Web work.

[Kwaibill]

So how is the sit rep for teaching English on line to students in foreign climes, China in particular?

A friend wants to know, and I might consider it.

I am married to a Thai national, and have "permission to stay" on that basis.

How difficult to get a work permit?

My friend does not have that option...retiree.How stringent on "digital nomads"?

[DrJack54]

Online teaching to Chinese students in China?

..just do it.

Edited April 19, 2021 by DrJack54

[shdmn]

I wouldn't even consider a work permit.  If they ask how you can stay so long without an income just say you have a trust fund or whatever and don't need to work.   

Edited April 19, 2021 by shdmn

[Jingthing]

Just be discreet.

Best to have no Thai clients and to have the pay deposited outside Thailand.

Officials won't be Interested unless you're involved in something illegal like porn, gambling, or con man schemes.

[techietraveller84]

Reduce the paper trail as much as possible, and like Jingthing mentioned, do that by having the money deposited in a different country, and avoid anything that's clearly illegal.

 

I'd imagine the market for online teaching in China is pretty hot right now since the borders are essentially closed, cutting off their supply of fresh EFL meat.

[schondie]

I've been doing this for the past 5 years without any problems. When I applied for my marriage visa last year Immigration asked how I made money and my wife told them the truth. They were very understanding as they know it's not possible to do it legally.

 

Most companies pay by PayPal or Payoneer so the money trail is something not to worry about.

[LivinLOS]

Its illegal but rarely enforced.. Be aware of the position, keep quiet, and dont annoy anyone who could make waves for you. 

There is a case of someone being deported through the IDC reported, but details are sketchy. 

[Neeranam]

18 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Online teaching to Chinese students in China?

..just do it.

Why China?

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Why China?

Read the OP

[Kwaibill]

40 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Why China?

Because the market is there.

A friend in the US is buying a new car, a second home near Atlanta, etc.

Of course she works a lot, but well paid.

[Kwaibill]

19 hours ago, shdmn said:

I wouldn't even consider a work permit.  If they ask how you can stay so long without an income just say you have a trust fund or whatever and don't need to work.   

Happens to all be true.

We just could use a bit more, and I am used to working.????

[talisman01]

Why limit oneself to China ? Online teaching is widespread even before Covid and there are many opportunities. One such specialist platform is https://1on1.today which is very international.

[Neeranam]

43 minutes ago, Kwaibill said:

Because the market is there.

A friend in the US is buying a new car, a second home near Atlanta, etc.

Of course she works a lot, but well paid.

OK. I work for a US company teaching mostly South American and European workers for large corporations. 

[recom273]

2 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Why China?

I know what you are saying .. you work for another company with a different customer base. 
 

Sounds interesting .. enlighten us please.

 

But the original question - Chinese a fanatical about learning, they are prepared to spend a lot of money on education, there is also the volume of Chinese all learning at different levels - you can teach 3 year olds if you have the skills, you can teach primary kids, prepare uni students for international exams or businessmen looking to practice or prepare. 
One major thing is the time difference, my prime time is 3.30 pm - 8.30 pm Thai time, if I want teach kids in the americas or Europe  wouldn’t I be working all night? 

[Neeranam]

2 hours ago, recom273 said:

I know what you are saying .. you work for another company with a different customer base. 
 

Sounds interesting .. enlighten us please.

 

But the original question - Chinese a fanatical about learning, they are prepared to spend a lot of money on education, there is also the volume of Chinese all learning at different levels - you can teach 3 year olds if you have the skills, you can teach primary kids, prepare uni students for international exams or businessmen looking to practice or prepare. 
One major thing is the time difference, my prime time is 3.30 pm - 8.30 pm Thai time, if I want teach kids in the americas or Europe  wouldn’t I be working all night? 

I teach adults from Fortune 500 companies, not kids. For kids, I suppose the weekends. But for example Mexico/Columbia 7 pm is 7 am here.  I work between 7 am and 11 pm, with clients ranging from the US to Australia. 

[pedro01]

I have a friend who does it and lives with his Thai wife in Rayong.

 

A lot of what he does is just have conversations. It's through a Web site and he has students in South America and Asia. He enjoys it.

 

Obviously, the visa situation is fluid here. There's always a way but there's always a cost. I remember clearly, flying into swampy and getting pulled by immigration. They told me outright they did not buy the <deleted> student visas I had and that they were in their rights to turn me around.

 

 But

 

They then asked "do you have family here, Thai wife?". I told them I had a wife and 2 kids. They told me to call my wife and give them the phone. After a chat with her, they let me in but told me to sort it out. It was very compassionate, I wai'd like it was going out of fashion and legged it to baggage. Different set of officers, I'd have been out.

 

Best to play it safe.

 

[daveAustin]

It's a grey area. While you are technically 'working', you won't be taking labour opportunities from a Thai nor being paid here. Forget about work permits, but just be careful who you tell... certainly not immigration, lest you get unlucky and have one with a bee in their bonnet. Listen to Jing. Don't sweat it. ????

[shdmn]

21 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

It's a grey area. While you are technically 'working', you won't be taking labour opportunities from a Thai nor being paid here. Forget about work permits, but just be careful who you tell... certainly not immigration, lest you get unlucky and have one with a bee in their bonnet. Listen to Jing. Don't sweat it. ????

The trouble is they are applying old 20th century laws written before there even was an internet.  So the grey areas are the laws themselves that don't specifically talk about remote internet work.  So the only thing they can do is try make it fit by just calling it work like any other local work and by that strict definition it's not allowed. 

 

I wouldn't go as far as saying don't sweat it.  My 2 baht of advice is I would think long and hard how I fill out those innocent sounding questions on the immigration form like "occupation".  Saying "semi-retired", "software developer", "video producer" vs say "web designer" or "vlogger" can have a dramatic effect on your world depending on the mood of the immigration person or the current political climate or the latest directive/memo that week. 

 

If you are just getting a 1 month tourist visa on arrival and have an onward ticket then no problem.  If you are coming in with a 60 day renewable and no onward ticket that might give them a good reason to take a closer look.

Edited April 20, 2021 by shdmn

[Neeranam]

9 hours ago, daveAustin said:

It's a grey area. While you are technically 'working', you won't be taking labour opportunities from a Thai nor being paid here. Forget about work permits, but just be careful who you tell... certainly not immigration, lest you get unlucky and have one with a bee in their bonnet. Listen to Jing. Don't sweat it. ????

You are not actually working in Thailand. It's similar to the gambling laws. I used to be a professional poker player and every bet I made was actually placed in the Isle of Man, and even the assistant commissioner of the Royal Thai Police told me that it was OK. 

[Kwaibill]

My US ESL friend teaches Chinese elementary, mostly. She hasbeen at it for awhile, and has a following, as kids like her a lot.

Lots of quarantine issues I understand. Parents desperate for something to keep kids occupied.

I think I would enjoy interacting with kids; do my best "Mr. Chips" imitation.????

[LivinLOS]

22 hours ago, Neeranam said:

You are not actually working in Thailand. It's similar to the gambling laws. I used to be a professional poker player and every bet I made was actually placed in the Isle of Man, and even the assistant commissioner of the Royal Thai Police told me that it was OK. 

Nonsense.. Online gamblers are routinely cracked down on.. And online work is still work under the Thai definition of the rules. 

Enforcement of those rules is near impossible, but confusing enforcement and legality is a fools mistake. 

[bshw4kr]

It's a saturated market right now. Everybody and their brother has started teaching online since the pandemic started, so finding a job may not be easy.

 

The teachers who have been in the game are hanging onto their clients and sometimes new teachers get hired only to sit there for months with no students.

 

Please do not patronize the bottom feeders who pay 2 dollars an hour; itutor group

 

If you do any web work, unseen, unheard is the way.

[Kwaibill]

2 hours ago, bshw4kr said:

It's a saturated market right now. Everybody and their brother has started teaching online since the pandemic started, so finding a job may not be easy.

 

The teachers who have been in the game are hanging onto their clients and sometimes new teachers get hired only to sit there for months with no students.

 

Please do not patronize the bottom feeders who pay 2 dollars an hour; itutor group

 

If you do any web work, unseen, unheard is the way.

Disapointing to hear.

No problem for me as my existing income is ok, though could use a little more ;¹ who couldn't?

Concerned about my one friend( and others) for whom it seemed a good fit.

Edited April 22, 2021 by Kwaibill
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