A Thai schoolteacher friend is going to UK in October on a General Visit Visa, for a holiday and to visit friends. A number of these friends are school teachers that she's worked with in Thailand.

It has been suggested that she visit some schools to see how things are done there and, possibly, set-up a school "twinning" programme. She'd receive no payment for this.

A question she wanted me to answer was; "Would this be classified as "working" and therefore illegal under the immigration rules?"

She's known some teachers to be arrested & possibly deported because of wrong, or no, visa/WP in Thailand so is wary.

Since she's only likely to be at the schools a day or two, the risk of detection is minute, since it actually seems to take years of illegal working before any action is taken. Nevertheless, she thought it was a question worth asking, so that's what I'm doing.

Thanks for any replies.

Even if you don't get paid working is illegal

take employment, produce goods or provide services, including the selling of goods or services directo to members of the public;<LI>undertake a course of study;<LI>marry or form a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership;<LI>carry out the activities of a business visitor, a sports visitor or an entertainer visitor; or<LI>receive private medical treatment.

Visitors may not work.