I am 60 years old & have been living in Thailand for the past 5 years with a Thai lady ( Business owner) using a Non-Immigrant "0" Multiple entry. My question is: Just for something to do I have been helping her out with her restaurant business (on location) & do not recieve any money for doing so, & also do not replace any job a Thai would do; she already employes no less than 30 Thai's including 3 managers. Do I need a "work permit" to legally help her out even though I am not on the payroll & no money exchanges hands? I am planning to change my visa status to "retired" soon. Will this change reflect any differently to the question "do I need a work permit"?

You need a Work Permit to enable you to work whether you are paid or not. If you go down the retirement road, you are not permitted to work at all, nor indeed can you as the holder of an O class visa. The exception is for someone legally married to a Thai. In that situation, a WP can be granted to an O visa holder.

I have a similar question on this work permit thing.

I will be spending 3 – 4 weeks in Thailand over Xmas.

My Girlfriend has almost completed a modification to her mom’s house so we can both stay there and pay no Hotel fees.

1: Am I at risk for anything here, I will have there address on my normal tourist Visa as place of residence while I am in bkk.

2: The big question can I lift a screwdriver to put a mains socket on the wall and change a lamp or not?

I guess not, which is a shame that I cannot do a thing for her.

Thinking of this subject I fixed my gf’s car window mechanisms last time I was there because it became stuck, I guess I not allowed to do this either.

I think it’s a silly rule.

My friends Thai wife is here in the UK and she can do anything she wants. Well certainly it would go unnoticed and no one cares really.

Any advise on 1 – 2 Please

My friends Thai wife is here in the UK and she can do anything she wants. Well certainly it would go unnoticed and no one cares really.

Your friends Thai wife is a resident not a tourist ... a huge difference. A Thai tourist helping her sister in a restaurant without pay would be deported from the UK for working without appropriate permits. In the circumstances you outline, you are unlikely to face a problem in my view.