Confused: Is Employment Visa Same As Work Permit?

[adelwich]

Hi,

Apologies if this is a FAQ. I quickly searched the forums, but have limited Internet access and could not dig too deeply.

I am a visiting scholar from the United States, and have been hired by Ramhkhamaeng University to teach two courses during the summer. Armed with my letter from the director of the institute, I was issued an employment ( visa from the Houston office. No problem, right? I am supposed to teach from July 1 through August.

After being completely reamed for Internet access by Genesis Blue in Chiangmai, I resolved to sign up for the Hutch wireless broadband package. It isn't cheap, but it's significantly less than the crooks at Genesis Blue charged.

But... Hutch says you have to have a work permit to sign up for the wireless broadband account. What is the deal with that? I showed them my visa type, and a soft copy of the letter from the Institute director. They've asked for a signed hard copy of the letter, which is fine. I'm working on that now, but am worried that this will not be enough. Is a "work permit" different than the B visa that was already issued? How long does it take to get? And why on earth do they require this in order to sign up for broadband Internet access?

(I was going to make a comment about how unfair this policy seems to be, but I'm an American citizen and I've heard from colleagues in many other countries that our Immigration office is even worse, so I'll just bite my tongue.)

As a related side-note: Any recommendations for quick and dirty dialup providers in case Hutch continues to block my efforts?

I just keep telling myself.... "Cool heart. Cool heart. Don't get upset. Cool heart. It will all work out. Don't be a stupid farang who loses it. Cool heart." But I'm like a junkie when it comes to net access!

Thanks,

Aaron

[PeaceBlondie]

A non-immigrant B "work" visa is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Labour permits are issued by the Ministry of Labour. You have the first, but not the second.

Ramhkhamaeng is supposed to be one of the top ranking universities in Thailand. They are apparently your employer; they should help you to get a work permit. Unfortunately, it often takes two months to two years, and is seldom done in advance. This may result in you being a Ph.D. "wetback" illegal alien worker, or to phrase it more PC, an "undocumented worker."

Good luck, and welcome to Thailand.

[Tywais]

As PeaceBlondie said, to legally work in Thailand you need the work permit from the labor office. Ramhkhamaeng University is a major university and they certainly should be aware of this. However the specific department that hired you may not be familiar with the requirements. You need a letter from the president/head of the university and the work permit application form also signed by the president/head and that will take a lot of time. Pretty unlikely to get it in the time frame that you are working. They should have had the documentation prepared in advance for you.

[adelwich]

Thanks all. The head of the department has signed a letter, and I will bring this back to the merchant. Hope it works, though your messages have given me a sinking feeling.

If this doesn't work, I will fall back on dial-up for now. Does anyone know if the ADSL providers also require a work permit in order to subscribe to broadband Internet?

Just out of curiosity, does anyone have any theories about the reasoning behind this requirement? It seems very odd. It's like requiring that someone have work permit in order to make an international phone call.

Aaron

[chownah]

Have you considered asking the admin at the uni to go talk to the internet providers...or call them on the phone and chat with them? Don't know if this is a bad idea or not.

[camerata]

If this doesn't work, I will fall back on dial-up for now. Does anyone know if the ADSL providers also require a work permit in order to subscribe to broadband Internet?

I didn't need it to sign up for True broadband in Bangkok.

Just out of curiosity, does anyone have any theories about the reasoning behind this requirement? It seems very odd. It's like requiring that someone have work permit in order to make an international phone call.

The idea is to make life difficult for foreigners working here illegally, some of whom may be avoiding income tax. The last time I requested a new bank book my bank insisted I produce my work permit, even though I've had the account over 20 years and didn't need a work permit to open it. I was also refused a driver's license years ago when I didn't have a work permit.

What you have is a non-immigrant B (Business) visa. It allows you to look for work or to do things like attend conferences meet with business partners etc. It doesn't allow you to actually work. You need to point out the need for the work permit to your employer, who may not know or may be too disorganized or uninterested to apply for you. My experience is that Thai companies/organizations don't apply for the work permit until you prod them a bit.