Do I need a visa to help gf sell food

[Dan94444]

Hi 

 

I’m visiting my gf in Chon Buri on the standard tourism visa, and was wondering if I’d get into any trouble helping her sell food in the market.  

 

Not getting paid. Anyone know if this is alright?

 

cheers 

Dan 

[Salerno]

No it's not alright and yes you could get into trouble for it.

[The Fat Controller]

It's WORK, you cannot do it !

 

If a disgruntled rival reports you, it could mean detention and worse.

[jak2002003]

You can't do that.  It's illegal.  You will be reported and be in trouble.  This is common knowledge.  <removed>

Edited September 17, 2019 by ubonjoe
inflammatory comment removed

[Dan94444]

Ok then, thanks for the quick replies.

 

If I’m sat next to her while she works is that ok? Where exactly do I cross the line into something illegal?

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

 No big problem. Find an activity to keep you busy. Sure be plenty of ideas put forward on this site. 

????❤????????

[Number 6]

Why would you even bother? Seriously. Up at dawn, sit all day in a dirty market. Why don't you pay her b300 for each day and let her hire a family member. Take her somewhere.

 

Go on a holiday. Sit around a grungy market with *your girlfriend*

 

Genius

[OneMoreFarang]

3 minutes ago, Dan94444 said:

Ok then, thanks for the quick replies.

 

If I’m sat next to her while she works is that ok? Where exactly do I cross the line into something illegal?

In bars it works like this:

If a guy is behind the bar then this means he is working.

If he is on the customer side and not serving any drinks then he is not working.

So I suggest you don't sit together with her behind her food stand.

[Salerno]

5 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

If he is on the customer side and not serving any drinks then he is not working.

But if he engages in discussion with patrons he can be deemed to be working (can't find the report at the moment but it was documented) and Buddha forgive, don't empty an ashtray (another documented case of extracting tea money).

[chowny77]

Its a stupid law but in theory you would be breaking the law. But the likely-hood of you been busted is minimal. The main problem is competitors with your gf plus your in a touristy area. If you were in the countryside it would not be a problem.

 

[Dnyy]

Use your brain and do what you think is right. No need to always listen what people are advising here. If you have common sense you'll be fine.

[RJRS1301]

38 minutes ago, Dan94444 said:

Ok then, thanks for the quick replies.

 

If I’m sat next to her while she works is that ok? Where exactly do I cross the line into something illegal?

If you pass a client anything, place an article into a bag, handle cash. Fill any container for her, move stock.

Need a work permit

[OneMoreFarang]

25 minutes ago, Dnyy said:

Use your brain and do what you think is right. No need to always listen what people are advising here. If you have common sense you'll be fine.

NO!

Sorry this has nothing to do with common sense.

People were prosecuted for "working" in Thailand for basically nothing. It seems it's enough if someone (important enough) complains.

If you want to make sure nobody can create any trouble then make sure nobody can even get the idea you might be working.

 

Obviously you can follow the advice from Dnyy, but then please don't post here again in a few weeks how you can get out of trouble because you helped your girlfriend without work permit.

[Dan94444]

Ok, feel a bit more clued in now.

 

cheers guys 

[CharlieH]

46 minutes ago, chowny77 said:

Its a stupid law but in theory you would be breaking the law. But the likely-hood of you been busted is minimal. The main problem is competitors with your gf plus your in a touristy area. If you were in the countryside it would not be a problem.

 

I think the recent case of guy helping his wife doing roadside BBQ would disagree. He was shot on a phone, posted to facebook and it went viral !!

 

"After Fernsebner featured in a Thaivisa News report and social media posts in May after helping his Thai wife "Nong Naen" sell BBQ chicken outside a bag factory in Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima, officials ran checks on the thirty four year old’s immigration status and also contacted the German Embassy in Bangkok."

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NCC1701A]

1 hour ago, Dan94444 said:

was wondering if I’d get into any trouble helping her sell food in the market.  

someone will take a photo of the nice Farang sitting next to his girlfriend and put it on Facebook.

the next thing you know immigration is searching their database with facial recognition and moving Heaven and Earth to find you.  

[OneMoreFarang]

At least now you can tell her: Darling, I would love to help you with all that hard work. But legally I can't do that. I am really sorry that you have to work and I have to relax so that nobody gets the idea that I work.  ???? 

[BuckBee]

I use go visit/help at a market store, even met the then mayor of bangkok, few news teams and had plain clothe customs police snooping around for arrests and never had an issue but could of if unlucky or had thai's on market who took dislike to it .

It is risky even if not doing much as once busted you got big hassle and likely blacklisted once deported, best approach is play safe and more so these days as really not as forgiving as was even 3 or 4 years ago .
Quite sad really, I had a guy who had english style pub in my soi, he use just sit customer side looking bored and could do nothing as had some hassle with immigration already, his thai wife had do all work or hire thais do simple jobs he couldn't get done himself discreetly .

[CaptainNemo]

1 hour ago, NCC1701A said:

someone will take a photo of the nice Farang sitting next to his girlfriend and put it on Facebook.

the next thing you know immigration is searching their database with facial recognition and moving Heaven and Earth to find you.  

It's amazing that some people will go out of their way to do it. In the west, we see people all the time who we might reasonably have doubts about, but woe betide you make any comments about it, you may well find yourself the subject of an investigation. It's a pretty sad situation. There should be visa reciprocity.

[aqua4]

3 hours ago, Dan94444 said:

I’m visiting my gf in Chon Buri on the standard tourism visa, and was wondering if I’d get into any trouble helping her sell food in the market. Not getting paid. Anyone know if this is alright?

 

Too much trouble in the anti-foreigner Thailand today. We used to have a friend maybe 10 years ago who had a market stall in Pattaya and my wife used to sit there and talk to his wife the whole evening. When the day was done I would help him pack up everything and put it into their pickup truck. It was fun watching the world go by, but I would not do that today. I have seen over the years too many silly problems from emptying an ashtray to .... someone cutting his own lawn at home. The last one I am not pulling your leg. Just too many jobsworths to be bothered with. 

Edited September 17, 2019 by aqua4
spelling

[Matzzon]

Do I need a visa to help gf sell food

 

Oh? You will need a visa just for visiting your girlfriend in Thailand. I would assume you mean work permit. Because a visa you have already, right?

And, I would not even try to help her, because there is a load of problems that can come your way.

[yellowboat]

Thailand is not paradise if you want to work and be productive, even if it helps the Thai population, as a whole, and you do it for free.  They can still say you are working.  Hearing this from immigration, you think Thailand is the dumbest place on earth or one of them.   

[MartiniMan]

You can only be the owner or investor but you must get a business visa not a tourist visa 

As a business owner you can operate the facility but you cannot accept money from a thai and you must have a partner who owns 51% 

You are prohibited from actually working but as an investor / owner you can be present and conduct managerial stuff like working on a laptop or ordering stock etc

Preparation of food or working as cashier is strictly prohibited even with the business visa and work permit unless a specialist food and you will need a form of certification in the field to obtain the work permit now so look at getting a italian / european food setup and get a certification in food prep from online then go apply for work permit and you can obtain a business visa first by buying one in a neighbouring country I recommend using Singapore as its very efficient place

Alternatively you can just purchase an existing business and allow thais to operate it completely whilst having a contractual agreement or access to the banking account you must register with the business department and get a corporate bank account to achieve this route alot of my friends have found this the easiest then partnership formation

[MartiniMan]

Lastly you must purchase the food license it is 1000 baht, alcohol is also 1000 use siam legal FAQ for more information

[1FinickyOne]

why waste your energy worrying where the lines are.. is any of this worth a confrontation with police. 

[Austrian26]

dont worry too much about it. 

In theory, as long you dont recieve a salary, its not a problem to help someone. 

 

In theory, you shouldn´t get in any trouble. 

 

but in praxis, you might potentially get in some trouble. 

The problem is, that , even if there is a chance of 0.001% of getting in trouble, its not worth it, especially since i am sure that you want to visit her more often in the future. 

 

I have had a swedish friend on a tourist visa and he was literally working for a cop in a so called police bar, recieving a salary...

 

its more likely that the police will film you and laugh about it, than to actually demand to see a work permit 


 

Edited September 18, 2019 by Austrian26

[essox essox]

On 9/17/2019 at 5:41 PM, RJRS1301 said:

If you pass a client anything, place an article into a bag, handle cash. Fill any container for her, move stock.

Need a work permit

6 or 7 years ago a friend of mine got "shopped" by the restaurant owner next to his...I O's came and the outcome was that my friend was fined 50 k 

All he did was move a plate with some leftover rice into his kitchen...

the owner of restaurant photographed him doing this and reported him to IMM

[Martian]

Any work, compensated or volunteer requires a work permit in Thailand. Proceed forward without a WP at your own peril.

[Seeall]

On 9/17/2019 at 5:01 PM, Dan94444 said:

Ok then, thanks for the quick replies.

 

If I’m sat next to her while she works is that ok? Where exactly do I cross the line into something illegal?

Just the thought and you will get nicked...........

[William Osborne]

On 9/17/2019 at 5:01 PM, Dan94444 said:

Ok then, thanks for the quick replies.

 

If I’m sat next to her while she works is that ok? Where exactly do I cross the line into something illegal?

Why would you want to sit next to her whilst she works..????...you'll embarass her and just look like a simpleton......get yourself away to the nearest Leo stand and have a couple beers till shes finished.