Work permit... is a degree still required?

[Guest IT Manager]

A new customer has asked if it is still necessary to hold a degree or college diploma to have a work permit.

The reason I am interested is two-fold. We have always needed to present one in Chiang Mai, for Labour Office, and recently we discovered differences in company registration procedures between Bangkok and CM.

The letter of the law doesn't say it is necessary, but then I don't remember a time when it did. We were juust required to do it. Any thoughts from the experts please.

[Indo-Siam]

ITM -

Our experience at BKK Labor Ministry is that you must have something to "check the block" with respect to qualifying educational credentials.  If someone is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, but has no college degree, citing the MCSE qualification and attaching a copy of the certificate works. We have been told that a letter from a former employer stating that you performed well in a job that required the same skills (= same job) that worker will do here in Thailand will also work.  But having just a secondary school education, and no documented prior training or work experience in the field of work for which you are applying, and chances of success are slim.

Similarly, any educational credentials for which you cannot attach a supporting document are disallowed.

Unrelated question for you - ###### - when you have a Thai run company registration papers around on behlaf of a client, are you required to attach a Bor Or Jor 1 coversheet?  If so, whose certifying signature do you use in extreme lower left hand corner of that form?  My staff insists that this requires a lawyer's signature, with a copy of his lawyers license card attached.   In an earlier thread, you mentioned tht you needed no lawyer - you had an accountant carry the papers.  What I am wondering is whether a licensed auditor can sign this form, if we attach his professional license card.  Any thoughts on this?

Steve

Indo-Siam

[Guest IT Manager]

Hi Steve,

I am meeting our accountant/auditor in about an hour, and will put the question to him, for you. We have eschewed the use of lawyers as we have actually seen them walk out of our office, into the accountants office next door, stay for 12 minutes and then leave. The accountants staff member then carried the forms out to his Honda Dream, and came back 45 minutes later with the registration application receipt, which he then brought to us.

After that we just poured coffee, and banged on the wall and in he walked.

Savings are in a) telephone call, coffee, the lawyer drinks 2 cups every time, except after 4.30 when he has 2 Johnnie Blacks. The accountant drinks Mekhong.