I am currently in Chiang Mai. I know several farangs who are here on Tourist Visas but they are working part time hours teaching English. Some of them have been doing it for almost a year.

As far as I am aware, it is illegal for anyone to work in Thailand on a Tourist Visa and even if one has a Non-immigrant Visa, it is still illegal for him/her to work without a Work Permit.

I do not have a university degree - as I understand it, I would not be able to obtain a Work Permit without at least a Bachelor degree. I am only planning to stay in Thailand for up to 6 months but I need to work to survive and teaching English seems to be the easiest option.

What I want to know is what's the worst that could happen if you get caught working on a Tourist Visa? Has anyone heard about people getting caught in Chiang Mai?

At the very least you will be slappped with a huge fine (30,000 Baht or so) and may have to spend the night in Jail before your court appearance. Been reports of some teachers in Bangkok having been through this.

At the worst, you will be detained in the "Bangkok Hilton" until you are deported, you will probably also be blacklisted and won't be allowed to return to Thailand.

Are there frequent crackdowns on working "tourists"?

What if one wants to do volunteer work e.g. English teaching with an organisation that works with poor people? Is there any chance of getting a Non-immigrant Visa based on this?

Don't try to nail your own head, if you intend to visit thailand again and enjoys your holiday here.

anthead, there are lots of farang working around Chiang Mai on tourist visas, without work permits, etc. Not only do they teach English (as I did, though I had a B visa), but they do lots of other work illegally, as illegal aliens.

I think there's an exaggeration about what happens (I'm not sure it really happened to the teachers without Work Permits earlier this month). But the risk is there, anyway.

Nah, don't do it; that's my advice. Besides, you don't have a degree (although I know of somebody teaching English in CMai without a degree, making over 30K/month). And, it appears you're only considering this extremely stressful occupation because it's the only one you might attempt to fail at. I quit teaching without a WP after two years, and don't intend to start back. I don't think it's worth the hassle.

Enjoy Thailand as a tourist, and then go back home, and get a better visa. Then return here on a B visa, and you'll find yourself working illegally anyway, for a month or two or a year or two, if you're really good at teaching hot classrooms full of 45 unmotivated students. Good luck.

Blondie,

How do I go about getting a Non-immigrant B then? Is it possible to get it if you only have a part time job?

Working w/o a work permit is illegal. If you need to do that to survive here then leave before you do

volunteer work e.g. English teaching with an organisation that works with poor people?

Its also illegal to do volunteer work without a WP.

It is also illegal to offload more than 500grams of faeces without notifying the Department of Sanitation

DO NOT WORK!!!

If you are caught you will be arrested and sent to the Immigration Detention Centre before being deported and black listed.

The IDC has a very bad reputation.

Not a place to be visited if it can be avoided.

Not worth the risk, especially since the Carr incident - they are looking at teachers more closely. I don't think you want to be looking over your shoulder every minute.

Blondie,

How do I go about getting a Non-immigrant B then? Is it possible to get it if you only have a part time job?

Please, don't bother. You say you'll only be here for six months. Theoretically it's possible to get a WP without a degree, without training, but it's not going to happen for part time work in Chiang Mai. Oh, there's a 99% probablility that it won't happen. Besides, you'd probably have to return home, with a verifiable job offer, to get the visa, etc., and that's not going to happen.

I apologize for calling you "anthead" - I see you're a queen.