Work Permit: What about living in Thailand but working via Internet elsewhere?

[YeaBiGgiEs]

Ya know, I'm reading these posts and just shaking my head. I can understand that its been instilled in some of since birth and we feel that we must be honest and forthcoming but ya know something, I've learned in life, "What they don't know won't hurt them". You make an income that is practically untracable, you aren't on a Thailand companys payroll, you don't receive a paycheck/paystub...FUHGETABOWDIT!! Just make sure you have a good answer if ever asked "How are you living/sustaining yourself here in Thailand?"

Forget the Permit! Anything that requires one, just start another topic and I'm sure you can get suggestions (ie: bank account, post pay crap)

OTHERWISE, if you are too honest for your own good then march on down to OFFICEMAX get a bright colored posterboard and write "I WANT TO GIVE YOU MY MONEY THAT YOU ARE ENTITLED TOO BECAUSE IM HONEST AND LAW ABIDING"

[AYJAYDEE]

Ya know, I'm reading these posts and just shaking my head. I can understand that its been instilled in some of since birth and we feel that we must be honest and forthcoming but ya know something, I've learned in life, "What they don't know won't hurt them". You make an income that is practically untracable, you aren't on a Thailand companys payroll, you don't receive a paycheck/paystub...FUHGETABOWDIT!! Just make sure you have a good answer if ever asked "How are you living/sustaining yourself here in Thailand?"

Forget the Permit! Anything that requires one, just start another topic and I'm sure you can get suggestions (ie: bank account, post pay crap)

OTHERWISE, if you are too honest for your own good then march on down to OFFICEMAX get a bright colored posterboard and write "I WANT TO GIVE YOU MY MONEY THAT YOU ARE ENTITLED TOO BECAUSE IM HONEST AND LAW ABIDING"

by the same token you could work under the table in your home country and avoid paying taxes.

[kaydee412]

Beetlejuice,

If you are resident in Thailand, than running an online company or business from within Thailand requires a work permit and falls under the auspices of the employment and business acts for foreigners.

You're qualifying your statement by saying "resident" -- does that mean that your statement does not apply to a non-resident alien? I would think that the visa status would be irrelevant beyond the fact that in order to obtain a Thai work permit one would have to have the proper visa.

Furthermore, does your statement still apply if the "online company or business" is a foreign company with registration/presence/activities only outside Thailand? Apparently a work permit requires sponsorship of a Thai company which would be impossible if the company is not registered or present in Thailand.

If you are a resident in Thailand and running any kinds of businesses or companies here, even if as the claim the business transactions as made abroad, without the documentation and permissions required, including not being being registered with the Thai tax office, than you are running a business illegally here in Thailand.

I believe if you're a resident then you as an individual would be required to register with the tax authorities. If your visa status is different and you're not a resident then I'm not sure what the requirements are -- e.g. if you're on a tourist visa I would say no, student visa maybe if you were allowed to work for the school/university, retired then no, etc.

Again, being able to stay in a country is typically different from being able to work in a country and hence taxation and/or reporting duties may not apply depending on your visa or lack of visa.

I would be very interested to know who are these apparent many attorneys you checked with in Thailand? Because if you paid any fees for their expert opinions I would certainly advise trying to claim a refund for misleading you.

And I would be very interested in knowing how you would argue and prove that the person had been misled regardless of whether any fees were paid. If you (or anyone else) could please provide some references to the relevant sections of the applicable laws and/or court verdicts/opinions that would be greatly appreciated.

It's an interesting topic and as others have pointed out, one that pops up regularly. It would be interesting to put this to the lawyer in residence.

[farang000999]

So when someone goes through the trouble of creating a company and getting a work permit so that they can "consult" online, without any Thai employees, any Thai office, any business taking place in Thailand and without any money being remitted to Thailand... this does not raise any red flags with Thai Immigration that this person might be completely full of shit and just wants to live in Thailand on a WP without leaving?

This seems to solve the early retirement issue pretty easily. Just get a WP for your job as "consultant".

Also, we have seen this topic raised over and over again but I have never seen any topic of people who have actually gotten trouble for working online in Thailand if they are not doing something that is illegal in Thailand?

[Thai at Heart]

As long as the money comes from outside Thailand, you are unlikely to run into any problems.. There must be 1000's doing exactly the same thing, you never hear of anyone being caught.. I'd be more worried about where I pay Tax to be honest..

Yeah, and there was no problems in living in Thailand with tourist visas and border runs. 1000's of people were doing that and no problem. Until all that changed just like that. Same thing will most likely happen about all these 'digital nomads' who live in Thailand to work online without any work permits.

Define get into trouble.

If Thai immigration is cracking down on this because of internet work, well they are dumb.

This paranoia of people working on the internet sparking a crackdown is crazy. They aren't running around arresting people for writing programs, currency trading or the such.

What they are saying is that u won't be allowed to sit in Thailand doing this as a tourist. U can't get a work permit for offshore internet work as a freelancer anyway.

[AYJAYDEE]

As long as the money comes from outside Thailand, you are unlikely to run into any problems.. There must be 1000's doing exactly the same thing, you never hear of anyone being caught.. I'd be more worried about where I pay Tax to be honest..

Yeah, and there was no problems in living in Thailand with tourist visas and border runs. 1000's of people were doing that and no problem. Until all that changed just like that. Same thing will most likely happen about all these 'digital nomads' who live in Thailand to work online without any work permits.

Define get into trouble.

If Thai immigration is cracking down on this because of internet work, well they are dumb.

This paranoia of people working on the internet sparking a crackdown is crazy. They aren't running around arresting people for writing programs, currency trading or the such.

What they are saying is that u won't be allowed to sit in Thailand doing this as a tourist. U can't get a work permit for offshore internet work as a freelancer anyway.

does your home country allow just anyone to come live full time and work freelance? mine doesnt

[Thai at Heart]

These type of posts are becoming more pathetic by the day ! Repetative too.

When are these guys going to stop looking for loopholes and "what ifs". Its not a freakin chess game and the smartest one wins a visa !

It actually makes little to no difference what you think the law states either. The only thing that matters is the individual who is imposing said law and how he or she intereprets it, nothing more. If you dont speak fluent Thai you will just be a jibbering monkey to the officials.

You can have all the logical arguments under the sun, but when policemman somchai rolls up he aint gonna give a damn what you got to say, its off to jail and sort it out later. Resist , and you 'll probably face the working end of a 45 or baton. You can think of all your amazing logical arguments and back romm legal points whilst eating you fish head soup and sleeping on a concrete floor.

YOU NEED A PERMIT TO DO ANY TYPE OF WORK IN THAILAND, EVEN VOLUNTEERING FOR NO FINANCIAL REWARD !

How much clearer do you want it ! Touch a keyboard, use the internet to communicate for said work irrespective of its location or payment and you are working!

DONT ARGUE WITH ME ABOUT IT, wait for the fish head soup, then talk to the judge, if you think he'll listen assuming you speak adequate Thai.

And yes there are many who do do it, yes there are many who dont get caught, BUT if you get reported by someone you piss of or gets jealous........you know what comes next !

The above is rant and rave and jiberish. If this were true, then anyone coming into Thailand thru the airport or elsewhere, who are contacting their offices and transacting business on their PCs from within the Kingdom, would all be guilty of Work Permit violations and be put in jail. Nonsense.

In truth, having checked with many attorneys in Thailand, since I have this same type of business, you can transact any type of business activity in this country "as long as your transaction is non-Thailand located and there is NO money being earned in Thailand". Period.

People "technically" cannot transact any business, nor have business related discussions, even if they are "non-paid" in Thailand, such as lecturing at a university (which I personally think would be a benefit to this country for someone to be able to so do), and even inclusive of attending Chamber of Commerce and other networking events, including speaking at conferences (which I do frequently for the benefit of the Thai people). So find me guilty of trying to help people, for free, with my knowledge. However, at the events I attend, we usually have an "umbrella" with many Thai officials present who will stop bad things from occuring.

Total rubbish.

If you are resident in Thailand, than running an online company or business from within Thailand requires a work permit and falls under the auspices of the employment and business acts for foreigners.

If you are a resident in Thailand and running any kinds of businesses or companies here, even if as the claim the business transactions as made abroad, without the documentation and permissions required, including not being being registered with the Thai tax office, than you are running a business illegally here in Thailand.

I would be very interested to know who are these apparent many attorneys you checked with in Thailand? Because if you paid any fees for their expert opinions I would certainly advise trying to claim a refund for misleading you.

According to the comments in your post, you are just another Westerner running a business illegally in Thailand.

As literal as your interpretation might be, in practice as you know, it has NEVER happened that someone managing a website outside Thailand has been caught and prosecuted for working without a permit.

It is unmanageable to prosecute this.

[AYJAYDEE]

These type of posts are becoming more pathetic by the day ! Repetative too.

When are these guys going to stop looking for loopholes and "what ifs". Its not a freakin chess game and the smartest one wins a visa !

It actually makes little to no difference what you think the law states either. The only thing that matters is the individual who is imposing said law and how he or she intereprets it, nothing more. If you dont speak fluent Thai you will just be a jibbering monkey to the officials.

You can have all the logical arguments under the sun, but when policemman somchai rolls up he aint gonna give a damn what you got to say, its off to jail and sort it out later. Resist , and you 'll probably face the working end of a 45 or baton. You can think of all your amazing logical arguments and back romm legal points whilst eating you fish head soup and sleeping on a concrete floor.

YOU NEED A PERMIT TO DO ANY TYPE OF WORK IN THAILAND, EVEN VOLUNTEERING FOR NO FINANCIAL REWARD !

How much clearer do you want it ! Touch a keyboard, use the internet to communicate for said work irrespective of its location or payment and you are working!

DONT ARGUE WITH ME ABOUT IT, wait for the fish head soup, then talk to the judge, if you think he'll listen assuming you speak adequate Thai.

And yes there are many who do do it, yes there are many who dont get caught, BUT if you get reported by someone you piss of or gets jealous........you know what comes next !

The above is rant and rave and jiberish. If this were true, then anyone coming into Thailand thru the airport or elsewhere, who are contacting their offices and transacting business on their PCs from within the Kingdom, would all be guilty of Work Permit violations and be put in jail. Nonsense.

In truth, having checked with many attorneys in Thailand, since I have this same type of business, you can transact any type of business activity in this country "as long as your transaction is non-Thailand located and there is NO money being earned in Thailand". Period.

People "technically" cannot transact any business, nor have business related discussions, even if they are "non-paid" in Thailand, such as lecturing at a university (which I personally think would be a benefit to this country for someone to be able to so do), and even inclusive of attending Chamber of Commerce and other networking events, including speaking at conferences (which I do frequently for the benefit of the Thai people). So find me guilty of trying to help people, for free, with my knowledge. However, at the events I attend, we usually have an "umbrella" with many Thai officials present who will stop bad things from occuring.

Total rubbish.

If you are resident in Thailand, than running an online company or business from within Thailand requires a work permit and falls under the auspices of the employment and business acts for foreigners.

If you are a resident in Thailand and running any kinds of businesses or companies here, even if as the claim the business transactions as made abroad, without the documentation and permissions required, including not being being registered with the Thai tax office, than you are running a business illegally here in Thailand.

I would be very interested to know who are these apparent many attorneys you checked with in Thailand? Because if you paid any fees for their expert opinions I would certainly advise trying to claim a refund for misleading you.

According to the comments in your post, you are just another Westerner running a business illegally in Thailand.

As literal as your interpretation might be, in practice as you know, it has NEVER happened that someone managing a website outside Thailand has been caught and prosecuted for working without a permit.

It is unmanageable to prosecute this.

its still a useful tool to remove someone they decide they dont want

[susan d]

If you want to stay here, you should find some job to get a work permit.

[farang000999]

Can you guys please link to some examples/stories of people who have gone through the fish head soup ringer for this sort of thing? Or are the consequences so severe that they never make it out alive to tell?

Edited May 20, 2014 by farang000999

[farang000999]

bump

[IMA_FARANG]

What about it?

Yes you will legally need a Work Permit.

No you will not be able to legally get one.

To legally get one you will need to set up a company in Thailand, invest the required funds, and hire the required Thai staff.

Does it matter where you are paid: No it does not.

Does it matter what country your tax bill is paid? No, it does not.

The point you can't seem to get through your head is that it is not where you are paid or where your company is established, If you physically perform that work here in Thailand you legally need a Work Permit to perform that work here in Thailand.

Typing on a computer here in Thailand to perform your "work" on the internet is doing work here in Thailand.

What part of that statement above did you fail to comprehend?

Now, can you work legally here in Thailand without a Work Permit in Thailand?

No you can not.

Do people work illegally in Thailand (i.e, without a work permit).?

Yes, all the time.

Do they get caught?

Not usually, but it is still technically illegal.

Does that seem to make sense.(the law I mean)?

No it does not. It is a foolish and self-defeating application of a silly law which was established before there was such a thing as "working on line".

It would be much more logical if "work on line" was simply made legal for a self-employed person and that person could simply pay the (lower than tin the U,S,) tax rates for the self-employed person's taxes.

Exactly when and where do government laws and rules have to make sense?

Not here in Thailand, and not in the U.S. either, at least from my experience.

I don't know what else I can say about it .

[JouniF]

Define get into trouble.

Get exported, get blacklisted, get fined or go to jail. When the crackdown happens, it's not in our hands to pick what is going to happen. My point is: do you want to live your life with a risk of being forced out of the country where you live on a short notice or not? Is that the way you want to build your life in a new country? That's up to you and everyone else to decide. I can decide only for myself.

If Thai immigration is cracking down on this because of internet work, well they are dumb.

Lets just look back at history a little bit.

Prostitution has pretty much always been considered a matter between consenting adults in Thailand. That is, it has been legal and even quite socially accepted. That was until the 1960's when the international community and UN thought prostitution was a sin and pressured Thailand to criminalize it. And they did make it illega. The ban on prostitution was purely theoretical because, as it is, there is still nothing wrong with business between consenting adults, with or without money so Thailand complied with the international pressure and made it illegal, but just didn't really enforce the law.

Now, lets fast forward to the time of a few months ago. Two men with stolen passports board one plane in Malaysia. The passports happened to be stolen in Thailand and the plane happens to goes missing. Next, the international community is putting pressure to Thailand to use more force to apply its immigration laws and the problems (real or not) of border runs and visa runs. Because forcing the immigration laws makes international flight travel safer, yes, makes perfect sense to me too.

It's only a matter of time when the international community comes up with something similar, for example, by basis of anti-money laundering and/or financing of terrorism to put pressure to the Thai government to make it enforce its work permit laws. All it takes is one freelance web designer/coder from Pakistan/India/Middle East/wherever who works in Thailand illegally being caught by the US government to finance terrorists and it will be game over.

It's not about what is "dumb" or not, there is always more than just that.

[Soutpeel]

These type of posts are becoming more pathetic by the day ! Repetative too.

When are these guys going to stop looking for loopholes and "what ifs". Its not a freakin chess game and the smartest one wins a visa !

It actually makes little to no difference what you think the law states either. The only thing that matters is the individual who is imposing said law and how he or she intereprets it, nothing more. If you dont speak fluent Thai you will just be a jibbering monkey to the officials.

You can have all the logical arguments under the sun, but when policemman somchai rolls up he aint gonna give a damn what you got to say, its off to jail and sort it out later. Resist , and you 'll probably face the working end of a 45 or baton. You can think of all your amazing logical arguments and back romm legal points whilst eating you fish head soup and sleeping on a concrete floor.

YOU NEED A PERMIT TO DO ANY TYPE OF WORK IN THAILAND, EVEN VOLUNTEERING FOR NO FINANCIAL REWARD !

How much clearer do you want it ! Touch a keyboard, use the internet to communicate for said work irrespective of its location or payment and you are working!

DONT ARGUE WITH ME ABOUT IT, wait for the fish head soup, then talk to the judge, if you think he'll listen assuming you speak adequate Thai.

And yes there are many who do do it, yes there are many who dont get caught, BUT if you get reported by someone you piss of or gets jealous........you know what comes next !

The above is rant and rave and jiberish. If this were true, then anyone coming into Thailand thru the airport or elsewhere, who are contacting their offices and transacting business on their PCs from within the Kingdom, would all be guilty of Work Permit violations and be put in jail. Nonsense.

In truth, having checked with many attorneys in Thailand, since I have this same type of business, you can transact any type of business activity in this country "as long as your transaction is non-Thailand located and there is NO money being earned in Thailand". Period.

People "technically" cannot transact any business, nor have business related discussions, even if they are "non-paid" in Thailand, such as lecturing at a university (which I personally think would be a benefit to this country for someone to be able to so do), and even inclusive of attending Chamber of Commerce and other networking events, including speaking at conferences (which I do frequently for the benefit of the Thai people). So find me guilty of trying to help people, for free, with my knowledge. However, at the events I attend, we usually have an "umbrella" with many Thai officials present who will stop bad things from occuring.

Total rubbish.

If you are resident in Thailand, than running an online company or business from within Thailand requires a work permit and falls under the auspices of the employment and business acts for foreigners.

If you are a resident in Thailand and running any kinds of businesses or companies here, even if as the claim the business transactions as made abroad, without the documentation and permissions required, including not being being registered with the Thai tax office, than you are running a business illegally here in Thailand.

I would be very interested to know who are these apparent many attorneys you checked with in Thailand? Because if you paid any fees for their expert opinions I would certainly advise trying to claim a refund for misleading you.

According to the comments in your post, you are just another Westerner running a business illegally in Thailand.

As literal as your interpretation might be, in practice as you know, it has NEVER happened that someone managing a website outside Thailand has been caught and prosecuted for working without a permit.

It is unmanageable to prosecute this.

Of course its difficult to catch people doing this and unmanageable to prosecute for this and one suspects the DOL/immigration know this so what is the easiest way to "crack down" on this ? do it at the borders and use the visa/entry regulations, as in most cases, not all, one suspects the same people who are working illegally are also the same people who are not on the correct visa and visa running, deny entry on this basis, no need for investigation or court cases to prosecute people, just stop them coming into the country...no costs involved investigating people, no costs of court cases, no costs of holding people in the IDC, no hassles of raising deportation orders etc..

[chrisinth]

I have always had feelings about this issue, working via the internet and what is deemed legal and illegal. My situation is as follows:

I am working legally in Thailand with correct visa, work permit, etc, etc and have been doing so for many years. Part of my job is travelling within Thailand to conduct inspections, witness and hold points IAW the relevant inspection and test plans of projects. To this end I have additional addresses added to my work permit as temporary places of work, validated with a covering letter from my company stating the dates I will be there. This is in case any of the sub-vendors have a visit from the labor office while I am there, as I would not be in my place of work denoted in the WP. This has happened before (thus leading to the additional addresses in the WP) but no interest shown by the labor officials.

The question is, from a purely legal standpoint, when I am in my hotel room and am connected to the company server by remote access and working through this access (as I do everyday that I am away) where do I stand?

For clarity, I am not worried about it and will continue to do it, but I feel in a way this issue (conducted by many, many people in the same situation) has relevance to the OP. Even though a work permit has been issued, there are still small print issues to consider.

[JLCrab]

Per #74 above, when you apply for a Thailand Tourist Visa you sign this declaration:

You declare that the purpose of your visit to Thailand is for pleasure only and that in no case shall you engage yourself in any profession or occupation while in the country.

As with the Martha Stewart case in the USA, you may not get caught doing something, but you might get caught making a false statement about doing something to the wrong person.

[Berkshire]

Total rubbish.

If you are resident in Thailand, than running an online company or business from within Thailand requires a work permit and falls under the auspices of the employment and business acts for foreigners.

If you are a resident in Thailand and running any kinds of businesses or companies here, even if as the claim the business transactions as made abroad, without the documentation and permissions required, including not being being registered with the Thai tax office, than you are running a business illegally here in Thailand.

I would be very interested to know who are these apparent many attorneys you checked with in Thailand? Because if you paid any fees for their expert opinions I would certainly advise trying to claim a refund for misleading you.

According to the comments in your post, you are just another Westerner running a business illegally in Thailand.

As literal as your interpretation might be, in practice as you know, it has NEVER happened that someone managing a website outside Thailand has been caught and prosecuted for working without a permit.

It is unmanageable to prosecute this.

"NEVER??" Are you sure about that? People should resists making wild claims like that when it's obvious that they can't possibly know for certain. And it's not necessarily being prosecuted, but being deported and blacklisted, or even the threat of such.

But even if it's "never" happened in the past, future crackdowns will surely mean arrests in the future. Why even take the risk? Just be freakin legal!!

[Soutpeel]

I have always had feelings about this issue, working via the internet and what is deemed legal and illegal. My The question is, from a purely legal standpoint, when I am in my hotel room and am connected to the company server by remote access and working through this access (as I do everyday that I am away) where do I stand?

For clarity, I am not worried about it and will continue to do it, but I feel in a way this issue (conducted by many, many people in the same situation) has relevance to the OP. Even though a work permit has been issued, there are still small print issues to consider.

From a purely legal stand point, and being pedantic, one could suggest you were working illegally in the hotel room as its not on your WP.

but one suspects the way it would be seen if you did get "picked up" by immigration/DOL, they would say you are in full compliance with the intent of the working in Thailand regulations, by virtue you do have a WP, you have Identified multiple locations you are working at and these are noted etc.

My WP doesn't specify specific locations barring the office in BKK, but from what I understand there is a statement to the effect that I can work country wide, don't know the exact wording as my Thai reading skills are not up to snuff..

My experience over the time I have been in Thailand and have been "accused" of working illegally, usually just pulling the blue out out and showing them your picture and the info page has been enough for someone to back off pretty quickly, and never got to a debate of the actual place of work, detailed in the WP

[Thai at Heart]

Total rubbish.

If you are resident in Thailand, than running an online company or business from within Thailand requires a work permit and falls under the auspices of the employment and business acts for foreigners.

If you are a resident in Thailand and running any kinds of businesses or companies here, even if as the claim the business transactions as made abroad, without the documentation and permissions required, including not being being registered with the Thai tax office, than you are running a business illegally here in Thailand.

I would be very interested to know who are these apparent many attorneys you checked with in Thailand? Because if you paid any fees for their expert opinions I would certainly advise trying to claim a refund for misleading you.

According to the comments in your post, you are just another Westerner running a business illegally in Thailand.

As literal as your interpretation might be, in practice as you know, it has NEVER happened that someone managing a website outside Thailand has been caught and prosecuted for working without a permit.

It is unmanageable to prosecute this.

"NEVER??" Are you sure about that? People should resists making wild claims like that when it's obvious that they can't possibly know for certain. And it's not necessarily being prosecuted, but being deported and blacklisted, or even the threat of such.

But even if it's "never" happened in the past, future crackdowns will surely mean arrests in the future. Why even take the risk? Just be freakin legal!!

Working online in a legal escapade?

Never read a story about it.

If u have a managed stock account or a rental property that generates an income, why does that not represent work?,maybe this is why they have a 50 year old limit. Its not that they don't want people to retire here, they dont want young people to work here.

Technically , someone answering an email at home away from the office breaks your work permit, so what is it worth to get one, if you are going to split hairs to the nth degree.

Edited May 22, 2014 by Thai at Heart

[NomadJoe]

Do you need a work permit to grow plants by Hydroponces as a Hobby Not for Resale

No.

[Soutpeel]

Do you need a work permit to grow plants by Hydroponces as a Hobby Not for Resale

No.

May not need a work permit, but depending what plants he is growing with hydroponics' he could face a long term jail sentence...

[NomadJoe]

These type of posts are becoming more pathetic by the day ! Repetative too.

When are these guys going to stop looking for loopholes and "what ifs". Its not a freakin chess game and the smartest one wins a visa !

It actually makes little to no difference what you think the law states either. The only thing that matters is the individual who is imposing said law and how he or she intereprets it, nothing more. If you dont speak fluent Thai you will just be a jibbering monkey to the officials.

You can have all the logical arguments under the sun, but when policemman somchai rolls up he aint gonna give a damn what you got to say, its off to jail and sort it out later. Resist , and you 'll probably face the working end of a 45 or baton. You can think of all your amazing logical arguments and back romm legal points whilst eating you fish head soup and sleeping on a concrete floor.

YOU NEED A PERMIT TO DO ANY TYPE OF WORK IN THAILAND, EVEN VOLUNTEERING FOR NO FINANCIAL REWARD !

How much clearer do you want it ! Touch a keyboard, use the internet to communicate for said work irrespective of its location or payment and you are working!

DONT ARGUE WITH ME ABOUT IT, wait for the fish head soup, then talk to the judge, if you think he'll listen assuming you speak adequate Thai.

And yes there are many who do do it, yes there are many who dont get caught, BUT if you get reported by someone you piss of or gets jealous........you know what comes next !

The above is rant and rave and jiberish. If this were true, then anyone coming into Thailand thru the airport or elsewhere, who are contacting their offices and transacting business on their PCs from within the Kingdom, would all be guilty of Work Permit violations and be put in jail. Nonsense.

In truth, having checked with many attorneys in Thailand, since I have this same type of business, you can transact any type of business activity in this country "as long as your transaction is non-Thailand located and there is NO money being earned in Thailand". Period.

People "technically" cannot transact any business, nor have business related discussions, even if they are "non-paid" in Thailand, such as lecturing at a university (which I personally think would be a benefit to this country for someone to be able to so do), and even inclusive of attending Chamber of Commerce and other networking events, including speaking at conferences (which I do frequently for the benefit of the Thai people). So find me guilty of trying to help people, for free, with my knowledge. However, at the events I attend, we usually have an "umbrella" with many Thai officials present who will stop bad things from occuring.

Charlie's post is exactly correct. People following your advice "you can transact any type of business activity in this country "as long as your transaction is non-Thailand located and there is NO money being earned in Thailand". Period." is completly innacurate and mods would do well to delete it all together.

Also, you can not us the word "technically" when referring to legal matters. It is or it isn't. Just because you are able to work illegally under the umbrella of protection afforded you by your contacts does not mean other people can or should.

And oh yeah...you need new lawyers.

[Soutpeel]

Technically , someone answering an email at home away from the office breaks your work permit, so what is it worth to get one, if you are going to split hairs to the nth degree.

It all a case of consequence

Someone has a drivers license and insurance and they speed get caught and fine is issued ..yes it's an illegal act

Someone drives a car with no drivers license or insurance and they speed and get caught...they are charged with driving with no license/insurance and speeding, but which offenses are the most serious ?.....not the speeding, but not having a license/insurance.

If someone on a WP gets caught working at home and its not your WP, yes technically correct, but a smack in wrist

If someone gets caught working at home with no WP....possible big fine, jail and deportation etc

[Soutpeel]

And oh yeah...you need new lawyers.

if there was any lawyers to start with of course...

[Thai at Heart]

Technically , someone answering an email at home away from the office breaks your work permit, so what is it worth to get one, if you are going to split hairs to the nth degree.

It all a case of consequence

Someone has a drivers license and insurance and they speed get caught and fine is issued ..yes it's an illegal act

Someone drives a car with no drivers license or insurance and they speed and get caught...they are charged with driving with no license/insurance and speeding, but which offenses are the most serious ?.....not the speeding, but not having a license/insurance.

If someone on a WP gets caught working at home and its not your WP, yes technically correct, but a smack in wrist

If someone gets caught working at home with no WP....possible big fine, jail and deportation etc

I.e. the interpretation is grey.