By law yes you do need a work permit but getting one is not possible unless you are working for a Thai company or one that you setup yourself (costly to do and maintain)..

Many people are doing what you are planning without one by keeping a low profile about what they are doing.

If, for example I was on an extended holiday in Thailand and do some online fx trading with a UK brokerage, surely I will not require a work permit, since I am not taking away a Thai person's potential job. In these 'grey' areas, I think common sense should prevail more than having to 'worry' about questions where answers do not exist.....

By law yes you do need a work permit but getting one is not possible unless you are working for a Thai company or one that you setup yourself (costly to do and maintain)..

Many people are doing what you are planning without one by keeping a low profile about what they are doing.

If, for example I was on an extended holiday in Thailand and do some online fx trading with a UK brokerage, surely I will not require a work permit, since I am not taking away a Thai person's potential job. In these 'grey' areas, I think common sense should prevail more than having to 'worry' about questions where answers do not exist.....

There is a qualitative difference between handling ones personal finances using the internet and running an online business based in Thailand. Like I don't need a WP to top-up my mobile phone, transfer money to somebody, or move money between my different accounts using online banking...at least I don't think so!

By law yes you do need a work permit but getting one is not possible unless you are working for a Thai company or one that you setup yourself (costly to do and maintain)..

Many people are doing what you are planning without one by keeping a low profile about what they are doing.

If, for example I was on an extended holiday in Thailand and do some online fx trading with a UK brokerage, surely I will not require a work permit, since I am not taking away a Thai person's potential job. In these 'grey' areas, I think common sense should prevail more than having to 'worry' about questions where answers do not exist.....

There is a qualitative difference between handling ones personal finances using the internet and running an online business based in Thailand. Like I don't need a WP to top-up my mobile phone, transfer money to somebody, or move money between my different accounts using online banking...at least I don't think so!

I meant 'proper' trading in fx - not personal finances. This is trading where profits are subject to UK income tax.

By law yes you do need a work permit but getting one is not possible unless you are working for a Thai company or one that you setup yourself (costly to do and maintain)..

Many people are doing what you are planning without one by keeping a low profile about what they are doing.

If, for example I was on an extended holiday in Thailand and do some online fx trading with a UK brokerage, surely I will not require a work permit, since I am not taking away a Thai person's potential job. In these 'grey' areas, I think common sense should prevail more than having to 'worry' about questions where answers do not exist.....

There is a qualitative difference between handling ones personal finances using the internet and running an online business based in Thailand. Like I don't need a WP to top-up my mobile phone, transfer money to somebody, or move money between my different accounts using online banking...at least I don't think so!

I meant 'proper' trading in fx - not personal finances. This is trading where profits are subject to UK income tax.

If this activity is your primary means of support, then it sounds like working to me. Doing the occasional trade to rebalance one's portfolio or add to or reduce one's positions is what I was referring to.

Whether primary or secondary, taxable work is work, be it part-time or full-time. Like I said, common sense should prevail. Unless someone is actually answering the OP's question through experience, it's fair to say that there is a lot of guess work going on here......

If this activity is your primary means of support, then it sounds like working to me. Doing the occasional trade to rebalance one's portfolio or add to or reduce one's positions is what I was referring to.

If you work for a Thai company, get paid by a Thai company and are in Thailand then you're going to need a work permit.

If you're doing some work like answering emails, making phone calls, etc for a foreign company and get paid by that foreign company then you don't work for a Thai company so it's not possible to get a work permit and as such it's not regarded as working.

Ah dont you just love rationlaisation.....

The defintion of working in Thailand has absolutely nothing to do with who your working for or getting paid by...

if your convoluted logic is true....why did Phuket come out a few years ago and state catgorically that working on line with a WP was illegal and they would prosecute people they caught doing such ?