egg Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 several times l have been asked if l would be interested in volunteer work at a few local schools,,, just overseeing the english teaching ,, just a few hours a week ,,,,,l have always declined because of the work permit rules ,,, l am curious ,, how difficult would it be for the boss of the school to get a work permit for me , if at all possible ?? cheers egg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinthailand20005 Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 It will depend on the school, and their connections, but not an easy process. Most schools won't bother. Many schools out there don't even get work permits for their paid employees because of the red tape envolved. I doubt very much you will be able to get a work permint, not because it isn't possible but because of the schools willingness to supply all of the correct paperwork in a timely manner. Best of luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tod Daniels Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 The information in the above post seems to be the lynchpin in regards to people just wanting to volunteer their time to help out at Thai schools. The schools are unwilling to put forth the effort to get you the required paperwork, due to unfamiliarity in the process but most likely due to just plain laziness. It's also true MANY MANY schools all over this country employ and pay foreign teachers without providing them the documentation to hold work permits. If/when push comes to shove it's the foreign employee who're raked over the coals, rarely if ever the school. .. It's sad really. There're a LOT of qualified people who would gladly volunteer a few hours a week of their time to help out Thai students. They can't because they're in the catch 22 of working without a work permit. Good luck, let us know what the school says when you ask them for the documentation to apply for a work permit. I'll bet dollars to donuts they'll say, "We're not gonna pay you, so you don't need one!" That is totally erroneous info; volunteers DO require a work permit to do volunteer "work" <-note the last word there is work, hence the need for a work permit. As a totally OFF TOPIC aside; given the overly broad interpretation of what constitutes ‘work’ in Thailand, what types of work are prohibited trades and foreigners can't work in them, as well as NOT being in possession of a work permit; I’m sometimes reticent to even use the “bum-squirter” in my house after using the toilet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 Getting the work permit is no problem, but you might need to have a degree, depending on your labour office and if you are on an extension of stay based on retirement it might be a no go. If you already have a work permit for working, your employer needs to agree that you will be volunteering and that the school wil also be listed on the WP. Best if is the school first contact the labour office and see what is needed and get the correct forms they will need to fill in. I suspect they will strugle withit the first time, but after that it should be no problem. The school wil need to supply the paperwork every year and for the rest it is 3,100 baht per year and you are good to go. Suspect you need to show a minimum of 4 hours a week working. Based on volunteerng it is also possible to get an extension of stay, without the need to show a mimimum income or money in the bank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinthailand20005 Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 Getting the work permit is no problem, but you might need to have a degree, depending on your labour office and if you are on an extension of stay based on retirement it might be a no go. If you already have a work permit for working, your employer needs to agree that you will be volunteering and that the school wil also be listed on the WP. Best if is the school first contact the labour office and see what is needed and get the correct forms they will need to fill in. I suspect they will strugle withit the first time, but after that it should be no problem. The school wil need to supply the paperwork every year and for the rest it is 3,100 baht per year and you are good to go. Suspect you need to show a minimum of 4 hours a week working. Based on volunteerng it is also possible to get an extension of stay, without the need to show a mimimum income or money in the bank. I am pretty sure for a unpaid volunteer no degree is needed. And I reckon the labour office will initially say don't worry about it, if no payment then no workpermit needed, which will be ok until immigration do a check. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nong38 Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 The information in the above post seems to be the lynchpin in regards to people just wanting to volunteer their time to help out at Thai schools. The schools are unwilling to put forth the effort to get you the required paperwork, due to unfamiliarity in the process but most likely due to just plain laziness. It's also true MANY MANY schools all over this country employ and pay foreign teachers without providing them the documentation to hold work permits. If/when push comes to shove it's the foreign employee who're raked over the coals, rarely if ever the school. .. It's sad really. There're a LOT of qualified people who would gladly volunteer a few hours a week of their time to help out Thai students. They can't because they're in the catch 22 of working without a work permit. Good luck, let us know what the school says when you ask them for the documentation to apply for a work permit. I'll bet dollars to donuts they'll say, "We're not gonna pay you, so you don't need one!" That is totally erroneous info; volunteers DO require a work permit to do volunteer "work" <-note the last word there is work, hence the need for a work permit. As a totally OFF TOPIC aside; given the overly broad interpretation of what constitutes 'work' in Thailand, what types of work are prohibited trades and foreigners can't work in them, as well as NOT being in possession of a work permit; I'm sometimes reticent to even use the "bum-squirter" in my house after using the toilet. Agree with you its sad they dont take advantage of the free resources available, I also think there is another selfish reason too. The English teachers dont want to lose face in fron t of students, being shown up as not as competent as a native English speaker in the classroom,so, rather than endure that the students dont progress as they could. A rare view of Thai forward thinking, only because its in self interest though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 Getting the work permit is no problem, but you might need to have a degree, depending on your labour office and if you are on an extension of stay based on retirement it might be a no go. If you already have a work permit for working, your employer needs to agree that you will be volunteering and that the school wil also be listed on the WP. Best if is the school first contact the labour office and see what is needed and get the correct forms they will need to fill in. I suspect they will strugle withit the first time, but after that it should be no problem. The school wil need to supply the paperwork every year and for the rest it is 3,100 baht per year and you are good to go. Suspect you need to show a minimum of 4 hours a week working. Based on volunteerng it is also possible to get an extension of stay, without the need to show a mimimum income or money in the bank. I am pretty sure for a unpaid volunteer no degree is needed. And I reckon the labour office will initially say don't worry about it, if no payment then no workpermit needed, which will be ok until immigration do a check. Paid or unpaid work requires a work permit. Thai labour law is very clear on that. As for the degree, no it is not required. But many labour offices set their own requirements regarding this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 (edited) from Post #6 Agree with you its sad they dont take advantage of the free resources available... You may see it that way ... but I could easily see why Thai school officials might consider such a policy could become very disruptive to have non-professional persons coming in and out of the school just to '"help out" with the English -- saving face or not. Edited April 3, 2011 by jazzbo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yenoormit Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 the op claims that it is for a few different schools therefore he would need a wp for each schools location. he also claims it is to "oversee the English teaching" this means that he must be an extremaly qualified teacher. this position would require a degree as this is what the MOE requires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egg Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 The information in the above post seems to be the lynchpin in regards to people just wanting to volunteer their time to help out at Thai schools. The schools are unwilling to put forth the effort to get you the required paperwork, due to unfamiliarity in the process but most likely due to just plain laziness. It's also true MANY MANY schools all over this country employ and pay foreign teachers without providing them the documentation to hold work permits. If/when push comes to shove it's the foreign employee who're raked over the coals, rarely if ever the school. .. It's sad really. There're a LOT of qualified people who would gladly volunteer a few hours a week of their time to help out Thai students. They can't because they're in the catch 22 of working without a work permit. Good luck, let us know what the school says when you ask them for the documentation to apply for a work permit. I'll bet dollars to donuts they'll say, "We're not gonna pay you, so you don't need one!" That is totally erroneous info; volunteers DO require a work permit to do volunteer "work" <-note the last word there is work, hence the need for a work permit. As a totally OFF TOPIC aside; given the overly broad interpretation of what constitutes 'work' in Thailand, what types of work are prohibited trades and foreigners can't work in them, as well as NOT being in possession of a work permit; I'm sometimes reticent to even use the "bum-squirter" in my house after using the toilet. Agree with you its sad they dont take advantage of the free resources available, I also think there is another selfish reason too. The English teachers dont want to lose face in fron t of students, being shown up as not as competent as a native English speaker in the classroom,so, rather than endure that the students dont progress as they could. A rare view of Thai forward thinking, only because its in self interest though. Nong , l think you have hit the nail on the head ,,, having been in a classroom with a Thai english teacher ,, it left a lot to be desired ,,,,,,and as for me having a degree , l have 2 only ,, 1 from the school of life and the other from the school of hard knocks ,, l might have been a bit misleading when l said "overseeing",,,, l guess its just checking on pronunciation ,,,ie ,, making sure they get "G'day mate" and "how ya goin cobber" correct and can draw a kangaroo or koala ,,,,,, thanks for the advice ,, its not worth the trouble,that is what any school boss would probably think ,,,unfortunately cheers egg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davehowden Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 (edited) Can anybody point me at the Thai document which states that a work permit is required for doing unpaid work, I would like to show it (quote it) to the head teacher who is adamant that I do not need one as I will not be paid for my efforts. I was thinking of giving the kids in the local school a couple of hours English conversation each week but the WORK PERMIT situation seems OTT. Thanks Edited July 5, 2012 by davehowden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 The alien working act : An alien needs a work permit to work. What is considered work is defined in section 5 and clearly states that it doesn't matter if you get paid or not. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?app=core&module=attach§ion=attach&attach_id=162114 (English) http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?app=core&module=attach§ion=attach&attach_id=162113 (Thai) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davehowden Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Mario2008 Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davehowden Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Mario2008 Section 4.6 says that a work Permit is not required for activities "for the advantages of education". Do you know if this covers teaching? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Volunteering at a (government) school requires a work permit. The exceptions are more for things like international events, like the Asia Games and other international competitions, accademic contests etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davehowden Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Mario2008 Again, many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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