What is allowed by immigration  about helping wife in shop  I'm on a o visa based on marriage  I know I can't handle money but what are the restrictions on anything else

Technically you are not allowed to do anything without having a work permit.

If you were not around and your wife needed to employ a Thai to do your help then it is work, not help and is not alowed.

You may call it help, the immigration office will call it work. You are NOT allowed to do/work something a Thai can do also. Also a foreign restaurant owner with work visa is not allowed to empty ashtrays in his restaurant. 

You can drive her to makro and after that put your feet up in the hammock and read a good book.

You can not help her in the shop at all.  Please believe us!!  

5 minutes ago, happy chappie said:

You can drive her to makro and after that put your feet up in the hammock and read a good book.

Spot on happy chappie.

 

Can drive her to the market or store or supermarket, buy cannot drive her back with any goods in the pick-up.

 

I once helped a man re-load his watermelons, that had fell off his carrier, all over the road. Police drove by and gave me a nasty look (they didn't help).

I remember not too long ago, a guy was helping his wife for street bbq, then led to deportation. 

38 minutes ago, kevin612 said:

I remember not too long ago, a guy was helping his wife for street bbq, then led to deportation. 

True but he was wanted by immigration as well^^

38 minutes ago, kevin612 said:

I remember not too long ago, a guy was helping his wife for street bbq, then led to deportation. 

The guy was wanted in his home country. His 'fame' meant he was spotted by his embassy and reported as a fugitive from justice. 

If the wife is sensible, she will understand and not get the OP involved in any task. Unless she wants him out of the way, deported to grab all the money ?

Can I get a letter from immigration that I must not do any washing up? 

You cannot do any work without a work permit and cannot do any work considered reserved for Thais. Strictly speaking, even sex is considered work.

15 minutes ago, Estrada said:

Strictly speaking, even sex is considered work.

Depends on your position.

15 hours ago, digbeth said:

Can I get a letter from immigration that I must not do any washing up? 

This is not a problem I have, apparently I don't do the dishes "correctly" ???? 

 

I have been developing the technique of leaving to odd dried on cornflake or bit of egg over many years of marriage.

 

I'm not even allowed in the kitchen now, let alone near the stove or sink, it seems I am permitted to open the fridge to get a beer out (but only when the grandkids are not there to get me one).

 

Seriously, to our OP you cannot do anything that could be remotely construed as "work", possibly help with the accounts but definitely behind closed (locked and shuttered) doors.

 

 

So, instead of helping out in his wife's shop, let's say that OP likes to make pottery as a hobby. 

 

He has a lots of bowls, mugs, dishes, and other works of his pottery left over, and he gives these to neighbors and friends.

 

The word gets around on social media, other people admire his artful works of pottery, and people start coming to visit and ask to buy or commission pieces of pottery.

 

He says he cannot sell his pottery since it is just a hobby, not a business.   But he says that people can make donations to the tip jar for the peices they take.

 

He has no work permit; his hobby is not displacing a Thai worker; no harm, no foul?

12 minutes ago, TaoNow said:

He has no work permit; his hobby is not displacing a Thai worker; no harm, no foul?

 

There's a good probability of "no harm, no foul". 

 

But he's made himself vulnerable to anyone that wants to cause him problems.  A competitor, a love rival, a neighbor who just doesn't like foreigners.  Anyone can drop a dime on him.

 

But if that's the only way to fund a stay in Thailand, why not?  The worst that can happen under new rules is that he'll be deported.  In which case he's no worse off than going home because he has no way to support himself.

 

Used to be, there was the possibility of a fine and/or jail time.  But that changed a year or so ago.

18 hours ago, CNXexpat said:

Also a foreign restaurant owner with work visa is not allowed to empty ashtrays in his restaurant. 

 

Didn't they ban smoking in restaurants !!!

The law is the "law" but as with everything it's fluid ????

Depends a lot on where you are ie tourist area, small isolated village etc

I help a lot with things around our restaurant, otherwise stuff just wouldn't get done !! 

Never involved with customers though, just background stuff and mainly fixing things.

We are not in a tourist area and I keep a low profile within the community, so hopefully don't step on anyone's toes ??

I could get busted, for sure, but rather help out than sit on my butt....

22 minutes ago, TaoNow said:

So, instead of helping out in his wife's shop, let's say that OP likes to make pottery as a hobby. 

 

He has a lots of bowls, mugs, dishes, and other works of his pottery left over, and he gives these to neighbors and friends.

 

The word gets around on social media, other people admire his artful works of pottery, and people start coming to visit and ask to buy or commission pieces of pottery.

 

He says he cannot sell his pottery since it is just a hobby, not a business.   But he says that people can make donations to the tip jar for the peices they take.

 

He has no work permit; his hobby is not displacing a Thai worker; no harm, no foul?

It doesn't matter how you dress it up, he is working. A tip is payment for services rendered. 

Quote

According to Thai labor law, the definition of work is "exerting effort" and "employing knowledge", "whether or not for wages or other benefits", and is based on the individual, not employment as in some other countries. ... It covers both employment and consulting.

 

Whenever the wife asks for help I just say...teerak I not have work permit,I want to help but your government won't let me and that's the end of that because her government is the best in the world and they know what's best for their country.

16 hours ago, digbeth said:

Can I get a letter from immigration that I must not do any washing up? 

There should be downloads on TV for those sort of things to cover everything from dishwashing to grass cutting I reckon.

Could come under MADD.

Manual Assistance and Domestic Directives.

You can drive her to makro.

 

She has to load the pick-up.

 

She will have to drive the pick-up home as its now loaded .

 

You can then get her to open a beer for you while you watch her unload.

 

These are the rules you just need time to adapt.

 

 

 

 

9 minutes ago, happy chappie said:

Whenever the wife asks for help I just say...teerak I not have work permit,I want to help but your government won't let me and that's the end of that because her government is the best in the world and they know what's best for their country.

Does your wife give you that impression? I can only say, mine doesn't, but shhh. 

I think your location makes some difference. I can't believe helping load and unload supplies will get ozz in trouble. Up north you have many farang farming, raising cattle, driving tractor, no problem. Farang ting too mutt.

1 hour ago, TaoNow said:

So, instead of helping out in his wife's shop, let's say that OP likes to make pottery as a hobby. 

 

He has a lots of bowls, mugs, dishes, and other works of his pottery left over, and he gives these to neighbors and friends.

 

The word gets around on social media, other people admire his artful works of pottery, and people start coming to visit and ask to buy or commission pieces of pottery.

 

He says he cannot sell his pottery since it is just a hobby, not a business.   But he says that people can make donations to the tip jar for the peices they take.

 

He has no work permit; his hobby is not displacing a Thai worker; no harm, no foul?

He's making money on his pottery – in other words, working. If "donations" were a viable loophole, everyone would be using it.

People worry too much, Chinese guy round the corner has the same non imm O visa as me with employment prohibited stamped on it. He has been going out to work daily for the past 8 years!

34 minutes ago, HHTel said:

 definition of work is "exerting effort" and "employing knowledge",

 

So never really something a Thai would do !!

 

Just kidding ????

16 hours ago, digbeth said:

Can I get a letter from immigration that I must not do any washing up? 

Two truck loads of soil arrived at our place yesterday, wife calls me outside while I was watching NetFlix, she brought the wheelbarrow around and tried handing me the shovel, I said, no can do, Farang cannot help, plus I have a lower back problem.

 

Oh, she said, but you can bang bang and watch Netflix all day, she then proceeded to hit me with the shovel, suffice to say she was complaining of lower back pain and a headache this morning ????