Internet Work And The Work Permit

[shaymo]

Hi,

I lived in los for 8 months previously and worked doing translating work sent from europe and back via email and just did the monthly visa run the whole time.

Im now completely fed up with this uninhabitable rock (ireland) and wish to move to los full-time. Ive done a bit of research on past threads about getting a work permit and legal in my situ but not with a lot of success. It seems like if you are working from your condo on your laptop you need to register a business and have a seperate registered office from where u live!!

Some fella on these forums tried it a while back and ran into various other walls. anybody been in my position (i plan on staying long-term - im 30) so want to get legal. Will probably marry a sweet chicata in years to come and dont want to risk being booted back to my uninhabitable rock! If you dont have a work permit and have many non-imm visas it is possible that you may be refused another after a few years? Just wanna have peace of mind and enjoy some cocktails.

Thanks fellas,

Shaymo

[sriracha john]

Here's a very relevant thread that specifically addresses your situation:

With New Regulations, Is Work Permit Needed For Telecommuting Work?

Unfortunately, it seems to have an unhappy ending....

[JimsKnight]

Alternatively, you could, like most savvy 'internet workers' stick two fingers up and carry on regardless. If you keep a low profile and just do what you've got to do then who nows what the hel_l you are up to?

Besides which you're not exactly taking work away from the Thais.

Sure 'they' could monitor your internet correspondence and cross-check it to the work-permits but this is about as likely as Foreigners being allowed to stay in Thailand permenantely.

Unless someone grasses you up and the Thai Authorities raid your apartment (extremely unlikely unless you tell people and you 'cross' them)

My buddy's earning mega bucks from about three different websites and works by day in an office. Does he have permits for each website bringing in the bacon? Not at all. Has he ever been busted. Never.

Looking at it in the vague 'grey area' amiguity of thai law it could be argued that someone who is working from the internet is 'exporting themselves' so to speak, whereby it doesn't fall under the work permit malarky.

[LivinLOS]

Yeah but then get ready to deal with crawling all round SE Asia every 3 months to beg for another tourist visa..

[aussiestyle1983]

I agree with the last two posts.

Just continue to do it, its your PC and you work from home so just do what you want. I doubt you would ever get caught.

Bus as for the later post, unless you get a WP, you will be running around trying to get visas...............

[ChokChaiChas]

I'd think very carefully before relocating to Thailand. As said by previous posters you will be restricted to hunting down tourist visas. It may not cause you concern but there are indications that back to back tourist visas may become a thing of the past to stop people who do not qualify from long term visas from taking up residence here.

Fair or unfair is irrelevant, he writing is on the wall.

That said I agree the chances of you being caught working illegally are nil unless you upset someone.

A thought occurs. A writer spends 9 months in Thailand as a tourist (on a multi-entry tourist visa). Here to gain peace solitude and inspiration. He is writing for profit. Is he working illegally? I've no idea.

[LivinLOS]

Writing for profit I would say yes.. Its his 'work'..

However if hes writing in the hope of being published later.. then hes not yet landed work.. And then you have the greyest of areas..

The reality is he will get away with it almost certainly..

[Wolfie]

If your not legal and get caught... be prepared to pay the price.

Ireland will feel like a paradise after a few months locked up in an immigration jail somewhere

[ChokChaiChas]

If your not legal and get caught... be prepared to pay the price.

Ireland will feel like a paradise after a few months locked up in an immigration jail somewhere

Let's not exaggerate. He'll only be locked up if he is caught doing illegal work, not working illegally e.g online pornography, or running a book, or some scam. Worst is an overnight (or a weekend) in detention and a free ride to the Airport.

To be fair to him he wants to get legal. Can he? No. Should he come - I don't condone it.

[jeebusjones]

A friend of mine recently applied for a tourist visa from a Thai embassy in a nearby country. (I won't give too many details because he wouldn't appreciate that.)

He's been in Thailand for over two years. When he submitted the application, he was asked many questions. What was he doing in Thailand? Why had he stayed so long? Was he working? Etc...

Well, he told them that he was working, but that he was working from his laptop. He said all of his money was paid into an overseas account, and nothing came from Thailand. He explained that he could do this work from anywhere in the world, it was not special to Thailand.

He was given the tourist visa without any hassles.

So, to answer the question, in this case it would seem that "work" through the internet isn't considered "work" under Thai immigration law.

[ChokChaiChas]

A friend of mine recently applied for a tourist visa from a Thai embassy in a nearby country. (I won't give too many details because he wouldn't appreciate that.)

He's been in Thailand for over two years. When he submitted the application, he was asked many questions. What was he doing in Thailand? Why had he stayed so long? Was he working? Etc...

Well, he told them that he was working, but that he was working from his laptop. He said all of his money was paid into an overseas account, and nothing came from Thailand. He explained that he could do this work from anywhere in the world, it was not special to Thailand.

He was given the tourist visa without any hassles.

So, to answer the question, in this case it would seem that "work" through the internet isn't considered "work" under Thai immigration law.

More correctly it isn't considered work as the law was interpreted by the embassy official/employee. More likely given the benefit of the doubt.

Your friend is obviously not here as a tourist and he is, by his own admission, working. That he derives no income from Thailand theoretically is irrelevant but is probably what swung it for him.

He may not be so fortunate next time he applies for a visa.

Times they are a'changing

[LivinLOS]

As you say entirely down to the on the ground interpretation..

Here in town theres a bar owner, has a B visa, but obviously bar work is a restricted and prohibited profession... He knows this and allows staff to do everything..

Police come in the bar.. Want to talk to him.. Its too loud so he turns the stereo down to be able to discuss whatever they want.. And they bust him for 'working' on the basis of changing the stereo volume.. Thats how extreme they can be if they want.

He was going to be deported etc but managed to make a (large) payment to fix it all..

[jeebusjones]

More correctly it isn't considered work as the law was interpreted by the embassy official/employee. More likely given the benefit of the doubt.

Your friend is obviously not here as a tourist and he is, by his own admission, working. That he derives no income from Thailand theoretically is irrelevant but is probably what swung it for him.

He may not be so fortunate next time he applies for a visa.

Times they are a'changing

Yes, that is probably true. However it is also his second straight tourist visa from the same embassy.

[girlx]

A friend of mine recently applied for a tourist visa from a Thai embassy in a nearby country. (I won't give too many details because he wouldn't appreciate that.)

He's been in Thailand for over two years. When he submitted the application, he was asked many questions. What was he doing in Thailand? Why had he stayed so long? Was he working? Etc...

Well, he told them that he was working, but that he was working from his laptop. He said all of his money was paid into an overseas account, and nothing came from Thailand. He explained that he could do this work from anywhere in the world, it was not special to Thailand.

He was given the tourist visa without any hassles.

So, to answer the question, in this case it would seem that "work" through the internet isn't considered "work" under Thai immigration law.

I am in the same situation and also have been grilled by immigration, but when I explain how I work they have no problem with it, or with giving me back to back tourist visas. Remains to be seen if this will last.

[ajarnmark]

Hi,

I lived in los for 8 months previously and worked doing translating work sent from europe and back via email and just did the monthly visa run the whole time.

Im now completely fed up with this uninhabitable rock (ireland) and wish to move to los full-time. Ive done a bit of research on past threads about getting a work permit and legal in my situ but not with a lot of success. It seems like if you are working from your condo on your laptop you need to register a business and have a seperate registered office from where u live!!

Some fella on these forums tried it a while back and ran into various other walls. anybody been in my position (i plan on staying long-term - im 30) so want to get legal. Will probably marry a sweet chicata in years to come and dont want to risk being booted back to my uninhabitable rock! If you dont have a work permit and have many non-imm visas it is possible that you may be refused another after a few years? Just wanna have peace of mind and enjoy some cocktails.

Thanks fellas,

Shaymo

If you have a degree and you are white!

You should go for a teaching job with the minimum load to get a work permit and you can do the translation job at home without the work permit.

If you don't have degree than enroll yourself in any cheap college or university and get a degree and work from home.

Thats what other suitable alternatives available to u.

[aussiestyle1983]

Hi,

I lived in los for 8 months previously and worked doing translating work sent from europe and back via email and just did the monthly visa run the whole time.

Im now completely fed up with this uninhabitable rock (ireland) and wish to move to los full-time. Ive done a bit of research on past threads about getting a work permit and legal in my situ but not with a lot of success. It seems like if you are working from your condo on your laptop you need to register a business and have a seperate registered office from where u live!!

Some fella on these forums tried it a while back and ran into various other walls. anybody been in my position (i plan on staying long-term - im 30) so want to get legal. Will probably marry a sweet chicata in years to come and dont want to risk being booted back to my uninhabitable rock! If you dont have a work permit and have many non-imm visas it is possible that you may be refused another after a few years? Just wanna have peace of mind and enjoy some cocktails.

Thanks fellas,

Shaymo

If you don't have degree than enroll yourself in any cheap college or university and get a degree and work from home.

Why not post up a list of all the cheap ones