Help: I want to avoid Bangkok´s road accidents with the train and water transport systems

[jossthaifarang]

There is no multi entry tourist visa - only specific number of entries. You require a work permit to work in Thailand regardless of where paid or how you work (although some do work illegally as is the case everywhere it will not be legal without a work permit which would require you work for a Thai company of some type and meet specific monthly income requirements.

This is the visa I meant: http://www.siam-legal.com/thailand-visa/1-Year-Thailand-Visa.php

If that´s the case regarding work, then there would simply be no way I could go to Thailand and maintain my income flowing in Spain. If I applied for a working visa, that would require for me to look for a job at a Thai company, hence having to abandon my current job, which by the way consists of freelance translations and blogging. Of course I am not going to ruin the assets that have taken me so many time to build, so the only option is getting the aforementioned visa. I don´t see how could this be wrong, but even if the strictest interpretation of the law said this, the only way they could "find out" is if they had access to my Spanish bank account and saw the payments, accessed my tax reports (also here in Spain) or if they made a "raid" at my apartment and inspected what I am doing with my computer. Also, in the application for the multiple-entry visa, they don´t even ask specifically for working situation, only "proof of financial funds and travel itinerary", so a copy of my bank funds would be enough, without even having to explain where they come from (wow, I sound like a fugitive).

So basically I´d just be a tourist with a computer, who has enough savings to support himself in low-cost Thailand. And by the way, Bangkok is known as the capital of the world for online and affiliate marketers, with many of them writing about their Thai experiences on forums and blogs (that´s how I got the idea in the first place). If anyone had a legal problem, they would´ve already written about it.

Firstly, I'm almost 100% sure that even "online work" is classed as work here. So if they caught you, you would be screwed.

Secondly do tell where and how you are going to get this 1 year multiple entry visa? I'm sure a lot of our friends on this forum still doing visa runs etc would be very interested.

Some guys would even be able to get divorced to woman that they married for that specific reason.

I mean multiple entries with one or two day visa runs (I think it is up to 3, so not really a year but 9 months).

Out of curiosity, what would happen to me if they caught me "working online"? Get deported?

No idea mate, they have not caught me yet.. I'll be sure to let you know when they do though.

[khunken]

I live in a suburb of Bangkok, close to a Skytrain station. I walk everywhere & apart from obstacles & the odd motorcycle it is quite safe although somewhat hot. There are pedestrian friendly streets - usually the major ones - and small Sois (narrow streets) which have no pavement & are to be avoided. I also use the buses which, in the city, are fairly safe and there are route maps available in English. Taxis are safe. Motorcycle taxis are not safe and Tuktuks (3-wheelers) are somewhere in between. Water transport is not widespread.

It is worth noting that there are many underground & overground light train routes under construction in Bangkok and they'll start to add to the existing 2 systems from next year. If you have acquired a tolerance for heat in Barcelona, walking is not a problem in Bangkok. Before you decide, take a short break here & Chiang Mai as there's nothing like experiencing what it's like before deciding on a move.

[MovingToThai]

I live in a suburb of Bangkok, close to a Skytrain station. I walk everywhere & apart from obstacles & the odd motorcycle it is quite safe although somewhat hot. There are pedestrian friendly streets - usually the major ones - and small Sois (narrow streets) which have no pavement & are to be avoided. I also use the buses which, in the city, are fairly safe and there are route maps available in English. Taxis are safe. Motorcycle taxis are not safe and Tuktuks (3-wheelers) are somewhere in between. Water transport is not widespread.

It is worth noting that there are many underground & overground light train routes under construction in Bangkok and they'll start to add to the existing 2 systems from next year. If you have acquired a tolerance for heat in Barcelona, walking is not a problem in Bangkok. Before you decide, take a short break here & Chiang Mai as there's nothing like experiencing what it's like before deciding on a move.

Note taken on avoiding narrow streets

Would you say Chiang Mai is the same as what you described for Bangkok? (except for not having the train and water transport system)

[khunPer]

Aila – and I reply without reading through all the posts, so I excuse if someone had posted (almost) same as me – you can get a good idea about Skytrain and Subway lines from the Google-map of Bangkok, and the distance to places you wish to visit.

The water-transportation is kind of “water-bus” – something like vaporetto in Venice – and works quite well at Chao Phraya River and some of the canals.

There might be spots of interest, where you need to walk more than a couple of kilometers, if you wish to avoid street transportation. However, Bangkok is not that bad, and the speed in the middle of the city slow or moderate due to the heavy traffic, so a taxi is Okay from station to destination (might even be more safe, than walking). The dangerous parts are the countryside highways, and especially at night – and of course if you decide to ride motorbike or scooter...

I wish you a good – and safe – stay in Thailand.

[khunken]

I live in a suburb of Bangkok, close to a Skytrain station. I walk everywhere & apart from obstacles & the odd motorcycle it is quite safe although somewhat hot. There are pedestrian friendly streets - usually the major ones - and small Sois (narrow streets) which have no pavement & are to be avoided. I also use the buses which, in the city, are fairly safe and there are route maps available in English. Taxis are safe. Motorcycle taxis are not safe and Tuktuks (3-wheelers) are somewhere in between. Water transport is not widespread.

It is worth noting that there are many underground & overground light train routes under construction in Bangkok and they'll start to add to the existing 2 systems from next year. If you have acquired a tolerance for heat in Barcelona, walking is not a problem in Bangkok. Before you decide, take a short break here & Chiang Mai as there's nothing like experiencing what it's like before deciding on a move.

Note taken on avoiding narrow streets

Would you say Chiang Mai is the same as what you described for Bangkok? (except for not having the train and water transport system)

I'm no expert on Chiang Mai having only been there twice for week-long breaks. I would say that the horrendous traffic is similar to Bangkok but there is no formal bus system. I do like Chiang Mai but the most off-putting thing for me is the annual burning season which blankets the area & other parts of the north in an unhealthy smog for a month or two. It's also a bit cooler than Bangkok & up in areas (it's much more hilly around the city) around 20km outside the city, some really fresh air.

[freebyrd]

I would offer that if you're that worried perhaps this part of the world isn't for you. I've lived in Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and Cambodia and having eyes in the back of your head is a prerequisite to staying accident free.

I´m not paranoid about the subject, just trying to figure out the necessary precautions I should follow. Actually, I´d like to know from your experience what are those things one must always be alert to in order to stay accident free (I assume you mean when walking).

I'm not being condescending. Asians are of course different to Caucasians and Thais are as different from Khmers/Vietnamese/Pinoys as English are from French/Germans/Spanish/Dutch etc. etc.

Some differences are apparent when:

Walking on sidewalks/roads

Crossing the road

Queueing

Locals telling lies with a smile on their face

Promising to return money you lend them

Everything is tomorrow

No problem (Yes there will very likely be a problem)

That should do for now. I'm sure some of the old hands on here could contribute many more.

All that said, as the saying goes "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" and as always, one man's meat is another man's poison.

[mike324]

As long as you don't take the motorcycle, ride behind a pick up truck, or are one of those large 6-10 wheeler delivery trucks. Your odds greatly increase. The death toll are mostly due to motorcycle accidents. Take it easy!

[Jimlove]

Hi there,

I wrote a book for tourists - about staying safe in Thailand - actually wrote two of them. If you PM me your email, I could send you one or both (free)

Best

Can I PM? Just opened my account today. Got a website?

No website - PM me or I could PM you

PM is personal messenger. Scroll down from the top right hand corner where you see your TV name.

I wrote the books to save lives, not that they will ever know

Too many tourists come home from Thailand in a body bag - or their parents have to make the gruesome journey to pick up the body. Needless to say - the parents never return to the LOS after that..

Body bags? Is your book about not getting kidnapped? For what I have read Thailand is a very safe country, so I am not worried about it. The roads are still my main concern.

Where on earth have you read that ... ? Thailand is a quite dangerous country. You should spend a few hours reading here and journalist Andrew Drummond before you come ... Have you ever heard about Koh Tao and the double murders ...?

The traffic in Thailand kills more than you write - its about 70 dead per day + people die in the ambulance or hospital later - I estimate the number at around 100 per day ... !!!

[richard_smith237]

Bangkok's roads are fairly safe if you are in a car.

Thailand's high road fatality stats are distorted by the high number of motorcycle accidents (and lack of helmets).

Taking a Taxi within Bangkok is safe enough for the most part, although as has already been mentioned the language barrier could be tricky when getting around.

There is also some good Apps for taxi services in Bangkok which will enable you to avoid the majority of taxi scams.

GrabTaxi App - which will make transport easier, expecially if you use GrabCar(Economy) within the same App (25 Baht booking charge Cash Transaction)

UBER App - Possibly the best service of the transport Apps... UBERx fares are directly competitive with conventional taxis (charges are made directly to your credit card)

AllThaiTaxi App - I've not used this yet as there are not many taxi's around and thus availability has been low (20 Baht booking charge)

[impulse]

Accident statistics are reported in terms of deaths per billion Km driven.

So, while Thailand looks crazy dangerous on the statistics (and it is), your chances of being killed in a traffic accident in your lifetime is still something like 1 in 10,000.

There are much more useful criteria for selecting a place to live and activities to enjoy than traffic safety.

[MovingToThai]

@Jimlove: I´ve read about Thailand´s safety in many places, and almost all of them say the same: as long as you stay away from the disputed Burmese and Cambodian borders, it is a safe country, with Thai people been generally peaceful, but of course, this does not mean I am so innocent as to not watch for my belongings when walking on crowded places. For example, this article by New Zealand´s government: https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/thailand

Regarding the traffic stats you mentioned, I am aware, that´s why I created this thread...

[MovingToThai]

Bangkok's roads are fairly safe if you are in a car.

Thailand's high road fatality stats are distorted by the high number of motorcycle accidents (and lack of helmets).

Taking a Taxi within Bangkok is safe enough for the most part, although as has already been mentioned the language barrier could be tricky when getting around.

There is also some good Apps for taxi services in Bangkok which will enable you to avoid the majority of taxi scams.

GrabTaxi App - which will make transport easier, expecially if you use GrabCar(Economy) within the same App (25 Baht booking charge Cash Transaction)

UBER App - Possibly the best service of the transport Apps... UBERx fares are directly competitive with conventional taxis (charges are made directly to your credit card)

AllThaiTaxi App - I've not used this yet as there are not many taxi's around and thus availability has been low (20 Baht booking charge)

Thanks a lot, I was actually going to look for taxi companies where I could call them instead of picking one from the street, as I´d expect them to be more professional and charge appropriately (hope it is that way).

[MovingToThai]

Aila – and I reply without reading through all the posts, so I excuse if someone had posted (almost) same as me – you can get a good idea about Skytrain and Subway lines from the Google-map of Bangkok, and the distance to places you wish to visit.

The water-transportation is kind of “water-bus” – something like vaporetto in Venice – and works quite well at Chao Phraya River and some of the canals.

There might be spots of interest, where you need to walk more than a couple of kilometers, if you wish to avoid street transportation. However, Bangkok is not that bad, and the speed in the middle of the city slow or moderate due to the heavy traffic, so a taxi is Okay from station to destination (might even be more safe, than walking). The dangerous parts are the countryside highways, and especially at night – and of course if you decide to ride motorbike or scooter...

I wish you a good – and safe – stay in Thailand.

I´m interested in what you said about the countryside highways been more dangerous. As I´m thinking on going to Chiang Mai for 3 months, would you say that Chiang Mai´s roads are a bit more dangerous, considering that it is a more rural area, surrounded by mountains?

[SiSePuede419]

I guess I'm perplexed why someone who can work "anywhere" would move to the most crowded, congested, polluted and expensive city in Thailand.

Why not live in a smaller city, that's less expensive, less crowded, less polluted?

Like Khon Kaen, example?

If you're coming to Thailand for the low cost of living and poontang, wouldn't KK exceed BKK?

555

The international community is greater at Bangkok. If you go to meetup.com, you´ll find several meetups each day in the capital, whereas on smaller cities is more like one per day (or one every 2 days), and sometimes those meetups are about something that does not interest me, for example, meditating. Nevertheless, now that I understand better the nature of the road accidents, I am reconsidering Chiang Mai for the first 3 months. It seems to be the second city where most expats concentrate. Also, the cost of living is even cheaper there, so I can save some bucks.

You're coming to Thailand to be close to Farangs, 555.

I guarantee you, there's more Spanish Farangs in Spain, than Bangkok.

Furthermore, there's a bigger "international community" in NYC. Specifically, Brooklyn.

The Thai food isn't as good in those locations, though 555

[SoiBiker]

I either walk or cycle most places in Bangkok. It's fine, as long as you're vaguely fit so you don't end up drenched in sweat.

That said, if safety issues are this much of a concern for you, you're probably not going to like it much here.

[MovingToThai]

I guess I'm perplexed why someone who can work "anywhere" would move to the most crowded, congested, polluted and expensive city in Thailand.

Why not live in a smaller city, that's less expensive, less crowded, less polluted?

Like Khon Kaen, example?

If you're coming to Thailand for the low cost of living and poontang, wouldn't KK exceed BKK?

555

The international community is greater at Bangkok. If you go to meetup.com, you´ll find several meetups each day in the capital, whereas on smaller cities is more like one per day (or one every 2 days), and sometimes those meetups are about something that does not interest me, for example, meditating. Nevertheless, now that I understand better the nature of the road accidents, I am reconsidering Chiang Mai for the first 3 months. It seems to be the second city where most expats concentrate. Also, the cost of living is even cheaper there, so I can save some bucks.

You're coming to Thailand to be close to Farangs, 555.

I guarantee you, there's more Spanish Farangs in Spain, than Bangkok.

Furthermore, there's a bigger "international community" in NYC. Specifically, Brooklyn.

The Thai food isn't as good in those locations, though 555

I´m going to Thailand for the cheap cost of living, for knowing a new culture and language, and because I am in a personal project to live in 7 different countries and learn 7 languages in the next 8 years (I´d know 9 languages by the end). But I still want the destination city to have a strong international community so that I can make friends from several countries (not just locals), while making the cultural shock a bit easier.

Btw - 555?

[SoiBiker]

555 is Thai for LOL.

You'll find out why in your first Thai class.

[MovingToThai]

555 is Thai for LOL.

You'll find out why in your first Thai class.

Thanks for the Thai lesson, now I know at least one "word"

Edited August 6, 2015 by MovingToThai

[planemad]

Can't let the poor lad wait for his first Thai lesson, I will put him out of his misery now, sorry Soi Biker! "Ha" Thai for the number 5, therefore 555 = hahaha, got it? Good, enjoy life, Thailand can be great, I certainly love it here.

[SoiBiker]

Spoiler alert!

[planemad]

555

[khunPer]

Aila – and I reply without reading through all the posts, so I excuse if someone had posted (almost) same as me – you can get a good idea about Skytrain and Subway lines from the Google-map of Bangkok, and the distance to places you wish to visit.

The water-transportation is kind of “water-bus” – something like vaporetto in Venice – and works quite well at Chao Phraya River and some of the canals.

There might be spots of interest, where you need to walk more than a couple of kilometers, if you wish to avoid street transportation. However, Bangkok is not that bad, and the speed in the middle of the city slow or moderate due to the heavy traffic, so a taxi is Okay from station to destination (might even be more safe, than walking). The dangerous parts are the countryside highways, and especially at night – and of course if you decide to ride motorbike or scooter...

I wish you a good – and safe – stay in Thailand.

I´m interested in what you said about the countryside highways been more dangerous. As I´m thinking on going to Chiang Mai for 3 months, would you say that Chiang Mai´s roads are a bit more dangerous, considering that it is a more rural area, surrounded by mountains?

Thailand is statistically the second most dangerous country on the planet, when it comes to annual death in traffic measured per capital; Thailand has 44 per 100,000, number 1 is Namibia with 45 per 100,000 (International published study, quoted by Thai Media).

Following the national news, it seems like most fatal accidents are on the highways, so traveling by road from Bangkok to Chiang Mai may not be a safe choice. Night train with sleeper is an option, or simply by air, lots of cheap flights.

The Thai Roads Foundation of the Thailand Accident Research Center gives following percentage breakdown (of interest) for fatal accidents, based on a two-decade study (1993-2011):

Motorcyclist: 39.2%

Passenger cars: 25%

Pickups: 16.7%

Taxis: 3.6%

Pedestrians: 3%

Busses: 2.1%

From the information I have, it doesn’t say if minibuses are included in passenger cars. Many pickups are overloaded with either migrant workers, or villagers traveling home for holiday or returning to work, on the open back of the car.

Percentage of accidents attributed to drunk driving (2011): 7.8%.

Number of fatalities (2011): 14,033 (Health Ministry), 9.910 (Police report); the difference may be if declared dead on site or by hospital.

Some parts of Chiang Mai city have heavy traffic, but using taxi is to my experience Okay. The countryside is to my knowledge not too bad – I recall it as little traffic only – but local posters from Chiang Mai can give much better information; I live down south and have only been guest up there.

As I said, from following the news, it’s the long stretches on the highways from Bangkok, and especially up North, which seems to have many fatal accidents. Heavy traffic, high speed, reckless overtakes, and sometimes drivers that have been behind the steering wheel too many hours. Motorbikes are extremely exposed as “soft vehicles”, and if you watch some of the video clips – think there are some available on Youtube, others at various Facebook pages about driving in Thailand – you will notice reckless driving and extremely bad traffic behavior being the cause for many an accident. A few tourist areas are considered little “dangerous”, like Phuket and Samui – but that may also have to do with your own behavior, like avoiding driving a motorbike, and look out before you walk out a street.

If you look at the number of tourists or foreigners involved in serious traffic accident compared with some 20+ million visitors, the figures are probably not so bad. I know of the local numbers from where I stay – and they may not count for Thailand in general – 85-90% are Thais and 10-15% foreigners; but many visitors here rents a motorbike, even they are not used to two-wheel transport and/or left hand driving, and the traffic is considered chaotic and among the worst in the country, if not the very worst. They do sell t-shirts with the text: “I drove on Koh Samui – and survived”...

Looked with my eyes and Thai experience, you shall not be that scared about traffic, just you generally move about thoughtfully in the traffic, and avoid traveling on the highways.

I saw pick pocketing mentioned in a post above, but that can happen everywhere in the world, where there are crowded. Thailand is to my experince in general a safe place.

And then I realized that I have an image of Bangkok Rail Network (2014), which I attach, if that can help your planning.

[balo]

There is no multi entry tourist visa - only specific number of entries. You require a work permit to work in Thailand regardless of where paid or how you work (although some do work illegally as is the case everywhere it will not be legal without a work permit which would require you work for a Thai company of some type and meet specific monthly income requirements.

Oh please stop it.

OP is a digital nomad like so many of us and Thai immigration has even approved on that. It doesnt matter which visa he's on as long as it's valid and he's NOT working in Thailand for a Thai company and receive the salary in Thailand.

Online work from home is acceptable , even on a tourist visa.

Edited August 6, 2015 by balo

[MovingToThai]

There is no multi entry tourist visa - only specific number of entries. You require a work permit to work in Thailand regardless of where paid or how you work (although some do work illegally as is the case everywhere it will not be legal without a work permit which would require you work for a Thai company of some type and meet specific monthly income requirements.

Oh please stop it.

OP is a digital nomad like so many of us and Thai immigration has even approved on that. It doesnt matter which visa he's on as long as it's valid and he's NOT working in Thailand for a Thai company and receive the salary in Thailand.

Online work from home is acceptable , even on a tourist visa.

I´m very glad to hear that. Is there a guide you know of on the internet for the legal aspect of digital nomads living in Thailand?

[MovingToThai]

Aila – and I reply without reading through all the posts, so I excuse if someone had posted (almost) same as me – you can get a good idea about Skytrain and Subway lines from the Google-map of Bangkok, and the distance to places you wish to visit.

The water-transportation is kind of “water-bus” – something like vaporetto in Venice – and works quite well at Chao Phraya River and some of the canals.

There might be spots of interest, where you need to walk more than a couple of kilometers, if you wish to avoid street transportation. However, Bangkok is not that bad, and the speed in the middle of the city slow or moderate due to the heavy traffic, so a taxi is Okay from station to destination (might even be more safe, than walking). The dangerous parts are the countryside highways, and especially at night – and of course if you decide to ride motorbike or scooter...

I wish you a good – and safe – stay in Thailand.

I´m interested in what you said about the countryside highways been more dangerous. As I´m thinking on going to Chiang Mai for 3 months, would you say that Chiang Mai´s roads are a bit more dangerous, considering that it is a more rural area, surrounded by mountains?

Thailand is statistically the second most dangerous country on the planet, when it comes to annual death in traffic measured per capital; Thailand has 44 per 100,000, number 1 is Namibia with 45 per 100,000 (International published study, quoted by Thai Media).

Following the national news, it seems like most fatal accidents are on the highways, so traveling by road from Bangkok to Chiang Mai may not be a safe choice. Night train with sleeper is an option, or simply by air, lots of cheap flights.

The Thai Roads Foundation of the Thailand Accident Research Center gives following percentage breakdown (of interest) for fatal accidents, based on a two-decade study (1993-2011):

Motorcyclist: 39.2%

Passenger cars: 25%

Pickups: 16.7%

Taxis: 3.6%

Pedestrians: 3%

Busses: 2.1%

From the information I have, it doesn’t say if minibuses are included in passenger cars. Many pickups are overloaded with either migrant workers, or villagers traveling home for holiday or returning to work, on the open back of the car.

Percentage of accidents attributed to drunk driving (2011): 7.8%.

Number of fatalities (2011): 14,033 (Health Ministry), 9.910 (Police report); the difference may be if declared dead on site or by hospital.

Some parts of Chiang Mai city have heavy traffic, but using taxi is to my experience Okay. The countryside is to my knowledge not too bad – I recall it as little traffic only – but local posters from Chiang Mai can give much better information; I live down south and have only been guest up there.

As I said, from following the news, it’s the long stretches on the highways from Bangkok, and especially up North, which seems to have many fatal accidents. Heavy traffic, high speed, reckless overtakes, and sometimes drivers that have been behind the steering wheel too many hours. Motorbikes are extremely exposed as “soft vehicles”, and if you watch some of the video clips – think there are some available on Youtube, others at various Facebook pages about driving in Thailand – you will notice reckless driving and extremely bad traffic behavior being the cause for many an accident. A few tourist areas are considered little “dangerous”, like Phuket and Samui – but that may also have to do with your own behavior, like avoiding driving a motorbike, and look out before you walk out a street.

If you look at the number of tourists or foreigners involved in serious traffic accident compared with some 20+ million visitors, the figures are probably not so bad. I know of the local numbers from where I stay – and they may not count for Thailand in general – 85-90% are Thais and 10-15% foreigners; but many visitors here rents a motorbike, even they are not used to two-wheel transport and/or left hand driving, and the traffic is considered chaotic and among the worst in the country, if not the very worst. They do sell t-shirts with the text: “I drove on Koh Samui – and survived”...

Looked with my eyes and Thai experience, you shall not be that scared about traffic, just you generally move about thoughtfully in the traffic, and avoid traveling on the highways.

I saw pick pocketing mentioned in a post above, but that can happen everywhere in the world, where there are crowded. Thailand is to my experince in general a safe place.

And then I realized that I have an image of Bangkok Rail Network (2014), which I attach, if that can help your planning.

Thanks for the detailed post. I took note on the highways, so will just fly whenever I´m moving from one city to another. Per the stats you referenced, the odds of having an accident on a taxi are very low. Out of all of this I deduce that Chiang Mai roads are as secure as Bangkok´s, except for the aforementioned highways that connect to other cities, especially Bangkok.

[LPCustom69]

Good point about keeping your head low regarding online work. It is a difficult area, potentially against the law, and thus not allowed for discussion on this forum. Especially when discussing ways to circumvent the law. As an FYI, keep it to yourself. You never know when you'll run into somebody who'll try to use this against you.

Love your point about the traffic. Hard to get hurt when the cars are only moving 20km/hr! LOL. Unless you are on a scooter....

Seems like the online working issue is more serious than I thought. I´ll keep a low profile on this subject and research more about it. I must say though, laws like this only result in making tourist´s visits unnecessarily harder.

But, if you're staying here for one year AND working, you're not really a tourist, are you?

[balo]

Good point about keeping your head low regarding online work. It is a difficult area, potentially against the law, and thus not allowed for discussion on this forum. Especially when discussing ways to circumvent the law. As an FYI, keep it to yourself. You never know when you'll run into somebody who'll try to use this against you.

Love your point about the traffic. Hard to get hurt when the cars are only moving 20km/hr! LOL. Unless you are on a scooter....

Seems like the online working issue is more serious than I thought. I´ll keep a low profile on this subject and research more about it. I must say though, laws like this only result in making tourist´s visits unnecessarily harder.

But, if you're staying here for one year AND working, you're not really a tourist, are you?

It doesn't matter if he is a tourist, retired or just have a legal visa to stay here.

If you own a business in Europe , and the money gets paid monthly into your overseas account , nobody in Thailand cares about that , why should they ? I earn money just by other people clicking on my media channels. I don't even have to lift a finger , money keeps coming in .

Same as if you send an email to a business partner in Europe that will generate some income.

1000's of people do this from Thailand or other popular countries in SE Asia.

Yes, he has to make sure to pay his taxes , in his home country .

Edited August 7, 2015 by balo

[MovingToThai]

Good point about keeping your head low regarding online work. It is a difficult area, potentially against the law, and thus not allowed for discussion on this forum. Especially when discussing ways to circumvent the law. As an FYI, keep it to yourself. You never know when you'll run into somebody who'll try to use this against you.

Love your point about the traffic. Hard to get hurt when the cars are only moving 20km/hr! LOL. Unless you are on a scooter....

Seems like the online working issue is more serious than I thought. I´ll keep a low profile on this subject and research more about it. I must say though, laws like this only result in making tourist´s visits unnecessarily harder.

But, if you're staying here for one year AND working, you're not really a tourist, are you?

It doesn't matter if he is a tourist, retired or just have a legal visa to stay here.

If you own a business in Europe , and the money gets paid monthly into your overseas account , nobody in Thailand cares about that , why should they ? I earn money just by other people clicking on my media channels. I don't even have to lift a finger , money keeps coming in .

Same as if you send an email to a business partner in Europe that will generate some income.

1000's of people do this from Thailand or other popular countries in SE Asia.

Yes, he has to make sure to pay his taxes , in his home country .

Voice of reason!

[FritsSikkink]

Hi there,

I wrote a book for tourists - about staying safe in Thailand - actually wrote two of them. If you PM me your email, I could send you one or both (free)

Best

Can I PM? Just opened my account today. Got a website?

No website - PM me or I could PM you

PM is personal messenger. Scroll down from the top right hand corner where you see your TV name.

I wrote the books to save lives, not that they will ever know

Too many tourists come home from Thailand in a body bag - or their parents have to make the gruesome journey to pick up the body. Needless to say - the parents never return to the LOS after that..

Body bags? Is your book about not getting kidnapped? For what I have read Thailand is a very safe country, so I am not worried about it. The roads are still my main concern.

Where on earth have you read that ... ? Thailand is a quite dangerous country. You should spend a few hours reading here and journalist Andrew Drummond before you come ... Have you ever heard about Koh Tao and the double murders ...?

The traffic in Thailand kills more than you write - its about 70 dead per day + people die in the ambulance or hospital later - I estimate the number at around 100 per day ... !!!

instead of reading try to visit sometimes

[FritsSikkink]

There is no multi entry tourist visa - only specific number of entries. You require a work permit to work in Thailand regardless of where paid or how you work (although some do work illegally as is the case everywhere it will not be legal without a work permit which would require you work for a Thai company of some type and meet specific monthly income requirements.

Oh please stop it.

OP is a digital nomad like so many of us and Thai immigration has even approved on that. It doesnt matter which visa he's on as long as it's valid and he's NOT working in Thailand for a Thai company and receive the salary in Thailand.

Online work from home is acceptable , even on a tourist visa.

no it isn't, if you stay here longer then 180 days a year you have to pay tax. immigration has nothing to say about tax and workpermits. WP is a labour department issue. the fact that people get away with it doesn't make it legal