Work Permit Regulations

[digitalchromakey]

Would be interested in your source digitalchomakey.

Q&A with Phuket Labour Dept - I believe that this meeting was addresed by the 2IC of Phuket Labour Department.

[Maestro]

...but lets go with the statement which said...."Employer says work permit not required working less than 15 days a month"...

It is possible that the employer may be thinking of the “Necessary and Urgent Work Acknowledgment”, discussed here, which is a written permission to work without a work permit for maximum two weeks, but it certainly does not apply to regular work for less than 15 days every month.

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Maestro

[Jimjim]

I have heard many times that in order to qualify for a work permit according to the Thai regulations you need to work a certain amount of hours. So, I think the OP was right when he said that less than 20 hours a week technically doesn't count as enough hours to qualify for a work permit. I've seen it in writing. Unless this had changed, and of course if you have relationships or under certain circumstances you can bend the rules and get a work permit, then he can't work legally under his current status. Of course they could lie and say he works 40 hours a week. Been done before to get people work permits.

[Maestro]

...I think the OP was right when he said that less than 20 hours a week technically doesn't count as enough hours to qualify for a work permit...

From the OP:

...Employer says work permit not required if the foreigner is working less than 15 days per month...

Nothing about “less than 20 hours a week” in the original post made by scorecard or any of his subsequent posts in this thread.

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Maestro

[Jimjim]

AFAIK................you are required to work a minimum of 20 hours a week to qualify for a work permit

Therefor if you are working more than 80 hours per month you should be fine

This policy makes it very hard to work legally in Thailand on a part-time basis

There it is, Maestro. Wasn't the OP. He said less than 15 days a month. I was thinking of 15 days is half of 30 days like 20 hours a week is half of 40 hours a week. Of course, most people only work about 22 days a month. Anyway, that's where I got it from.

[Mario2008]

Thanks digitalchromakey. I already saw that post and it still gives me the impression the labour department offical doesn't know much about the regulations.

A minimum of 20 hours a week for a workpermit? I work officialy 13 hours, (in reality it is more). I have a Work Permit on that base without any problems from the labour department. Although it is for volunteering.

Edited September 29, 2008 by Mario2008

[digitalchromakey]

Thanks digitalchromakey. I already saw that post and it still gives me the impression the labour department offical doesn't know much about the regulations.

K. Janya is the Labour Department Official who signs the work permits in Phuket. Edited September 29, 2008 by digitalchromakey

[LivinLOS]

Thanks digitalchromakey. I already saw that post and it still gives me the impression the labour department offical doesn't know much about the regulations.

K. Janya is the Labour Department Official who signs the work permits in Phuket.

And if he wants to break the law to assist the Thai police then he as a private individual can say to do so..

But that doesnt change the law that volunteers still need a WP !! lets face it “For non Thai helping the government like police, they can work without work permit, because it is short time, not long time.” hardly sounds like valid legal advice.

[digitalchromakey]

But that doesnt change the law that volunteers still need a WP !! lets face it "For non Thai helping the government like police, they can work without work permit, because it is short time, not long time." hardly sounds like valid legal advice.

Certainly, you normally require a work permit as a volunteer, no matter how many hours/days you work.

The translator on that evening did not speak particularly good English and for sure was not a lawyer.

But that does not change the fact that K. Janya is a senior Phuket Labour official, who stated that part-time foreign Tourist Police and Immigration Advisors in Phuket are not required to have Work Permits.

[Mario2008]

The interview states the folowing:

1. It is not allowed to work on to work for a school on the WP for another school.

This is correct, but the person who asked the question could add the second school to the WP. The labour offical just states that it is not possible to work for 2 schools.

2. If you are retired you are not allowed to work and can't apply for a WP. Not even for voluntering.

Seems that is no longer true.

3. You can do volunteer work for tourist police and immigration police because it is helping the government and only short time, not long time.

That argument is total nonsense. Under the alien labour act an exemption would require a royal decree.

4. The price of the new WP will be 20,000.

The new price has not been decided upon. 20,000 is the maximum that can be asked for and the WP will be valid for a maximum of 2 years, but under the old rules it was 10,000 for 1 year. And they only charged 3,100.

That is why I'm not impressed with the statements of this labour offical.

I would agree that tourist- and immigration police volunteers don't need a WP, as the labour department follows that line all over the country. I just think there is no provision for it, without a royal decree.

[rishi]

For most of us, what matters is inferior, local clerk decrees - not royal nor ministerial decrees. These are only of academic interest. The remark "K. Janya is the Labour Department Official who signs the work permits in Phuket" is the one with practical bearings (for wp-appliers in Phuket province only, fortunately for me).

[KMixon]

I have a work permit related question.

Do you have to have a seperate work permit if you work at more than one place or does one work permit, say for a school/teaching apply for multiple places. Does this make sense?

[Mario2008]

A workpermit gives you the right to work for a specified employer in a specified function. Being a teacher doesn't mean you can work at all schools with your WP. For every school you would need a WP.

[Jimjim]

3. You can do volunteer work for tourist police and immigration police because it is helping the government and only short time, not long time.

That argument is total nonsense. Under the alien labour act an exemption would require a royal decree.

I don't know the exact law or laws on this but I've seen on this board where people were given exemptions by local labor or immigration offices or both and had no problems after that.

[monty]

I have a work permit related question.

Do you have to have a seperate work permit if you work at more than one place or does one work permit, say for a school/teaching apply for multiple places. Does this make sense?

A work permit will detail exactly what job you are allowed to do, and at what location. Want to do a second job, then you'll have to apply to get it included in your work permit.

There are certain jobs which come without the location restriction, but teaching is not one of them!

[astral]

Would be interested in your source digitalchomakey.

Q&A with Phuket Labour Dept - I believe that this meeting was addresed by the 2IC of Phuket Labour Department.

But that is still one government official, albeit a senior one, offering his opinion.

That does not make it Law.