Eight Chinese wedding photographers arrested at Phuket temple

[reggaebkk]

Its just the death nell. Off tourism!

LOL, that's why the numbers of Chinese visitors keeps increasing.

exactly, people who say this are probably the same who complained about Chinese tourists behaviour a few month back... they just need to complain about something else they don't feel they exist.

[BWPattaya]

They could have demonstrated to the police, that they are only playing, by showing the police, that there is no film in the camera.

Film? In a camera?

Showing your age there!

[impulse]

Lets just start a change org petition to western governments to reciprocate these laws to Thais in our respective countries , no land ownership no work with permits no citizenship , only allowed 49% of their own companies.

Will you also demand visa free entry for all Thais to your home country?

Just imagine 8 Thai guys showing up at your country's embassy to apply for visas so they could work a few days taking wedding photos for their Thai friend getting married.

Thailand treats us a lot better than our countries treat their average citizens.

[HerbalEd]

There are a few sayings that don't actually apply to Thailand;

'You can't have your cake and eat it' is one of them. The other is 'it's not what you know it's what you can prove'.

Don't you need proof these people are working? Sure, it's a wedding, but are people not allowed to take pics if their cameras are too advanced or they're rather quite good at it?

Again, no need to prove anything. Just make it up as you go along. They probably think it's smart but it just proves there's no rule of law.

Do you actually know all the facts of the case, or do you only know what you read in this short article?

[Redline]

Now they don't want people to marry in Thailand. They should be promoting it! How do they know they are not family members. How about being more competitive, and not having to worry about people taking wedding photos....

[Monkeyrobot]

They especially don't want them taking photos when the newly weds ride jet skies on there honeymoon.

[Bangkok Barry]

So now you can be arrested for photographing a wedding couple, therefore spoiling one of the best days of the couple's life? Was there proof that those taking photos were paid? If not, no case to answer.

[WhizBang]

So now we need a work permit to take photos? Thailand is well and truely trying to shoot itself in the foot. How stupid can these xenophobic morons get?

[simon43]

Film? In a camera?
Showing your age there!

Think you missed the sarcasm in that post.

Here's a clue. What do these words have in common? police/Thai/thick-as-tw*ts

[zakk9]

I remember a few years ago they suddenly wanted work permits for the foreign crews of yachts participating at a regatta in Phuket. I think they gave up on that one.

Another thought:

Professional photographers travel all over the world on assignments, and although some countries have rules that require work permits for professions like that, it's hardly ever enforced. It would be more or less impossible for photographers, who often have to travel on short notice, keep updated on WP and visa rules for all countries and the apply for a permit that often wouldn't be cleared in time. My avatar is taken on a photo assignment in a Southeast Asian country. On that occasion, I was stopped for customs control, and when asked why I brought so much camera gear, I answered that I was travelling on an assignment. I wasn't asked for a WP though

[Mudcrab]

So now you can be arrested for photographing a wedding couple, therefore spoiling one of the best days of the couple's life? Was there proof that those taking photos were paid? If not, no case to answer.

Oh dear....paid or unpaid work is illegal without the correct paperwork...same as in most western countries.

People should make the effort to understand their own countries policies before posting here.

[Bob12345]

So now you can be arrested for photographing a wedding couple, therefore spoiling one of the best days of the couple's life? Was there proof that those taking photos were paid? If not, no case to answer.

Oh dear....paid or unpaid work is illegal without the correct paperwork...same as in most western countries.

People should make the effort to understand their own countries policies before posting here.

What differentiates work from doing a favor, or doing your hobby?

There are thousands of people taking pictures in Thailand or making videos. They upload it to websites and in some cases it can be monetized. Does that mean they all need a work permit? What if you plan on writing a travel blog? That is work i would say, so those people also need a WP?

You should admit that this now becomes totally impractical and impossible to enforce. Right?

[stevenl]

So now you can be arrested for photographing a wedding couple, therefore spoiling one of the best days of the couple's life? Was there proof that those taking photos were paid? If not, no case to answer.

Oh dear....paid or unpaid work is illegal without the correct paperwork...same as in most western countries.

People should make the effort to understand their own countries policies before posting here.

What differentiates work from doing a favor, or doing your hobby?

There are thousands of people taking pictures in Thailand or making videos. They upload it to websites and in some cases it can be monetized. Does that mean they all need a work permit? What if you plan on writing a travel blog? That is work i would say, so those people also need a WP?

You should admit that this now becomes totally impractical and impossible to enforce. Right?

Depends. Making wedding photos clearly is working .

[Bob12345]

So now you can be arrested for photographing a wedding couple, therefore spoiling one of the best days of the couple's life? Was there proof that those taking photos were paid? If not, no case to answer.

Oh dear....paid or unpaid work is illegal without the correct paperwork...same as in most western countries.

People should make the effort to understand their own countries policies before posting here.

What differentiates work from doing a favor, or doing your hobby?

There are thousands of people taking pictures in Thailand or making videos. They upload it to websites and in some cases it can be monetized. Does that mean they all need a work permit? What if you plan on writing a travel blog? That is work i would say, so those people also need a WP?

You should admit that this now becomes totally impractical and impossible to enforce. Right?

Depends. Making wedding photos clearly is working .

Unless its done by your friends who all have another full-time job and dont get paid for it.

But we were still send away from the palace grounds as i mentioned earlier in this topic.

[stevenl]

So now you can be arrested for photographing a wedding couple, therefore spoiling one of the best days of the couple's life? Was there proof that those taking photos were paid? If not, no case to answer.

Oh dear....paid or unpaid work is illegal without the correct paperwork...same as in most western countries.

People should make the effort to understand their own countries policies before posting here.

What differentiates work from doing a favor, or doing your hobby?

There are thousands of people taking pictures in Thailand or making videos. They upload it to websites and in some cases it can be monetized. Does that mean they all need a work permit? What if you plan on writing a travel blog? That is work i would say, so those people also need a WP?

You should admit that this now becomes totally impractical and impossible to enforce. Right?

Depends. Making wedding photos clearly is working .

Unless its done by your friends who all have another full-time job and dont get paid for it.

But we were still send away from the palace grounds as i mentioned earlier in this topic.

Payment is irrelevant. And your sending away experience has no connection to work permits.

Edited June 5, 2016 by stevenl

[Bob12345]

So now you can be arrested for photographing a wedding couple, therefore spoiling one of the best days of the couple's life? Was there proof that those taking photos were paid? If not, no case to answer.

Oh dear....paid or unpaid work is illegal without the correct paperwork...same as in most western countries.

People should make the effort to understand their own countries policies before posting here.

What differentiates work from doing a favor, or doing your hobby?

There are thousands of people taking pictures in Thailand or making videos. They upload it to websites and in some cases it can be monetized. Does that mean they all need a work permit? What if you plan on writing a travel blog? That is work i would say, so those people also need a WP?

You should admit that this now becomes totally impractical and impossible to enforce. Right?

Depends. Making wedding photos clearly is working .

Unless its done by your friends who all have another full-time job and dont get paid for it.

But we were still send away from the palace grounds as i mentioned earlier in this topic.

Payment is irrelevant. And your sending away experience has no connection to work permits.

But it is connected to unclear and unenforceable rules where relatively uneducated employees have to test the waters to see how rules (laws) are interpreted.

[stevenl]

So now you can be arrested for photographing a wedding couple, therefore spoiling one of the best days of the couple's life? Was there proof that those taking photos were paid? If not, no case to answer.

Oh dear....paid or unpaid work is illegal without the correct paperwork...same as in most western countries.

People should make the effort to understand their own countries policies before posting here.

What differentiates work from doing a favor, or doing your hobby?

There are thousands of people taking pictures in Thailand or making videos. They upload it to websites and in some cases it can be monetized. Does that mean they all need a work permit? What if you plan on writing a travel blog? That is work i would say, so those people also need a WP?

You should admit that this now becomes totally impractical and impossible to enforce. Right?

Depends. Making wedding photos clearly is working .

Unless its done by your friends who all have another full-time job and dont get paid for it.

But we were still send away from the palace grounds as i mentioned earlier in this topic.

Payment is irrelevant. And your sending away experience has no connection to work permits.

But it is connected to unclear and unenforceable rules where relatively uneducated employees have to test the waters to see how rules (laws) are interpreted.

You're looking for the disputable cases, most are clear cut.

[Bob12345]

You're looking for the disputable cases, most are clear cut.

Agree

[NamKangMan]

Its just the death nell. Off tourism!

LOL, that's why the numbers of Chinese visitors keeps increasing.

Sure, but the Chinese weddings on Phuket industry might take a hit.

[Bob12345]

Its just the death nell. Off tourism!

LOL, that's why the numbers of Chinese visitors keeps increasing.

Sure, but the Chinese weddings on Phuket industry might take a hit.

Exactly, and a wedding couple plus guests are more likely to stay in a 5-star hotel and the bride and groom take the luxurious honeymoon suite.

Not anymore.

The chinese that are still coming, and their numbers are increasing, are the ones who travel by (chinese owned) bus and stay in hotels at bargain prices or hotel that are chinese owned.

Again they are pushing out the quality tourists and bringing in more of the quantity tourists.

[NamKangMan]

Its just the death nell. Off tourism!

LOL, that's why the numbers of Chinese visitors keeps increasing.

Sure, but the Chinese weddings on Phuket industry might take a hit.

Exactly, and a wedding couple plus guests are more likely to stay in a 5-star hotel and the bride and groom take the luxurious honeymoon suite.

Not anymore.

The chinese that are still coming, and their numbers are increasing, are the ones who travel by (chinese owned) bus and stay in hotels at bargain prices or hotel that are chinese owned.

Again they are pushing out the quality tourists and bringing in more of the quantity tourists.

Correct.

For the sake of protecting a few non-Mandarin speaking photographer jobs on Phuket, they turn away the Chinese beach wedding industry, which employs a lot more people, and turns over a lot more baht.