Hi

I found fantastic musicians here in Pattaya: they are fabulous an world class level. They play everyday there, 6 hours per day. They can play everything on demand, rock and metal especially. I regularly go to watch them as sometimes, I miss my musicians years when I was younger [you have to be a musician to understand that]

The pub where they play is quite big and in tourist area.

After one year, one day, I joined them on stage to jam and play a song with them. It was a very good moment.

We started to know each other, and I like to go there. I fill the musician tip box, I have drinks with the owner and some staffs, and sometimes musicians call me to have a play with them. It's always a wonderful moment as they are very good and every time it is like to have a lesson with world class professionals. Now it is happening every Saturday night and we have 2 or 3 Metallica songs together.

As I found they play quite well, I started to record them as well with some recorder, masters the songs on my computer, and give them some printed CDs of what they play. I was even thinking to take the best tracks make a nice cover, ask a printer to make 200 CD s with blister and to give them to them for free, so they can sell it to tourists to make money.

Everything is going fine, I have a lot of fun during my week ends for my hobby, I'm making interesting friends, they seem to be happy with the recording, and I have my lesson on stage every week.

But: yesterday a friend of mine told me to be careful as it could be dangerous. He said I was using knowledge and it could be considered as work. He said in Pattaya the police could be very harsh and strict and I should take care. I replied him I was quite paying to do it (drinks, tip box, etc...), giving everything I could in exchange, and I had nothing in return except the pleasure to have 10 or 15 minutes of playing sometimes. But he insisted he could be dangerous and cost me immigration problems.

So I need to know and I ask specialists on this forum. If a professional could tell me his point of view I will be happy.

Can i continue to Jam with these guys? Can I record them and give them mastered versions of their material?

Do I really have to go to see a lawyer to enjoy playing guitars and jamming with a Thai band in a pub?????

Thank you very much by advance for your answer.

Cheers

S.L.

Your friend is correct on this issue, even though you are playing guitars and jamming with a Thai band in a pub. As you are doing it on a regular basis, it is recommended for you to have a work permit. By playing on a regular basis, the officials would interpret and assume that you are working for that Pub.

Referring back to the work permit, in order for a work permit to be issued, the applicant is required to be supported/employed by a company in Thailand or a juristic identity in Thailand.

Other issues that you and/or the band itself should take into consideration when printing CDs are the copyrights and music license issues as the songs that you play, record and writing up CDs, those songs' rights are sure to be owned by some music /record company /-ies.

26th Floor Fortune Town BR, 1 Ratchadapisek Rd, 10400 Bangkok

Tel: 02-642-0213 Fax: 02-641-1995

Follow us on: