My girlfriend comes from Lao but works in Bangkok. Until recently she was in Thailand illegaly. However now she is in Thailand legaly after I sent her home to get a passport and ID. Although I dont know the situation 100% but it apears she is working without a work permit and now has to return to Lao every 28 days for a visa run.

My question is how can she get legal to work, and also get a visa for a longer stay possibly a non immigrant B? And can her present employer help her in this matter?

I look forward to some feedback.

Regards & best wishes

Ian Ward

My girlfriend comes from Lao but works in Bangkok. Until recently she was in Thailand illegaly. However now she is in Thailand legaly after I sent her home to get a passport and ID. Although I dont know the situation 100% but it apears she is working without a work permit and now has to return to Lao every 28 days for a visa run.

My question is how can she get legal to work, and also get a visa for a longer stay possibly a non immigrant B? And can her present employer help her in this matter?

I look forward to some feedback.

Regards & best wishes

Ian Ward

Ian, to get her an Non-imm B and W/P will require the help of her current employer as the WP needs to be "sponsored" by the employer

hope this helps

Ian, to get her an Non-imm B and W/P will require the help of her current employer as the WP needs to be "sponsored" by the employer...

And the employer must not only do the paperwork,he/she must pay the right wage and SocialSecurity.That's why many Thais try to take a short cut!

For a Loatian the minimum incoem requirement is 25,000 baht p/m.

Thank you! Her wage is well below 10,000 THB a month more like 6,000 a month! With this low income does she still need a work permit? I think her employer is taking liberties here, however I dont want a confrontation that would result in her loosing her job?

Any other comments would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance

IW

I also heard a way back that there was some sort of amnesty granted to Loa illegals to work in Thailand. Can anyone comment on this?

Regards

IW

Thank you! Her wage is well below 10,000 THB a month more like 6,000 a month! With this low income does she still need a work permit? I think her employer is taking liberties here, however I dont want a confrontation that would result in her loosing her job?

Any other comments would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance

IW

Ian, the law as it stands says you need a W/P for paid or unpaid work, so by virtue of this rule, she would need a WP.

If a confrontation happens, she may loose here job but more worrying may be someone reporting her to the immigration, just out of spite

Also not aware of any amnesty for people working illegally, if there where, you would at least half the "English" teachers in Thailand queuing up...

The amnesty thing was really not amnesty per say. It occured a few years ago when they started inforcing the rules and it was for certain workers (mostly Burmese) that were here already. Lao citizens can work here as temporary workers sponsered by large companies. Niether of these appliy in this case.

You have already taken care of her visa problem. The work permit side is probably impossible. The company she is working for may not even be set up such that they could even apply for the work much less be willing to pay the required salary.

The main concern now is that if she got caught up in a raid and deported for working. I would guess that there are others working with her that are in the same situation.

I don't know your status is here or what your relationship with your GF is or how serious it is. The only way to take care of the work side of things that I can see would be for her to stop working and you support her. Of course this is none of my business and is offered only as an opinion.

Even though she is now legally in the country, (visa run every 30 days by the way). She is working illegaly. If caught, she will have problems, and will probably be facing deportation.

I have the same "problem", and we decided that the short periods of time that my partner is still in Bangkok (rest of the time in my home country) it is not worth the risk. Does her employer actually know she is Lao ? My partner has been working in various jobs in Bangkok, his last one ended the minute the employer became aware that he had a Lao cook.

He didn't want to take that risk. Neither should she imho.

Thanks for all of your replies each one has been helpfull in it's own way. I think taking her out of work and supporting her is the best option but unfortunately my circumstances dont allow for that right now.

Thanks again

IW