magicwheel Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Hi, today 3 royal thai police cam to my company and said we had been reported for working without a permit. My solicitor had both my passport an permit so I rang him and he spoke to the officers. He said okay fine. However while our receptionist took her son to the hospital my husband ( he's on a ret. visa) sat at her desk and was watching stuff on his iPad. So the officer said he was working. We explained that I had staff and that my husband just sits in the office until I finish so we can go for dinner. He said he didn't believe us but would go away for 20,000 THB. Can he do this? He said if we don't pay he will arrest both of us because I could not produce my paper work. Any advice? We are both British nationals. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soutpeel Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Technically speaking they can arrest / charge anyone they likr, but obviously the problematic bit may be proving it in court of law, this sounds like an attempted extortion job, more than anything else 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisb Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 So where's your lawyer when you need them?? Maybe worth setting up some cctv. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denim Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 (edited) Yes they can do this and they are acting within the law. In the past this has happened and people have been arrested and charged with not having work permits. Generally speaking, this kind of raid is usually the result of some kind of tip off from either a business rival or someone with an axe to grind against the company as a result of a personal grudge or something as trivial as a parking space. However, extortion is obviously illegal but reporting it without strong evidence can be hazardous unless you have a lot of witnesses etc. <snip> Edited October 18, 2014 by Jai Dee Speculative comment about the RTP removed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
konying Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Not too sure if police have the power or the knowledge, however DSI can. 20000 is the going rate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maestro Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 The policeman can detain, but without a court oder not arrest, your husband. Your husband can, if he wishes, file a complaint against the police officer for abuse of authority. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalchromakey Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Don't know where you are, but this has all the trappings of an extortion attempt (particularly the 20,000 THB to 'go away').. My understanding is that officers from labour/and or immigration departments need to be present at such a raid. Did you check IDs and write down names? There have also been several cases of fake police doing this trick. Feel free to video them or point out if you have CCTV, they might just get a little nervous and leave........... Chances are the people who came were 'working' on their day off, small businesses are their favourite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post moe666 Posted October 18, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted October 18, 2014 Keepyour husband out of the office, yes I know not right but keeps the questions and possible problems down 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utley Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Are you seriously asking this question in a country that is under martial law? "Badges? - We don't need no stinkin badges!" 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Suradit69 Posted October 18, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted October 18, 2014 (edited) However while our receptionist took her son to the hospital my husband ( he's on a ret. visa) sat at her desk and was watching stuff on his iPad. So the officer said he was working. If someone came into your office and went to the receptionist desk, your husband would ignore them because he wasn't working there?? And in another thread you stated a few days ago your former landlord arrived with the police at your "new workplace" because you were in breach of contract, leaving rented accommodation after 3 months into a twelve month contract and had also left without paying final electricity & internet bills, supposedly because you lost your job. You seem to be generating a lot of business for your lawyer. Edited October 18, 2014 by Suradit69 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
technologybytes Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 To be honest, if your husband sits at a desk it's reasonable to assume that he's working. If the "I'm waiting for my wife" excuse worked then it would be widely abused. I'm not saying you are lying or that your husband was working... but I am saying you should know better. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 - not being able to show the WP at place of work can be fined, not more than a few thousand baht and if the WP is away for an extension a judge might not agree to the fine. - As has been mentioned, your husband sitting at a desk in your office could be seen as working and can lead to prosecution. Will be up to a judge on how he will see it, but if he thinks he was working it will mean a conviction and deportation from the country. Reason why it is sometimes wiser to negotiate a fee instead of going to court, the law actually favours the negotiation of a fee. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvavin Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Video tape these idiots and report them to the NCPO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitti Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 It is very simple. As long as you have the right paper work, you have absolutely nothing to fear from the authorities. Only you know for sure what documents you have and you don't have. If you don't have what is required by the law....in my opinion 20,000 baht is pretty cheap price to pay instead of facing the trouble. I don't know what your situation is but if you don't have the paper work, until you make everything right, they can come back again sometime in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoshowJones Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 This is the sort of thing that makes me feel a bit ashamed when I stick up for Thailand, I have only ever had one issue with Thai Immigration, when I went for my 90 day report, an officer accused me of being on a 25 day overstay, when there was not even one day overstay. obviously hoping for something 'under the table'. I have had dealings with Immigration for everything from work permits, to in and outs at borders, during my nine years in Thailand, and have always been treated with the utmost courtesy, apart from that one time. If Thai Immigration would just sack these crooked officers, instead of transferring them, but we know that will never happen as these 'under the tables' will probably be shared with the bosses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smotherb Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Are you seriously asking this question in a country that is under martial law? "Badges? - We don't need no stinkin badges!" Hmmm, you equate police extortion with military martial law. However, you are right on one count, military "don't need no stinkin' badges." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackJack Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Same happened to me 3 guys walked in to my office flipped a badge in his wallet and said wheres your work permit from 3 meters it could have been from a toy store so I played along These guys were dressed like poorly and the way they acted was suspicious no paper work with them to check me out - nothing no ID card around their necks nothing I produced my work permit I could see the blood drain from his face as he saw his scam fall apart My GF lawyer said to them do you know X from Immigration as he knows all about our office and staff. You know X they asked My GF said well this is a law office and we do deal with X at Immigration all the time. 3 of them left hurriedly and empty handed. My understanding is that it is Immigration that does the checks and if a foreigners is working then they need to come with all the paperwork to see and check that you are doing what is on your work permit. I have since installed a camera in the office in case it happens again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post kurnell Posted October 18, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted October 18, 2014 Interesting that I've never reliably heard of a work permit raid in 20 years. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utley Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Are you seriously asking this question in a country that is under martial law? "Badges? - We don't need no stinkin badges!" Hmmm, you equate police extortion with military martial law. However, you are right on one count, military "don't need no stinkin' badges." Civil rights and jurisprudence don't exist in Thailand today which allows the police to run amuck now more than ever. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOTIRIOS Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 ...never enough for them..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kovaltech Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 OP,.... They talked with your lawyer as you stated... so you did know what to do... Then they tried to extort you and you don't know what to do... Confusing isn't it ? trolling post.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianp0803 Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 I would hate to make extortion easy for them but also afraid to fight (even if right) in a foreign country. I heard 20,000 is the common extortion payment because that is the common Atm limit. I lowered my limit more because afraid of loosing my card and someone using it as a master card. I can still get any amount in person with passport Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post stevenl Posted October 18, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted October 18, 2014 (edited) Video tape these idiots and report them to the NCPO. Why are they idiots? They come into a workplace, find somebody behind the reception desk without workpermit and find somebody else inside working without passport and workpermit. Sounds like this 'raid' was very justified. Edited October 18, 2014 by stevenl 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horisize Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Yes they can do this and they are acting within the law. In the past this has happened and people have been arrested and charged with not having work permits. Generally speaking, this kind of raid is usually the result of some kind of tip off from either a business rival or someone with an axe to grind against the company as a result of a personal grudge or something as trivial as a parking space. However, extortion is obviously illegal but reporting it without strong evidence can be hazardous unless you have a lot of witnesses etc. <snip> What law exactly? Under what jurisdiction? The police have no lawfull right to touch anyone unless there is a crime. To have a crime there must be a injured victim. Please explain where you get this from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brewsterbudgen Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Yes they can do this and they are acting within the law. In the past this has happened and people have been arrested and charged with not having work permits. Generally speaking, this kind of raid is usually the result of some kind of tip off from either a business rival or someone with an axe to grind against the company as a result of a personal grudge or something as trivial as a parking space. However, extortion is obviously illegal but reporting it without strong evidence can be hazardous unless you have a lot of witnesses etc. <snip> What law exactly? Under what jurisdiction? The police have no lawfull right to touch anyone unless there is a crime. To have a crime there must be a injured victim. Please explain where you get this from. It's illegal to work without a work permit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dddave Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Interesting that I've never reliably heard of a work permit raid in 20 years. As others have pointed out; usually done as a result of a "tip"...somebody with an ax to grind. Competitor, former employee, angry ex?? The possibilities are endless. It seems that genuine random checks are indeed very rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtoad Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Interesting that I've never reliably heard of a work permit raid in 20 years. Often specific types of businesses are raided. Dive shops , schools and language centres seem to be the ones more often targeted. Again it will also be locations, Phuket is certainly notorious for shakedowns of dive operators, I've known a few dive shops in Koh Chang also get raided for staff not having WPs Our Labour department sometimes visits, but it's never a "raid" the last time they were over they asked to see one member of staffs WP, which of course we had in the HR office. No one else got asked, including me and I spent an hour chatting with them over lunch. On one visit they told me that an ex staff member who was dismissed for havering his fingers in the till, had reported us for not having WPs, they were not to complimentary about him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert24 Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 So what did you do at the end? Did you contact a lawyer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Off topic (troll) posts and replies to them have been removed. Edit Removed the same off topic post. Further posting will result in formal warning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soiyamoto Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 Not too sure if police have the power or the knowledge, however DSI can. 20000 is the going rate more like 100,000 and 2nights in immigration centre if your caught then you can haggle and they will accept 60-80k but then every month they'l be at your door for their little sweetener Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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