Please Help Me, I Need Information Quickly. (Llan To Leave In 3 Weeks)

[gdesu1]

Hello,

I have some questions and i realy need to contact this forum for some information.

I am Geert, 20 years old and i have a very good friend living in thailand wich i plan tovisit for a long time this year, i can stay at her place.

The flight is already booked, i will depart the 24th.

My hobby wich became kind off my job is DJ'ing, i DJ alot here in the netherlands and i make enough money to call it a job but i dont have a special permit or contract for it, DJ'ing doesnt always need a contract, alot of dj's are their own boss and own agency, i dont have a agency either, does this mean that i need a workpermit to continue DJing in thailand? for europe this is not neccesary but ineed to know because thailand has some extremely dangerous risks, if i make 1mistake with work i go to jail and that would be a disaster.

I am surethat i can play in many clubs of bangkok with my status, but my question was(can i dj in thailand without being illegal?) can i go on a tourist visa and DJat a club without a contract, or is that risky and do i need a work permit? andhow do i get a work permit?

I also wantto know about ANY risk invovled staying long in thailand/working all info (iplan to stay more than 3 months, how can i do this legally?), i am scared tomake a mistake and go to jail because i heard alot of bad stories about thaigovernment with innocent tourist going to jail.

I wanteverything legally and i want to be sure that i can stay with my friend (at herhouse) for a few months while continueing my dj work.

And if i can, then do i have to get that visa here? or can i also get it in thailand on arrival?

Please helpme with information.

Kind Regards & Greetings

[Soutpeel]

Any form of work requires a WP, what you propose to do is work, and in a very visible sort of job ie DJ'ing you are taking a very big risk.....refer to case on reported on TV not so long ago, some farang musicans where arrested for "working" without a WP.

To do it legally you will need sponsership by a Thai entity for the WP

[DocW]

And not only that but trust me your chances of getting a job here as a foreign Dj is slim to none. Maybe 1 in a million if your lucky. I'm sorry to bare the bad news but unless you have any other skills that Thailand needs then save your money because legally you won't make any money here.

What you will find here on Thai Visa is may posts of how people stay for 3, 6 or 9 months on back to back tourist visas etc. But most have enough money to hold them through.

PS: Soutpeel I missed that one about the musicians. Is there a thread somewhere here on TV with that link? Im intersted to read because Im a musician too (Just a home musician).

[true blue]

And not only that but trust me your chances of getting a job here as a foreign Dj is slim to none. Maybe 1 in a million if your lucky. I'm sorry to bare the bad news but unless you have any other skills that Thailand needs then save your money because legally you won't make any money here.

What you will find here on Thai Visa is may posts of how people stay for 3, 6 or 9 months on back to back tourist visas etc. But most have enough money to hold them through.

PS: Soutpeel I missed that one about the musicians. Is there a thread somewhere here on TV with that link? Im intersted to read because Im a musician too (Just a home musician).

its in the chiang mai forum

[Lite Beer]

PS: Soutpeel I missed that one about the musicians. Is there a thread somewhere here on TV with that link? Im intersted to read because Im a musician too (Just a home musician).

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/471955-the-music-is-over/

[gdesu1]

And not only that but trust me your chances of getting a job here as a foreign Dj is slim to none. Maybe 1 in a million if your lucky. I'm sorry to bare the bad news but unless you have any other skills that Thailand needs then save your money because legally you won't make any money here.

What you will find here on Thai Visa is may posts of how people stay for 3, 6 or 9 months on back to back tourist visas etc. But most have enough money to hold them through.

PS: Soutpeel I missed that one about the musicians. Is there a thread somewhere here on TV with that link? Im intersted to read because Im a musician too (Just a home musician).

sorry i dont want to be cocky but i have to reply to this,

my chances of getting a dj job are big actually, i am a populair dj in the europe clubbing scene,i had a nr1 hit on some dance charts and i have played on several radio stations, i have been booked in ibiza and hersonissos many times and i can easily put on a great performance in bangkok and make them willing to hire me, but all i need is to know this information : )

[jdinasia]

And not only that but trust me your chances of getting a job here as a foreign Dj is slim to none. Maybe 1 in a million if your lucky. I'm sorry to bare the bad news but unless you have any other skills that Thailand needs then save your money because legally you won't make any money here.

What you will find here on Thai Visa is may posts of how people stay for 3, 6 or 9 months on back to back tourist visas etc. But most have enough money to hold them through.

PS: Soutpeel I missed that one about the musicians. Is there a thread somewhere here on TV with that link? Im intersted to read because Im a musician too (Just a home musician).

sorry i dont want to be cocky but i have to reply to this,

my chances of getting a dj job are big actually, i am a populair dj in the europe clubbing scene,i had a nr1 hit on some dance charts and i have played on several radio stations, i have been booked in ibiza and hersonissos many times and i can easily put on a great performance in bangkok and make them willing to hire me, but all i need is to know this information : )

1) You must have a Non-immigrant visa to get a work Permit. (hereafter reffered to as a WP)

2) You cannot work without a WP legally. As noted DJ'ing is highly visible

3) You cannot put on a great performance to get a job without first having a job.

4) There are some short-term WP's available in some place for performing arts. You are not likely to get one. It is not impossible.

5) This isn't europe.

6) If you know a club-owner that will sponsor your non-imm visa, you are more likely to have some success but again this isn't Europe. A WP is limited to one place. Any additional employers listed on a WP require both a letter from the employers on the WP AND a new visit to the MoL.

(I think that about covers it)

[gdesu1]

And not only that but trust me your chances of getting a job here as a foreign Dj is slim to none. Maybe 1 in a million if your lucky. I'm sorry to bare the bad news but unless you have any other skills that Thailand needs then save your money because legally you won't make any money here.

What you will find here on Thai Visa is may posts of how people stay for 3, 6 or 9 months on back to back tourist visas etc. But most have enough money to hold them through.

PS: Soutpeel I missed that one about the musicians. Is there a thread somewhere here on TV with that link? Im intersted to read because Im a musician too (Just a home musician).

sorry i dont want to be cocky but i have to reply to this,

my chances of getting a dj job are big actually, i am a populair dj in the europe clubbing scene,i had a nr1 hit on some dance charts and i have played on several radio stations, i have been booked in ibiza and hersonissos many times and i can easily put on a great performance in bangkok and make them willing to hire me, but all i need is to know this information : )

3) You cannot put on a great performance to get a job without first having a job.

thats nonsense, so no any dj can ever dj in thailand again because Auditioning is illegal?

auditioning for a job is illegal too? its SHOWING your skills WITHOUT earning money..

[jdinasia]

Volunteering requires a WP to be legal.

Perhaps one of the specialists can list the possible penalties for being caught working without a WP. (again DJ'ing is a very high profile job)

[gdesu1]

Volunteering requires a WP to be legal.

how can you volunteer with a wp if you need the owners contract or paper work to get a wp first

they need to know your abbility first, why will the owner give you the contary Beforeyou volunteered, that makes no sense. volunteering usually comes first, that will make the company decide if they will hire you. so if you need a WP to volunteer how can you get a WP, because for a Wp you need the company's conformation, and why should they give it without seeing your skills first.

this is SO fustrating..

[jdinasia]

Volunteering requires a WP to be legal.

how can you volunteer with a wp if you need the owners contract or paper work to get a wp first

they need to know your abbility first, why will the owner give you the contary Beforeyou volunteered, that makes no sense. volunteering usually comes first, that will make the company decide if they will hire you. so if you need a WP to volunteer how can you get a WP, because for a Wp you need the company's conformation, and why should they give it without seeing your skills first.

this is SO fustrating..

Now you are ready to scroll up and re-read what you were told from the beginning. If you don't know someone in the club-scene (limited as it is), and you don't speak Thai, and you don't know the Thai audience's tastes ... you are extremely unlikely to find legal employment. Working w/o the WP can land you in jail ... and fined ... and THEN deported and blacklisted. (You pay for your own deportation back to the country you had a passport from and entered the Kingdom on. If you don't have the cash for that they move you from the regular jail and toss you into the immigration detention center until you come up with the cash to pay the airline ticket and police escort to the airport.

MANY people work in Thailand illegally, not many get caught.Most work in low-profile jobs (foreign native English speaking teacher upcountry. Police's kids likely to be your students and nobody cares. High Profile jobs ..... way too risky.

[gdesu1]

Volunteering requires a WP to be legal.

how can you volunteer with a wp if you need the owners contract or paper work to get a wp first

they need to know your abbility first, why will the owner give you the contary Beforeyou volunteered, that makes no sense. volunteering usually comes first, that will make the company decide if they will hire you. so if you need a WP to volunteer how can you get a WP, because for a Wp you need the company's conformation, and why should they give it without seeing your skills first.

this is SO fustrating..

Now you are ready to scroll up and re-read what you were told from the beginning. If you don't know someone in the club-scene (limited as it is), and you don't speak Thai, and you don't know the Thai audience's tastes ... you are extremely unlikely to find legal employment. Working w/o the WP can land you in jail ... and fined ... and THEN deported and blacklisted. (You pay for your own deportation back to the country you had a passport from and entered the Kingdom on. If you don't have the cash for that they move you from the regular jail and toss you into the immigration detention center until you come up with the cash to pay the airline ticket and police escort to the airport.

MANY people work in Thailand illegally, not many get caught.Most work in low-profile jobs (foreign native English speaking teacher upcountry. Police's kids likely to be your students and nobody cares. High Profile jobs ..... way too risky.

Stop talking about illegal,

i said i am NOT going to do it illegally, i WILL GET a work permit first...

but the problem is, how can i get a work permit first, because the club requires me to audition first, and for a audition you need a work permit, but for that you need the clubs conformation wich they wont give without the Audition first...

and there are MANY foreign djs working legally in thailand, BED SUPPER CLUB and LED have many foreign djs every month, LEGALLY.

it should be possible to dj legally there with a permit.

and there is alot of difference in just a regular thai dj (i have never heard of a good one) or good european djs with status, it will benefit the club ALOT to hire a good foreign dj, all i need is the work permit.

[gdesu1]

also, i do know the audience tastes and its easy for me to make it even better, i do have contact with the club managers, and i can come audition and have high chance of them hiring me, all thats left is a work permit.

[Maestro]

The 15-day work permit you mentioned in this duplicate topic is probably the Necessary and Urgent Work Acknowledgment, discussed here. Musicians and DJs are not listed there but it has been recently suggested in this news article, already linked to above in another post, that it is now granted also to musicians. The Department of Employment charges no fee for it and it would cover you for the auditioning.

[TommyDee]

Volunteering requires a WP to be legal.

how can you volunteer with a wp if you need the owners contract or paper work to get a wp first

they need to know your abbility first, why will the owner give you the contary Beforeyou volunteered, that makes no sense. volunteering usually comes first, that will make the company decide if they will hire you. so if you need a WP to volunteer how can you get a WP, because for a Wp you need the company's conformation, and why should they give it without seeing your skills first.

this is SO fustrating..

Now you are ready to scroll up and re-read what you were told from the beginning. If you don't know someone in the club-scene (limited as it is), and you don't speak Thai, and you don't know the Thai audience's tastes ... you are extremely unlikely to find legal employment. Working w/o the WP can land you in jail ... and fined ... and THEN deported and blacklisted. (You pay for your own deportation back to the country you had a passport from and entered the Kingdom on. If you don't have the cash for that they move you from the regular jail and toss you into the immigration detention center until you come up with the cash to pay the airline ticket and police escort to the airport.

MANY people work in Thailand illegally, not many get caught.Most work in low-profile jobs (foreign native English speaking teacher upcountry. Police's kids likely to be your students and nobody cares. High Profile jobs ..... way too risky.

Stop talking about illegal,

i said i am NOT going to do it illegally, i WILL GET a work permit first...

but the problem is, how can i get a work permit first, because the club requires me to audition first, and for a audition you need a work permit, but for that you need the clubs conformation wich they wont give without the Audition first...

and there are MANY foreign djs working legally in thailand, BED SUPPER CLUB and LED have many foreign djs every month, LEGALLY.

it should be possible to dj legally there with a permit.

and there is alot of difference in just a regular thai dj (i have never heard of a good one) or good european djs with status, it will benefit the club ALOT to hire a good foreign dj, all i need is the work permit.

not stop, but start mate. this is NOT EUROPE, and all the trendy thoughts about what you think is right and wrong wil not help you because, this is Thailand. as someone rightly pointed out, you are not aquainted with music tastes of the local nationals so the chances of you "making it" here are low. every year HUNDREDS of DJs come over with a dream of spinning records for a living, and go away realising... it aint going to happen. Like it or not thats the way it is, and bleating about whats right in your mind isnt going to help you.

a work permit is expensive, require a lot of paperwork and for an employer is a nightmare if he can employ a local national for the same task, and actually he CAN.. there are also THOUSANDS of reocrd spiners who are thai.

and before you tell me i know nothing, I actually do as I work in the music game, right here in Thailand. Locals will sit glumly as you do your stuff and then jump and dance en mass to one song by a thai band, made 25 years ago and sung in a local dialect. as for tourists.. they are easily engaged with thai DJs too. the exceptions are one offs, like the dreaded Boy george, who came out, played and left within a few days.

auditioning is a questionable area as although you are working, you are applying for work, if you dont perform as part of that trial, then it "might" not be work, but you would need a Business visa for it on any account, ( experts will better tell you).

By the way, you do realise that the wages for an unknown dj or in fact pretty much any dj are crap dont you? you might want to look into that too

good luck anyway

[gdesu1]

every year HUNDREDS of DJs come over with a dream of spinning records for a living, and go away realising... it aint going to happen. Like it or not thats the way it is, and bleating about whats right in your mind isnt going to help you.

a work permit is expensive, require a lot of paperwork and for an employer is a nightmare if he can employ a local national for the same task, and actually he CAN.. there are also THOUSANDS of reocrd spiners who are thai.

and before you tell me i know nothing, I actually do as I work in the music game, right here in Thailand. Locals will sit glumly as you do your stuff and then jump and dance en mass to one song by a thai band, made 25 years ago and sung in a local dialect. as for tourists.. they are easily engaged with thai DJs too. the exceptions are one offs, like the dreaded Boy george, who came out, played and left within a few days.

auditioning is a questionable area as although you are working, you are applying for work, if you dont perform as part of that trial, then it "might" not be work, but you would need a Business visa for it on any account, ( experts will better tell you).

By the way, you do realise that the wages for an unknown dj or in fact pretty much any dj are crap dont you? you might want to look into that too

good luck anyway

i am getting so so tired of this, you people are all replying answers that are misplaced.

first of all i am not an unknown dj, dont compare me with most of the AMATEURS that come to thailand in hope to make it, i already MADE IT in europe and if i stayed here i will probably get another hit this or next summer, i am not some random dj, i have dj'd in the biggest clubs of holland, spain and greece, i have even played at miami florida beach and i had a radio hit in 2009 on european radio stations.

this summer i was planning to visit my thai friend and live in thailand for a few months while continueing my music, i have good contact with club bed supper, insomnia, led and some other few, i know EXACTLY what their resident dj's play and i am SURE that i can bring it even better, i have already exchanged demo's and mixes with the booking agents and club managers in bangkok and everything is looking good, all they want now is for me to come do an audition before they hire me, THATS WHY i want to know about the permit and audition wich is confusing because i read that even auditioning can require a permit.

Stop going off topic please, you dont know anything about me, most answers that i get are NOT what i am asking for, alot of users dont try to answer my real question but go off topic.

[gdesu1]

The Department of Employment charges no fee for it and it would cover you for the auditioning.

thank you maestro,

this 15 day permit, will that stay limited at 15 days? it is perfect to do the auditions, will i be able to get a real one later? for several months?

[endure]

It's not that they're going off topic but that they're giving you answers that you don't want to hear even though one of them actually works in the music business in Thailand.

[gdesu1]

It's not that they're going off topic but that they're giving you answers that you don't want to hear even though one of them actually works in the music business in Thailand.

i already knew those things, but he is mistaking me for one of those random guys that want to make it in thailand, i am already a proffesional dj with a status, i dont need thailand to "make it' at all, i just want to spend some months there while continueing my work.

thats it, i already have the contact didnt you read my post? everything is fine and getting the jobs is not a problem at all, the thing i am struggling with is the work permits now.

i need to know if i can use that 15 day free wp and later get a real one once they hire me.

[Blendo]

Ya, you guys are being silly - You think Thais don't like to dance ? Also there is tons of people from all over the world in Thailand.

If the lad had the option he could start his own night somewhere and make his own events and do really well.

Man, these people... blah.. I play music and I can't count the time some boring jerk trys to tell me I suck and I will never get a gig or that there is too many guitar players/djs/vjs

Its all BULL, I can play out 4 times a week if I want in my backwoods place, I might not get rich off it but its all about the MUSIC, people this man loves music and thats what you don't get, he is going to be playing music if you like it or not does mean some Thais ain't going to bust some moves on the dance floor...

lol..

If you get legal you should try to get a few gigs up in Chiang Mai, there is a nice little scene up there, and also other places, but thats where I love !

[endure]

It's not that they're going off topic but that they're giving you answers that you don't want to hear even though one of them actually works in the music business in Thailand.

i already knew those things, but he is mistaking me for one of those random guys that want to make it in thailand, i am already a proffesional dj with a status, i dont need thailand to "make it' at all, i just want to spend some months there while continueing my work.

thats it, i already have the contact didnt you read my post? everything is fine and getting the jobs is not a problem at all, the thing i am struggling with is the work permits now.

i need to know if i can use that 15 day free wp and later get a real one once they hire me.

If you have good contacts with clubs that already hire European DJs and they're willing to give you an audition why aren't you asking them to help you rather than a bunch of strangers? After all, the clubs have been through the audition/work permits stuff already. They ought to know exactly what's needed.

[ScubaBuddha]

My hobby is..i'm a DJ....

i am a populair dj in the europe ... i can easily put on a great performance in bangkok...i already MADE IT in europe..i had a radio hit in 2009 on european radio stations.

Lulz

[IMA_FARANG]

Geert:

The people here are giving you good advice.

About 1980 I had an American friend who hosted a show on FM radio in Japan for a while as a DJ. He came to Thailand to try to work here in Bangkok as a DJ on a local FM radio station here.

It took him 9 months to find a job as a DJ on the radio here. When he finally got a job as a DJ the pay was barely enough for him to live here. After another 6 months or so he had no money and only managed to get back to the U.S. by borrowing money frpm his family.

Anyhow, as it seems you are determined to do it, and probably won't listen to what I post here; there seems to be no point in my trying to explain this to you.

But just to be clear:

1. There are certain profession in Thailand that are PROHIBITED by law for foriegners to do. I believe that being a DJ in a club or on a radio is one of them and therefore it is ILLEGAL for a foriegner to do that.

2. If you come here on a tourist visa it should say on the visa in your passport that "Employment is PROHIBITED" on that visa.

3. Even if you DO find a job and can somehow manage to get a Work Permit from your employers your salary will be low. If you do manage to find a job you will have to change your wisa to a Non O B (business) visa to work legally. That will require you to be sponsored for that Work Permit by your employer.

4. For each actual job opening there ae litterly dozens of applicants...and the one who does somehow manage to get that job is usually the one who is willing to take the lowest salary.

5. Because of those 4 reasons above the club owners and radio station owners/managers have a ready pool of people who want the "glamour" of being "on the radio". For that reason, if the owner deides to cut your pay or just NOT pay you....then you have very little you can do about it. There's always someone else waiting to get on the radio...and they will take a lower salary than you will. And as a foriegner there is no one who will listen to our complaints.

6. And finally...Asian or Korean (K pop) is the big thing with Thai teenagers now. If you're not an Asian or not into the Asian/K pop scene...you won't be popular here as a European DJ. It doesn't matter how good you are here in Bangkok or Thailand...Asian and K pop is what is wanted.

So, if you come here anyhow, and fnd these things I just posted to be true...please remember that I warned you ahead of time.

And if you do decide to come anyhow...I really do wish you good luck...it's just that you need to know the facts ahead of time.

[Rumpole]

this is SO fustrating..

Ah, welcome to Thailand. :jap:

[Soutpeel]

The Department of Employment charges no fee for it and it would cover you for the auditioning.

thank you maestro,

this 15 day permit, will that stay limited at 15 days? it is perfect to do the auditions, will i be able to get a real one later? for several months?

Getting a 15 day temporary WP is not a given, you have to have a real reason to be issued one and you still need Thai entity sponsorship, I also think they require you to have a non-imm B visa and understand this is a one shot deal, if you try to apply for more than one 15 day per year, they will tell you to go and get a full WP

So to get the temporary WP for an audtion, thec club concerned will have to petion the DOL and provide justifcation for the issue of this WP type and the DOL may approve it or they may not...

[Richard4849]

I agree with the above poster who said to go to the clubs for advice. Nobody here has any idea about the high-level DJ scene.

[boggle]

Yep........

Good luck.

[starship]

It's not that they're going off topic but that they're giving you answers that you don't want to hear even though one of them actually works in the music business in Thailand.

i already knew those things, but he is mistaking me for one of those random guys that want to make it in thailand, i am already a proffesional dj with a status, i dont need thailand to "make it' at all, i just want to spend some months there while continueing my work.

thats it, i already have the contact didnt you read my post? everything is fine and getting the jobs is not a problem at all, the thing i am struggling with is the work permits now.

i need to know if i can use that 15 day free wp and later get a real one once they hire me.

[starship]

Hi. I've only just read your post. You are asking and other posters are commenting on the legality of auditioning/working which is true. Even to audition, for any form of work as i understand it you need a work permit. What's a bit unclear to me is that you say you have close contact with the large clubs such as Bed Supperclub etc and they are posibly interested in giving you work. If that's the case then large clubs like these who have employed foreigners before and indeed employ some foreigners currently would know what's required for you and if they are as interested in you as you claim they would sort out the required permits for you to audition/work. If your claims about how strongly they are interested in you are exagerrated but you are still interesed in auditiioning i would say go for it. You would be under some risk of course but in reality most clubs and particularly ones of this size will be paying off the cops not to interfere and if they did it's likely to be because of some government crackdown for example underage admission or drugs where the police's action is forced. Where i think some responses are incorrect here are that clubs like bed, q bar etc really are more 'international' style clubs playing international dance music. The customers are mainly expat / tourist not your general thai clubbers from my experience. Thai pop / hip hop etc as mentioned in another post is what the mainstream thai clubbers what want but these people go to rca, ratchada and other clubs aimed at this market. From this you can see that you are very limited to just a couple of clubs where you would be matched to play. They whole subject of work permits for Dj's is very vague. I met someone a while back who used to promote nights in bangkok with international dj's and he seem to suggest that most people did not have work permits as you might assume.

Anyway good luck, hope things work out for you.

[beano2274]

Most DJs come here for a couple of nights as performers then leave, they do not have a WP. You don't expect performers such as Kylie to get a WP to do a show at the Impact Arena, for which she would get paid for.

Come and see if it works, if you are that good and it does not work here you can go back home at any time.

And Fat Boy Slim has been here but only for a performance, and everyone loved that.