Volunteer Work When Having Retirement Visa

[henkie220358]

im living in thailand on a retirement visa, can i do legally volunteer work for a dartsorganisation

[expat63]

Nope

[Mario2008]

Volunteering requires a work eprmit, which is normally not issued to people on retirement. No problem in trying to get one, but suspect it will be denied.

[henkie220358]

Thanks the told me i can do this but i dont believe it

[Jingthing]

What a huge waste of a great potential resource! I reckon quite a significant percentage of retired expats would be very interested in at least part time volunteer work. Many of us have lots to give from a lifetime of work experience. Another example of protectionist policies shooting Thailand in it's own foot.

[Lifer]

What a huge waste of a great potential resource! I reckon quite a significant percentage of retired expats would be very interested in at least part time volunteer work. Many of us have lots to give from a lifetime of work experience. Another example of protectionist policies shooting Thailand in it's own foot.

Agree! Just add it to the list of things you don't like about Thailand. They don't like volunteers to be involved anymore than other countries that try and help in cases of disaster. It's their country.

[Lifer]

Actually the poster is spot on. Retirees have great experience (usually) after working their entire life that could be used to help the Thai people. I have been here long enough to know some that volunteer anyway, and just stay low key about it. Usually nobody complains about it unless they think your getting paid for your work.

[purushanti]

FWIW, I have even had the experience, at one one of my BKK extensions for purpose of retirement, of being asked to sign an extra paper indicating that i understood this regulation.

[nycboy57]

Does this apply to being elected to Condo Committee?

or being on a support group in the Condo that meets in the lobby to

better the conditions in the Condo, or being a member of 12 Step meeting

and doing service there like being a Secretary or volunteering to be

of service and help a newcomer? or doing anything for no payment for

others in the Condo or meetings? It is hard to believe but every day is a learning

experience here and in the world.

Thanks for the feedback and any details that are factual in this matter, with

some sort of documentation would be helpful.

As a matter of fact, maybe even helping people by answering topics here might be

considered doing Volunteer work would it not?

I do hope I and others are wrong about this and do have facts to back up

these claims of what is considered illegal in terms of retirement visa rules.

thanks in advance

[TaoNow]

Sometimes, it helps to think about the possible rationale behind these regulations.

And in my 40-year experience here there is ALWAYS a rational explanation for government regs. (So let's bury the "TIT" Trinkism).

Re this topic, my understanding is that DOL is primarily concerned about foreigners taking jobs away from Thais.

So imagine the retiree who is a native English speaker and wants to do volunteer English tutoring for Thai school students.

How would the local English teacher feel about that, especially when s/he depends on tutoring income for survival.

S/he might complain to DOL in that case.

In OP's case, I would ask myself, "Am I taking a job away from a Thai by volunteering my time for the darts organization?"

It's a question of the spirit versus the letter of the law in considering what may be the operational factor in enforcement.

[TwentyBaht]

TaoNow has explained the Thai government regulation quite well. And, this is exactly my experience here.

I would only add a hint if someone here on retirement indeed wants to volunteer at doing something like English teaching. Go around to the temples. And, talk with the head of the temple. The more progressive temples will allow/want you to set up a volunteer teaching program. Sometimes, one will already be in place. And, my experience is that not having a work permit is not an issue if the teaching is done on temple property. (Will further add that a Thai English teacher is a student in my temple classes. And, a police officer studying for his Immigration tests. And, former students were children of Immigration Officers.)

Cheers

[Mario2008]

Volunteering without a work permit is illegal. Will the government actively hunt you? No. Mostimes they will appreciate what you do. But rememeber the tsunami, volunteers where then warned that they should have a work permit. It was quickly retracted by higher up in the chain, but shows the law.

Also consider:

- what will happen if you get involved in an accident when you volunteer without a work permit?

- if you get an accident while volunteering without a work permit, does your (health, liability, etc) insurence cover it?

[Thongkorn]

I have worked in A Thai hospital for a week, it was about two years ago, a truck hit a bus in the early hours of the morning, it was full of Burmese people coming home from the night shift. As usual the truck driver did a runner. My wife's mother works there and got a call because the could not cope,I went and did a bit of portering, pushing people about in wheel chairs and menial jobs in general. There was 16 killed and many who had to ave amputations.There where many police about and people from there Thai Boarder agency , due to many of them being Burmese. I got thanked and have help a few times now. there is a difference between charity work and working to make money. but the letter of the law is you need a permit, but i cannot see any body causing a problem if you are doing it for free.