Could I legally work as a freelance translator, translating documents from Thai to english or other languages to english? Freelance translation is a pretty lucrative business if you know what you're doing, and it's always nice even if you have another job to have that as extra income.

You can legally work as a translator if you obtain a work permit. To obtain a work permit you need an non-immigrant entry permit, and a qualifying employer. So - if you get a company to hire you, fine. You cannot legally hang out a shingle and freelance on your own.

I'm sure that you can illegally operate on a cash basis pretty easily. Just becareful how you promote your business. And - if you dealwith corporations - your clients will not be able to deduct your work as a business expense, because you cannot issue a tax receipt.

Good luck!

Indo-Siam