2020: Crackdown on tourists working without work permits - 50K fines and deportation awaits

[GeorgeCross]

2 hours ago, zydeco said:

Crackdown on online message boards coming soon!

 

yeah all the admins & moderators without work permits are working illegally even if its only as volunteers! 

 

hell if we're being pedantic i'm supporting TV's ad business just by writing this comment lol

 

 

 

 

Edited January 6, 2020 by GeorgeCross

[Drax]

8 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

It would seem anything and everything in Thailand requires a work permit with exception of home rental.  That is the only sacred cow that requires nothing, probably because the elite would lose money if foreign landlords were to need a work permit.  To exhibit at a trade show, a wp was needed.  Not sure if that is still being enforced.  Thailand has the pettiest, most nonsensical labor laws in Asia.  You have far less hindrances and hassles in China.   

Makes me wonder if selling a Second hand phone on Facebook market requires a work permit lol. I mean are we supposed to throw 1 year old iPhones to trash? ????????????

Edited January 6, 2020 by Drax

[Thailand]

Hundreds of people mainly Chinese operating Homestay whilst on tourist visas, now there is a money maker for the immigration BIB.

Already know of one case, from the horses mouth as it were, where the "penalty" was reduced from 80,000 baht and potential deportation to 40K and no receipt.

[Drax]

10 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

yeah all the admins & moderators without work permits are working illegally even if its only as volunteers! 

 

hell if we're being pedantic i'm supporting TV's ad business just by writing this comment lol

 

 

 

 

^ my point. And by this logic, answering anyone online such as visas info if they have a question is also work.  It’s considered volunteering and teaching ????

 

wouldn’t applying for a visa extension be work as well? Since your stealing a thai agent job lol. 
 

And cooking too. 
 

Could go on. That’s how ridiculous this seems. 

Edited January 6, 2020 by Drax

[Europeanguy]

2 hours ago, sambum said:

So I can't wash the dishes then? Yay!

I apologise that I cannot remember where I saw that but my understanding is that "Work" is defined by Thai authorities as "requiring an effort" regardless of remunerated or not.

[Xbeemer]

8 hours ago, Cabradelmar said:

How would this affect people doing charitable volunteer assistance for local schools and shelters? 

You have to have a permit to do volunteer work. 

[yogi100]

It can only be a matter of time before Vernon Unsworth gets his collar felt then.

[RyanWalker]

I work online, catch me if you can????

[rexall]

8 hours ago, Cabradelmar said:

How would this affect people doing charitable volunteer assistance for local schools and shelters? 

Look, foreigners have been doing all kinds of "casual work" in Thailand forever. It usually isn't a problem ... Unless your number comes up, and then it's a problem.  To legally perform any kind of work, paid or unpaid, commercial or charitable, you are required to have a work permit. 

[rexall]

8 hours ago, Isaanbiker said:

Some of them might be too high on magic mushrooms to realize what they are doing.

 

There'll be the day when no more tourists come to this country. What happened to the former Land of Smiles?

 

It's more The Land of Cries now. 

The industry may have it's ups and downs, but tourists will continue to come. 

[thailand49]

It seems comprehending the article might be too much work for some?????

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Jail terms and fines of up to 200,000 baht await employers while tourists caught working without the necessary paperwork could face a 50,000 baht fine and deportation. 

 

While I have no doubt the foreigners will pay the latter I have yet to see the employers in court!!

How many school governors give work with low pay to questionable foreign English teachers without any documentation or applying as a sponsor for a work permit!

[Europeanguy]

2 minutes ago, RyanWalker said:

I work online, catch me if you can????

They can. Just like they can catch people on porn illegal in Thailand. Even the dark web is not a secure hiding place anymore by now.

If the Thailand authorities will bother is a completely different question. 

[BobbyL]

The idea of protecting certain jobs for Thais is fine. However, wouldn't it be easier for Thailand to perhaps introduce a specific visa for people that work remotely and want to live here. They spend their money in Thailand whilst they work on a laptop and surely that is a win - win for the country rather than this constant xenophobia. 

[rexall]

7 hours ago, ThomasThBKK said:

Of course its totally normal to do this, do you think all these models that go to fashion weeks, music videos etc get a work permit in every country they visit? lol no, normally no one gives a <deleted> and no country cares. Same for DJs and co.

 

Do you think a DJ from the US gets a work permit for a dj gig on ibiza, london and co - nah only the big ones, it's a pain in the ass and really no one gives a damn if they have one or not. they fly from one country to another every day in a plane, logistically impossible to get work permits everywhere.

 

 

 

Except thailand.

Can you even get a work permit if you do not work for a Thai company?  Someone who is more familiar with the law, correct me if I am wrong; is there any provision for work permits for people who are self-employed; writers, bloggers, journalists, photographers, day traders, those performing work for an overseas employer that is not registered in Thailand ???

 

[rexall]

7 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Most countries have special category visas for people temporarily working within their borders. Entertainers, sportspeople, businessmen, etc.

I believe Thailand also has these visas.

I think this is about people working illegally while on tourist visas. 

Are you sure? I have never heard that Thailand has no "special category" short-term visas and work permits to cover the situations you describe.  I might be wrong, somebody correct me if I am.

[rexall]

1 hour ago, Drax said:

What if you have no employer nor tourist visa? ????. For instance owning an online business with passive income and stocks.

 

is it considered work to sell/buy  stocks and answer messages on phone while walking around? 

Technically, probably it is illegal.

[rexall]

47 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

yeah all the admins & moderators without work permits are working illegally even if its only as volunteers! 

 

hell if we're being pedantic i'm supporting TV's ad business just by writing this comment lol

 

 

 

 

Come on! TV is smarter than that. All the  mods and admins are actually working remotely out of Kyrgyzstan!   

[kingstonkid]

As a Canadian I understand the need to have a work permit it is a definite issue in Canada as well.  The difference between Thailand and Canada is that there is a list of the jobs that can not be performed by Canadians.  While most of them are menial they are what they are.

 

One of the jobs that Thais can not perform is to teach English. To me it would make more sense to create a testing system and qualifications for people that want to teach be it privately or at schools and have a special permit. 

 

A person that wants to help kids learn English in their spare time should not have to worry every year and it seems that this comes up every year that Immigration is going to come knocking on their door.

Regulate them charge them a fee, give them a tax id and make them pay taxes would be a far better solution.

It would also alleviate a lot of the <deleted> that schools go through .  Can anyone here tell me a language school agent that gets work permits for it's employees that it sends to the schools

[Ventenio]

Just go to all schools at the beginning of a term.  I would guess 99% of all new teachers don't have a work permit, since it takes months.  

 

If it takes four months to get a work permit for a new teacher, they have time to catch everyone.  Of course, not sure if it would make sense to fine a government school.  but private school??

 

but this is in theory.  In practice, I'm sure less than 1% are caught.  

[Fred white]

I guess I've gotta quit working on my house 

[SteveK]

My wife's cousin is a policeman and has told me I can help my wife at her restaurant no problem. But I refuse to do so because I know under Thai law it is illegal. I do a lot of work around the house like filling in cracks, painting, repairing furniture and tending to the garden. I never know if someone's going to report me. These rules are bonkers in my opinion.

 

Surely brushing your teeth, cleaning your clothes and cooking food is work? As usual in Thai rules and regulations there is no defined line so that those enforcing it can do whatever they want.

[rexall]

1 minute ago, Fred white said:

I guess I've gotta quit working on my house 

I guess you actually mean working on your wife's house.  And how much does she pay you, BTW? 

[ukrules]

9 hours ago, fruitman said:

The constantly raid chinese businesses who do something illegal here in thailand like online scamming in china or taiwan.

 

This is not about westerners i bet, they even should be happy if they want to work here so the thai can learn a lot about how to work professionally.

African football players, that's what it's about.

[kingstonkid]

Somebody asked about helping wife at her shop or stall.  From what I was told by an ex GF who owned a restaurant in Pattaya it is illegal, she may have been paranoid but i am not sure even the ct of me cleaning a table off or returning dishes could cause her to get reported by one of her competitors and have to answer all the questions that immigration like to ask.

[Humpy]

I wonder what work permit the Turkish ice cream vendor on Walking street has !!

[Peterw42]

3 minutes ago, Humpy said:

I wonder what work permit the Turkish ice cream vendor on Walking street has !!

People like that often have a WP as an entertainer, as do the russian bar girls.

[Dexxter]

9 hours ago, Beggar said:

There are many. Some don't get paid and think this is no problem then. But it is not important if you get money or not. It is important that you do something that could be classified as work. 

For me getting out of bed is work some mornings. I hope I don't get caught. ????

[MeePeeMai]

15 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

Somebody asked about helping wife at her shop or stall.  From what I was told by an ex GF who owned a restaurant in Pattaya it is illegal, she may have been paranoid but i am not sure even the ct of me cleaning a table off or returning dishes could cause her to get reported by one of her competitors and have to answer all the questions that immigration like to ask.

Yes it is illegal.  There was a recent report of a foreigner helping his wife sell BBQ chicken on the roadside fronting their home.  His wife went in to go to the toilet and Immigration pounced (as he was the only one at the stall to assist customers).  He was arrested and it turned out that he had warrants in his home country but I don't think they found out about that until later on at the police station.

[Nanaplaza666]

It's funny how all of you automaticly think only about white foreigners that will be saught after that are here on tourist or retirement visa's or whatever . This is for a great part going to be counting for companies having laos or myanmar or beurmese staff . Must find yourselfs very important then huh .