I'm debating whether or not to setup an (IT) office in Chiang Mai, and before deciding would like to fully understand the skill level available here. For example, maybe contact a professor at the Comp Sci department at the university, see if I can sit in on his class, and maybe even give a quick speech. Either that, or the conventional route of advertising for employment, and interviewing / testing.

Would that be considered "work" though? If so, how do I get around that? I can't get a work permit until I setup an office, and don't want to setup an office until I know what skill level is available.

A 2007 paper by the Thai law firm Tilleke & Gibbins notes that "the term 'work' is defined very broadly, covering both physical and mental activities, whether or not for wages or other remuneration. Working without a valid work permit even for a day is a criminal offence." A definition of "work" used by the Thai Department of Employment is "the engagement in work by exerting energy or using knowledge for the purpose of obtaining wages or other benefits."

You haven't mentioned a couple of potentially relevant factors ... What is, or will be, the duration if your stay in Thailand? (more or less than 15 days?) What visa will you be using for your stay?

based on what you have written, if you had a non-imm B which was issued for the purpose of looking at the possiblity of setting up a buiness here, which currently would allow you to conduct business meetings without needing a WP, believe what your intending to do would fall under this defintion, ie your conducting due dilligence prior to setting up the company, therefore you would not need a WP, however if you are still worried get the university concerned to get you a temporary WP which would be good for 14 days and costs nothing, and you would be 100% covered...