A Suitable Gift For My Future Thai Employer?

[connda]

I wouldn't bother with a gift. You're providing a service to someone in need of your skills and expertise. Be friendly and attempt to provide them with your best work. That's all you need to do. Good luck and enjoy your 90 days in the Land of Smiles.

[scorecard]

Is it possible to get a work permit when out of the country?

I may be wrong, but I think you have to be here. I had to collect mine in person.

Sorry I am possibly mistaken when I say ‘I have a work permit’ as I have actually been told my work permit has been organized but no I have not received anything in hand via mail or email. So I guess they have submitted the application and it will be finalized or collected when I arrive; however it works.

I have no real knowledge of this industry, but my family knows a Thai man who does hair and make up for fashion shoots, fashion shows etc., in Bangkok and other Thai locations.

He won't start work until there is cash in his pocket. He also watches carefully to ensure none of his equipment disappears and won't allow people to 'borrow' lipsticks, etc

He's mentioned before that many fashion 'agencies' are unreliable, don't have a good reputation for paying their models and other vendors involved, taxi fares never refunded, as promised, food promised never arrives, clothes from fashion houses that should be returned regularly disappear, etc.

A work permit is needed, even for ten minutes of work, (standing on the side and 'advising' is classified as work), and there are consequences if you are caught. If you do get caught, your the person in trouble, not so much your employer.

As mentioned you have to pick up the WP yourself at the Thai Labour Ministry. Normally about 3 to 5 working days to process. I've collected my own WP many times.

Have you been told you will need a medical certificate with a blood test, to be submitted with the WP application documents?

Have you signed the WP application form? Is this 'agency' a registered business (in Thailand)? All of this needs to be 'in order' to get the WP approved.

Don't fall for something like: "don't worry about WP, I (agency owner) have a document which covers all of that for everybody', or similar. This is not possible.

I know of one Thai Indian man (who runs a small travel magazine business) who tells his foreign staff (employed as journalists) that he has a 'multi issue' WP issued to him personally for his business and all Thai business owners have the same thing, which allows the business owner (personally) to enter / change up to 5 names with no documentation submitted to any Thai government agency.

Nobody has ever seen this document because it doesn't exist. Total lies and total bullshit, the Thai WP system simply does not work like that, no country issues WPs to anybody without some, even cursory, checking process by a govt. agency.

Have you been told that there are two steps:

1. Apply for and get WP. (There is a fee at the Thai Labour Ministry, and if your employer is using a WP agent / lawyer there are more, often quite substantial fees.)

2. Use the WP as a means to get a valid appropriate type of visa. This could mean that you have to leave Thailand, go to a Thai consulate abroad (example, Penang in Malaysia, and there are other locations), then travel back into Thailand with a hanful of documents from the Thai consulate to get a new visa, on arrival in Thailand at the 'arrivals' passport desk, which aligns to WP.

Who pays for the WP?

Who pays for any trips outside of Thailand and return to convert your visa, (travel, hotels, meals, local travel) and who pays the fees at the Thai consulate abroad to process the documents?

Has this all been agreed?

With all respect, can I suggest you get all of the above 'in order' before you think about gifts.

Edited February 20, 2012 by scorecard

[scorecard]

Is it possible to get a work permit when out of the country?

I may be wrong, but I think you have to be here. I had to collect mine in person.

Sorry I am possibly mistaken when I say ‘I have a work permit’ as I have actually been told my work permit has been organized but no I have not received anything in hand via mail or email. So I guess they have submitted the application and it will be finalized or collected when I arrive; however it works.

I have no real knowledge of this industry, but my family knows a Thai man who does hair and make up for fashion shoots, fashion shows etc., in Bangkok and other Thai locations.

He won't start work until there is cash in his pocket. He also watches carefully to ensure none of his equipment disappears and won't allow people to 'borrow' lipsticks, etc

He's mentioned before that many fashion 'agencies' are unreliable, don't have a good reputation for paying their models and other vendors involved, taxi fares never refunded, as promised, food promised never arrives, clothes from fashion houses that should be returned regularly disappear, etc.

A work permit is needed, even for ten minutes of work, (standing on the side and 'advising' is classified as work), and there are consequences if you are caught. If you do get caught, your the person in trouble, not so much your employer.

As mentioned you have to pick up the WP yourself at the Thai Labour Ministry. Normally about 3 to 5 working days to process. I've collected my own WP many times.

Have you been told you will need a medical certificate with a blood test, to be submitted with the WP application documents?

Have you signed the WP application form? Is this 'agency' a registered business (in Thailand)? All of this needs to be 'in order' to get the WP approved.

Don't fall for something like: "don't worry about WP, I (agency owner) have a document which covers all of that for everybody', or similar. This is not possible.

I know of one Thai Indian man (who runs a small travel magazine business) who tells his foreign staff (employed as journalists) that he has a 'multi issue' WP issued to him personally for his business and all Thai business owners have the same thing, which allows the business owner (personally) to enter / change up to 5 names with no documentation submitted to any Thai government agency.

Nobody has ever seen this document because it doesn't exist. Total lies and total bullshit, the Thai WP system simply does not work like that, no country issues WPs to anybody without some, even cursory, checking process by a govt. agency.

Have you been told that there are two steps:

1. Apply for and get WP. (There is a fee at the Thai Labour Ministry, and if your employer is using a WP agent / lawyer there are more, often quite substantial fees.)

2. Use the WP as a means to get a valid appropriate type of visa. This could mean that you have to leave Thailand, go to a Thai consulate abroad (example, Penang in Malaysia, and there are other locations), then travel back into Thailand with a hanful of documents from the Thai consulate to get a new visa, on arrival in Thailand at the 'arrivals' passport desk, which aligns to WP.

Who pays for the WP?

Who pays for any trips outside of Thailand and return to convert your visa, (travel, hotels, meals, local travel) and who pays the fees at the Thai consulate abroad to process the documents?

Has this all been agreed?

With all respect, can I suggest you get all of the above 'in order' before you think about gifts.

If you lived previously in Bkk for one year, working in the same business, how come you don't know all the details of work permits / appropriate visas, etc?

Edited February 20, 2012 by scorecard