Hi - has anyone got experience of attending a meeting in Bangkok holding a british passport? Do I need to do anything (e.g., get a business visa?) in advance of landing in Thailand if I intend on ticking 'Meeting' on the TM6 'purpose of visit' option? 

 

there is a lot of conflicting information on the web!

 

Many thanks for the advice 

If you are only going to be in BKK for a few days then don't mark the TM6 that way and get your 30 day holiday visa exempt and Bobs your uncle.  No worries.

You are actually allowed to attend business meetings etc without a business visa or work permit. But as above, I would just tick "holiday" or whatever the TM6 actually says.

1 hour ago, krish001 said:

Do I need to do anything (e.g., get a business visa?)

No. Attending business meetings are exempt from requiring a business visa or work permit.

 

“According to the Announcement of the Department of Employment dated 6 March 2015, the following activities are not considered as work anymore and therefore do not require a work permit:

• Attending a meeting, a discussion, or a seminar;
• Attending an exhibition or a trade show;
• Attending a business trip or a business discussion;
• Attending a special or academic lecture;
• Attending a training and a technical seminar;
• Purchasing goods in a trade show; and
• Attending a Board of Directors meeting of one’s own company.”

Regardless of the exemption do not put business or meeting as the reason for your visit if entering as a tourist, put ‘tourism’.

26 minutes ago, elviajero said:

No. Attending business meetings are exempt from requiring a business visa or work permit.

 

“According to the Announcement of the Department of Employment dated 6 March 2015, the following activities are not considered as work anymore and therefore do not require a work permit:

• Attending a meeting, a discussion, or a seminar;
• Attending an exhibition or a trade show;
• Attending a business trip or a business discussion;
• Attending a special or academic lecture;
• Attending a training and a technical seminar;
• Purchasing goods in a trade show; and
• Attending a Board of Directors meeting of one’s own company.”

Regardless of the exemption do not put business or meeting as the reason for your visit if entering as a tourist, put ‘tourism’.

Just because he won't need a work permit doesn't mean he doesn't need a non-b visa.

Was there any other official announcement which says that a non-b visa is not required?

2 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Just because he won't need a work permit doesn't mean he doesn't need a non-b visa.

Was there any other official announcement which says that a non-b visa is not required?

The announcement made it clear the activity is not considered work; therefore, a Non B is unnecessary. It was the whole point of the announcement.

1 minute ago, elviajero said:

The announcement made it clear the activity is not considered work; therefore, a Non B is unnecessary. It was the whole point of the announcement.

The announcement to which you referred is from the Department of Employment. They don't have anything to do with visas, so this can't be "the whole point".

To enter Thailand with a tourist visa or visa exempt is only allowed for tourism purposes. Did immigration ever say that attending a business meeting is considered tourism? If they didn't, this person risks to be denied entry.

7 minutes ago, jackdd said:

The announcement to which you referred is from the Department of Employment. They don't have anything to do with visas, so this can't be "the whole point".

To enter Thailand with a tourist visa or visa exempt is only allowed for tourism purposes. Did immigration ever say that attending a business meeting is considered tourism? If they didn't, this person risks to be denied entry.

Before the announcement you needed a Non B to attend a meeting. Now you don’t.

 

I don’t recall a separate announcement by immigration.

 

As long as you’re not working you’re covered under a tourist visa. The announcement confirms you’re not considered to be working.

 

The person doesn’t risk being denied if they follow my advice.

8 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Before the announcement you needed a Non B to attend a meeting. Now you don’t.

 

I don’t recall a separate announcement by immigration.

 

As long as you’re not working you’re covered under a tourist visa. The announcement confirms you’re not considered to be working.

 

The person doesn’t risk being denied if they follow my advice.

 

At least this attorney (not that i give much on attorneys, but i think in this case he is right) doesn't agree with you in his article from 2018: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2018/10/18/thai-law-foreigners-need-business-visas-to-attend-meetings/

Quote

 

Unlike the new work permit law, no rulings or guidelines or regulations have been issued excluding business meetings from the definition of work under the new immigration law.

In principle, this is the same set of laws, and the new immigration law is meant to incorporate the new work permit law that allows business meetings without the need for a work permit or a Non-Immigrant B Business Visa.

One should validly assume the definition of “work” in the work permit law and the immigration law is the same, with “Attending meetings to discuss business” excluded from the definition, even though there are no express words authenticating that assumption. Just as with the work permit law, no work permit or a business visa should be required under the immigration law.

Should be legal isn’t the same thing as legal, when it comes to the letter of the law.

The lack of specific wording prompts immigration police in the field to continue to interpret the immigration law in that traditional way: Attending business meetings remains work or business, and therefore the business visa is always required.

Immigration still sees tourist visas for the purpose of tourism and unusable to attend business meetings – which are for work and business, and must therefore come under the umbrella of a business visa.

Their view is that any foreign executive attending a business meeting on a tourist visa is in violation of immigration law (which in turn incorporates some key provisions of the work permit law by way of reference), and risks being arrested if, for instance, authorities are tipped off by a rival company.

 

Edited August 30, 20196 yr by jackdd

Re needing a B visa to attend a meeting, it is not required.

It's the same as being on holiday and being invited to an interview for work and that is perfectly legal to do.

Ignore lawyers and attorneys. I've yet to meet one who really knows anything other than having enough knowledge of the english language to spout convoluted statements about Immigration that convey nothing and cost people money.

8 hours ago, jackdd said:

If they didn't, this person risks to be denied entry.

If he arrives with a tourist visa and indicates he's here on holiday, what would be the reason for rejecting him?

 

9 hours ago, elviajero said:

•  

Regardless of the exemption do not put business or meeting as the reason for your visit if entering as a tourist, put ‘tourism’.

 

8 hours ago, jackdd said:

Unlike the new work permit law, no rulings or guidelines or regulations have been issued excluding business meetings from the definition of work under the new immigration law.

What new immigration law is this so called lawyer referring to?

@elviajero is perfectly correct in his assessment, the DoE have defined that attending a meeting is not considered as work under the new alien labour act and so by definition a non B visa would not be needed, it is not up to immigration to make that definition.

If the OP enters Thailand as a tourist and enter tourism as the purpose, to avoid an IO interpreting things incorrectly, he or she will have no issues whatsoever.

They would be free and entirely entitled to attend a meeting.

Another example of complicating things that is totally unnecessary (IMO).

  When I first came to Thailand it was to attend a 3 day convention. I filled in the form.. "holiday" as purpose of visit, stayed 3 weeks and flew home again...(Irish PP).

In a modern first world country there are less laws but they are followed. In a 3rd world country there are lots and lots more laws, to the point that even people in power don't know them, but at the end of the day none of them are really followed. 

 

Tell immigration what they want to hear. Tick the "tourism" box. 

Edited August 30, 20196 yr by G950
My spelling sux

4 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

If he arrives with a tourist visa and indicates he's here on holiday, what would be the reason for rejecting him?

People here are telling OP "no problem, just say you are a tourist", which will of course work in most cases.

But now imagine the IO asks OP what he is doing in Thailand, and OP answers "attend a meeting", because he thinks this is 100% legal.

With the current climate, tourists being denied entry because they might be working in Thailand, this may very well lead to a denied entry.

Edited August 30, 20196 yr by jackdd

There is an option to tick reason for visit 'business' on the incoming form.I've never bothered but a colleague does every time he visits (very frequently) and gets 30 days visa exempt same as me.

To the Op, tick tourism and don't worry what the bush lawyers on here are saying. Nobody, least of all immigration, will care what you do or where you go while on a 30 day VE. Thailand isn't a police state in this regard no matter what the nervous nellies like to claim.

There is no worry about ticking the box which is referring to meetings or a like. I am doing this for years. I even stating looking for business as reason to enter. No problem!


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