Deported Teachers

[diggledunc]

I read about the chap in Udon Thani who was deported and it is possibly fair to say it was not a straightforward story. Many teachers working around universities doing private English live on tourist visas. A friend has told that teachers where he lives in a large south Isan city are saying about teachers who have had problems with visas and working and that somewhere deportations have happened.

Sorry to be a bit vague. Anybody heard anything about anybody teaching having problems.

[sirchai]

Something smells fishy here...

[Loaded]

Evidence would contribute greatly to the credibility of the OP's statements.

[diggledunc]

Evidence would contribute greatly to the credibility of the OP's statements.

Hi

Well the problem is I don't have any specific evidence. My friend just told me what English teachers where he lives were saying. I posted because sometimes when there is a concern about something like this it could be that their is something in the rumours. Where I live authorities have been asking questions of teachers in schools which has made a couple of them a little nervous.

It's a serious question as if there is any substance in these rumours then it could have dire consequences for anybody teaching off tourist visas which is illegal but something that many people do.

[Hugh Jarse]

It is illegal to work in Thailand on a visitors visa. Work means volunteering ,ie without pay, also. Neglect this at your peril.

[Scott]

It is illegal. Most teachers do not start work with a non-immigrant B and a Work Permit, but it is against the law. I've not heard of people being deported when the paperwork is in progress.

Some years ago, there was a case involving two teachers who were deported (Bang Ku Thien, in BKK, I believe). They were working for a private language/tuition school and probably turned in by a competitor.

[ignis]

It is illegal to work in Thailand on a visitors visa. Work means volunteering ,ie without pay, also. Neglect this at your peril.

It is over a year ago now, but on a Visit to Laos I got friendly with a Guy School teacher, he had his Passport stolen, he got the Police report and went to the UK Embassy and was issued with a 1 year Passport..... In Laos he had with him his WP, and copies of his lost/stolen passport as well as lots of other paperwork from the school...

He was issued with a 60 day TR visa, he was told it is the only Visa that can be issued with a 1 yr Temp Passport, he was also told it was fine to work with a TR visa as long as he had a WP........ ??

he had already applied for a new 10 year UK Passport via HK,. so would be another trip with the new passport when it arrived to get correct Visa

So it a teacher has a WP already what is with 'It is illegal to work in Thailand on a visitors visa' ?

[diggledunc]

It is illegal to work in Thailand on a visitors visa. Work means volunteering ,ie without pay, also. Neglect this at your peril.

It is over a year ago now, but on a Visit to Laos I got friendly with a Guy School teacher, he had his Passport stolen, he got the Police report and went to the UK Embassy and was issued with a 1 year Passport..... In Laos he had with him his WP, and copies of his lost/stolen passport as well as lots of other paperwork from the school...

He was issued with a 60 day TR visa, he was told it is the only Visa that can be issued with a 1 yr Temp Passport, he was also told it was fine to work with a TR visa as long as he had a WP........ ??

he had already applied for a new 10 year UK Passport via HK,. so would be another trip with the new passport when it arrived to get correct Visa

So it a teacher has a WP already what is with 'It is illegal to work in Thailand on a visitors visa' ?

Good morning.

Maybe the guy in Laos is a particular situation. Would be interesting to know who told him it would be ok.

In university cities and I have been to one recently May/June there are many teachers who are teaching privately. As I understand it, it would be the school who would sponsor (for want of a better word) the work permit process. If you teach privately there is no one to sponsor so they teach off tourist visas. One friend did a couple of lessons each week at one school for 10,000 per month, went teaching at a faculty a handful of hours each week and had private students. He was on tourist visa and fortunately had no problems. It is people like this who are getting a bit twitchy.

Technically it is illegal to work. When I used to use tourist 60 day visas it actually said on the stamp 'Employment prohibited'.

[sirchai]

It is illegal to work in Thailand on a visitors visa. Work means volunteering ,ie without pay, also. Neglect this at your peril.

Guess it's the same law in all the other countries, that you're not allowed to work on a tourist visa.----

[Towzak]

I think the WP only relates to the school who employs you so taking on other jobs (private tuition) unrelated to the one at the school would also be illegal ?Maybe someone can confirm that.

[siampolee]

Towzak ,the work permit covers you for the place of work that the permit was issued.for, i.e., '' Thai E.P. School.''

II you take a second job at the ''Speaka De English School'' in the local shopping mall or wherever you should apply for a second work permit so as you are covered legally to work in the second place.

As far as I am aware there is no restriction on the number of work permits one can hold.However I may be wrong on that assumption so don't use it as a yard stick..

[kanderson]

I've always wondered about all the fear about teaching without a work permit. I never got a work permit back in 1999 ( 13 months teaching ) and have been kinda following the subject.

Bottom line is that your not taking away a job that a Thai person can do and no one ever has a problem. I'd stop worrying and go teach.

[Mario2008]

Only a combination of work permit and a permission to stay based on a relevant non-immigrant visa allow you to work and live in Thailand.

A work permit is valid for the employer mentioned in the work permit, for the function mentioned in the work permit at the location mentioned in the work permit.

You can add more then one employer to a work permit, but the first employer must give permission!

Teachers do not often get deported for working without a WP, arrest and heafty fines are much more likely. If you can't pay, prosecution, conviction, jailtime/fine and deportation are the consequences. Schools, especially language schools, do get raided to see if staff has a work permit.

[diggledunc]

Only a combination of work permit and a permission to stay based on a relevant non-immigrant visa allow you to work and live in Thailand.

A work permit is valid for the employer mentioned in the work permit, for the function mentioned in the work permit at the location mentioned in the work permit.

You can add more then one employer to a work permit, but the first employer must give permission!

Teachers do not often get deported for working without a WP, arrest and heafty fines are much more likely. If you can't pay, prosecution, conviction, jailtime/fine and deportation are the consequences. Schools, especially language schools, do get raided to see if staff has a work permit.

Mario you say teachers do not often get deported and arrest and heavy fines more likely. Interested to know why you make the comment like that. Is it because you have heard of any. That is what my OP was really trying to ascertain if anybody had any knowledge of such actions.

I did hear of a language school in Udon Thani or Khon Kaen forget which getting raided but did not hear how the people there were dealt with by the authorities.

Although quite often payments can dig a farang out of a hole it is the fear of as you put it of prosecution, conviction, jailtime then deportation which seems to be making other teachers nervous at the moment.

I am TEFL qualified but do not not want to work full time in schools near me, part time is available though. It is the thought of having a problem teaching at the house that really concerns me.

Yours and others comments about the work permits are very helpful. Thanks to you all.

[JSixpack]

It is illegal to work in Thailand on a visitors visa. Work means volunteering ,ie without pay, also. Neglect this at your peril.

Guess it's the same law in all the other countries, that you're not allowed to work on a tourist visa.----

Yeah, guess it is. Funny 'bout that.

[ignis]

It is illegal to work in Thailand on a visitors visa. Work means volunteering ,ie without pay, also. Neglect this at your peril.

Guess it's the same law in all the other countries, that you're not allowed to work on a tourist visa.----

Yeah, guess it is. Funny 'bout that.

So what happens if someone loses there Passport ? Full UK Passport via HK takes 4 to 5 weeks to arrive, the UK Embassy in BKK issue a 1 yr Temp Passport...... Thai Embassy will only issue 1x 60 day tourist Visa in a Temp Passport ??

​I am sure it has happened to more than the guy I was talking to....... must they give there work permit back ? stop work ?

To be legal your Visa is running out, you get a Temp Passport that cannot be stamped with the correct Visa so your working illegally with a WP ?

[chonabot]

I'm pretty sure most if not all of the 'Teachers' who are deported know they are working illegally and knowingly take the risk.

[kanderson]

I'm pretty sure most if not all of the 'Teachers' who are deported know they are working illegally and knowingly take the risk.

I have really never heard of a teacher being deported. I taught back in 1999 for 13 months and never had a work permit. I talked to many other teachers and it seemed no one had work permits (maybe some of the Indian or Philipinos did). I ended up at a college but taught all over BKK at many different schools.

I quite curious as it seems I would have read something over the years.

[chonabot]

I'm pretty sure most if not all of the 'Teachers' who are deported know they are working illegally and knowingly take the risk.

I have really never heard of a teacher being deported. I taught back in 1999 for 13 months and never had a work permit. I talked to many other teachers and it seemed no one had work permits (maybe some of the Indian or Philipinos did). I ended up at a college but taught all over BKK at many different schools.

I quite curious as it seems I would have read something over the years.

Some must have been - hence the OP's first post.

[Mario2008]

Mario you say teachers do not often get deported and arrest and heavy fines more likely. Interested to know why you make the comment like that. Is it because you have heard of any. That is what my OP was really trying to ascertain if anybody had any knowledge of such actions.

I did hear of a language school in Udon Thani or Khon Kaen forget which getting raided but did not hear how the people there were dealt with by the authorities.

Although quite often payments can dig a farang out of a hole it is the fear of as you put it of prosecution, conviction, jailtime then deportation which seems to be making other teachers nervous at the moment.

I am TEFL qualified but do not not want to work full time in schools near me, part time is available though. It is the thought of having a problem teaching at the house that really concerns me.

Yours and others comments about the work permits are very helpful. Thanks to you all.

Over the times raids have been reported on the forum, resulting in arrests and heavy fines.

Can't recall seeing posts about people being deported, but if you don't or can't pay the fine you will be prosecuted and brought before a judge. Then it will be a fine or jail time AND deportation.

[Scott]

Deportation remains a possibility, however, fines seem to be more common. Several years ago, they were taking a close look at fake degrees and a number of people got into some serious trouble over that. As I recall, they busted a dealer in fake degrees on Khoa San Road and in the computer was a list of all the names of people to whom degrees had been issued.