17 foreign ‘English teachers’ arrested in Chiang Mai for working illegally

[Jonathan Fairfield]

17 foreign ‘English teachers’ arrested in Chiang Mai for working illegally

CHIANG MAI:-- Seventeen foreigners have been arrested for working illegally following a raid on a condominium in Chiang Mai.

The raid, which took place at 12.30am on Friday found 17 Westerners of various nationalities providing online English classes to people in China from a room in the ground floor of the Riverside Condo.

Upon being apprehended by police, the foreigners were asked to produce their passports and work permits.

However, whilst twelve of the individuals could produce their passports, they were unable to produce work permits.

Among those who could not produce work permits were three Americans, a Canadian, a German, a Dutch national, two Irish nationals, two Britons and two Australians.

As well as not having a work permit, it was also revealed that a fourth American was on overstay.

The remaining foreigners had passports and valid work permits but were in breach of work conditions.

According to the Bangkok Post, the foreigners had been hired by BOI 360 Max Co, however the online language school was found to be operating without permission.

10 notebook computers were also seized.

The foreigners now have of face charges of working illegally in Thailand and are currently being held at Mai Ping police station.

In order to work legally in Thailand foreigners are required to have a valid work permit and the appropriate Non-Immigrant visa/extension.

For the very latest news on all things related to work permits, visas and extensions of stay visit our Thailand visa forum.

-- 2015-01-23

[JetsetBkk]

Those dämned foreigners again.

[seajae]

some people just like to push the boundaries, now they have blown it and will be tossed out, pretty stupid really for a few extra dollars

[Costas2008]

Bad move.

They were not committing a crime, they were offering a service that Thais can't offer.

They were taking nobody's job.

Just another excuse to say how bad these foreigners are..................

I know, you can't work without a WP, but at this instance they were harming nobody.

[Bluespunk]

So they were teaching online courses to people in China.....no one in China able to do this?

Edited January 23, 2015 by Bluespunk

[TVGerry]

It's idiots like these that give other foreigners who are working here legally with a permit a bad name.

[Jingthing]

It's an interesting case as they were provided services outside of Thailand, but I assume the payments to them were processed within Thailand. There has been a lot of discussion over the years that internet work where there are no Thai clients, no Thai banking involvement for payment, etc. is more or less "OK" as far as work permit laws ... sometimes even confirmed by some immigration offices. I know purists will say NEVER but in real life that isn't really so. Talking about stuff done in private as well usually from a home ... this place has a physical business office location so that would be different.

Edited January 23, 2015 by Jingthing

[Satcommlee]

30'000 THB a month - Can't see these guys paying their way out of this..

[Basil B]

Bit counter productive, seems these guys were doing something that could be done from any country, kicking them out the country will not make jobs for Thais, they will just relocate their business, and not be spending money in the Kingdom.

Makes me wonder whether I should holiday in Thailand again, as I have a business and still need to run it even when on holiday.

Edited January 23, 2015 by Basil B

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Bad move.

They were not committing a crime, they were offering a service that Thais can't offer.

They were taking nobody's job.

Just another excuse to say how bad these foreigners are..................

I know, you can't work without a WP, but at this instance they were harming nobody.

I wish I got a quarter every time someone committed a criminal act that harmed nobody.

[Chicog]

Bye Bye Digital Gnomes.

[canopus1969]

Unfortunately they were committing a crime

[hughben]

If BOI 360 Max Co. is based in Thailand, I can understand, but if not, then this is almost petty. What next? Checking your work emails in Thailand whilst on holiday or in transit, is working?

Edited January 23, 2015 by hughben

[Jingthing]

If BOI 360 Max Co. is based in Thailand, I can understand, but if not, then this is almost petty. What next checking your work emails in Thailand whilst on holiday or in transit, is working?

Well I think whatever grey exists, and I think there is grey area, by having an established and visible physical office location in Thailand where multiple staffers showed up regularly ... they crossed it.

[PREM-R]

Anyone know what type of work permit they could apply for in order to work 'online'?

Edited January 23, 2015 by PREM-R

[Prbkk]

Can't manage to catch those who possess/make/sell fake passports and engage in people trafficking but nab a few would-be TEFLERS.

[PS2]

Bad move.

They were not committing a crime, they were offering a service that Thais can't offer.

They were taking nobody's job.

Just another excuse to say how bad these foreigners are..................

I know, you can't work without a WP, but at this instance they were harming nobody.

OK, not harming anyone.

So if I open a company that offers the same service but pay 50.000 / month , work permits, social , taxes.

Then this company turns up with the same service but does it illegally and can therefor undercut me, they are not harming anyone?

[beautifulthailand99]

Since they are monitoring everythng on the eagle look out for lese-majeste offences (Buddha forbid!) - their dragnet might catch other fish as well.

[JetsetBkk]

Can't manage to catch those who possess/make/sell fake passports and engage in people trafficking but nab a few would-be TEFLERS.

Low hanging fruit...

[Rangsitreppin]

thai people should speech no fluent english only broken english as english is now officialy the language for the second class.

[rubl]

A German and a Dutch chap as 'online' English teachers for Chinese ?

Mind you, I once knew a Scottish chap which was also interesting.

[JulieM]

PS 2 has a point. I agree that harm was being done in this case. When I worked in Thailand I paid a boatload of taxes. I hope that money went to some good use.

[eeworldwide]

I don't think the issue here is about whether they were providing services to those outside of Thailand - its actually more to do with immigration seeing you living and "Working" here without contributing to the Thai economy. They want your dollars, so they make it harder for foreigners by enforcing the whole Visa and work permit policies, which is money directly to Thailand, and they assume that you will end up paying tax.

Presumably they don't want thousands of foreigners setting up camp here, working online, but not paying anything in taxes to the Thai Gvt. And that's their prerogative, not matter how irksome it may seem to the foreign contingent. I can actually see their point.

If it was a bunch of people coming and camping in my back yard, and tapping away on laptops - albeit providing services to China, I'd be pretty annoyed, and also - wouldn't relish the thought of another 10,000 people cottoning on to the idea and joining the camp.

[Rama]

......and about 6 months ago (when all the new rules were going into effect) the head of immigration in Chiang Mai got up and said that if you were doing online work for work outside Thailand, you didn't need a B visa or a work permit........................

[steve187]

If BOI 360 Max Co. is based in Thailand, I can understand, but if not, then this is almost petty. What next? Checking your work emails in Thailand whilst on holiday or in transit, is working?

You can not compare checking email whilst on holiday, with teaching english through a computer full time, getting paid, and what scam were they using to get visa, back to back tourist visas, visa exempt, or the old favourite Ed visa's

I'm not saying the Thai working rules are correct, but they are the rules.

[NCC1701A]

no one can keep a secret in Thailand.

Sometimes Caucasians forget that they look completely different than all the Thai people around them.

I watch bored Thais track my every move as I walk up and down the street everyday.

I have had total strangers tell me who I was with a month ago.

"i wonder why 17 men get in elevator? They no live here"

why did they work out of one location?

obviously not thinking as they defeated the whole purpose of being on the internet.

[DiamondKing]

Anyone know what type of work permit they could apply for in order to work 'online'?

There isnt one for a self employed single entity your supposed to open a thai company fund it with 2 million and then emply 4 thais for one foreign work permit

STUPIDITY AT BEST and out of touch with the digital age

[Issangeorge]

Bad move.

They were not committing a crime, they were offering a service that Thais can't offer.

They were taking nobody's job.

Just another excuse to say how bad these foreigners are..................

I know, you can't work without a WP, but at this instance they were harming nobody.

OK, not harming anyone.

So if I open a company that offers the same service but pay 50.000 / month , work permits, social , taxes.

Then this company turns up with the same service but does it illegally and can therefor undercut me, they are not harming anyone?

PS2, point out a company that is doing the same service with work permits. I'd be very surprised if you could. In order for this company to get 17 work permits for foreigners, they would have to hire 68 Thais. Exactly what are the Thais going to do? I guess each foreigner could have a maid, bodyguard, and driver. The other 17 Thais could be administrative staff. I suppose that would work, but I don't think the company would be competitive then. It seems to me that perhaps Thailand is missing out by not encouraging this type of enterprise and passing the laws needed to make it work. 17 at ฿30,000 each per month. That's ฿510,000 a month that would be going into the economy, and no matter what PS2 might think, it is not harming anyone, because as a previous poster asked, what kind if work permit could they get, and the answer is none.

[sjjmmi]

Welcome to NK Folks

[maidee]

tought everybody could work online in that thai digital economy

is what they can plead ....

as no thai is to be found speak any descent english in the first place

except my hi-so thai chinese off course, loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool