Do I Need A Work Permit For......

[richard10365]

I have read a lot of the information about work permits on this forum and other websites. From what I understand, if you don't have a work permit you really can't do much more than breath.

What if I have one of them dependency visas and I want to fix up my home like painting it or building a fence. I am also wondering if I can plant a garden or grow vegtables for food for my family.

Would I need a work permit for this too?

[thymode91]

I don't think you need a "work permit" because you are doing the job for your own property unless you are doing such job with someone else which you've got paid. in other word someone hired you to do such job.

I my self, doing repair in my apartment, my washing machine, my bikes, painting fences, electrical wiring extension.. ect..ect... but I don't have a "work permit" to such job...

[Oleg_Rus]

From what I understand, if you don't have a work permit you really can't do much more than breath.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Of course not, you can do whatever you want to do, as long as there're no money involved. but hassle could be tremendous if immigration dept. guys catch you.

Just avoid using the word "work" and everything would be fine. "market, survey, observe, develop, learn" etc... "Work" does the very same as red banner to bull.

[ZZZ]

I think Richard is correct here that anything more than breathing technically requires a work permit.

I know for sure that money have nothing what so ever to do with it, work can be paid or unpaid and still require work permit, whitch of course can not be issued as you need to earn a certain amount to get a work permit, TIT

The question is really what you can get away with and that probably depends very much on where you live.

If you live in Pattaya and own a bar they will take you for changing a light bulb in your bar. If you live in the north you can probably do what you want on your own property.

[Thetyim]

I don't think you need a "work permit" because you are doing the job for your own property .

Would you like to retract that statement ?

How can it be his own property ?

[OlRedEyes]

Would servicing the little lady also require a work permit?

[ZZZ]

Good point, I may have to hire a local contractor to take care if that from now on.

[Firefan]

Day trading/investing (own funds only) and living of the return? This can be a full time "hobby" that one "gets paid" from, but I would certainly not expect anybody to want to see a work permit.

And one could own a property while not having a WP I guess? A condo can be bought without any visa at all.

Cheers!

[loong]

It is very confusing.

Volunteers after the Tsunami were required to have a work permit of sorts. They were not getting paid for their efforts.

Doing work on your own residence, strictly speaking, would require a work permit as I understand.

The idea that you would possibly need a WP to wash the dishes would seem ridiculous but T.I.T.

As with most things, it is up to the official to interpret the law and would hope that common sense prevails.

I put in new plumbing for the mother-in-law. I paid for the materials and obviously received no money. I did it for free, but in this case I know that I was breaking the law.

It would be great to have a proper INformed answer to this question, we can only really guess.

[Harmonica]

Would servicing the little lady also require a work permit?

Not if the servicing is performed by a sub-contractor, preferably moonlighting as a pervert from Pattaya!

[Harmonica]

I have read a lot of the information about work permits on this forum and other websites. From what I understand, if you don't have a work permit you really can't do much more than breath.

What if I have one of them dependency visas and I want to fix up my home like painting it or building a fence. I am also wondering if I can plant a garden or grow vegtables for food for my family.

Would I need a work permit for this too?

Yes you do! This permit is called "MSUD" and can easily be gotten at the China/USA border!

[richard10365]

MSUD??? China/USA border

So technically, wiping your backside, can be interpreted as work.

[OlRedEyes]

Would servicing the little lady also require a work permit?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not if the servicing is performed by a sub-contractor, preferably moonlighting as a pervert from Pattaya!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have read a lot of the information about work permits on this forum and other websites. From what I understand, if you don't have a work permit you really can't do much more than breath.

What if I have one of them dependency visas and I want to fix up my home like painting it or building a fence. I am also wondering if I can plant a garden or grow vegtables for food for my family.

Would I need a work permit for this too?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes you do! This permit is called "MSUD" and can easily be gotten at the China/USA border!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey Harmonica, got hold of some good sh*t??

[Oleg_Rus]

So technically, wiping your backside, can be interpreted as work.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

sure. it felt really stupid, but it is - you have to convince that you're not guilty. My advise - keep quite and play dumb, even if you're caught at cash register - just deny everything, that's it.

"I didn't do it" - Bart Simpsons style.

[Harmonica]

MSUD??? China/USA border

So technically, wiping your backside, can be interpreted as work.

Yes, for more reasons than you can imagine.

Washing, instead of wiping one's backside will get you a longer-term visa and simultaneously dispense with the liability that has confounded me for 30 years -- how to get a farang woman with sh*t stains on her drawers to go wash up before I muff-dive?

[OlRedEyes]

Washing, instead of wiping one's backside will get you a longer-term visa and simultaneously dispense with the liability that has confounded me for 30 years -- how to get a farang woman with sh*t stains on her drawers to go wash up before I muff-dive? whistling.gif

It is surprising how often simply asking will solve some of the mysteries that confound us so. Why not just ask the ladies in the ladies forum? I'm sure they'll be too glad to help.

Edited July 26, 2005 by OlRedEyes

[Harmonica]

It is surprising how often simply asking will solve some of the mysteries that confound us so. Why not just ask the ladies in the ladies forum? I'm sure they'll be too glad to help.

That is not my preferred place to dive -- I will leave that to other farangs who have less esoteric tastes!

[Harmonica]

Would servicing the little lady also require a work permit?

Not if the servicing is performed by a sub-contractor, preferably moonlighting as a pervert from Pattaya!

I have read a lot of the information about work permits on this forum and other websites. From what I understand, if you don't have a work permit you really can't do much more than breath.

What if I have one of them dependency visas and I want to fix up my home like painting it or building a fence. I am also wondering if I can plant a garden or grow vegtables for food for my family.

Would I need a work permit for this too?

Yes you do! This permit is called "MSUD" and can easily be gotten at the China/USA border!

Hey Harmonica, got hold of some good sh*t??

I was being driven to the airport the other day by this acquaintance and we were almost there, when we came upon a sign that said, "Airport Left" -- this fellow promptly turned around and headed back home. I missed my plane!

I have been high ever since!

[chownah]

I have read a lot of the information about work permits on this forum and other websites. From what I understand, if you don't have a work permit you really can't do much more than breath.

What if I have one of them dependency visas and I want to fix up my home like painting it or building a fence. I am also wondering if I can plant a garden or grow vegtables for food for my family.

Would I need a work permit for this too?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There is an old thread with almost the same ideas as presented here....it also contained a link to the Pattaya news paper (if I remember correctly)..or maybe it was the Phuket news paper...anyway whichever paper it was has a regular column where Thai immigration officials answer questions about work permits and visas. The link in the thread given was for a particular discussion about doing some kind of "work" but it was really a hobby...like gardening or something...I can't remember exactly what the activity was but it was something you could legitimately call a hobby and no money was transacted in doing it (if my memory is correct)....and the bottom line was that the official said that the work permit laws should be interpreted to allow for hobbies without requiring work permits and if anyone had a problem with some official not allowing for this then you should contact him and he would straighten it out.

[samran]

I think people here are jumping to a few too many conclusions here. In my book, work is defined as providing a “regular/frequent” service for the benefit of someone else, paid or unpaid.

So if you helped a Thai friend out painting his house, once, then it is unlikely by any standard that you would be breaking the law. Nothing regular or frequent about that.

Same goes for pottering around the backyard. You might be doing it regularly, but you are doing it for yourself.

Work permit regulations in every country contain an element of greyness between where normal living ends, and where work starts. Give the Thai regulations a break. Regulations wise, it is far easier for a foreigner to get a Work Permit in Thailand than say, for a Thai to get a work permit for the UK…

Edited July 27, 2005 by samran