I repair computers and phones for free for friends, is that a problem?

[1FinickyOne]

14 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

In much the same way I’m not ‘working illegally’ if I cook dinner and have friends over... 

 

what time was that again?

[misterphil]

Lets just hope a friend of a friend is not an immigration officer. 

[kennw]

14 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

There will of course be some forum members who tell that you can be arrested and deported for painting your own house as ‘it takes away work from a Thai’... thats one of the more common responses to a thread such as this anyway... 

 

Realistically... No, you're just helping your friends.... In much the same way I’m not ‘working illegally’ if I cook dinner and have friends over... 

 

 

The law is basically a "catch all" as far as foreigners are concerned. It basically says " if anyone benefits" you dont need to be paid as a requisite of proof, it's a matter of interpretation by the powers that be. Just keep a low profile and dont offend anyone in a brown uniform.

[Artisi]

????

10 hours ago, ezzra said:

I too fix my young, next door lady plumbing and electrical issues for occasional bedroom favours,

does that mean that i break Thailand labour laws?

no that means you're lucky ... ????

Edited March 16, 2023 by Artisi

[Purdey]

Some replies are hard to argue with. Strictly speaking, work is not defined by whether you make money but by the act of working, which is not really easy to understand. Thais have mellowed a but and I have met foreign volunteers who don't have a work permit but are seen as "helping Thai people." No one rats them out and the local police ignore them when they are helping the really poor..

As others have said, just keep it to yourself. 

[richard_smith237]

12 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It's completely different painting one's own house, to painting someone else's house.

 

The problem isn't that he is fixing friend's computers, but that if he "annoys" some Thai, perhaps a Thai that has a business fixing computers, he can get reported and it will be used to get him in trouble.

In Thailand even volunteering, officially, needs a work permit, but for the most part a farang will not be in trouble, unless he "annoys" the wrong people.

11 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It's only "not illegal" if you are doing it in your own home. If you were to cook a meal for them in a restaurant you owned, it would be illegal. I got that from a farang I knew that did own a restaurant- he couldn't even cook his own breakfast in his own restaurant.

 

Perfect examples of ‘Farang think too much’ !!!!.... 

 

Fixing a the odd computer for a mate is not going to bring immigration in with huge fines and life time bans.

 

These threads and their silly ‘it could be construed as working’  type comments are ridiculous.

 

 

[Gknrd]

Only in Thailand would you even have a discussion about something like this. Afraid of getting deported for fixing a friends computer.. Wow.

[transam]

I do similar, but I do not have a neon sign out front telling all.......

[RocketDog]

Yes, it's a problem. I did that for friends, neighbors in America etc for radio, TV, computer, printer, etc

 

I quit after a while because if anything went wrong after I touched the device it was automatically my fault and they felt I should always fix it forever. 

It's nothing but a liability without compensation or end.

[VocalNeal]

So you fix and fiddle with computers as a hobby. I see no problem with that in your own home.  I like to fiddle with motorcycles. If I am fiddling one day and a mate rolls up with a noisy motorcycle, I will have a fiddle with that one.

It only becomes a problem if you start fixing too many and there is a guy down the street earning his living from it and he finds out.

[fobuff]

Don't be more catholic than the pope

[John8]

Thanks all for the good reading, very enlightening! much different answers than what I expected, and so many different opinions about it, so.. don't put up repair shop signs, stay low, don't fix all of my neighbourhoods tv's and pc's, and follow the unwritten laws of Thailand, TiT

Much appreciated all.

[nightfox]

I had the same worry every time I water my yard.

[ifmu]

do youi have a work permit              are you taking a job away from a thai ?    

[bluejets]

Plaster your intentions all over a public forum like this and you'll certainly attract someone attention.

As far as illegal, yes, same as working volunteer without the appropriate permit.

There really are no if's or but's regardless of what some will tell you.

 

[BananaStrong]

Thais are POOR!!!!   Why steal their money????   A nice Thai person could help his family fixing computers, but oh NO!!!!!  you are stealing his life.

 

I have secret cameras and record farangs and then report them!!!  This allows Thais to have a better life with more money, as these rich farangs break the laws of Thailand.   Who knows what other laws they disrespect!!!!!!

[JimTripper]

I gave myself a massage, do I need a work permit?

[sammieuk1]

On 3/15/2023 at 3:59 PM, richard_smith237 said:

There will of course be some forum members who tell that you can be arrested and deported for painting your own house as ‘it takes away work from a Thai’... thats one of the more common responses to a thread such as this anyway... 

 

Realistically... No, you're just helping your friends.... In much the same way I’m not ‘working illegally’ if I cook dinner and have friends over... 

 

 

Please don't tell my Mrs I'm allowed to cook clean make tea or coffee pour a beer I wont be happy ???? 

[jvs]

3 hours ago, BananaStrong said:

Thais are POOR!!!!   Why steal their money????   A nice Thai person could help his family fixing computers, but oh NO!!!!!  you are stealing his life.

 

I have secret cameras and record farangs and then report them!!!  This allows Thais to have a better life with more money, as these rich farangs break the laws of Thailand.   Who knows what other laws they disrespect!!!!!!

I believe you.

[quake]

6 hours ago, BananaStrong said:

Thais are POOR!!!!   Why steal their money????   A nice Thai person could help his family fixing computers, but oh NO!!!!!  you are stealing his life.

 

I have secret cameras and record farangs and then report them!!!  This allows Thais to have a better life with more money, as these rich farangs break the laws of Thailand.   Who knows what other laws they disrespect!!!!!!

A true Top Banana. 

[xtrnuno41]

Once I asked "Siam Legal" advocate office, what was the definition of work in Thailand.

I got zip, nada, silence, no answer.

I think, it means, if you do work and annoy a Thai and he makes a complaint at immigration, you could be done.

Working for nothing(volunteer), you must have a permit.

In the absurd situation, technically, also it means your heart cant beat, as it is working? 

 

Once i met a Canadian in CM, had a gf. Gf asked if he wanted to help to replace a tv.

He refused, as it was working and he didnt want to loose his visa.

I couldnt tell if he was serious or not, but later I laughed about it. However....?

 

[rickudon]

Also depends what area you live in. Some are a lot more tolerant than others. Here in Udon there was a farang who sold burgers from a cart at the roadside (maybe still does). I understand he was questioned by Immigration but they decided to turn a blind eye to it as he was doing it to support his half thai son (no mother around).

[thaibeachlovers]

On 3/16/2023 at 5:52 PM, spidermike007 said:

I agree. However, he is not really stealing work from the locals. He is helping his friends out. The letter of the law becomes a trap, when applied literally, especially when the laws were written by short sighted, xenophobic morons. 

 

I have never been a respector of badly written laws, and hope I never become one. Some rebellion is needed in this day and age. Some of us really enjoy putting up a fight, in the face of nonsense. 

It's only not a problem unless he "annoys" the wrong person and they want revenge on him.

I did lots of jobs ( outside the home and in full public view ) that would have got me in trouble had I "annoyed" the wrong person, but I was always careful not to do that.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 3/17/2023 at 9:06 AM, nightfox said:

I had the same worry every time I water my yard.

If it's YOUR yard you have nothing to worry about.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 3/16/2023 at 8:23 PM, richard_smith237 said:

 

Perfect examples of ‘Farang think too much’ !!!!.... 

 

Fixing a the odd computer for a mate is not going to bring immigration in with huge fines and life time bans.

 

These threads and their silly ‘it could be construed as working’  type comments are ridiculous.

 

 

Again, it's nothing to do with the work per se, but if some Thai wants revenge on the farang- could be just for something the farang did to make them lose face.

 

I helped teach village kids English without a permit, and nothing happened, but had I "annoyed" the wrong person it would have been an opportunity to take revenge on me.

[BananaStrong]

On 3/16/2023 at 5:16 PM, Gknrd said:

Afraid of getting deported for fixing a friends computer.. Wow.

RE-READ the title.

 

He says for friendS not a friend's.

 

He might have 83,932,977 friends, and running a business bigger than Advice.

 

Farang in Thailand generally has 0 to 2 friends, so he might mean 2.

 

But he is posting and likely helping hundreds, if not thousands of computers!!!!!!   and he's talking about phoneS.

 

I say he has a big, big, big problem.

 

He's posting because there is a line out the door that stretches 10 km

 

nobody would post this if it was one friend.    There is more to this story!!!!

[Artisi]

1 hour ago, BananaStrong said:

RE-READ the title.

 

He says for friendS not a friend's.

 

He might have 83,932,977 friends, and running a business bigger than Advice.

 

Farang in Thailand generally has 0 to 2 friends, so he might mean 2.

 

But he is posting and likely helping hundreds, if not thousands of computers!!!!!!   and he's talking about phoneS.

 

I say he has a big, big, big problem.

 

He's posting because there is a line out the door that stretches 10 km

 

nobody would post this if it was one friend.    There is more to this story!!!!

Wow, a good imagination. 

[heybuz]

I served seven immigration police in my mates restaurant as his cook and gone missing for a few minutes they said nothing.

[Mickeymaus]

30 minutes ago, heybuz said:

I served seven immigration police in my mates restaurant as his cook and gone missing for a few minutes they said nothing.

I can only warn everyone. Many years ago I lived in Patong / Phuket for more than a year. Then I moved to the lovely family resort Pattaya because I needed better access to international flights.

 

At this Patong time I heard a lot from the bar scene. Farang bar owners couldn't even empty the ashtrays because the Thai competition watched and reported them. Farang bar owners have been photographed and reported by their own girlfriend or even wife when they for instance carried crates of beer to the bar or were doing other work, and endless other stories. Most of such farangs were deported afterwards. Some happy girlfriends and wives were left behind with the bar and other things... 

[John8]

A friend I know asked me for help with a pc, late he came back and asked if I could help hes friend too and I did, and that's how this thread started.

An interesting and a very hot topic I see, everyone keep calm! ????