Update Of Restricted Occupation For Foreigners

[soic]

It seems strange to try to restrict what kind of work a foriegner can do in your country with the idea of protecting your peoples' jobs when you look at other countries policies. My wife came to America and they gave her a card that lasted 2 years and said she could work ANY job she wanted. After that they gave her a 10 year card, again with the right to any occupation. The people of America enjoy a wealthy economy and low unemployment, with no petty worries about who does what job. Competition makes strength, Thailand would become stronger in many ways simply by opening up. What kind of karma does a nation reap by restricting talents from being exercised?

well said. you should write a book!

I beg to differ, my ex-wife is Romanian, I brought her to America and she was able to do all the things that your wife did do too. She didn't get to do all that because she was an immigrant and the US Government didn't care what she did for a living. She was able to do all of those things because she was your wife and you got her the work permit, and the social security card and an application for a permanent resident visa.

My Ex-inlaws came to America for a visit and decided to stay in America. I worked my butt off trying to get my father-in-law a work permit. A friend of mine and I started a painting business just for that purpose. We had to run ads in the local paper and list our business with the local employment agency looking for workers. The only way we would have been able to get him a work visa was if we could prove that we couldn't find American workers to work for that same, fair and equitable wage. We had to offer workmans comp and pay social security. We weren't ever able to get it done, we kept getting American bums that would show up, work a day and quit. I can say that, I am an American, and we literally got bums that would show up and work for a day, just long enough to keep us from qualifying for the alien work permit. They stayed in America for 5 years illegally and weren't able to get legal status until my ex-wife recieved her citizenship, which automatically qualified them for a visa. America has some of the most restrictive immigration policies. Unfortunately, INS is so understaffed, they can't combat the illegals. My brother in-law once stopped a whole van load of illegals from Mexico... the INS told him to let them go, they didn't have enough staff to pick them up. Thailand has been nice enough to leave us all kinds of legal loopholes and ways to get around the rules, by following the rules. I think it's a lot easier to stay in Thailand than it is for a foreigner to "legally" stay in the states.

[lopburi3]

She didn't get to do all that because she was an immigrant and the US Government didn't care what she did for a living. She was able to do all of those things because she was your wife and you got her the work permit, and the social security card and an application for a permanent resident visa.

Actually she did got that by entering with an immigrant visa.

[Prudent_rabbit]

...oh wait. The first requirement is probably not too much of a problem, but the 2nd one might be: there is no Thai equivalent for 'logic'... Never mind. Let's continue.

Excellent technical IT skills

Cisco certification welcome*

* beyond CCNA

Ouch. The last two options will keep this vacancy open for the next 10 years

just checked my database, 5 people with CCIE, however only 2 are real CCIE's as the rest havent done the lab work, so maybe 10 years is pushing it a bit, but close

[wolfmanjack]

I don't need a lawyer to answer the second one, you aren't a shop attendant, you are a shop manager.

For all you out there that can't figure out what a shop attendant is, it is someone that works in a shop but has no ownership or vested interest in the shop other that to receive a pay check for sitting behind the counter................ I have never seen a farang doing this job before.

When I owned a shop selling items I produced at my factory i had to hire a thai sales person for the obvious reasons. I could make the sale to the western tourist since the thai employee did not speak very much english but I had to have them hand the money to my thai employee. Any way that is what the police told me at the time.

[manjara]

manjara

It's not just the Thais though, you must admit. I am working on a small IT project here, the pseudo know it all dumbs#t falangs can be even more of a problem. Nothing more to comment on that one.

JR Texas

You're right. I have never met a Thai anywhere in this country that could even dream of passing the CCNA much less the CCNEs. That's part of the reason why the Internet in Phuket is SO STINKING BAD! Anything IT related in Thailand is a very bad joke. When I went to Loxinfo Chiang Mai (calmly, jai yen yen) to discuss network architecture and DSL nodal placement, (one side of Samlarn Rd. had service, the other didn't) the head admin was in the basement (probably fiddling with the servers) but had "MCP for Dummies' open to page 8 on his desk. I just told the incredibly beautiful & sexy secretary that I had found out exactly what I needed to know, and left. These people get their jobs by graduating from the right schools then getting a nice letter from their level 10 uncle, or by producing a phone call from an investor in the company. Period. Frustrating? Frustrating as h<ll.

I'm just really surprised that some enterprising Thai hasn't purchased a T1/3 and offered a bootleg broadband wireless system to local residents. The illegal profits could be enormous! Thai life-concept at its best... Sri Tonanchai anyone?

Have you seen what CAT charge for a T1?? It's insane...(though the pricelist I saw was a couple of years ago). What could be an option, is Satellite, but I don't think the performance is good enough to make it anything but a second choice. They are supposed to be opening it up now to others outside CAT, but don't hold your breath. Some of the Thai operators are rolling out a lot of infrastructure, but they don't seem to have much of a clue as to how they are going to use it. E.g. talking about VoIP, I asked about SIP services, i.e. how they were going to handle calls to non-PSTN addresses. No, they said, you can only call PSTN!

BTW, true, know-it-all farang can be just as problematic, especially as none of the Thais will argue with them. I like to think I'm not one of them!

Edited November 3, 2006 by manjara

[jobsworth]

The last time the water pump broke down in my Thai condo

I was asked if I could help to fix it

and I did and it is still working.

The Thai owner did not want to employ somebody to do the job.

I received no money for this service.

Was this work?

Can I expect to be deported?

As usual the welcome for foreigners is finishing.

How will it be in 10 years time?

[toptuan]

Thanks for ruining my day! All the time and money I have spent setting up my Thai typesetting business down the drain! Anybody looking for a used Linotype machine (Thai version)?

Quote from the Bible: "Anyone who decides to build a structure must first count the cost." Cultural translation: You gonna do a project, start a business, etc.? It's called "due diligence" or research.

But cheer up, some people's purpose in life is to be a warning to others through their mistakes!

[toptuan]

The last time the water pump broke down in my Thai condo

I was asked if I could help to fix it

and I did and it is still working.

The Thai owner did not want to employ somebody to do the job.

I received no money for this service.

Was this work?

Can I expect to be deported?

The issue isn't whether you get paid or not. It's whether you work in the profession, taking the job/opportunity away from a Thai who might be qualified to do the same thing (presumably for pay to the Thai).

Several times a Thai farmer friend has invited me to the field to help him with the rice harvest so I could take part in this cultural experience. I'd love to, but I'd be violating the law. Plus, I'm lazy.

[toptuan]

On a lighter note:

It has been my lifelong dream to live in a country where manual labor was illegal for me. It's a kind of johnny-come-lately but satisfying revenge against my dear departed dad who had the gall, during my youth, to assign to me all those mindless menial labor tasks around the house like weeding the garden and taking out the trash.

Now every time I hear dad's voice in my mind, prodding me to paint the peeling house or cut down the jungle which was once my lawn, I just dispel the guilt with a mock-sad shake of the head, "Gosh, Dad, would love ta, but can't do it--you always told me to respect the law..."

Ah, sweet justice! Even better, just wish he were still around to appreciate my legal plight.

[JR Texas]

manjara

It's not just the Thais though, you must admit. I am working on a small IT project here, the pseudo know it all dumbs#t falangs can be even more of a problem. Nothing more to comment on that one.

JR Texas

You're right. I have never met a Thai anywhere in this country that could even dream of passing the CCNA much less the CCNEs. That's part of the reason why the Internet in Phuket is SO STINKING BAD! Anything IT related in Thailand is a very bad joke. When I went to Loxinfo Chiang Mai (calmly, jai yen yen) to discuss network architecture and DSL nodal placement, (one side of Samlarn Rd. had service, the other didn't) the head admin was in the basement (probably fiddling with the servers) but had "MCP for Dummies' open to page 8 on his desk. I just told the incredibly beautiful & sexy secretary that I had found out exactly what I needed to know, and left. These people get their jobs by graduating from the right schools then getting a nice letter from their level 10 uncle, or by producing a phone call from an investor in the company. Period. Frustrating? Frustrating as h<ll.

I'm just really surprised that some enterprising Thai hasn't purchased a T1/3 and offered a bootleg broadband wireless system to local residents. The illegal profits could be enormous! Thai life-concept at its best... Sri Tonanchai anyone?

Have you seen what CAT charge for a T1?? It's insane...(though the pricelist I saw was a couple of years ago). What could be an option, is Satellite, but I don't think the performance is good enough to make it anything but a second choice. They are supposed to be opening it up now to others outside CAT, but don't hold your breath. Some of the Thai operators are rolling out a lot of infrastructure, but they don't seem to have much of a clue as to how they are going to use it. E.g. talking about VoIP, I asked about SIP services, i.e. how they were going to handle calls to non-PSTN addresses. No, they said, you can only call PSTN!

BTW, true, know-it-all farang can be just as problematic, especially as none of the Thais will argue with them. I like to think I'm not one of them!

JR Texas (51, USA): For the record, the quote above is not from me. I did not say that. Quotes from two different people are being mixed up in this thread. I will not be saying anything more on this thread.

Happy Loi Kratong from China

JR