I am allowed to help my wife on our farm of 6 rai?

[thaisail]

I saw a recent list of jobs forbidden to foreigners. One of them was agriculture and fish farming. Well, I sometimes catch a fish in our pond for dinner so I guess that is allowed. However, I helped load some rice bags in my truck which have been stored for the future in our garage. I wanted to buy a net so that when it is time, I can run the net across the pond and collect the fish for market. Would this be risky for me to do? Should we hire some locals from the village for this job? I don't mind helping but don't want trouble with the labor department. I also have a few jobs to do like fitting some PVC pipes along the house to connect the new well to the storage tank and do other plumbing jobs to connect the new pump. I have also done all the PPR plastic pipe welding for the hot water system because our contractor was not familiar with this process and that was the only way I could get the pipe work completed. Everyone in the village saw me doing this job so I may be in trouble. 

 

I think that knowing that I might get deported, might make it easier for me to tell my Thai wife to hire a local to to the farm jobs since everyone in the village can see me from the road if I am working around the farm. Please let me know how serious this issue because I have been working as a marine engineer in Phuket for 3 years and just gave up my work permit after three years of employment. Now more or less retired in Chiang Khan on a marriage visa living in our new house just completed on the farm.

[ubonjoe]

A lot depends upon where your are living. If in rural area the chances are very small that anybody would report you for working.

You can do work in and around you house without a problem other maybe something like building an addition to it.

Fishing means doing it for commercial purposes. Catching fish for your own use is ok.

[DrJack54]

OP, you would have to be very stiff to be dobbed in doing what you describe.

If you read the DIY forum there are guys there building concrete walls to dams on their properties. I'm far more conservative.

Personally I wouldn't do it.

Having said that, recently purchased a townhouse in bkk and plan to do work inside as qualified to do so and frankly I'm finding it difficult to find contractors. 

In any event some my work is behind closed doors. Yours is not.

Up to you as they say here. 

[ubonjoe]

A grammar police post and a reply to it have been removed.

Forum rule.

"3. If possible please proofread your post first, poor grammar and spelling can make the post difficult to understand. However be aware that not every member is a native English speaker and excessive posts regarding others spelling and grammar not only hijacks the topic but is poor netiquette."

[Mavideol]

7 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, you would have to be very stiff to be dobbed in doing what you describe.

If you read the DIY forum there are guys there building concrete walls to dams on their properties. I'm far more conservative.

Personally I wouldn't do it.

Having said that, recently purchased a townhouse in bkk and plan to do work inside as qualified to do so and frankly I'm finding it difficult to find contractors. 

In any event some my work is behind closed doors. Yours is not.

Up to you as they say here. 

you still have to be careful even if it's indoors, one of my friends was redecorating his condo, closed doors but had to drill a couple holes and here they came and told to immediately stop,  fined 60 K or be deported... who turn him in ???? anybody's guess  555

[cjinchiangrai]

Farm work is definitely not worth it. The going rate for field laborers is 2-300 a day and they are happy for the work. I am happy to let them do it.

 

When you sell the fish, the buyer will bring nets, trucks, tanks and crew to do it. No problem.

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, Mavideol said:

you still have to be careful even if it's indoors, one of my friends was redecorating his condo, closed doors but had to drill a couple holes and here they came and told to immediately stop,  fined 60 K or be deported... who turn him in ???? anybody's guess  555

Are you serious? 

I would have told them where to go. No court is going to deport you for drilling a hole. 

What police were there? The dept of labour would need to be involved, I think. 

[Andy from Kent]

2 hours ago, Mavideol said:

had to drill a couple holes and here they came and told to immediately stop,

 

It was most likely the excessive noise he was making that done him in.

[Neeranam]

1 minute ago, Andy from Kent said:

 

It was most likely the excessive noise he was making that done him in.

More likely the smelt naivety and took full advantage. The correct fine is about 1000 baht.

 

To the OP, locals probably don't know about the law and if anyone grasses you up, it is a good indication that you are not welcome there and should move. 

 

You will NOT get deported for working in your own garden. 

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, thaisail said:

I think that knowing that I might get deported, might make it easier for me to tell my Thai wife to hire a local to to the farm jobs since everyone in the village can see me from the road if I am working around the farm.

They don't normally deport married guys for illegal working.

Slap on the wrist and small fine.

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, Mavideol said:

you still have to be careful even if it's indoors, one of my friends was redecorating his condo, closed doors but had to drill a couple holes and here they came and told to immediately stop,  fined 60 K or be deported... who turn him in ???? anybody's guess  555

Odd, because I'm often doing a bit of cutting/drilling/welding in the front garden/driveway/road and nobody seems to care. Building frames for solar panels and making rabbit run/cage, repairing my fence or gate.

The local builders wanted 3000bht for a simple cut/reposition//weld job on my gate, I countered with an offer of 300bht, they refused so I cut and welded it while they watched, about 30 minutes work.

Edited January 3, 2021 by BritManToo

[GinBoy2]

It's all a bit of a cra$p shoot to be honest.

 

Trouble is you only have to intentionally, or unintentionally p$is$s off one of the locals and you'll be getting a 'visit' form the cops.

 

Not saying it's right or fair, but life in the village can often revolve around silly petty little squabbles.

But if as a farang you get caught up in them the consequences aren't inconsequential.

 

I'd just play it safe, sit indoors and watch some guy you're paying ฿200/Day help out

Edited January 3, 2021 by GinBoy2

[bwpage3]

12 hours ago, Mavideol said:

you still have to be careful even if it's indoors, one of my friends was redecorating his condo, closed doors but had to drill a couple holes and here they came and told to immediately stop,  fined 60 K or be deported... who turn him in ???? anybody's guess  555

If someone can hear a drill behind closed doors, the walls must be made out of paper?

 

Let's see? To drill a couple of holes, less than 60 seconds.

 

Yet here are the police, like Superman, showing up in <60 seconds to tell him to stop?

 

Sure.

[Boomer6969]

I pay the local Police 500 THB a month to patrol our area, this an official service where every patrol is recorded. Also I contribute 3000 a year to their New Year party.

 

So I don't work as my own security guard, but..

[Mai mee]

28 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

If someone can hear a drill behind closed doors, the walls must be made out of paper?

 

 

Not if your using a hammer drill into concrete as I have been known to do....????

Edited January 4, 2021 by Mai mee

[stoutfella]

5 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

It's all a bit of a cra$p shoot to be honest.

 

Trouble is you only have to intentionally, or unintentionally p$is$s off one of the locals and you'll be getting a 'visit' form the cops.

 

Not saying it's right or fair, but life in the village can often revolve around silly petty little squabbles.

But if as a farang you get caught up in them the consequences aren't inconsequential.

 

I'd just play it safe, sit indoors and watch some guy you're paying ฿200/Day help out

But some times you want the job done properly.

[ChipButty]

Your biggest worry would be somebody grassing you up

Edited January 4, 2021 by ChipButty

[SS1]

21 hours ago, Mavideol said:

you still have to be careful even if it's indoors, one of my friends was redecorating his condo, closed doors but had to drill a couple holes and here they came and told to immediately stop,  fined 60 K or be deported... who turn him in ???? anybody's guess  555

 

How many years ago was this, out of interest? The law has changed a couple of years ago and it's now more clear that if you're doing work that doesn't earn you any income, it's no longer considered work. 

I would say whatever OP is doing for their own property is OK, but not e.g. catching fish for commercial purposes. 

[Lacrimas]

23 hours ago, thaisail said:

I saw a recent list of jobs forbidden to foreigners. One of them was agriculture and fish farming. Well, I sometimes catch a fish in our pond for dinner so I guess that is allowed. However, I helped load some rice bags in my truck which have been stored for the future in our garage. I wanted to buy a net so that when it is time, I can run the net across the pond and collect the fish for market. Would this be risky for me to do? Should we hire some locals from the village for this job? I don't mind helping but don't want trouble with the labor department. I also have a few jobs to do like fitting some PVC pipes along the house to connect the new well to the storage tank and do other plumbing jobs to connect the new pump. I have also done all the PPR plastic pipe welding for the hot water system because our contractor was not familiar with this process and that was the only way I could get the pipe work completed. Everyone in the village saw me doing this job so I may be in trouble. 

 

I think that knowing that I might get deported, might make it easier for me to tell my Thai wife to hire a local to to the farm jobs since everyone in the village can see me from the road if I am working around the farm. Please let me know how serious this issue because I have been working as a marine engineer in Phuket for 3 years and just gave up my work permit after three years of employment. Now more or less retired in Chiang Khan on a marriage visa living in our new house just completed on the farm.

You can don't overthink things... helping the wife is always ok 

[ChipButty]

2 minutes ago, Lacrimas said:

You can don't overthink things... helping the wife is always ok 

Not in Phuket, there was a guy helping his wife to carry stuff to a market stall he eventually got lifted for it

[JeffersLos]

Hire some locals.

 

Not only do you help the local economy, you get to sit back and laugh at the comedy show.

[natway09]

If it is your property & not doing it to sell, should be OK.

For example I paint our own dwelling, & do odd repair jobs  but hire labour to harvest the garlic or corn

[bunnydrops]

I used to help out on the families farm, clearing the overgrowth, carrying the seed and fertilizer out to the field. The Thais that drove passed were surprised to see a sweat soaked, red ant bitten farang working. Something many of them had never seen before. The police drove by one day and I tried to be invisible, but they just waved and continued on their way. I think it all depends on your location. Years ago I read here on this forum (yes, I know) of a guy who got nicked for going behind the bar of his families bar to change the music. There seemed to be some bad feeling between his family and the owner of the bar across the street. He thought it was a setup.

[fakser]

On 1/3/2021 at 11:13 AM, thaisail said:

I saw a recent list of jobs forbidden to foreigners. One of them was agriculture and fish farming. Well, I sometimes catch a fish in our pond for dinner so I guess that is allowed. However, I helped load some rice bags in my truck which have been stored for the future in our garage. I wanted to buy a net so that when it is time, I can run the net across the pond and collect the fish for market. Would this be risky for me to do? Should we hire some locals from the village for this job? I don't mind helping but don't want trouble with the labor department. I also have a few jobs to do like fitting some PVC pipes along the house to connect the new well to the storage tank and do other plumbing jobs to connect the new pump. I have also done all the PPR plastic pipe welding for the hot water system because our contractor was not familiar with this process and that was the only way I could get the pipe work completed. Everyone in the village saw me doing this job so I may be in trouble. 

 

I think that knowing that I might get deported, might make it easier for me to tell my Thai wife to hire a local to to the farm jobs since everyone in the village can see me from the road if I am working around the farm. Please let me know how serious this issue because I have been working as a marine engineer in Phuket for 3 years and just gave up my work permit after three years of employment. Now more or less retired in Chiang Khan on a marriage visa living in our new house just completed on the farm.

Of course you can help her as long as you are not paid for it.

The general idea of forbidding work without permit, is to keep the jobs for Thai people.

[transam]

Just now, fakser said:

Of course you can help her as long as you are not paid for it.

The general idea of forbidding work without permit, is to keep the jobs for Thai people.

I didn't think a farang could do that type of work as his wife is doing it to make money...

Same as farangs cannot help out in a wife's bar/restaurant...

[Bigz]

If you are in rural Isaan don't worry about. Nobody care and you won't get into any trouble. 

[KhaoYai]

I talked to my lawyer about this before I carried out renovations/re-modelling at my home.  I'd heard several stories on the subject - some of them on Thai Visa.  One said that you could paint the inside of your garden wall for example but not the outside.  I thought this sounded ridiculous but wanted to make sure before I carried out work on my house.

 

My lawyer agreed that it was ridiculous but said he had heard of people being arrested for similar things.  He had not however, heard of any such case being taken to court and said they would almost certainly fail.  The Thai labour laws are there to protect Thai jobs and the courts are fully aware of that. He also said that the police know why the laws are in place and you can make your own mind up as to the purpose of any arrest.

 

To translate what he told me to your situation would go like this:

 

The Thai labour laws relate to employment. Employment means something gainful - whether that be monetary or advantageous.  An officer may report you for prosecution but he would have to prove to the court that your actions were employment in the sense that either yourself or another had gained other than in domestic circumstances, to the detriment of a Thai citizen.

 

To put that in plain terms:

 

You can grow vegetables for your own or your family's consumption but you cannot in any way assist in the growing of vegetables for sale or any other form of gain.  In your case living on a farm, you can carry out repairs to your house etc. but you cannot carry out any repairs on any building or land that is used for commercial purposes.  Let's say that your farm has an office within your house, you cannot carry out repairs to that office.

 

I hope that clarifies things.

Edited January 4, 2021 by KhaoYai

[spidermike007]

On 1/3/2021 at 5:39 PM, Mavideol said:

you still have to be careful even if it's indoors, one of my friends was redecorating his condo, closed doors but had to drill a couple holes and here they came and told to immediately stop,  fined 60 K or be deported... who turn him in ???? anybody's guess  555

That is twenty levels beyond iname. How is it possible to even process such a lack of common sense, reasoning and just basic humanity?

[Pilotman]

2 hours ago, SS1 said:

 

How many years ago was this, out of interest? The law has changed a couple of years ago and it's now more clear that if you're doing work that doesn't earn you any income, it's no longer considered work. 

I would say whatever OP is doing for their own property is OK, but not e.g. catching fish for commercial purposes. 

not so, charity work requires a WP, even though you make no money from it. So does freelance teaching where you take no remuneration. 

Edited January 4, 2021 by Pilotman

[EricTh]

@thaisail
 

If the work is for your own family use such as catching one or two fishes for your own dinner, then it's alright.

 

But if the work is to earn money for your family, that's illegal work.

Edited January 4, 2021 by EricTh