B1 / Work Visa Questions

[woodyuk]

I have a question and wondering the best way of dealing with it ...

I work for a UK Company, that has just opened an office in Bangkok (Thai company has been incorporated). I am about to be posted to that Bangkok office. I keep getting different information from them about if I am to be paid in the UK or Thailand etc etc ... and wanted to know you from you guys what I should be making them do for my best advantage!

Should I be employed in the UK and paid in the UK. Can I get a B1 visa (is a B1 a work visa or is that something different) if the Thai office send a letter to the UK office offering to sponsor me. or to get a work visa do I have to be paid in Thailand and pay Thai tax ?

Can I get a B1 / Work Visa in Thailand or do I need to return to UK or go to Singapore etc ?

Am I better off paying tax in Thailand or UK ?

If I get a b1 / Work visa is it multi entry and how long before I have to renew ?

Another issue that is being raised is that they do not want to pay for my health cover / insurance while I am out here :-( - still arguging over my new package. however if it comes to it and I have to do myself. Am I better off getting a work travel insurnace from UK and a Bupa International policy? (I have personal Bupa at the moment so just means adding extra cover)

If I need to see a doctor in Thailand (private) how much does this cost ? Can I get a policy to cover this ? or pay an amount per month ? Serious medical to me seems to be covered under a Bupa or equal health insurance.

Anything else I should be thinking about ?

Thanks for any advice.

Woody

Edited August 17, 2005 by woodyuk

[hutchworld]

Firstly, congrats on the posting hope things work out for you over here!

Your getting a lot of mixed advice because your options are practically limitless relative to working in Thailand.

Whether or not you should be paid from the UK or in Thailand depends very much on how long you intend to stay. If you are paid from the UK your resident status will be different you could be considered a foreign expert on the staff of your office and could obtain a short term visa as this would not be considered a permanent position. Your taxation will be lower in Thailand but you may have social security payments to consider in the UK if you want to secure your Pension and suchlike.

To obtain a (multi-entry) Work Permit which is different to a B1 would require you to be a full-time employee of your Thai incorporated company. The permit is generally issued for a year and renewable in the country if you are a good boy. The permit is issued by the Department of labour or via the onestop department at the BOI if your company is registered by same. You will also see a bunch of street-side vendors advertising Work permit and Visa services..never tried them so I have no comment.

Group insurance cover in Thailand would cost your company around US$1000 per year. Paying for individual cover will cost more so I would hold out for company cover. The quality of medical services is second to none if you have insurance..self insurance would not be desperatly expensive and you can always run home if you need your spleen removed! BUPA and AIA are here in Thailand just go to the web and check out hospital within reach of your drum and ask what they recommend in the way of insurance.

One thing I would suggest is to build financial compensation into your contract that pays for your move back to the UK (flight, Personal effects, furniture etc.,) more company's fail than ever succeed.

Other advice would be to wear a condom at all times, during before and after sex.

Hope this helps......The Thai Visa Cavalry will be coming over the hill with a lot more useful stuff from far more experienced Ferang than me.

Good luck

[woodyuk]

I will be here for a year, (maybe longer), based in Bangkok but traveling over Asia. My company is going to pay / arrange the visa. It was more a case of working out if I was better of being employed here or UK. I am not married, have no commitments in the UK (one reason I was selected to be posted). So I have no personal issue with being paid in Bangkok. In some ways makes it easier with banking / exchange rate conversions.

I have a relocatation package to UK should I have to leave which I insisted on! and I have a biz return ticket open for a year anyway so that was not an issue.

I am here in Bangkok (not working!) just getting my feet, finding somewhere to live and some R&R before before I start next month. I will need to do a visa run (I have a on arrival 30 day stamp) at the end of this month. Could I get an extenstion in BKK and then leave and get my biz visa ? Or am I better off taking a trip to Singapore etc and getting another 30 stamp until my biz visa arrives.

Getting quotes on Bupa etc at the moment :-)

Thanks for your comments

Firstly, congrats on the posting hope things work out for you over here!

Your getting a lot of mixed advice because your options are practically limitless relative to working in Thailand.

Whether or not you should be paid from the UK or in Thailand depends very much on how long you intend to stay.  If you are paid from the UK your resident status will be different you could be considered a foreign expert on the staff of your office and could obtain a short term visa as this would not be considered a permanent position.  Your taxation will be lower in Thailand but you may have social security payments to consider in the UK if you want to secure your Pension and suchlike.

To obtain a (multi-entry) Work Permit which is different to a B1 would require you to be a full-time employee of your Thai incorporated company.  The permit is generally issued for a year and renewable in the country if you are a good boy. The permit is issued by the Department of labour or via the onestop department at the BOI if your company is registered by same.  You will also see a bunch of street-side vendors advertising Work permit and Visa services..never tried them so I have no comment.

Group insurance cover in Thailand would cost your company around US$1000 per year.  Paying for individual cover will cost more so I would hold out for company cover.  The quality of medical services is second to none if you have insurance..self insurance would not be desperatly expensive and you can always run home if you need your spleen removed!  BUPA and AIA are here in Thailand just go to the web and check out hospital within reach of your drum and ask what they recommend in the way of insurance.

One thing I would suggest is to build financial compensation into your contract that pays for your move back to the UK (flight, Personal effects, furniture etc.,) more company's fail than ever succeed.

Other advice would be to wear a condom at all times, during before and after sex.

Hope this helps......The Thai Visa Cavalry will be coming over the hill with a lot more useful stuff from far more experienced Ferang than me.

Good luck

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[lopburi3]

How exactly are you expecting this magic visa to arrive? You should have had a business visa before you departed the UK. Not sure why your UK company did not provide. At the most you can get a 10 day extension of your 30 day stay. Can't your local company provide documents for you to obtain a proper visa? You did say it was registered right? When you get the company paperwork you will need to make a trip to Penang or elsewhere to obtain a B non immigrant visa. There is also the issue of a work permit that you will require before doing any work so perhaps that is what your company is working on. Next question is if you will be able to extend your stay inside Thailand or have to make 90 day visa runs? Did they mention that? There are several here that can provide details of what to do when but from what you have written today it really sounds like somebody put the cart before the horse.

[woodyuk]

Not sure what I have written is confusing.

I took some holiday I had (about 6 weeks!) and came to bangkok to decide if I wanted to accept the posting. I decided after two weeks of being here that I liked it and would accept the offer. I am now looking for an appartment. I arrived and had a 30 day stamp in passport which will run out in 2 weeks time. I need to go to renew this (I could go to Singapore etc) or just use one of these companies. I have no desire to return to UK now I have suffered the long flight (I not a dan of flying)

My UK company has opened a bangkok office, and has the equal of Bangkok Ltd company. My company has not made a decision of where I was going to be paid, in UK or in Bangkok. I wanted to make sure I had the information of what was the best way. Least tax and all of that! If I was employed in Thailand that would make it easier to get visa! easier to extend in the future etc.

In my orginal post I asked the question if someone had the choice, which would be the best option. once I have that information it will help me to tell the company what I would perfer!.

Next I assume once I have decided that I need a work visa, my company would arrrange this and again I assume I need to leave Thailand and go to Singapore or equal and get the business / work visa. I can then return to Thailand and start work. As I said I "assume" this is what happens. Wanted some advice! :-)

Thanks

Woody

[lopburi3]

And I can not answer the what is best question as have never been in your position so awaiting other to chime in. But you really do need to obtain a proper visa and that 30 day stay is not going to fly nor any idea of "just use one of those companies" will not require a trip by you is false (if you want to remain here). The folks advertising in Bangkok Post and such can only hold your hand and help organize paperwork - you still have to obtain a visa first then a work permit and then an extension of stay and then another work permit (if you/company meet the requirements).

FYI: your first post did not mention you being here, on vacation, so that is why I wondered about not arriving with the proper visa.

[bkk_mike]

First off - don't worry - a double taxation agreement exists - so you're not going to end up paying tax in both countries. (or at least - you won't be worse off than the higher tax of the two countries.)

If you're only coming to Bangkok for a year (and you're obviously not managing to arrange it to be April - April - i.e. a UK tax year), you're not going to be able to be non-resident in the UK for tax purposes. (assuming you're British - or more specifically, UK domiciled - i.e. Your father's normal place of residence when you were born was in the UK).

The best way to be paid depends a great deal on where you have expenses. - i.e. If you've still got a mortgage in the UK, it might be best to get paid enough in the UK to cover the mortgage, with the rest paid in Thailand, simply to avoid the costs of money transfers from UK to Thailand. Obviously, the same reason means you should be paid in Thailand at least what you need for living expenses. (If you have a Nationwide current account - with ATM card - it's less of an issue to be paid in the UK - but since you're not going back, it's too late to change UK banks now...)

Your company's HR department should be the ones working out the tax issues for you.