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Can Farang Cook/Chef in your Own Restaurant ?


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Read and search the forum, answered many times. As a member with over a thousand posts, you should not need a newbie like me to tell you the proper etiquette here.

There are other sites that also cover this in detail, Google them.

Edited by dhream
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Read and search the forum, answered many times. As a member with over a thousand posts, you should not need a newbie like me to tell you the proper etiquette here.

There are other sites that also cover this in detail, Google them.

As someone who has lived in Thailand for 10 years (and is currently back in N.A. since Before the last Coup), I understand all too well that rules Change, either by Directive or by Application, and No post in this forum that is NOT current, is applicable to the Reality TODAY !!!

As someone that is obvioulsy a Newbie here, you should know this, and not be so Quick to be judgmental... You haven't earned the right yet!!

CS

As someone who carries such weight here could you please let the rest of us know how many posts it does require for us to be able to admonish others without the risk of incurring the wrath of those in high places such as you who have "earned that right"?

I'm now backing away, respectfully kowtowing and tugging my forelock.

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Read and search the forum, answered many times. As a member with over a thousand posts, you should not need a newbie like me to tell you the proper etiquette here.

There are other sites that also cover this in detail, Google them.

As someone who has lived in Thailand for 10 years (and is currently back in N.A. since Before the last Coup), I understand all too well that rules Change, either by Directive or by Application, and No post in this forum that is NOT current, is applicable to the Reality TODAY !!!

As someone that is obvioulsy a Newbie here, you should know this, and not be so Quick to be judgmental... You haven't earned the right yet!!

CS

As someone who carries such weight here could you please let the rest of us know how many posts it does require for us to be able to admonish others without the risk of incurring the wrath of those in high places such as you who have "earned that right"?

I'm now backing away, respectfully kowtowing and tugging my forelock.

...431 posts are required.....

Fatfather

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I was once frying bacon and eggs in Bangkok, in the kitchenette area of my serviced apartment room, when there was a loud banging on the door. So I opened the door and three immigration officers burst in to demand to see a work permit. Luckily I had anticipated the possibility of a fry up on my trip and had obtained a work permit before arriving. In my panicked flurry to find my paperwork I was slapped about the face several times by the officers, two short fat ladies and a man, but I did find it in the end, I had it in one of those little pockets of my rucksack. So on that occasion I was okay, but it just goes to show how careful you need to be.

Edited by paddyjenkins
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Being a cook is a restricted profession. Being a supervisory chef is not restricted, and you can get a work permit for a Chef.

Subjectively, if the foreigner's work appears to be depriving a Thai cook of a job, you are on shaky ground. On the other hand, if the foreigner's work appears to be optimizing the performance of a team of Thai cooks - and transferring know-how to them - then you are on firm ground.

A foreigner who starts a company to operate a restaurant, and then performs cook duties so as to save the salary of paying a Thai, is likely to get into trouble really quickly.

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Read and search the forum, answered many times. As a member with over a thousand posts, you should not need a newbie like me to tell you the proper etiquette here.

There are other sites that also cover this in detail, Google them.

Why so rude, newb?

We have a new government and a lot has been changing. The forum is alive with questions about possible changes, rumors of changes, etc.

This is the place to ask questions.

Chill, man.

CosmicSurfer, I don't know the answer or I'd tell you. I think I do but that isn't good enough.

Someone will be along shortly with an expert reply.

Good luck.

As far as I know the amity agreement hasn't changed under the junta, so the OP can 100% own the restaurant, and cooking chef of foreign kitchens can get a work permit since it isn't a restricted occupation.

I'm not sure but I think under the US-Thai amity you also don't need the 4 Thai workers to get a work permit, because you have full ownership of the company.

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I'm not sure but I think under the US-Thai amity you also don't need the 4 Thai workers to get a work permit, because you have full ownership of the company.

This is not true. Amity Treaty does not give you SUPERIOR rights in comparison to all-Thai companies - it just gives you equal authorizations - except no right to own land.

So - rules requiring a 4:1 ratio of Thai to foreign employees apply equally to all Thai Private Companies - except those with BOI approval.

Cheers!

Mais-odni

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I have several clients who own restaurants and either work as Chefs or employ foreign chefs. They all have work permits.

Also, "Chef" or similar does not appear to be on the restricted list.

1. Work in agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry or fishery excluding specialized work

2. in each particular branch or farm of supervision;

3. bricklaying, carpentry of other construction work;

4. wood carving;

5. driving mechanically-propelled carried or driving non-mechanically-propelled vehicle, excluding international aircraft piloting;

6. shop attendance;

7. auction;

8. supervising, auditing or giving services in accountancy excluding internal auditing on occasions;

9. cutting of polishing jewellery;

10. haircutting, hairdressing or beauty treatment;

11. cloth weaving by hand;

12. weaving of mats or making products from reeds, rattan, hemp, straw or bamboo pellicle;

13. making of Sa paper by hand;

14. lacquerware making;

15. making of Thai musical instruments;

16. nielloware making;

17. making products from gold, silver or gold-copper alloy;

18. bronzeware making;

19. making Thai dolls;

20. making mattress of quilt blanket;

21. alms bowls casting;

22. making silk products by hand;

23. casting Buddha images;

24. knife making;

25. making paper or cloth umbrellas;

26. shoemaking;

27. hat-making;

28. brokerage or agency excluding brokerage or agency in international trade business;

29. engineering work in civil engineering branch concerning designing and calculation, organization, research, planning, testing, construction supervision or advising excluding specialized work;

30. architectural work concerning designing, drawing of plan, estimation, construction directing or advising;

31. garments making;

32. pottery or ceramic ware making;

33.

cigarette making by hand;

34. guide or conducting sightseeing tours;

35. street vending;

36. type-setting of Thai characters by hand;

37.

drawing and twisting silk-thread by hand

38. office of secretarial work;

39. legal or lawsuit services.

http://www.bdo-thaitax.com/bdo/employment-foreigners

Edited by SDM0712
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SDM0712 -

What is missing from your list is the very first category ,- which is simply entitled "Labor".

Being a cook - or a bartender, or a waiter/waitress, or a cashier, or a cook - is considered "labor".

Supervising people in those positions is not labor - and is permissible for foreigners.

It is on that basis that being a supervising chef is permissible - as long as you have some cooks (laborers) to supervise.

Mais-odni

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Yes, quite right I can see this on another list from a different source.

" Labor work except labor work in fishing boats"

But I can tell you from experience that it have several clients working as Chefs with work permits in their own and other peoples restaurants and hotels. They do have Thais also working in the Kitchen as Junior Chefs so are no doubt Supervising Chefs as you describe.

SDM

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To put it more technically:

If - in the work permit application - the job is described like this:

Job Title: Chef/cook

Job Description: Prepares and cooks meals to be served to diners at the company's restaurant

then - the work permit office will most likely not even accept the application (much less approve it).

But - the following work permit job description will fly with no problems:

Job: Chef

Job Description: Assists restaurant manager with menu planning and design; supervises team of three cooks in preparation of Thai and foreign cuisine meals for diners; supervises purchase and proper storage of food supplies and raw materials; ensures proper care, maintenance, and sanitation of kitchen equipment.

By the way - of the venues of the two employers above, which one would you prefer to patronize?

Cheers!

Mais-odni

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Read and search the forum, answered many times. As a member with over a thousand posts, you should not need a newbie like me to tell you the proper etiquette here.

There are other sites that also cover this in detail, Google them.

In defense of the OP, this is one of the most difficult to search forums I have ever encountered. What's wrong with just letting somebody who knows provide a simple answer or a link? Some of us like to help each other.

Nail on the head.

People who are here for sport, purely to wind others up with use of insults and slurs should be banned. What's wrong with answering a simple question so a poster avoids having to trawl though thousands of posts.

For those of us who live in the so called Land of Smiles it's hard enough as it is dealing with local officialdom, let alone the others that we are grouped with behaving in such a manner. As the old saying that goes something along the lines "if you have nothing positive to say then say nothing"

If you don't like a post or thread then ignore it.

SDM

"If you don't like a post or thread then ignore it." Pot, meet kettle.

To everyone else: Don't patronize or chastize me just because you have more posts here, find a better reason.

Having said that, I am bemused that those to whom the post was not even directed, were offended. Must have been a quiet Sunday...

I was remiss in assuming most would be familiar with 'forum leeches', and amazed that a 'senior' forum menber would not have used the simple ettiqute outlined below, (maybe not so) familiar to all:

So let me try again:

"Dear OP, this question has been answered many times, please kindly try a search first, or do let us know if you have in fact done so, and come up with poor results, this will aviod irritating those of us who don't suffer fools gladly.

Not that you are a fool, but the internet is replete with lazy people, many of whom are fools in search of a bigger fool, to do their homework for them.

Valid calls for help are one thing, free labour is another. I trust you get where I am coming from as a business person yourself.

I stand by my suggestion that Google will also quickly provide insightful alternatives to here, where many seem to have wasted as much time wagging their fingers at me, as providing valid answers.

I regret that my answer was so brusque as to offend, because now I have to return and re-word my suggestion in the asinine language of an airline in cabin announcement.

So thank you for your attention, and thank you for using Thai Visa today."

Happy now, 'old-timers'?

Edited by dhream
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Hi I'm not offended in the slightest but it seems that there are those who take every opportunity to have a pop at another member. As one of the few, if not only, member to publish genuine contact details (in the vain hope that I'll get some business out of you buggers) I try to pick my words carefully. It might make the forum a nicer environment if all the key board warriors had to give real details. More likely everyone would leave rather than tell the others who and where they really were!

Personally if someone bugs me, and their are many, I just put them on my "banned" list under the heading that life is too short.

Also to my way of thinking more post only equates to people with too much time on their hands and nothing to fill it! I also believe that the experience of people who live here permanently have more to offer in experience than those that just holiday here for a few weeks now and again. We should have a flag by each poster "Resident" in gold.

SDM

Edited by SDM0712
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plenty of falangs work as chef's, waiters and cooks in the pattaya area so the wp is easily doable. Don't let anyone scare you like its a big deal. Just need the company, vat, visa and employees and your good to go. My wp let's me do things that I thought were not allowed.

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As long as you can convince the labour office of the reasons for employing a foreigner as opposed to a Thai, you may be OK.

I don't fancy your chances selling somtam, but if you you want to open a speciality place ie: European food and can say that you have advertised for a Thai but could not find anyone suitable then you may be in with a chance.

Also, assuming you employ the right number of Thai staff, you can always spin the training element - that goes a long way.

Good Luck..

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I'll tell you what I saw recently. Found a some Greek food in Patts. I ordered with the Farang and he instructed his Thai MRS to do the cooking. I could be wrong but I think the rule you must hire x number of Thais for one farang WP may still apply.

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Most likely just the same rules apply to the OP as any other company (LTD) workpermit = 2 million baht in the business + 4 Thai employees.

Many restaurants (larger/expensive) have a farang cook/chef, but the investment = 2MB+ and have 4+ Thai waiters/cooks

Lets just hope that this new junta government will change things and start making things more easy (Cambodia style) for small businesses.

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