Working In Thailand

[kawaiimomo]

To the OP, your list is great and you are correct the jobs for computer experts are not listed, however, do you think a Thai company is going to employ a foreigner for 50,000per month or a Thai for a fraction of the cost.

They might prefer a foreigner if they need very good English skills, or other skills which are rare in Thailand.

Some Filipinos are employed here for business services jobs, with salaries of 50-80K baht per month.

Not sure what's the procedure though.

I work for a Thai company as a programmer. I have worked with several Thai software developers and 90% of them write crappy code that don't even test, the other 10% come late to work (if they come) break every commitment etc and nothing happens because they now they are not above average and boss is not even going to warn them.

To the OP, computer related jobs are not banned for foreigners, the point is you are not going to obtain a wp for a foreign job you will do here and that is technically illegal.

About opening a company, you will need 2 million baht in company assets and employ 4 Thais in order to be issued the wp. Not practical for your case i think.

Edit: BTW there are some Thai companies that will offer to issue a wp for a cut on your monthly income. Its technically legal but not sure if that is going through loopholes

Edited December 6, 2012 by kawaiimomo

[beano2274]

To the OP, your list is great and you are correct the jobs for computer experts are not listed, however, do you think a Thai company is going to employ a foreigner for 50,000per month or a Thai for a fraction of the cost.

Why 50k/m ?....no minium salary is specified for a WP, the THB 50k thing comes in for the extension of stay...nothing stopping someone on a WP visa running every 3 months

That was a figure out of the top of my head, no references to how much people need to earn.

[NeverSure]

If I were going to work in LOS without a permit, two things are certain. I wouldn't have a bunch of money in LOS nor would I have a bunch of valuable things. I wouldn't have anything I couldn't walk away from because I might suddenly find myself (at best) at the airport, escorted by Thai authorities, buying myself a ticket home with no chance to get my "stuff."

That means a rented, fully furnished apartment, more than one ATM card at more than one US bank, major credit cards, and at best a few things including my computer that I could walk away from. That means encrypted cloud storage, VPN, all of my important data on my laptop being in an encrypted vault on a separate partition on my HDD and duplicated in the cloud, and so forth.

It probably wouldn't happen, but I'd be ready to fly out with just the clothes on my back at any moment, and be refused reentry.

[kawaiimomo]

If I were going to work in LOS without a permit, two things are certain. I wouldn't have a bunch of money in LOS nor would I have a bunch of valuable things. I wouldn't have anything I couldn't walk away from because I might suddenly find myself (at best) at the airport, escorted by Thai authorities, buying myself a ticket home with no chance to get my "stuff."

That means a rented, fully furnished apartment, more than one ATM card at more than one US bank, major credit cards, and at best a few things including my computer that I could walk away from. That means encrypted cloud storage, VPN, all of my important data on my laptop being in an encrypted vault on a separate partition on my HDD and duplicated in the cloud, and so forth.

It probably wouldn't happen, but I'd be ready to fly out with just the clothes on my back at any moment, and be refused reentry.

Someone commented not long ago here on TV that after immigration cell + court hearing (not sure if these kinds of cases need to go to court though) if your visa is still valid by then you can have 7 days to take out your stuff before leaving the country.

Anyway you sound a little bit paranoid I think the chances of getting caught while working online are slim at best. It's like people telling to use a VPN so authorites can not sniff the connections, I mean look how they block the websites by DNS but still accessible by IP...

[NeverSure]

If I were going to work in LOS without a permit, two things are certain. I wouldn't have a bunch of money in LOS nor would I have a bunch of valuable things. I wouldn't have anything I couldn't walk away from because I might suddenly find myself (at best) at the airport, escorted by Thai authorities, buying myself a ticket home with no chance to get my "stuff."

That means a rented, fully furnished apartment, more than one ATM card at more than one US bank, major credit cards, and at best a few things including my computer that I could walk away from. That means encrypted cloud storage, VPN, all of my important data on my laptop being in an encrypted vault on a separate partition on my HDD and duplicated in the cloud, and so forth.

It probably wouldn't happen, but I'd be ready to fly out with just the clothes on my back at any moment, and be refused reentry.

Someone commented not long ago here on TV that after immigration cell + court hearing (not sure if these kinds of cases need to go to court though) if your visa is still valid by then you can have 7 days to take out your stuff before leaving the country.

Anyway you sound a little bit paranoid I think the chances of getting caught while working online are slim at best. It's like people telling to use a VPN so authorites can not sniff the connections, I mean look how they block the websites by DNS but still accessible by IP...

We had a thread very recently about a guy who committed a drug crime (granted more serious of a crime so I don't know) who was escorted to the airport, denied reentry and was trying to get his stuff out of LOS. After all I've seen and heard, I never know what the authorities will or won't do.

I did say it probably wouldn't happen, but if I'm in LOS illegally, I'm not going to have all of my eggs in that basket.

[chiangmaikelly]

If I were going to work in LOS without a permit, two things are certain. I wouldn't have a bunch of money in LOS nor would I have a bunch of valuable things. I wouldn't have anything I couldn't walk away from because I might suddenly find myself (at best) at the airport, escorted by Thai authorities, buying myself a ticket home with no chance to get my "stuff."

That means a rented, fully furnished apartment, more than one ATM card at more than one US bank, major credit cards, and at best a few things including my computer that I could walk away from. That means encrypted cloud storage, VPN, all of my important data on my laptop being in an encrypted vault on a separate partition on my HDD and duplicated in the cloud, and so forth.

It probably wouldn't happen, but I'd be ready to fly out with just the clothes on my back at any moment, and be refused reentry.

Someone commented not long ago here on TV that after immigration cell + court hearing (not sure if these kinds of cases need to go to court though) if your visa is still valid by then you can have 7 days to take out your stuff before leaving the country.

Anyway you sound a little bit paranoid I think the chances of getting caught while working online are slim at best. It's like people telling to use a VPN so authorites can not sniff the connections, I mean look how they block the websites by DNS but still accessible by IP...

We had a thread very recently about a guy who committed a drug crime (granted more serious of a crime so I don't know) who was escorted to the airport, denied reentry and was trying to get his stuff out of LOS. After all I've seen and heard, I never know what the authorities will or won't do.

I did say it probably wouldn't happen, but if I'm in LOS illegally, I'm not going to have all of my eggs in that basket.

I think you can relax. The penalties for drug crimes and teaching without a work permit are different.

It;s good to have a work permit when teaching. I know about a thousand teachers in Thailand. I even know one who has a work permit.

[Soutpeel]

It is no problem transferring funds from the US to Thailand and you could of course also use an ATM to withdraw cash if you didn't want to draw attention by regular transfers..

For now...go and read up on some of the posts in the business section - people are having trouble getting money in and certain transactions are being blocked, and with the US reporting regulations which appear to be being implemented in Thailand, you may find in the not too distant future that Thai banks will not touch US citizens as regards opening accounts in Thailand...BTW before some one starts blaming the banks, it thanks to the US IRS/Goverment...

[Soutpeel]

We had a thread very recently about a guy who committed a drug crime (granted more serious of a crime so I don't know) who was escorted to the airport, denied reentry and was trying to get his stuff out of LOS. After all I've seen and heard, I never know what the authorities will or won't do.

I did say it probably wouldn't happen, but if I'm in LOS illegally, I'm not going to have all of my eggs in that basket.

I know I am sounding pedantic...but a crime is still a crime....steal THB 1 or THB 1.0 million it is still theft...

Drug related is a crime and working without a WP is a crime...

[chiangmaikelly]

It is no problem transferring funds from the US to Thailand and you could of course also use an ATM to withdraw cash if you didn't want to draw attention by regular transfers..

For now...go and read up on some of the posts in the business section -eople are having trouble getting money in and certain transactions are being blocked, and with the US reporting regulations which appear to be being implemented in Thailand, you may find in the not too distant future that Thai banks will not touch US citizens as regards opening accounts in Thailand...BTW before some one starts blaming the banks, it thanks to the US IRS/Go pverment...

That's a pretty big rumor to start. You posted, "-people are having trouble getting money in and certain transactions are being blocked, and with the US reporting regulations which appear to be being implemented in Thailand, you may find in the not too distant future that Thai banks will not touch US citizens as regards opening accounts in Thailand."

Maybe you should post the links to that one.

[chiangmaikelly]

We had a thread very recently about a guy who committed a drug crime (granted more serious of a crime so I don't know) who was escorted to the airport, denied reentry and was trying to get his stuff out of LOS. After all I've seen and heard, I never know what the authorities will or won't do.

I did say it probably wouldn't happen, but if I'm in LOS illegally, I'm not going to have all of my eggs in that basket.

I know I am sounding pedantic...but a crime is still a crime....steal THB 1 or THB 1.0 million it is still theft...

Drug related is a crime and working without a WP is a crime...

What is the penalty for teaching without a work permit?

[Soutpeel]

It is no problem transferring funds from the US to Thailand and you could of course also use an ATM to withdraw cash if you didn't want to draw attention by regular transfers..

For now...go and read up on some of the posts in the business section -eople are having trouble getting money in and certain transactions are being blocked, and with the US reporting regulations which appear to be being implemented in Thailand, you may find in the not too distant future that Thai banks will not touch US citizens as regards opening accounts in Thailand...BTW before some one starts blaming the banks, it thanks to the US IRS/Go pverment...

That's a pretty big rumor to start. You posted, "-people are having trouble getting money in and certain transactions are being blocked, and with the US reporting regulations which appear to be being implemented in Thailand, you may find in the not too distant future that Thai banks will not touch US citizens as regards opening accounts in Thailand."

Maybe you should post the links to that one.

Not a rumour maybe go look in the Business section, both aspects of this are been discussed in various threads....Certain banks in Thailand have already refused to do business with US citizens as regards certain accounts and two cases of incoming transactions being blocked

But seeing as you are being pedantic here ya go

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/601524-kasikorn-no-longer-accepting-us-citizen-investments/

Edited December 6, 2012 by Soutpeel

[chiangmaikelly]

It is no problem transferring funds from the US to Thailand and you could of course also use an ATM to withdraw cash if you didn't want to draw attention by regular transfers..

For now...go and read up on some of the posts in the business section -eople are having trouble getting money in and certain transactions are being blocked, and with the US reporting regulations which appear to be being implemented in Thailand, you may find in the not too distant future that Thai banks will not touch US citizens as regards opening accounts in Thailand...BTW before some one starts blaming the banks, it thanks to the US IRS/Go pverment...

That's a pretty big rumor to start. You posted, "-people are having trouble getting money in and certain transactions are being blocked, and with the US reporting regulations which appear to be being implemented in Thailand, you may find in the not too distant future that Thai banks will not touch US citizens as regards opening accounts in Thailand."

Maybe you should post the links to that one.

Not a rumour maybe go look in the Business section, both aspects of this are been discussed in various threads....Certain banks in Thailand have already refused to do business with US citizens as regards certain accounts and two cases of incoming transactions being blocked

Post the link, is all I asked. If you know where it is. If you are trying to start a rumor don't post it.

[Soutpeel]

We had a thread very recently about a guy who committed a drug crime (granted more serious of a crime so I don't know) who was escorted to the airport, denied reentry and was trying to get his stuff out of LOS. After all I've seen and heard, I never know what the authorities will or won't do.

I did say it probably wouldn't happen, but if I'm in LOS illegally, I'm not going to have all of my eggs in that basket.

I know I am sounding pedantic...but a crime is still a crime....steal THB 1 or THB 1.0 million it is still theft...

Drug related is a crime and working without a WP is a crime...

What is the penalty for teaching without a work permit?

Believe this is the relevant paragraph

An alien who performs work that is prescribed by the Royal Decree B.E. 2522 which prohibits alien employment in certain occupations and professions is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to a fine from 2,000 to 100,000 Baht, or both penalties.

[chiangmaikelly]

We had a thread very recently about a guy who committed a drug crime (granted more serious of a crime so I don't know) who was escorted to the airport, denied reentry and was trying to get his stuff out of LOS. After all I've seen and heard, I never know what the authorities will or won't do.

I did say it probably wouldn't happen, but if I'm in LOS illegally, I'm not going to have all of my eggs in that basket.

I know I am sounding pedantic...but a crime is still a crime....steal THB 1 or THB 1.0 million it is still theft...

Drug related is a crime and working without a WP is a crime...

What is the penalty for teaching without a work permit?

Believe this is the relevant paragraph

An alien who performs work that is prescribed by the Royal Decree B.E. 2522 which prohibits alien employment in certain occupations and professions is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to a fine from 2,000 to 100,000 Baht, or both penalties.

I don't believe so. As teaching English is not an area where aliens are prohibited from working. More importantly try searching Thai Visa and finding one instance of an English teacher being prosecuted for not having a work permit.

Don't mistake what I am saying. I think it is a good idea to have a work permit for teaching in Thailand.

[kawaiimomo]

Believe this is the relevant paragraph

An alien who performs work that is prescribed by the Royal Decree B.E. 2522 which prohibits alien employment in certain occupations and professions is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to a fine from 2,000 to 100,000 Baht, or both penalties.

I don't believe so. As teaching English is not an area where aliens are prohibited from working. More importantly try searching Thai Visa and finding one instance of an English teacher being prosecuted for not having a work permit.

Don't mistake what I am saying. I think it is a good idea to have a work permit for teaching in Thailand.

I think this one:

Section 51 of Alien Working Act 2551

Any alien engaging in the work without permission shall be subject to an imprisonment of not exceeding 5 years or a fine from 2,000 baht to 100,000 baht, or both.

Soutpeel got it wrong but the punishment is the same. As was discussed in usually means jail + deportation but no blacklisting.

fine and jail term as already stated, plus deportation. You can return after being deported but you would have serious trouble to get a work permit.

The law is constructed so that they will fine you, if you agree to paying the fine and pay for your own ticket out of the country for deportation. But in the mean time you will probably spend time in jail.

But there are cases known of teachers who where free the same day after having paid a fine. They do have a criminal record.

Anyway the OP wants to work online for a foreign company not to teach :-P I would guess if I was caught performing a job for a different company than the one I have the WP for, the same punishment would apply. I don't think obtaining a WP for a different job is the solution for the OP.

PS: Maybe this topic should be moved to business or visa subforums

[Trembly]

As far as I understand you can only legally work in Thailand if you have a work permit. However, unless your employer has a presence in Thailand it is unlikely you would be able to get a work permit.

Having said that if you are working online and being paid into a US bank account, it is highly unlikely that this would create a problem for you even though it would strictly speaking be against the law.

It is no problem transferring funds from the US to Thailand and you could of course also use an ATM to withdraw cash if you didn't want to draw attention by regular transfers..

Thank you. I know of at least one other person who works for the same company I do who lives in Bangkok. She is an American citizen, born here, but her mother was Thai and when her parents divorced, her mother went back home to Bangkok. She came later to help care for her mother, and now she does what I do. She still is a U.S. citizen and pays U.S. taxes. Of course, she is there because she has family there, so that may be a different thing.

I did read that I could work as a journalist if I can get credentials from a major publication, so I'm working on that.

None of that stuff about your friend has any bearing on Work Permits. If your friend has Thai citizenship then she is off the radar as far as the Labour Department is concerned.

As somebody said earlier, a non-Thai citizen who wishes to perform tasks for which they will be rewarded for (work) inside the Kingdom of Thailand requires a work permit in order to legally do so.

Sending money from your US bank account to your Thai account is no problem. Officially, banks require that you have a work permit in order to open a bank account but this rule isn't always enforced by some branches (you just have to find out through trial and error). Unless you go around broadcasting it no one is going to find out or care about the fact that you get your money out of the ATM of a Thai bank to which you send money from your US account, which comes from your employer whom you work for from within the borders of Thailand.

What banks officially require a work permit to open an account? And how did you come by that information?

The managers of several branches of Kasikorn Bank and Bangkok Bank in Bangkok. In the end the On-Nuch branch did it without so much as mentioning it.

[Soutpeel]

Believe this is the relevant paragraph

An alien who performs work that is prescribed by the Royal Decree B.E. 2522 which prohibits alien employment in certain occupations and professions is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to a fine from 2,000 to 100,000 Baht, or both penalties.

I don't believe so. As teaching English is not an area where aliens are prohibited from working. More importantly try searching Thai Visa and finding one instance of an English teacher being prosecuted for not having a work permit.

Don't mistake what I am saying. I think it is a good idea to have a work permit for teaching in Thailand.

I think this one:

Section 51 of Alien Working Act 2551

Any alien engaging in the work without permission shall be subject to an imprisonment of not exceeding 5 years or a fine from 2,000 baht to 100,000 baht, or both.

Soutpeel got it wrong but the punishment is the same. As was discussed in http://www.thaivisa....t-a-workpermit/ usually means jail + deportation but no blacklisting.

fine and jail term as already stated, plus deportation. You can return after being deported but you would have serious trouble to get a work permit.

The law is constructed so that they will fine you, if you agree to paying the fine and pay for your own ticket out of the country for deportation. But in the mean time you will probably spend time in jail.

But there are cases known of teachers who where free the same day after having paid a fine. They do have a criminal record.

Anyway the OP wants to work online for a foreign company not to teach :-P I would guess if I was caught performing a job for a different company than the one I have the WP for, the same punishment would apply. I don't think obtaining a WP for a different job is the solution for the OP.

PS: Maybe this topic should be moved to business or visa subforums

You are correct..... I quoted the incorect section....I shall kow tow at your feet and say 100 hail mary's... .

[Nisa]

if you find it a hassle, just withdraw 20000 at atm using your foreign bank card and suck it up, the 150 baht charges.

alternative way is to open a forex brokerage account, 2 internal accounts, one with thb base and usd base. deposit it the usd account using debit/card linked to your banking account, internal transfer over to thb account with live forex rate. withdraw it over your thai bank account. usually forex brokerage offer 1 free withdrawal transaction per month, if done correctly 0 charges at forex exchange rate.

If you use AEON bank ATMs you can avoid the 150 baht charge.

[tombkk]

I can't be an English teacher. I don't have a college degree.

Think you will find there are masses of English teachers working in Thailand without...one suspects you will never get into an international school, but dont think the language schools really care

True, many language schools employ "teachers" that are not qualified for the job.

[tombkk]

As with all that has been said above, I don't recommend working without a work permit. Yes, you might get away with it for now, but do you really want to build your future on it?

[mccw]

Chill. Just get an ED visa and do your online with out talking too much. Simple

Thailand likes money coming in to the country. My wife's friend works at immigration and says they are currently reviewing requirements to make it easier for retirees and others to live in Thailand. The work permit is really intended just to stop foreigners taking jobs away from the locals. Even then its allowed to slide in many cases if genuine need- there are documentaries on Thai TV of farangs doing all sorts of things like farming, noodle selling etc etc to support wife and kids, they haven't all been rounded up and deported. Only very rarely the law will be used to extort money from a business owner if they think they can / are relatively rich.

[mike123ca]

Chill. Just get an ED visa and do your online with out talking too much. Simple

Thailand likes money coming in to the country. My wife's friend works at immigration and says they are currently reviewing requirements to make it easier for retirees and others to live in Thailand. The work permit is really intended just to stop foreigners taking jobs away from the locals. Even then its allowed to slide in many cases if genuine need- there are documentaries on Thai TV of farangs doing all sorts of things like farming, noodle selling etc etc to support wife and kids, they haven't all been rounded up and deported. Only very rarely the law will be used to extort money from a business owner if they think they can / are relatively rich.

If you have a Thai family to support then I feel you be allowed easier access to a work permit. You shouldn't be in the same group as a foreigner with no family ties to Thai people.

[chiangmaikelly]

Chill. Just get an ED visa and do your online with out talking too much. Simple

Thailand likes money coming in to the country. My wife's friend works at immigration and says they are currently reviewing requirements to make it easier for retirees and others to live in Thailand. The work permit is really intended just to stop foreigners taking jobs away from the locals. Even then its allowed to slide in many cases if genuine need- there are documentaries on Thai TV of farangs doing all sorts of things like farming, noodle selling etc etc to support wife and kids, they haven't all been rounded up and deported. Only very rarely the law will be used to extort money from a business owner if they think they can / are relatively rich.

If you have a Thai family to support then I feel you be allowed easier access to a work permit. You shouldn't be in the same group as a foreigner with no family ties to Thai people.

So one should get a job based on how much his family needs the money as opposed to his skill and needs of the country in which the employment takes place?

[Soutpeel]

You shouldn't be in the same group as a foreigner with no family ties to Thai people.

Why not you are a foreigner the same, as the "other" foreigner's....why should you be singled out for special treatment ?....the Thai work permit system is one of the easier ones I have ever worked under to aquire if you qualify, the problem is I suspect, lots of foreigners in Thailand do not qualify...so because they dont qualify under pretty easy requirements they now they want special treatment...

Making the system based on "family ties" rather than merit will open the system up to all kinds of abuse, ie you would have masses of "less desireable" people moving to Thailand to marry thai nationals so they can get a WP....my opinion...keep the system exactly as it is....although a realtively simple process, its a very fair process...

Edited December 11, 2012 by Soutpeel

[mike123ca]

You shouldn't be in the same group as a foreigner with no family ties to Thai people.

Why not you are a foreigner the same, as the "other" foreigner's....why should you be singled out for special treatment ?....the Thai work permit system is one of the easier ones I have ever worked under to aquire if you qualify, the problem is I suspect, lots of foreigners in Thailand do not qualify...so because they dont qualify under pretty easy requirements they now they want special treatment...

Making the system based on "family ties" rather than merit will open the system up to all kinds of abuse, ie you would have masses of "less desireable" people moving to Thailand to marry thai nationals so they can get a WP....my opinion...keep the system exactly as it is....although a realtively simple process, its a very fair process...

What exactly is a less desirable person? Is it a Thai man marrying a farm woman from Laos.

Is it a person who doesn't have a University degree or X amount of dollars in a bank account.

If your family ( including a Thai spouse), then you should have the legal right to work here to support your family.

Those who have an 0 visa based on marriage already have the right to employment in Thailand.

[Soutpeel]

What exactly is a less desirable person? Is it a Thai man marrying a farm woman from Laos.

Is it a person who doesn't have a University degree or X amount of dollars in a bank account.

If your family ( including a Thai spouse), then you should have the legal right to work here to support your family.

Those who have an 0 visa based on marriage already have the right to employment in Thailand.

Irrespetive of whether you have a Thai family or not or an "O" visa...you already have the the right to work in Thailand, there is no law which says foreigners cant work in Thailand, if someone wants to employ you or you wish to start your own business....

Even having married "O" visa does not exclude you from the WP process, so unsure what you mean by "right to employment"

Why does having "X" dollars in back even come into this ?

The fact remains as a foreigner in Thailand you have no "rights" if you are not a permanent resident or a citizen of Thailand, for the most part all of us are perpetual "tourists" in Thailand irrespetive of the visa you hold and are here on the whim of a goverment/official

Edited December 11, 2012 by Soutpeel

[JDGRUEN]

OP - I have been researching and asking for advice about working / living in Thailand as you have - not exactly - but along similar lines. After many months and numerous sources including TV, I believe the ED visa is good advice that has been given to you. The school processes the Visa app.

You can get a Triple Entry Tourist Visa with extensions and get about 270 days totaly if you work it right (with payments for each 30 day extension - border runs, etc.) In this time you could pick a good school - Thai language - which will be helpful ... Some schools require one or two days attendance each week for most of a year - but in some schools - part of the attendance requirements can be met with Skype video sessions. ED visas can be renewed with an additional school / course enrollment. If you choose to work on line durning this time - it is risky but understandable ... I suggest that you could use this stable Visa time to find a company that is licensed to operate in Thailand - that will assist with getting a work Visa perhaps doing similar on line work that you speak about.

[Mahendarpapu]

I would like to data entry or any administrative job online so, what should i do?

I am in thailand and studying MBA but the classes are only two days in a week

[Soutpeel]

I would like to data entry or any administrative job online so, what should i do?

I am in thailand and studying MBA but the classes are only two days in a week

Get a work permit...

How far into your MBA are you ?

Edited December 27, 2012 by Soutpeel

[Yumthai]

I would like to data entry or any administrative job online so, what should i do?

I am in thailand and studying MBA but the classes are only two days in a week

Get a work permit...

Get a job offer first