Workpermits In The Diving Industy!

[Ban thale]

Bangkok post today, "koh-Tao, a divers paradise", link to www.koh-tao.com. On this site we can read that there is 27,000 new certified divers per year spitted out on koh-tao, maybe most certifications in whole Asia!! Then we need to understand that a beginner course in diving takes min. 3 days! 27,000 new divers a year means roughly 74 new divers a day certified!! How many workpermits are issued for diving instructors on koh-Tao?? With 38 diveshops it have to be a lot of workpermits issued!

regards,

Ban thale

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Bangkok post today, "koh-Tao, a divers paradise", link to www.koh-tao.com. On this site we can read that there is 27,000 new certified divers per year spitted out on koh-tao, maybe most certifications in whole Asia!! Then we need to understand that a beginner course in diving takes min. 3 days! 27,000 new divers a year means roughly 74 new divers a day certified!! How many workpermits are issued for diving instructors on koh-Tao?? With 38 diveshops it have to be a lot of workpermits issued!

regards,

Ban thale

I think that you'll find that most instructors are bereft of work permits in the industry.

[Ban thale]

Bangkok post today, "koh-Tao, a divers paradise", link to www.koh-tao.com. On this site we can read that there is 27,000 new certified divers per year spitted out on koh-tao, maybe  most certifications in whole Asia!! Then we need to understand that a beginner course in diving takes min. 3 days! 27,000 new divers a year means roughly 74 new divers a day certified!! How many workpermits are issued for diving instructors on koh-Tao?? With 38 diveshops it have to be a lot of workpermits issued!

regards,

Ban thale

I think that you'll find that most instructors are bereft of work permits in the industry.

Dr. PP,

I can safely say that I KNOW, what who ever would find regarding workpermits, taxes etc. in the dive industry in thailand, I just want others to know about it to, so the competition could start to be fair! Not want to sound to negative, just want the truth to come out!

But all this may change by it self now, with the new visa regulations....

regards,

Ban thale

[Sunbelt Asia]

We STRONGLY advocate if you are a foreigner to get a work permit. Our best guess though in Kho Tao, perhaps only a handful of people have a work permit. It is unfair advantage to the ones that indeed pay tax, company filing, etc. The playing field indeed will be level one day.

www.sunbeltasia.com

[omlagus]

With regards to work permits in the 'Dive Industry' great!!!!!!!!!! In Phuket many instructors have permits but Koh Samui, Koh Tao "NO". The reason being is dive shops tell you they cannot get you one because the permit situation depends on how much the business is worth. E.g. 1 owner and the business is worth 1,000,000B = 1 permit. 2 owners and the business is worth 1,000,000B = 2 permits.

I worked in the industry for 2 1/2years. I applied for a permit in Penang and got refused as do most people in the industry.

WHY?

'The truth is out there'

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Is it worth having a talk to you local MP and if he is alert and a member of TRT he might just have the wherewithall to point you in the right direction to overcome the obvious inequities that arise out of the present system. The problems that I see are that there would need to be cooperation between 3 Ministeries involved in the visa issue process, the work permit process, and the extension process. Seemingly it wasn't all meant to be too easy.

[Ban thale]

With regards to work permits in the 'Dive Industry' great!!!!!!!!!! In Phuket many instructors have permits but Koh Samui, Koh Tao "NO". The reason being is dive shops tell you they cannot get you one because the permit situation depends on how much the business is worth. E.g. 1 owner and the business is worth 1,000,000B = 1 permit. 2 owners and the business is worth 1,000,000B = 2 permits.

I worked in the industry for 2 1/2years. I applied for a permit in Penang and got refused as do most people in the industry.

WHY?

'The truth is out there' 

Exactly Omlagus!

I havn't met a diving instructor to date in Thailand who do not want a workpermit, but i met many who have been told by their employer, that it is not possible to get one for different bullsh-t reasons! The problem is not the people who get forced to work illigal, the problem is the people who force them to do!

The reasons the company's don't want to arrange with work permits is,

1/They do not want to pay more tax.

2/ they don't want to arrange with medical insurances for their staff.

3/ they can't get rid of you quickly, if they want to change staff.

4/ they don't want to guarrantee you a good salary.

The reasons you give regarding the company's worthness (1000,000, 2000,000 or what ever), is a little bit hard to belive! If you can produce 27,000 certifications over a year splitted on 38 diveshops, there should for sure not be a big problem to show some cash on the company bankbook!

Lets see, average course price~ 10,000 THB * 27,000 = ~270,000,000 THB a year!

regards,

Ban thale

[omlagus]

Ban Thale, your right about the tax bit or having to pay more money, as i heard a little whisper from a dive shop owner who said 'it wouldn't be worth it'. As for splitting work permits equally amongst the shops...........nice idea, but the authorities don't do it like that! The main problem being some shops are busier than others and need more permits for staff.

[Ban thale]

Ban Thale, your right about the tax bit  or having to pay more money, as i heard a little whisper from a dive shop owner who said 'it wouldn't be worth it'. As for splitting work permits equally amongst the shops...........nice idea,      but the authorities don't do it like that! The main problem being some shops are busier than others and need more permits for staff.

Omlagus, sure I am right! I think you missunderstod me a bit, I don't mean that the diveshops can or should "splitt" workpermits. It is no problem at all,

1/busy shop = can afford more workpermits, and can get more staff!

2/ Not so busy divecenter = can't afford many workpermits, and do not need it eather!

We will see in the near future if it's "worth it or not".

regards,

Ban thale

[eyespan]

How sure are you guys that the instructors are all farangs? I took my DM with a khun thai who spoke excellent english.... must be more of them out there.

[omlagus]

How sure are you guys that the instructors are all farangs? I took my DM with a khun thai who spoke excellent english.... must be more of them out there.

Who said all the Instructors were farang?

eyespan, how about an eye check up! The vast majority are farang. I have lived, worked and dove here for the last 3years. Did you know that a Thai Course Director, just over a year ago translated the 'Open Water' manual. And if your a DM, why not log into the PADI website and find the answer.

[Orion76]

Dive masters in Koh Tao dont have to worry about work permits, their employers are way more powerful than the Thai immigration police.

[Ban thale]

Dive masters in Koh Tao dont have to worry about work permits, their employers are way more powerful than the Thai immigration police.

Oh no, do not make the mistake to think that some "gudfather" employer in Thailand would put any affort in saving a flipp-flopp walking European divemaster from the immigaration polis in case of illigal work. Yes, I can buy that there may be some employers that could save their own skinn one or two times in case of illigal employment, but the very same employers will not help you when you stand at the border with your full tourist visa passport, or when the immigration makes a raid! If they would, why do they not just employ you the legal way instead?

regards,

Ban thale

[Orion76]

They are scum and would not lift one finger to help you if you did get in trouble, but immigration officials would not show up at their place of business and haul all the dive masters off to jail and if one is not caught in the act of working illegally it is hard to prove.

[eyespan]

well omlagus, its your industry and your "ricebowl" then. So its not my place to comment on your views. I just mentioned that there are non-falang dive industry workers out there.

Anyways, how much does a DM earn in Koh Tao? I only dive for pleasure. Export for my money.

[omlagus]

Dive masters in Koh Tao dont have to worry about work permits, their employers are way more powerful than the Thai immigration police.

Is that why Koh Tao got raided by Immigration last year and some people had to leave?