Nomad should understand that simple rule. 

[Trujillo]

"Whats the Real Story!

Background
On Friday 30th January, I went to see my Lawyer, [edit] I have removed the reasons I went to see the Lawyer as that revelation while used to give evidence of my sincerity could be used against me at a later date."

 

So "Chiang Mai Buddy" is working illegally, right? 

[Orton Rd]

I thought most of these young down and outs in CM were involved in drop shipping still, or failed at it and are teaching others how to fail? good luck with that!

 

This guys main interest seems to be in eating

 

 

Edited May 22, 2019 by Orton Rd

[Thailand]

Quite a few on our estate who work overnight at call centers in the Hang Dong area.

I don't know but guessing they are only on tourist visas.

[EricTh]

On 5/19/2019 at 11:29 PM, elektrified said:

Who told you it is "illegal to earn any money online in Thailand while you are on retirement."?

You can give the list of retirees in Thailand (passport number, name and country of origin) who sell retirement books, services, membership online while they are living in Thailand to immigration office and let them investigate.

 

I am sure that's the only sure way to find out.

 

Be prepared to be banned from entering Thailand for xx years.

Edited May 22, 2019 by EricTh

[EricTh]

1 hour ago, CH1961 said:

Illegal with Tourist Visa. 

 

Even Digital Nomad should understand that simple rule. 

Many people don't understand the meaning of tourist and retirement visa.

 

A tourist is supposed to be out visiting tourist attractions, sight-seeing and/or learning the Thai culture.

 

A retiree is supposed to be reading books, watching TV, gardening, cooking, chit-chatting with friends. Occasionally, doing what a tourist does.

 

But not doing work online so that they can earn some money in a foreign bank.

Edited May 22, 2019 by EricTh

[hml367]

It seems simple to me: if the OP (or anyone else) wants to know about working as a digital nomad, just contact (in person would be best) Labor Department and ask them.  Then stop by the local Immigration office, explain to the what you want to do, then ask them what type of visa you would need.

[bkk6060]

15 hours ago, AlexRich said:

They do work online, and it’s little to do with Thailand, and doesn’t interfere with Thailand in any way. The advantage to Thailand is that they are spending money with Thai businesses and landlords. So if they move on there is a cost ... to Thailand. 

 

Why an expat would have an issue with them is beyond beyond my understanding, other than the human condition of thinking that someone else is somehow getting something and wanting to stop it .... whatever pleasure they get from that?

Like I said I am an old fart.  Most of my very happy 32 years of work were without computers and involved physicality.

I am sure they are smart people for today's world, it just seems like an odd job and job description to me.

Certainly glad and proud of the career I had which to me made a greater contribution and provided more satisfaction them digital nomadism...

But, good luck to them.

 

PS: I hope they have purchased medical insurance for their travels ????

 

Edited May 22, 2019 by bkk6060