A Tale Of Woe

[therealworld]

A tale of Woe

Whilst not wishing to sound like a goodie goodie I have all my life (65+now) tried to obey rules and the law of the country I am in.

Having been coming to Thailand for nearly twenty years and living here for four I obtained the correct visas therefore avoiding the necessity of doing visa runs. I have invested over 20m Baht in Thailand for the benefit of my family and happy to do so (well reasonably!).

Being active keeps the body in reasonable shape but the mind? What to do, why not bring over the business I operated in the UK. Now as usual the Thai grapevine is full of advice mostly to keep a low profile but anyone who knows this type of work realises I am the salesperson not my Thai wife.

So off to Sunbelt Asia Pattaya branch who I have used over the years. No problem getting a work permit on my one million baht company which owns land. No Thai employees required just my wife as MD and me a director. No Problem that my visa stamp had been changed to a retirement one. So yes back came the permit with a requirement to pay 1,500 baht every month.

Great until I went to renew my visa today, ‘Cannot do, must have a 2 m baht company, 4 employees and lucky they have not rescinded my visa so far, I did smile in between ‘crying’ well looking sad.

Back to Sunbelt Asia but the staff that dealt with it have left and legal matters are dealt with in Bangkok, no help or advise, sorry would have been nice or a contact.

So yes we know that visa permissions are different to work permits but WHY? It only makes the black economy bigger with less tax revenues, all those that work in the background are laughing at me, and yes there are ways around it but by bending the rules. It makes me think at my age I will take up drinking (teetotaller at the moment) or really retire – a terrible thought!

Addendum. Sunbelt have restored my confidence, having emailed Greg Lange MD his client manager replied within an hour and promised a follow up by his legal adviser

[naka]

Glad to hear you have things sorted.

But ... What's wrong with being fed up with working ... Oh ... and loving beer ?

Naka.

[jstumbo]

Get an extension of stay based on your marriage. Pay your wife a salary of 40K/month.

[Maestro]

...So off to Sunbelt Asia Pattaya branch who I have used over the years. No problem getting a work permit on my one million baht company which owns land. No Thai employees required just my wife as MD and me a director. No Problem that my visa stamp had been changed to a retirement one. So yes back came the permit with a requirement to pay 1,500 baht every month.

Great until I went to renew my visa today, ‘Cannot do, must have a 2 m baht company, 4 employees and lucky they have not rescinded my visa so far, I did smile in between ‘crying’ well looking sad.

When you made your latest application for extension of stay for retirement, how did the immigration officer know that you now have a company? For this type of extension, it was not necessary to tell him. Did the labour department stamp something in your passport?

Anyway, I hope Sunbelt will be able to sort it our for you. Keep us posted. This is of interest because in another thread it was mentioned that some labour offices give a work permit to an applicant on a retirement extension, but this is of little use if the immigration office subsequently refuses a new extension based on retirement.

--

Maestro

[therealworld]

UPDATE

Their Foreign Legal Adviser Raymund responded by email next day, so far so good. Gave him all the details and over the next week had various correspondence. Today he came back with two alternatives. One, apply for a marriage visa, this will mean paying more tax but also need THE WIFE. She is however back in UK earning money to keep her poor old husband in the way his wishes to become accustomed (if you beleive that you will belieive anything). So plan two - apply to Bangkok immigration for an extension to the retirement visa and told that they will grant it with a Bangkok address on my form. As this cannot be done until 1 month before expiry will have to wait now and see what happens.

To answer an earlier question the Labour put a stamp in my passport right opposite my passport details. Apart from laundering it even they could not fail to notice so had to answer when asked 'yes' I have work permit.

Whilst this exercise is costing money at least Sunbelt are trying to put right a wrong done by their former employees and as a business person I think that is an exception in certain countries!

Will let you know the outcome after a trip to blighty

[tropo]

or really retire – a terrible thought!

You really need to get a grip. Your problems are hardly suicidal in nature. A lot of us go through far more inconvenience to stay here.

[therealworld]

or really retire – a terrible thought!

You really need to get a grip. Your problems are hardly suicidal in nature. A lot of us go through far more inconvenience to stay here.

Obviously you do not have a sense of humour or do not see mine! Of course there are many who are in a worse postion as in anywhere in this world and one should always be thankfull just to be alive and kicking.