Work Permit For Volunteer Work

[connda]

In the years that I've been here, I've read lots about Thai labor law, visas, and work permits.

One issue that occasional comes up is performing volunteer work. Most people who follow this subject know that a work permit is required to perform volunteer work.

So, here's my question: Has anyone that you know, or have you yourself, obtained a work permit to perform volunteer work? If so - what did you have to do to obtain the work permit to perform volunteer work?

I'm looking forward to the feedback!

[Mario2008]

Not difficult to get. The difficulty is that many organizations can't be bothered or don't know how to go about it.

What you need is an organisation (government or registered charity) that wants you as a volunteer and is willing to help you apply for a work permit. The work permit requires some paperwork, from both you (like the degree of your highest education) and paperwork from the organisations. (Like contract, how many hours you volunteeer, where, how many people work for the organisation, etc)

You cna even get an extension of stay from immigraiton based on volunteering.

[connda]

Not difficult to get. The difficulty is that many organizations can't be bothered or don't know how to go about it.

What you need is an organisation (government or registered charity) that wants you as a volunteer and is willing to help you apply for a work permit. The work permit requires some paperwork, from both you (like the degree of your highest education) and paperwork from the organisations. (Like contract, how many hours you volunteeer, where, how many people work for the organisation, etc)

You cna even get an extension of stay from immigraiton based on volunteering.

Thanks, but do you know someone who has actually successfully obtain a WP for volunteer work?

I've been through the process to obtain a WP as a salaried employee of a company, but I've never met anyone yet who has said they have obtained a WP based on volunteer work. I'd love to hear from an individual, organization, or charity that has successfully jumped through all the right hoops to obtain one.

[Mario2008]

I have myself, but I volunteer for the government.

Several other memebrs also have a wp for volunteering for various organisations.

[connda]

I have myself, but I volunteer for the government.

Several other memebrs also have a wp for volunteering for various organisations.

Mario2008,

Excellent! That's useful. Here's my situation. I live out in the middle of nowhere in Northern Thailand. I'm retired. I live a simple life in my wife's village. I'm the only farang in the village. I'm one of maybe 5 farang within the Amper, and I guarantee I'm the only farang fully qualified to teach (with over three years of teaching experience in Thailand, and over seven years teaching in my own country -- although teaching was not my primary skill -- computer systems engineering was). Now, I live in a rural community with a lot of poor farmers.

Government schools in this Amper do not have the resources that, say, government schools have in larger cities like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, and Lampang. The bigger cities with large government schools can employee native speaking teachers and pay them a "livable" salary (24K to 30K baht). But rural schools -- sorry -- out of luck. Don't have the money. And not many native English speaking foreigners, especially young 20 to 30 year old's, would want to teach out in the sticks anyway..

When I moved to my wife's village, we talked with family and let it be know that I'd like to find a way to contribute to the community. Now I've lived here long enough to understand the bureaucracy that you have to put up with when dealing with the MoL and MoE. If you've been here since 2008, you know too: Jai yen, be polite, don't make anyone lose face, and Jai yen again. Stay cool...slow heart. Be respectful.

Now it seems that it's been circulated through the local village grapevine that, this valley in the middle of nowhere, now has a retired farang English teacher who's interested in helping the community. This info seemed to have worked it's way, via word of mouth, to one of the local secondary schools. Now I found out from a friend, of a friend, of a friend (you know how it works in Thailand) that the school may be interested in possibly employing me.

Now, problem number one: I don't want to be "employed". I'm retired. Employment means contracts, scheduling expectation, and other headaches that I don't want to put up with, including teaching kids who don't want to be taught.

What I do want to do is volunteer. I have experience developing curriculum, and I have experience teaching Thai English teachers different methods and techniques of teaching English. I've been there and I've done it. I enjoy working with Thai teachers. It's very gratifying. And I love teaching students who are sincerely interested in learning. That is something that I find extremely rewarding: Personally rewarding! Intrinsically rewarding! I don't need or want money. And in the Western culture I come from, retirees routinely do volunteer work -- it's a way of giving back to society. It's self-gratifying.

In my life, I've been dirt poor at times: at one time I was living out of my car. I've also lived a blue collar, middle class life -- a financially comfortable life doing some darn hard, and dangerous work.. I've lived a rather austere life while serving my country in the military. And after completing my college degree as a middle aged man, I found some financial success. I feel blessed in a way because I have experienced living: living poor, living middle class, and living reasonably well off.

Now? I live a very simple life on a modest pension, and I'm happy. I don't need much and I don't want much. I don't live with a bunch of farangs in a big city, gated community. I live with rural Thais in rural Thailand. And I want to give back to society. And Thailand is my home now, so I want to give back to Thai society..

In my country, that wouldn't raise and eyebrow, but here in Thailand I think it's looked on with a certain degree of suspicion. In Thai culture, you know, most people seem to have a reason for doing "charitable acts". If you contribute to the local temple - you make merit. You give money to an institution - you get your name on a plaque. You give food to flood victims - you get a photo op with the local new station. Culturally I believe this is สำนึกบุญคุณ (săm-nʉ́k bun kun) or a expectation or cultural obligation to repay debts: debts of kindness, helpfulness, or help working your way up the social ladder. There is a cultural expectation to be repaid. In Western countries, we're raised to be independent -- many of us (not all of us) are internally motivated. Our gratification is through our own acts of kindness and giving. And there, in essence, is possibly the culture divide that creates this problem.

So, bottom line: yeah! I would like a work permit so I could do volunteer work with the local schools in the poor rural villages in and around where I live. I'm sure that there are some exceptional students and exceptional teachers who could benefit from working with me. If I could help a handful of kids to get beyond the village and into schools or English speaking job opportunities -- that would be my reward. Because those kids could then help their families to live a comfortable life. And therein is my reward. Making life better for people who would otherwise not have that opportunity.

Bureaucratic institutions in Thailand tend to shoot themselves in the foot because, from a cultural perspective, they can't comprehend the resources they have available, especially in the farang retired community.

So Mario2008, what obstacles did you have to navigate to obtain you work permit to perform volunteer work? The more information I can obtain, the more info I can pass on to the schools who may be interested in my offer to perform volunteer service.

Thanks!

[connda]

I have myself, but I volunteer for the government.

Several other memebrs also have a wp for volunteering for various organisations.

Mario2008,

Excellent! That's useful. Here's my situation. I live out in the middle of nowhere in Northern Thailand. I'm retired. I live a simple life in my wife's village. I'm the only farang in the village. I'm one of maybe 5 farang within the Amper, and I guarantee I'm the only farang fully qualified to teach (with over three years of teaching experience in Thailand, and over seven years teaching in my own country -- although teaching was not my primary skill -- computer systems engineering was. Now, I live in a rural community with a lot of poor farmers.

Government schools in this Amper do not have the resources that, say, government schools have in larger cities like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, and Lampang. The bigger cities with large government schools can employee native speaking teachers and pay them a "livable" salary (24K to 30K baht). But rural schools -- sorry -- out of luck. Don't have the money. And not many native English speaking foreigners, especially young 20 to 30 year old's, would want to teach out in the sticks anyway..

When I moved to my wife's village, we talked with family and let it be know that I'd like to find a way to contribute to the community. Now I've lived here long enough to understand the bureaucracy that you have to put up with when dealing with the MoL and MoE. If you've been here since 2008, you know too: Jai yen, be polite, don't make anyone lose face, and Jai yen again. Stay cool...slow heart. Be respectful.

Now it seems that it's been circulated through the local village grapevine that, this valley in the middle of nowhere, now has a retired farang English teacher who's interested in helping the community. This info seemed to have worked it's way, via word of mouth, to one of the local secondary schools. Now I found out from a friend, of a friend, of a friend (you know how it works in Thailand) that the school may be interested in possibly employing me.

Now, problem number one: I don't want to be "employed". I'm retired. Employment means contracts, scheduling expectation, and other headaches that I don't want to put up with, including teaching kids who don't want to be taught.

What I do want to do is volunteer. I have experience developing curriculum, and I have experience teaching Thai English teachers different methods and techniques of teaching English. I've been there and I've done it. I enjoy working with Thai teachers. It's very gratifying. And I love teaching students who are sincerely interested in learning. That is something that I find extremely rewarding: Personally rewarding! Intrinsically rewarding! I don't need or want money. And in the Western culture I come from, retirees routinely do volunteer work -- it's a way of giving back to society. It's self-gratifying.

In my life, I've been dirt poor at times: at one time I was living out of my car. I've also lived a blue collar, middle class life -- a financially comfortable life doing some darn hard, and dangerous work.. I've lived a rather austere life while serving my country in the military. And after completing my college degree as a middle aged man, I found some financial success. I feel blessed in a way because I have experienced living: living poor, living middle class, and living reasonably well off.

Now? I live a very simple life on a modest pension, and I'm happy. I don't need much and I don't want much. I don't live with a bunch of farangs in a big city, gated community. I live with rural Thais in rural Thailand. And I want to give back to society. And Thailand is my home now, so I want to give back to Thai society..

In my country, that wouldn't raise and eyebrow, but here in Thailand I think it's looked on with a certain degree of suspicion. In Thai culture, you know, most people seem to have a reason for doing "charitable acts". If you contribute to the local temple - you make merit. You give money to an institution - you get your name on a plaque. You give food to flood victims - you get a photo op with the local new station. Culturally I believe this is สำนึกบุญคุณ (săm-nʉ́k bun kun) or a expectation or cultural obligation to repay debts: debts of kindness, helpfulness, or help working your way up the social ladder. There is a cultural expectation to be repaid. In Western countries, we're raised to be independent -- many of us (not all of us) are internally motivated. Our gratification is through our own acts of kindness and giving. And there, in essence, is possibly the culture divide that creates this problem.

So, bottom line: yeah! I would like a work permit so I could do volunteer work with the local schools in the poor rural villages in and around where I live. I'm sure that there are some exceptional students and exceptional teachers who could benefit from working with me. If I could help a handful of kids to get beyond the village and into schools or English speaking job opportunities -- that would be my reward. Because those kids could then help their families to live a comfortable life. And therein is my reward. Making life better for people who would otherwise not have that opportunity.

Bureaucratic institutions in Thailand tend to shoot themselves in the foot because, from a cultural perspective, they can't comprehend the resources they have available, especially in the farang retired community.

So Mario2008, what obstacles did you have to navigate to obtain you work permit to perform volunteer work? The more information I can obtain, the more info I can pass on to the schools who may be interested in my offer to perform volunteer service.

Thanks!

[Mario2008]

Not many obstacles. It is just a question of going to the labour office and talking with them. I have found them more then helpfull in getting all the paperwork in order for a work permit. At my old school even the governor said if there were any problems to just call him. What was needed from me was my passport and degree. Also they will need a etter from the area education office approving you as a volunteer.

Your problem will be with the fact that you are on an extension of stay based on retirement. Normally no work permit is issued in that case. I suggest checking if the school or education office has good contacts with the governor and to try and emlist his help in getting a work permit.

[connda]

Not many obstacles. It is just a question of going to the labour office and talking with them. I have found them more then helpfull in getting all the paperwork in order for a work permit. At my old school even the governor said if there were any problems to just call him. What was needed from me was my passport and degree. Also they will need a etter from the area education office approving you as a volunteer.

Your problem will be with the fact that you are on an extension of stay based on retirement. Normally no work permit is issued in that case. I suggest checking if the school or education office has good contacts with the governor and to try and emlist his help in getting a work permit.

Mario2008,

Thank you -- that's what I was looking for. That gives me a good start. And by the way, I'm on an extension of stay based on marriage on a Business visa. Retirement to me means I'm not working at the moment. I wanted my options open if I wanted to return to work (or volunteer). The visa is not an issue. This gives me a good base to work from. If I can get the support from various community Puiyai, we might be able to make this work. Hey! I see a reason for some optimism! Good deal!

Thanks again!

Edited October 30, 2011 by connda