I know this question was probably asked one million times already. But I still need to know how to do it. I came here with a tourist visa. Now I am working for a thai citizen, but he doesn't have a company. I want to avoid the hassle of crossing the border every two month and I don't know if I can make a health ensurance if I don't have a work permit.

You are also working illegally. You must obtain a work permit to work and you must have a non immigrant visa for that to be issued. You would have to be working for a company to obtain.

If your friend has no company and does not have the correct documentation then you cannot get a work permit, and your work for him is illegal which could (might not) lead to arrest and deportation from Thailand, although it is not heard of very often.

To take your situation to the extreme, your "Thai citizen" might simply not pay you. You would then not have a single leg hair to stand on. Simply put, you are not allowed to work or volunteer without a permit.

As posted:

1. You should not be working without a work permit, it is illegal (although quite a few do it!).

2. You need to have a non-immigrant visa, not a tourist visa.

3. The company you work for sponsers the non-immigrant visa, which you obtain from a consulate overseas with required paperwork.

4. The company, if it meets the requirements, assists you in obtaining the work permit.

5. The company, if it meets more requirements, arranges your extension of stay in Thailand so that you do not have to do visa and/or border runs.

6. Without all the above, and tax registration and social security payments, you will not have health insurance.

I don't think any of the above can be done for a foreigner working for a Thai individual.

Edited March 18, 201313 yr by Ginkas

To take your situation to the extreme, your "Thai citizen" might simply not pay you. You would then not have a single leg hair to stand on. Simply put, you are not allowed to work or volunteer without a permit.

Simply put

Not true, if said Thai citizen didnt pay him, the OP may still have recourse to the department of labour, irrespective of whether he has a WP or not

To take your situation to the extreme, your "Thai citizen" might simply not pay you. You would then not have a single leg hair to stand on. Simply put, you are not allowed to work or volunteer without a permit.

Simply put

Not true, if said Thai citizen didnt pay him, the OP may still have recourse to the department of labour, irrespective of whether he has a WP or not

I thought there at least had to be a contract between them, I know that even if there is no WP it does not matter. There would be no proof that the OP was an employee without the contract.

To answer your question regarding health insurance. Yes, you can get health insurance in Thailand without a work permit.

To take your situation to the extreme, your "Thai citizen" might simply not pay you. You would then not have a single leg hair to stand on. Simply put, you are not allowed to work or volunteer without a permit.

Simply put

Not true, if said Thai citizen didnt pay him, the OP may still have recourse to the department of labour, irrespective of whether he has a WP or not

Maybe, but once discovered, the OP would be vulnerable to charges of being in contravention of immigration law, i.e., working without a permit, with potential for being fined/jailed/deported. Hardly motivation for pursuing labour law claims.

To take your situation to the extreme, your "Thai citizen" might simply not pay you. You would then not have a single leg hair to stand on. Simply put, you are not allowed to work or volunteer without a permit.

Simply put

Not true, if said Thai citizen didnt pay him, the OP may still have recourse to the department of labour, irrespective of whether he has a WP or not

Maybe, but once discovered, the OP would be vulnerable to charges of being in contravention of immigration law, i.e., working without a permit, with potential for being fined/jailed/deported. Hardly motivation for pursuing labour law claims.

There was a case on TV some years back where in some was working with out a WP, and believe they sued the company for severance, if memory serves, via the DOL and won the case, the person making the claim did not run foul of any immigration laws or problems from DOL in making this claim... bascially the DOL didnt care that the person didnt have a WP in this instance.

As "Beano 2274" stated the OP would have to prove that he was an employee of this "Thai person" via a contract