I have heard in the rumor mill that one can work (part-time) in Thailand on an ED visa. Is there any foundation to this? Seems like a too easy way to get legal.

I have heard in the rumor mill that one can work (part-time) in Thailand on an ED visa. Is there any foundation to this? Seems like a too easy way to get legal.

Macjet,

My understanding is that what you refer to as "teaching" on an ED is not allowed. This may have come about through chinese whispers. What I have been led to believe is allowed is "teaching" as part of an official training course (B.Ed, Delta, Celta, Tesol, etc) - up to a certain number of hours, but neither paid nor voluntary "teaching" is allowed. If that is in fact the case then, no, it is not an easy way to get legal.

Does anyone have an official source to back this up?

ST.

.

Of course you can work part-time in Thailand with or without an Ed visa, but you won't be 'legal', as you put it. The Ed visa has no bearing on work, the part-time employers won't ask or care about the visa, neither will the Thai language school ask or care about the work. I personally know two people who work on Ed visas - they are single and can make enough money from part-time work. They enrolled in a Thai language school to learn Thai for a year, and the school provides them with the letter which they can use to obtain an Ed visa.

Many language schools hire teachers part-time but never help with paperwork such as visa, work permit, teacher license - they pay gross of tax. I haven't been in Bangkok long-term, but the change I've observed just recently is employers brazenly advertising for teachers who already have work permits! The cheek! So basically, they want someone else to go to the bother, so they can hire 'legal' teachers for free! It's wouldn't pass an inspection, obviously, as you can only work on the specific place written in your work permit although there's space for another one, I've never heard of anyone adding their part-time work to their work permit. The employer who provided the work permit for full-time employment would have to withhold tax and legally you do have to pay tax on your personal income, so it's wouldn't work.

In case the Ed visa looks like a cheaper, easier way to stay in Thailand, I should also add that I have a male friend, single as far as I know, who successfully applies for annual Non-Immigrant 0 visas on the basis of simply knowing a Thai person. It's crazy, everyone always refers to the O visa as a 'marriage' visa, but my mate just goes to the Thai embassy in Laos once a year, puts down the name and address of someone he knows locally (a bit of a grey area, either a friend or on/off girlfriend: I don't know, don't ask, don't tell - I never press the issue), he shows a few photos, submits the application with payment and hey presto!

You can only work if you have a work permit, that includes volunteer work. On an ED-visa no work permit is issued. The only work you can do on an ED-visa is an internship as part of your study, for which also rules apply.

Actually it is illegal to work on ED visa, but I buddy of mine worked on Ed visa after graduating here in thailand for 5 months before applying for a work permit and Non-imm "B'.