Chalong Police Money Squeeze. Look Out, Expat Business Owners!

[artvarkk]

It's been a while since a group of at least 6 Chalong plain-clothes
police officers have been on their rounds, fining foreign-owned
businesses for extraordinary amounts of money for petty offenses.
They're back! If you have a business in Chalong, Rawai, Kata, Naiharn or
anywhere under Chalong police jurisdiction, be sure you are following
all the rules. This week, at least 2 businesses in the Rawai/Saiyuan are
have been targeted for massive payments. One for 50,000 baht and one
for 40,000 baht. Although the owners had all their passports, work
permits, and business licenses up to date, the plain clothes policemen
took them to the Chalong police station (through a side door) and
demanded payment or jail time because neither had a Thai national on
staff at that moment. Both chose to pay, and both were informed that the
police group would pay a visit monthly to collect 2000 baht unless the
infractions were rectified.

The businesses were admittedly in the wrong, but the fines imposed were
shockingly high, and the penalties were far beyond what a small business
can sustain.


Area business owners... mind your Ps and Qs!

[NomadJoe]

An acquaintance of mine was arrested a couple weeks ago for picking up cigarette butts outside his establishment. Not an activity described in his work permit, they said. I am definitely looking over my shoulder a lot lately, especially if I do anything other than what is described in my WP. I technically can't even clean up after myself.

[jbrain]

When I came here the first time, now almost 2 decades ago, I got a visa from my local Thai consulate.

I actually hadn't a close look at it until it was stamped at the airport, but at that time it noticed it had some wording in big letters at the top.

It said : PROHIBITED TO WORK.

At that time I realised that this would be the place where I would spend the rest of my days.

[yoslim]

But does it mean that for a 2000 baht monthly fee you can operate a business without the need of a thai ?

[IrishIvan]

Low season is here, lets see how many expats get screwed while working without the correct visa. Im guessing 5 that make the PG

[stevenl]

So they were doing what quite a few businesses do, only employing Thais when their own visa/workpermit have to be renewed, but having no one employed the rest of the year. That would save them social employment payments lets say 10 months of the year for 4 people, so the fines were way too low.

[Somtamnication]

They visit the Korean tour companies every month for 80k. Nothing new here.

[eezergood]

here we go again..........

[IrishIvan]

What is the deal with Burmese service industry staff? Do they need 4 Thai staff with every Burmese worker like a farang or are they exempt? Could we see them getting rounded up by the BIB too?

[starkey_rich]

So they were doing what quite a few businesses do, only employing Thais when their own visa/workpermit have to be renewed, but having no one employed the rest of the year. That would save them social employment payments lets say 10 months of the year for 4 people, so the fines were way too low.

You seem to know quite a bit about the subject?

I suppose the 2 k month is ok then

[eezergood]

What is the deal with Burmese service industry staff? Do they need 4 Thai staff with every Burmese worker like a farang or are they exempt? Could we see them getting rounded up by the BIB too?

They are cheap & compliant - most farangs are expensive & contrarty to silly little men throwing around assumed power

[stevenl]

So they were doing what quite a few businesses do, only employing Thais when their own visa/workpermit have to be renewed, but having no one employed the rest of the year. That would save them social employment payments lets say 10 months of the year for 4 people, so the fines were way too low.

You seem to know quite a bit about the subject?

I suppose the 2 k month is ok then

Yes, cheap solution (about the same and not having staff but paying only social security), but you open yourself up to more payments. Do things legally and you have no problems here.

[Paangjang]

What is the deal with Burmese service industry staff? Do they need 4 Thai staff with every Burmese worker like a farang or are they exempt? Could we see them getting rounded up by the BIB too?

No, they have totally different visa/WP laws. Much easier for them.

[britpop]

Just wondering, has anyone ever stood up for themselves regarding these extortion backhanded payments, all it takes is one farang i would have thought to say no, "take me to court", i got hit for 30,000 baht for playing spa music in my business, now i use a thing called green music, royalty free, I was in the UK at the time but when i asked my lawyer about it, he said next time say nothing contact him, the bangkok police turned up, are so they where meant to be, some months ago, now my wife stood her ground, they went through every aspect of the business, every bit of paperwork, staff and in the end, thanked my wife and left with there tail between there legs, without one baht, yet they hit other businesses around us and got money out of most of them. as best you can do, dot the i's, cross the t's

[NamKangMan]

Just wondering, has anyone ever stood up for themselves regarding these extortion backhanded payments, all it takes is one farang i would have thought to say no, "take me to court", i got hit for 30,000 baht for playing spa music in my business, now i use a thing called green music, royalty free, I was in the UK at the time but when i asked my lawyer about it, he said next time say nothing contact him, the bangkok police turned up, are so they where meant to be, some months ago, now my wife stood her ground, they went through every aspect of the business, every bit of paperwork, staff and in the end, thanked my wife and left with there tail between there legs, without one baht, yet they hit other businesses around us and got money out of most of them. as best you can do, dot the i's, cross the t's

I'm living on Phuket to get away from all the "dotting of the i's and crossing of the t's" that exists in my home country.

I wish all those members who have a business here good luck, because I think you will need it in the future.

[NomadJoe]

What is the deal with Burmese service industry staff? Do they need 4 Thai staff with every Burmese worker like a farang or are they exempt? Could we see them getting rounded up by the BIB too?

No, they have totally different visa/WP laws. Much easier for them.

And they do get rounded up quite often. In the news frequently.

Edited May 18, 2013 by NomadJoe

[NomadJoe]

Just wondering, has anyone ever stood up for themselves regarding these extortion backhanded payments, all it takes is one farang i would have thought to say no, "take me to court", i got hit for 30,000 baht for playing spa music in my business, now i use a thing called green music, royalty free, I was in the UK at the time but when i asked my lawyer about it, he said next time say nothing contact him, the bangkok police turned up, are so they where meant to be, some months ago, now my wife stood her ground, they went through every aspect of the business, every bit of paperwork, staff and in the end, thanked my wife and left with there tail between there legs, without one baht, yet they hit other businesses around us and got money out of most of them. as best you can do, dot the i's, cross the t's

Allow me to introduce you to the period. You will know it as the "full stop." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_stop

[IrishIvan]

Just wondering, has anyone ever stood up for themselves regarding these extortion backhanded payments, all it takes is one farang i would have thought to say no, "take me to court", i got hit for 30,000 baht for playing spa music in my business, now i use a thing called green music, royalty free, I was in the UK at the time but when i asked my lawyer about it, he said next time say nothing contact him, the bangkok police turned up, are so they where meant to be, some months ago, now my wife stood her ground, they went through every aspect of the business, every bit of paperwork, staff and in the end, thanked my wife and left with there tail between there legs, without one baht, yet they hit other businesses around us and got money out of most of them. as best you can do, dot the i's, cross the t's  

As a great man once said 'ill be back"

[Arkady]

What is the deal with Burmese service industry staff? Do they need 4 Thai staff with every Burmese worker like a farang or are they exempt? Could we see them getting rounded up by the BIB too?

There is a huge amount of legislation regarding the Burmese, Lao and Cambodian workers in the form of MOUs and cabinet resolutions. This takes priority over ministerial regulations, national police orders etc governing work permits and visas. The 4 Thais rule is not in the Immigration Act or the Working of Aliens Act, so it is easy to waive it. The same apparently applies to the list of reserved occupations which is an appendix to the now repealed 1978 Working of Aliens Act but not part of the current Act. The first reserved occupation on the list is unskilled labourer which is the category of the nearly all the alien workers.

[Eesat]

What a joke,4 Thai muppets making tea for every farang,it's a wonder anyone even bothers to open a business in Thialand!Their employment laws are archaic,you can't even be self-employed!

[andreandre]

Just wondering, has anyone ever stood up for themselves regarding these extortion backhanded payments, all it takes is one farang i would have thought to say no, "take me to court", i got hit for 30,000 baht for playing spa music in my business, now i use a thing called green music, royalty free, I was in the UK at the time but when i asked my lawyer about it, he said next time say nothing contact him, the bangkok police turned up, are so they where meant to be, some months ago, now my wife stood her ground, they went through every aspect of the business, every bit of paperwork, staff and in the end, thanked my wife and left with there tail between there legs, without one baht, yet they hit other businesses around us and got money out of most of them. as best you can do, dot the i's, cross the t's

Allow me to introduce you to the period. You will know it as the "full stop." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_stop

Actually bpop seems to know about the ''period'' there is one in his post