Puzzled - Visas/work permit

[khunsomchai]

Hi I am a 38 year old UK citizen married to a Thai national. We have two children who are both eligible as being Thai nationals too.

The questions which I have are as follows;

1. Is it possible to get a visa and work permit (if required) to live in Thailand without working for a Thai or falang company based in Thailand ? The reason I ask is that I have a job as an International Sales Manager for the Far East. My company is happy for me to relocate to the territory but I would continue to work from home. Any idea's if this is feasible ?

2. Has the land ownership laws changed at all to allow people in my position to own land or alternatively my wife to own the land although we were married in Thailand when I was previously resident there ? Could land be put into the childrens names ( 8yrs old ) ?

Thanks for any help

Somchai

[Indo-Siam]

In answer to your first qusetion: There is no way to obtain a work permit here, working for an employer that does not have a legal corporate entity inside Thailand. Assuming that you will depart and reenter Thailand frequently, you have two options:

1) Obtain a Class O visa from a Thai diplomatic post in home country - this is a visa for someone married to a Thai. UYpon entering Thailandk, you will geta 90 day entry permit. You can then extend this entry permit in Thailand (if you wish) on the basis of supporting a Thai spouse - easiest (and quickest) way being to bring in a lump sum of 400,000 baht once, and then extend annually based on bringing in more than 400,000 each year. Alternatiely, if you can get a one-year multiple entry Class O visa, simply come and go as you wish - you will receive a 90 day entry permit each time you enter Thailand.

2) If you travel schedule will typically have you depart Thailand at least once every 30 days, simply proceed to come here and do your thing.

For my first two years in Thailand, I was in exactly the same situation as you - living here with a Thai spouse and children, working as Asian Regional Manager, paid to a US bank. I departed and reentered Thailand about 30 times each year. I initially came on a one-year Class O visa, and when that ran out, I simply came and went on 30 day "entries on arrival".

Quite literally, Thailand dose not care about you. As long as your passport shows frequent travel, with stays outside Thailand of several days, they accept your story at face value. While in this status, I was stopped several times for ficticious traffic violations, and I even once filed police charges myself, and after questioning my status, officialdom never had any problem with my Immigration status. If you live with a Thai spoues, get paid outside Thailand by a foreign employer, and your passport has frequent entries and exits, they leave you alone.

On your second question, I know that your wife can still own land. She can even designate you to inherit land in the event of herdeath. But - should she die, and you inherit it, you will be required to dispose of it within a specified period of time. I believe (but am not sure) that minor children cannot own land - but I believe that land could be placed into a trust in their name, with an adult trustee, until they are of legal age. I'm not sure if a foreigner can legally be trustee - I believe not. Perhaps someone else on the board will be able to advise on that point.

Good luck!

Steve

Indo-Siam

www.thaistartup.com

[astral]

My understanding is that there is no provision in Thai Law for trusts.

This was mentioned in an article in the Bangkok Post, one of the investment columns, in the last month or so.

Tilleke and Gibbins, or BarclayCarrigan are the names that come to mind, as the source.