Work permit

[palace1]

Hi, Can anyone give me clarification on the subject of Tour Leaders being exempted from needing a Thai work permit.

If the Tour company is operating from outside of thailand but the tours are inside Thailand and therefore all monies received are outside of thailand. Is it true that a "Tour Leader" who has been employed to oversee the tour is exempt from needing a work permit. I would have thought he/she should be as they are not earning monies in Thailand and the company is still paying for a licensed Thai guide. I really need clarification on this. I have checked the Thaivisa info site but there is no info on this.Thanks J

[george]

Tour leaders must have a valid work permit, otherwise it's illegal work. No exceptions!

The Thai authorities are not especially chasing foregin tour leaders, beacuse they bring tourists into the Kingdom.

But technically they are illegal, and if something happens they face jail, heavy fines and deportation.

[palace1]

OK thanks for clarification. Problem now is The Company is UK Ltd and no need for Thai nationals. I will however have a Thai guide. Will it be possible for me to get a working Visa? if, so what and hows the best way of doing this?

There has been a lot of crap info on this given to me saying Tour Leaders did not require work permits. I don't want to ring alarm bells but is the punishment severe? have you heard of anyone being caught? if so what punishments? J

[george]

The penalty for working without a valid work permit in Thailand is basically the same as for overstay:

Jail, fine, deportation and possibly blacklisted from entering the Kingdom again. Read this info: http://www.thaivisa.com/303.0.html

I repeat, there is NO exeptions. All foreigners need a valid work permit. About 200 western foreigners per year are deported for illegal work. (Plus some 50,000++ migrant illegal workers from Burma, Cambodia, Laos etc., but that's another story...)

[palace1]

Thanks for your reply. Is there a possibility I can obtain a working visa for this? bearing in mind i am bring lots of tourists to Thailand I would have thought so!!

[Jade]

Under Thai Law, foreigners are strictly prohibited from working as a tour guide, as these roles are reserved for Thai nationals only.

[palace1]

Hi Jade, Yes I know about the rule on Thai Guides but thats not what I'm looking into. We are using licensed Thai Guides already. It is the information on acting as a "Tour Leader" I am interested about. A Tour Leader is not working in Thailand he is just a representative that is travelling with the group.

[george]

Palace1, if you are planning to work for one of the bigger Tour agents, who arranges "charter tours" to Thailand, the Labour Department should be able to issue a work permit. If your employer insists that you don't need one to work in Thailand, I would recommend you to seek employment at another company that follows the Thai law.

Again, all foreginers working in Thailand need a work permit.

[Koh Samui]

Just a question - why your big company with a lot of tourist to Thailand don’t want to make for you a work permit - I understand they receive money from the tourist at home, but you receive money here in Thailand - so you get paid for work you do in Thailand - ask them to make for you one? Then you'll be legal. Other question - you can get a working visa (first for 3 month, then if you need to continue your visa you have to show you work permit) - but for what? with out work permit you still can't work.

[Bamboo Grove]

I've been working as tour leader for about five years here in Thailand. I've never been asked for a work permit but then again I also have a Thai guide with me all the time, except when I organize my cooking classes. I've had encounters with police and guards in Kanjanaburi, Grand Palace and Wat Pho. In Kanjanaburi they wanted me to show that I have a licensed Thai guide with me, which I had and after that there was no further problem. This winter Grand Palace has come extremely strick about foreign tour leaders speaking (even translating) and the Thai company who co-operates with the one I work for, received one warning for letting me speak. After that I shut up at GP, which then resulted my customers being angry with me.

The tourists in my groups all come from Finland and as there are no Finnish speaking Thai guides, my presence is a must. Not all Finns understand English or Thinglish or they prefer to listen to the explanations in their own language. The same applies to other Finnish travel agencies as far as I know, no work permits, but always a Thai guide. We are just tour leaders and sort of accompany the group.

About a year ago I did a tour to Vietnam and this problem didn't seem to excist there, maybe one more nail to Thai tourism industry's coffin as this is really a no win situation for Thai tourism.

[palace1]

Thanks Bamboo Grove for your advice. I think this makes sense and to have a Thai guide at all times will help. I don't understand Koh Samuii ( I am not earning money in Thailand!!). I guess my Thai guide can apply for work permit for me if I feel its necessary?