Am I allowed to paint my garden fence?

[Henryford]

On 2/5/2021 at 4:20 PM, WineOh said:

afternoon everyone.

Quick question regarding doing some DIY on my house.

 

Am I allowed, by law, to paint my garden fence?

the mrs has been pestering me for weeks to get it done but I told her I best check what the law says first.

 

The house is in my wifes name.

 

Cheers!

 

It's not your fence, it's hers.

[bbabythai]

8 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

you can do what you want as long as your not getting paid a salary. 

 

Not true, which is why they have a volunteer category at immigration.

While one can probably safely paint one's own fence, one may be at risk if jamming at a jazz pub, or playing cards with friends, as farangs have discovered to their cost.

Im sorry to say but you are fundamentally missing the point and should read OPs thread and my comment in its context. We are both talking about working on our own residences. 

 

You are talking about jazz clubs!. What has playing cards with friends got to do with this conversation? Its not work. 

 

Please give up the bottle. 

[Andrew Dwyer]

4 hours ago, jvs said:

I was just trying to help a guy get away from doing chores,not to be taken seriously!

Exactly !!

 

Many seem to have missed the point of this humorous thread , the op is asking for assistance for an excuse to NOT paint the fence.  

[richard_smith237]

Also, us foreigners should not be driving our own cars or riding our own motorcycles.... We’re taking work away from Thai’s when doing that. 

Unless starting our own business and identifying ourselves as our own driver we are walking (or rather driving / riding) into a legal minefield. Additionally, working as a driver is prohibited work for a foreigner so we’d have to think up some creative working and swing that work permit application through applying as a 'Transit Operating Service Specialist Engineering Representative'... 

 

 

[elliss]

On 2/5/2021 at 6:13 PM, PatOngo said:

Just be very careful what color you paint it! ????

 

      Just be very careful , what farlang neighbors / friends ,?   you have .

         Trust , no one ..

      

[KhaoYai]

On 2/5/2021 at 10:48 AM, WineOh said:

If painting a fence isn't manual work then i dont know what is

But its not an occupation if you are painting your own fence.

Edited February 7, 2021 by KhaoYai

[Leaver]

 

In a country where you need a work permit to do genuine volunteer and charity work, what does that tell you?  

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, bbabythai said:

Im sorry to say but you are fundamentally missing the point and should read OPs thread and my comment in its context. We are both talking about working on our own residences. 

 

You are talking about jazz clubs!. What has playing cards with friends got to do with this conversation? Its not work. 

 

Please give up the bottle. 

Obviously not been in LOS long enough to know much about the place.

If one doesn't understand what playing jazz and cards has to do with the OP one needs to do some research, rather than come on here attacking other posters.

[thaibeachlovers]

6 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

But its not an occupation if you are painting your own fence.

No, but it's work that a Thai could do, which is the only thing that matters.

Easiest solution is for the Thai wife to do it herself.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2/6/2021 at 8:36 PM, seajae said:

doing work on your own house is not paid work, also there are no thai tradesman just brush hands so there is no one that could have done it the way we wanted it done

In Thailand it's irrelevant whether it's paid or not as long as it's work, and the quality of work is no excuse in the eyes of the law.

 

However, I'd have done it myself, but I didn't have a problem with the neighbours.

[eisfeld]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

No, but it's work that a Thai could do, which is the only thing that matters.

Not even that matters when it comes to the question "is a foreigner allowed to do X without a work permit?"

What you are hinting at is the list of prohibited occupations that a foreigner can't even get a work permit for but that is not the question put forth by the OP.

Edited February 7, 2021 by eisfeld

[RJRS1301]

7 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

But its not an occupation if you are painting your own fence.

neither was the German bloke in 2019 who assited at his mother-in-laws chicken BBQ due ti her ill health, carrying on his usual occupation

[KhaoYai]

2 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

neither was the German bloke in 2019 who assited at his mother-in-laws chicken BBQ due ti her ill health, carrying on his usual occupation

What happened there?  Did the police get involved?  If so, I'll take a guess that the matter didn't get to court?

[KhaoYai]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

No, but it's work that a Thai could do, which is the only thing that matters.

Easiest solution is for the Thai wife to do it herself.

I've carried out quite a lot of the renovation work on my house myself and I fully intend to carry on doing so.  I very much doubt a succesful prosecution could be brought on the grounds of me carrying out a prohibited occupation. 

 

I fully understand (not agree with) the purpose of the Thai employment laws but I don't believe they were put in place to prevent people from carrying out DIY.

 

I have yet to see any evidence of anyone being taken to court for such things but I've heard of a few who've received 'fines' from the police - make of that what you will.

 

How many members here have a garden and work in it themselves?  Are we saying that gardening is also illegal?  After all, Thai people work as gardeners.

 

 

[RJRS1301]

5 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

What happened there?  Did the police get involved?  If so, I'll take a guess that the matter didn't get to court?

His picture was publised, under the heading "good kind farang" or something similar, immigration saw the publicity and he was arrested and deported for breaching his visa conditions

[Neeranam]

On 2/5/2021 at 4:49 PM, ballpoint said:

The one and only time that immigration paid a visit to my place, around 15 years ago, I was painting the outside walls of a new kitchen we had added on to the house.  They seemed very happy that I was doing my own work around the place, giving multiple thumbs up, and after a short visit, with me sitting in paint splattered t-shirt and shorts (I never said I was good at it), said they'd leave me to get back to my painting.  No problems at all.  In fact, my only worry was that one of them would ask me to come and paint their house afterwards.

It has nothing to do with immigration but the Dept. of Labour. 

[ChipButty]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

It has nothing to do with immigration but the Dept. of Labour. 

Technically you are right but not in Phuket they make it their business

[Neeranam]

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Technically you are right but not in Phuket they make it their business

B2asr@rds

[WineOh]

The fence was painted by my wife.

She did a good job whilst I sat and drank beers and chatted up my next door neighbor.

 

Mods you may close this thread if you wish. 

Edited February 8, 2021 by WineOh

[vogie]

7 minutes ago, WineOh said:

The fence was painted by my wife.

She did a good job whilst I sat and drank beers and chatted up my next door neighbor.

 

Mods you may close this thread if you wish. 

Best post this year, thanks.????

[billd766]

Out here in rural Kamphaeng Phet I can be found most 5/or 6 early mornings cutting the grass and scrub.

 

The locals pass and usually the samlor drivers and scooterists taking their kids to school give me a smile or a thumbs up, I have been doing this for nearly 12 years and no official has come and told me to stop yet.

 

I think a lot of the problems are caused by where you live more than anything else. Out here nobody cares as they have their own things to do and lives to live.

[ICELANDMAN]

On 2/7/2021 at 8:23 AM, ChipButty said:

I've been in the construction industry all my life, the one job I hate is painting and decorating especially here in Thailand for what it cost it's not worth getting your hands dirty, I have a couple of guy who can do it when I want, let them do it.

The amount of time you have been sat on here reading these post, you could have had that fence painted bye now

 

On the other hand, some like to be a brush artist

✍️

[KhaoYai]

7 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

His picture was publised, under the heading "good kind farang" or something similar, immigration saw the publicity and he was arrested and deported for breaching his visa conditions

Do you have any links to the case?

 

If its the same case as I heard about, he was actually working on his wife's BBQ stall. That's a business so that's very different. Its not DIY.

Edited February 8, 2021 by KhaoYai

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2/9/2021 at 2:02 AM, KhaoYai said:

Do you have any links to the case?

 

If its the same case as I heard about, he was actually working on his wife's BBQ stall. That's a business so that's very different. Its not DIY.

I spoke to a UK farang that owned a restaurant in Pattaya before he gave up in disgust at the official harassment and demands for more pointless "requirements".

He said that he couldn't even make his own breakfast in his own kitchen without risking the plod arresting him.

Edited February 9, 2021 by thaibeachlovers

[KhaoYai]

19 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I spoke to a UK farang that owned a restaurant in Pattaya before he gave up in disgust at the official harassment and demands for more pointless "requirements".

He said that he couldn't even make his own breakfast in his own kitchen without risking the plod arresting him.

I don't doubt that people have been harassed and/or 'fined'. What I'm trying to establish is, is there any documented evidence of anybody being convicted in a court of carrying out a prohibited occupation when what they were actually doing was DIY?

 

I've both heard and read of people having problems with the police in such situations, I've yet to hear about a case that's been taken to court.

[thaibeachlovers]

Just now, KhaoYai said:

I don't doubt that people have been harassed and/or 'fined'. What I'm trying to establish is, is there any documented evidence of anybody being convicted in a court of carrying out a prohibited occupation when what they were actually doing was DIY?

 

I've both heard and read of people having problems with the police in such situations, I've yet to hear about a case that's been taken to court.

It's not a western country and should not be considered to have the same legal system, which is a mistake that many farangs make. When I was in the wrong in a traffic situation I paid the police 500 baht and that was the end of it. In the west I'd have had to go to court. I prefer the Thai way, but then I'd never have owned a business and I did everything I could to avoid getting in strife with the local plod.

[KhaoYai]

11 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It's not a western country and should not be considered to have the same legal system, which is a mistake that many farangs make. When I was in the wrong in a traffic situation I paid the police 500 baht and that was the end of it. In the west I'd have had to go to court. I prefer the Thai way, but then I'd never have owned a business and I did everything I could to avoid getting in strife with the local plod.

You may prefer the 'Thai way' when its 500 baht, you may think differently if you're asked to pay 50,000.  Also, you say you were in the wrong - in many of the stories that go around on this subject, the 'victim' has not been doing anything wrong.

 

But consider this:

 

Thailand has an appalling road safety record, much of it the result of poor driving standards that are not properly enforced/punished. Its a viscous circle, the poor driving results in 'fake fines' and the 'fake fines' result in poor driving. Has it ever occured to you that you are perpetuating that by paying 'fake fines'? When a member of your family or a close friend is killed by a drunk driver - a driver that you see behind the wheel a few weeks later - give the matter some thought.

 

Thailand is not the West, you are correct but it does have a legal system. However, that legal system is often 'bypassed' and that is very much to the detriment of the Thai people in general and indeed to anyone who lives there. Corruption stifles development and progression.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

19 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

You may prefer the 'Thai way' when its 500 baht, you may think differently if you're asked to pay 50,000.  Also, you say you were in the wrong - in many of the stories that go around on this subject, the 'victim' has not been doing anything wrong.

 

But consider this:

 

Thailand has an appalling road safety record, much of it the result of poor driving standards that are not properly enforced/punished. Its a viscous circle, the poor driving results in 'fake fines' and the 'fake fines' result in poor driving. Has it ever occured to you that you are perpetuating that by paying 'fake fines'? When a member of your family or a close friend is killed by a drunk driver - a driver that you see behind the wheel a few weeks later - give the matter some thought.

 

Thailand is not the West, you are correct but it does have a legal system. However, that legal system is often 'bypassed' and that is very much to the detriment of the Thai people in general and indeed to anyone who lives there. Corruption stifles development and progression.

 

If you find it too appalling then no one is forcing you to live in LOS. I never assumed that when I drove on the roads that I'd make it back in one piece. That's just the way it is. Had I not liked it I'd have left a lot sooner than I did, and then only because I was unable to get the pension in LOS. Had I been able to get the pension I'd still be there, enjoying it without the tourist horde.

 

BTW, when one believes in reincarnation, death is not an ending, but just a prelude to a new and hopefully better life.

[KhaoYai]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If you find it too appalling then no one is forcing you to live in LOS.

I don't but my wife and family do.  i don't think its essential to live somewhere to comment on a system or criticise it.  My wife loves her country and has no wish to leave but she also hates corruption and knows that it holds her country back and causes so many other problems.  In the case of corrupt police 'fining' people instead of enforcing the law - that leads to deaths!

 

Of course you would say that though wouldn't you?  You'd much rather pay 500 baht than be taken to court or have points put on your licence, even lose it - because its beneficial to you.  Overall its not beneficial to the nation and is probably the main reason thousands die every year.  If laws are not enforced, they will be broken.

 

To be totally honest, I used to think the same way, that it was far easier and more convenient to pay a little 'sweetener' - that was until I realised the consequences of such things.  It also teaches people nothing.

 

My ex wife for example, was a totally useless driver and never had a licence.  When she was stopped (twice that I know of), she simply said she'd left it at home and paid 200 baht. She was a danger to other road users and there was nothing stopping her from perpetuating that danger every time she put the key in the ignition.

 

One of the themes I often see on Thai visa is 'if you don't like it, leave' - a fairly poor argument in my opinion.

Edited February 11, 2021 by KhaoYai

[thaibeachlovers]

15 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

One of the themes I often see on Thai visa is 'if you don't like it, leave' - a fairly poor argument in my opinion.

Perhaps, but that doesn't make it not true.

 

Farangs can't change it by moaning on TVF, and Thais can if they do something about corrupt people. It's up to them to do something, not farangs.

Edited February 12, 2021 by thaibeachlovers