Per written announcement that we received this morning from Bangkok Work Permit Office, the APPLICATION FEE for work permits will increase, effective 21 December 2009 (next Monday) from 100 baht to 600 baht.

This increase also applies to applications for changes/modifications of existing work permits.

No increase to APPROVAL fees.

I have attached to this posting the Thai-language announcement memo from Bangkok Work Permit Office.

I have reported everything that I know about this change.

Steve Sykes

Managing Director

Indo-Siam Group

Bangkok

Government_Fee_Rate_211209.PDF

From 100 baht to 600 baht.

I wonder why most people pay 20-30,000 baht for it.

Maybe that fee will also go up by a factor 6

blink:

i almost had a heart attack when i saw the email thought it must have raised to 20k or something..............dam_n!...

thats it

thats the last straw

i am goin somewhere cheaper now

enough

couldnt resist

Still, that is a huge change.

600 still isn't that much, but you gotta love the Thai style increase, not 10% or 20%, but 500%

600 still isn't that much, but you gotta love the Thai style increase, not 10% or 20%, but 500%

You farang. You rich. You pay.

Interesting - where I work they actually asked an applicant to come in on that day!

From 100 baht to 600 baht.

I wonder why most people pay 20-30,000 baht for it.

Maybe that fee will also go up by a factor 6

blink:

Too right! Some people pay 20000B+ to get married and it's free other than a few administration charges and translation fees. The actual marriage costs nothing. Most expensive thing is the letter from your own embassy and that's only about 2000B. You have to hate the oportunists who rip people off because they don't know any better. Happens everywhere I suppose!

Whew! I just got mine renewed yesterday! I didn't relaize I saved 500 baht!

Its says for application and changes.

Not for renewal.

600 still isn't that much, but you gotta love the Thai style increase, not 10% or 20%, but 500%

You farang. You rich. You pay.

But not good at maths - 100 to 600 is in fact a 600% rise

600 still isn't that much, but you gotta love the Thai style increase, not 10% or 20%, but 500%

You farang. You rich. You pay.

600B is nothing! Employers have to pay 40000B a year for each Burmese refugee they employ. Admitedly they only pay them a cup of sugar and a bag of rice a day but looks like the Ferrang have it good to me? Don't quote me on that I heard it from a Thai guy!

600 still isn't that much, but you gotta love the Thai style increase, not 10% or 20%, but 500%

You farang. You rich. You pay.

But not good at maths - 100 to 600 is in fact a 600% rise

Oh really?

I was talking about the increase, which is 500 baht, or 5 times the original amount, the new total being 100+(500% increase)=600.

I knew some sa would make that comment

600 still isn't that much, but you gotta love the Thai style increase, not 10% or 20%, but 500%

You farang. You rich. You pay.

No the farang should not pay this! The school or employer are liable for it. My school always have paid it.

Good news that they are leaving the finishing fee alone.

can we continue to discuss the visa fee increase and leave the rest to rocket scientists? Thanks.

From 100 baht to 600 baht.

I wonder why most people pay 20-30,000 baht for it.

Maybe that fee will also go up by a factor 6

blink:

I also wonder why people pay 20 to 30,000 Baht for a WP...the application fee used to be 100 Baht (now 600) and the approval fee was a couple of 1000, nothing dramatic. The paperwork is done by my secretary (guess most foreigners working here have one) and then you waste hal a day of your life at the labour department for submitting the application.

600 still isn't that much, but you gotta love the Thai style increase, not 10% or 20%, but 500%

But not good at maths - 100 to 600 is in fact a 600% rise

It's *increase* of 500%: 100 + 500% * 100 = 100 + 500/100 * 100 = 600

If you were right, price not being changed would be a 100% increase.

Don't correct others' math if you're clueless.

1 year work permit fee is currently 3,000 baht + 100 baht admin, so moving to 3000+600 (if it applies to renewals) would not be a large increase in the overall scheme of things, particularly as fee has been held at present level for many years.

600 still isn't that much, but you gotta love the Thai style increase, not 10% or 20%, but 500%

You farang. You rich. You pay.

600B is nothing! Employers have to pay 40000B a year for each Burmese refugee they employ. Admitedly they only pay them a cup of sugar and a bag of rice a day but looks like the Ferrang have it good to me? Don't quote me on that I heard it from a Thai guy!

I'm going to quote you cause it is cr@p.

Application fees to get a Burmese, Lao or Cambodian national under the migrant worker scheme are minimal...a 3-4K when all is said and done. Then you pay them minimum wage.

You heard that from a Thai guy (me) as well.

600 still isn't that much, but you gotta love the Thai style increase, not 10% or 20%, but 500%

You farang. You rich. You pay.

600B is nothing! Employers have to pay 40000B a year for each Burmese refugee they employ. Admitedly they only pay them a cup of sugar and a bag of rice a day but looks like the Ferrang have it good to me? Don't quote me on that I heard it from a Thai guy!

My wife owns her own business, manages and works it, and pays her sister and sister in law when needed. When I found out 2 yrs ago, that I needed a work permit to assist her, even though I took no income from the business, I made the decision not to lift a finger inside the shop. She was not happy, but understood grudgingly that I refuse to pay to work for free. I remain the domestic engineer. That in itself keeps me out of trouble. Thank the gods I have my own retirement income to contribute to this marriage. I read in other posts that a work permit is required even for volunteer work, be it at a Wat, with the neighbors' personal projects, a school helping students with english, or whatever. With laws like these, the Thai populace, not knowing these laws, wonder why so many farang sit on barstools every day, and the govt employees think we know how to do nothing, or are lazy, living off the lower cost of living here. Go Figure. For the smart a## that questions my paying a rediculous 100 or now 600 baht, the answer is; Its the principle.

Its says for application and changes.

Not for renewal.

Then what does This increase also applies to applications for changes/modifications of existing work permits means?

is it about renewal as well?

thats it

thats the last straw

i am goin somewhere cheaper now

enough

couldnt resist

"Another nail in the coffin" lol couldn't resist that one either 555555

thats it

thats the last straw

i am goin somewhere cheaper now

enough

couldnt resist

"Another nail in the coffin" lol couldn't resist that one either 555555

obviously a display of anti-farang sentiment. 555555

Its says for application and changes.

Not for renewal.

Then what does This increase also applies to applications for changes/modifications of existing work permits means?

is it about renewal as well?

Yes I am wondering as well, does with existing permits and want to extend 1 more year have to pay more also?

600 still isn't that much, but you gotta love the Thai style increase, not 10% or 20%, but 500%

You farang. You rich. You pay.

600B is nothing! Employers have to pay 40000B a year for each Burmese refugee they employ. Admitedly they only pay them a cup of sugar and a bag of rice a day but looks like the Ferrang have it good to me? Don't quote me on that I heard it from a Thai guy!

I'm going to quote you cause it is cr@p.

Application fees to get a Burmese, Lao or Cambodian national under the migrant worker scheme are minimal...a 3-4K when all is said and done. Then you pay them minimum wage.

You heard that from a Thai guy (me) as well.

Confirmed: We employ a Burmese chap here in Chiang Mai (he is not a refugee but a legal migrant worker) and it is exactly as my learned (Thai) friend above has recorded. So now you heard it from a farang guy as well.

600 still isn't that much, but you gotta love the Thai style increase, not 10% or 20%, but 500%

But not good at maths - 100 to 600 is in fact a 600% rise

It's *increase* of 500%: 100 + 500% * 100 = 100 + 500/100 * 100 = 600

If you were right, price not being changed would be a 100% increase.

Don't correct others' math if you're clueless.

Sorry, couldn't understand any of that except the last line which I think is very rude...but if you insist, its a 500% increase to me and I think you need to learn how to write before attempting the maths !!

From 100 baht to 600 baht.

I wonder why most people pay 20-30,000 baht for it.

Maybe that fee will also go up by a factor 6

blink:

I also wonder why people pay 20 to 30,000 Baht for a WP...the application fee used to be 100 Baht (now 600) and the approval fee was a couple of 1000, nothing dramatic. The paperwork is done by my secretary (guess most foreigners working here have one) and then you waste hal a day of your life at the labour department for submitting the application.

Any chance you could either post or pm a process flow, exactly what you do for a renewal? I am one of those farang without a secretary and I am sick of the 20k rip off for a renewal every year!

Which comes first the visa or the work permit?

Falangs get paid more and Thais get paid less. I was recently a judge at a speech contest. The Thai ajarns got half of what we farangs got. My Thai colleagues get paid less than I do and they have PhDs from Western universities, while I just have an MA. Yes, Thais can buy more with less and the double pricing system can be considered unfair, but why are we getting bent out of shape over 500 baht?

The cost should be 3000B per permit per year and application cost. Who is paying 20-30K and why? I have gone to the Labor dept and only paid the 3K. I had all the paper work. Maybe b/c I work for a gov. university and they know I make broad beans for salary?

From 100 baht to 600 baht.

I wonder why most people pay 20-30,000 baht for it.

Maybe that fee will also go up by a factor 6

blink:

I also wonder why people pay 20 to 30,000 Baht for a WP...the application fee used to be 100 Baht (now 600) and the approval fee was a couple of 1000, nothing dramatic. The paperwork is done by my secretary (guess most foreigners working here have one) and then you waste hal a day of your life at the labour department for submitting the application.

Any chance you could either post or pm a process flow, exactly what you do for a renewal? I am one of those farang without a secretary and I am sick of the 20k rip off for a renewal every year!

Which comes first the visa or the work permit?

The visa then the work permit.