hello,

i am a 26 year old self employed photographer from the uk , i hirer female models for a number of hours and take photographs of them in various locations i.e. public places, hotel rooms, there houses etc.. and then sell the photos to websites around the world.

so my question is can i do this in Thailand on a tourist visa (like a digital nomad) or would this still be classed as work and therefore need a work visa

in short i would be paying thai girl for photos and selling them abroad.

from what i have read so far digital nomads can work over the internet on a tourist visa as long as they don't make money from the country or take away jobs from thai locals. being a digital nomad seems to be a very grey area.

i have been to Thailand a number of times doing muay thai camps but never really looked into great detail about the visa side of things so all this is very new to me. i appreciate any input given

thanks Ben.

Officially you are working and you are supposed to have a work permit: period.

However: your photographic activities could be considered as "touristic" and what you do with the pics is a "behind the screen" activity.

A grey area and as long as your head stays low enough it won't be cut off.

There have been photographers busted for working without a work permit. Just taking photos here and there can look like a tourist but when you start taking posed photos of people is when it gets risky.

If you are working with an agency you might be able to get a work permit and a visa or extension of stay as a photo journalist.

You are not only working in Thailand but also employing your models. Nothing grey here, you need a work permit and pay taxes etc.

IMO Of course it's work. Taking professional photos (not tourist snaps) of extremely beautiful young ladies in public is going to attract attention of everybody passing by including policeman who probably could easily fooled into believing you are a keen hoby photographer rather a pro. The chance of getting caught though is slim. If you function in the cost of getting caught and consider is it worth it. When you get here don't tell farangs what you are doing because there are envious people who will report you to immigration for working. Good luck.

P. S. If you need any help I'll volunteer

Just a note, creating pornography in Thailand is also illegal. So there's that too. Not saying that's your angle, but not much in your post eliminates that possibility.

Officially you are working and you are supposed to have a work permit: period.

However: your photographic activities could be considered as "touristic" and what you do with the pics is a "behind the screen" activity.

A grey area and as long as your head stays low enough it won't be cut off.

Not grey at all.

On top of that, out in the open, and with photographers having a history of being arrested the OP won't last long if the tries this without WP.

IMO Of course it's work. Taking professional photos (not tourist snaps) of extremely beautiful young ladies in public is going to attract attention of everybody passing by including policeman who probably could easily fooled into believing you are a keen hoby photographer rather a pro. The chance of getting caught though is slim. If you function in the cost of getting caught and consider is it worth it. When you get here don't tell farangs what you are doing because there are envious people who will report you to immigration for working. Good luck.

P. S. If you need any help I'll volunteer

Chance of getting caught is slim when he is working in very public places?

There have been quite a few arrests of foreign photographers, I remember them being reported by Thai photographers, so your dig at 'farang' (you know most foreigners here are not farang?) makes no sense at all.

hello,

i am a 26 year old self employed photographer from the uk , i hirer female models for a number of hours and take photographs of them in various locations i.e. public places, hotel rooms, there houses etc.. and then sell the photos to websites around the world.

so my question is can i do this in Thailand on a tourist visa (like a digital nomad) or would this still be classed as work and therefore need a work visa

in short i would be paying thai girl for photos and selling them abroad.

from what i have read so far digital nomads can work over the internet on a tourist visa as long as they don't make money from the country or take away jobs from thai locals. being a digital nomad seems to be a very grey area.

i have been to Thailand a number of times doing muay thai camps but never really looked into great detail about the visa side of things so all this is very new to me. i appreciate any input given

thanks Ben.

Funny thing is your not a DM, your intending to work in Thailand

So even if your comments about DM is true which its not, they wouldn't apply to you

The current interpretation of Labour legislation appears to be that those who work exclusively online for foreign entities, do not deal with Thai clients and are renumerated outside the country are not considered in breach of legislation for doing so without a Work Permit. In lieu of any prosecution ever for anyone doing this, there is certainly an opposing layman argument to Soutpeel's layman opinion, regardless of how many hours per day he/she and a couple of others spend bickering with badly paid bloggers about the legality of their activites.

In your case, however - you're physically working in public in Thailand, dealing with Thais as part of business, employing Thais (illegally, cash in hand) and competing with Thais. It's cut and dry - you need a Work Permit.

Edited December 17, 201411 yr by rwdrwdrwd

I've read about an official statement by immigration allowing digital nomads to work on tourist visas. So what's the difference between a digital nomad on tourist visa and another professional on tourist visa working WHILE in Thailand, but not exactly living and working IN Thailand for Thailand based businesses or for Thai money?

Edited December 22, 201411 yr by maureeses

I've read about an official statement by immigration allowing digital nomads to work on tourist visas. So what's the difference between a digital nomad on tourist visa and another professional on tourist visa working WHILE in Thailand, but not exactly living and working IN Thailand for Thailand based businesses or for Thai money?

Immigration decides about visas, the labour department about work permits.

I've read about an official statement by immigration allowing digital nomads to work on tourist visas. So what's the difference between a digital nomad on tourist visa and another professional on tourist visa working WHILE in Thailand, but not exactly living and working IN Thailand for Thailand based businesses or for Thai money?

You'd better check your sources.

Cheers for the input guys from what I have read it would be impossible for me to get a work permit as a self employed photographer and there is know way I would work illegally yo big of a risk of getting deported... how dose it work with muay thai fighters? Every time I have been Thailand I always end up having a couple of fights and knowbody seems to bother when they are paying me 2500-3000thb a fight. I know its not enough to live on but surely some frangs that fight enough could do it ?