Immigration are circling my classroom - what can I do?

[Davekavo]

I suggest you should walk away now and don't go down the road of bribing IM or anyone as that will lead to more trouble down the road.let us face it, if it can't be done in a legal fashion, it should not be done at all.remember you are Farang and always will be, Thais can bribe and bend the Thai system and get away with it but for you to do this is dangerous. If caught, you will end up in a Thai prison if only for a short time, ask yourself is that an experiance you want to have?.Get out while the going is good. Best of luck...

[stevenl]

1 minute ago, petedk said:

 

I agree.

 

Maybe the whole thing is blown out of proportion. If he just teaches a few kids now and then.

He doesn't say he makes a living out of teaching.

Read the OP again. He had 'a handful' of students when the head honcho passed by, and 10 students the same evening. This is (much) more than you're implying, from the OP it sounds like he is running an illegal school.

[louse1953]

What you want is neither here nor there.You deserve to be banned for life for putting your family through this drama.You were warned,som num na.

[Sir Bogdiver]

5 minutes ago, petedk said:

 

My advice to him is to take his wife and go and talk to immigration now. Get things sorted out.

DO NOT GO YOURSELF

That is an absolutely inviolable rule in Thailand

The authorities are quite happy to talk straight to a Thai intermediary but as soon a a farrang shows up it forces their hand and it all becomes official with very predictable consequences.

[TheFishman1]

As mentioned RunForrest Run you been teaching illegal for a very long time why ask now what to do you should have figured it out by now TIT

[meatboy]

6 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Read the OP again. He had 'a handful' of students when the head honcho passed by, and 10 students the same evening. This is (much) more than you're implying, from the OP it sounds like he is running an illegal school.

and not now and then 16YRS.

 

[louse1953]

1 hour ago, glegolo said:

Good luck in closing down, and trying to stay in Thailand with no income... cause that is what it is all about, isn´t it??? You do not even have 40.000 baht a month to live on??

 

Glegolo

After 16 years in Thailand he would be highly unlikely to get a job in the home country.What a life plan.Best years making average money in Thailand.

[Upnotover]

Trying to.

10 minutes ago, petedk said:

 

I agree.

 

Maybe the whole thing is blown out of proportion. If he just teaches a few kids now and then.

He doesn't say he makes a living out of teaching.

9 hours ago, JustAnotherFarang said:

They have turned a blind eye to the fact that I was a married guy trying to make a living.

 

[louse1953]

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

Not only not a work permit, this is running an illegal school.

And no, seems they are not looking for a few Baht but for evidence.

Sent from my ROBBY using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

Is he even a qualified teacher?

[Macthehat]

 

Immigration are circling my classroom - what can I do?...................... sounds like a scene from the wild west ...hide under the tables and be careful not to get scalped . 

 

I hear immigration don't like pale faces .

 

[meatboy]

i may sound harsh but i have done eveything by the book for over 35yrs. at great expence.so for someone to fiddle the system for that long i dont give a dam what happens to him.how has he got away with producing the yearly extension money in the bank [proof]

get on the next flight out of thailand and count your blessings.

its been said contrition/respect go a long way, i am afraid thats the wrong word its CONTRIBUTION.A LOT.

[dbrenn]

The OP is in a difficult situation, and going on holiday or closing temporarily likely won't help - the problem will still be there when he gets back. The only plus here is that (sometimes) the authorities in the provinces are more flexible. The OP might want to try sending a couple of bottles of very expensive whisky to immigration (via the wife who informed on him). Getting his wife to fish for information from the informer (while handing over the whisky as a 'New Year' present to the good folks at immigration), and not admitting any wrong doing, so as to find out where the land lies, might be a good start in the negotiations.

 

Either way, the OP's days of freeloading may be over. If the authorities decide to let him continue, turning a blind eye 'for the good of the community' then it's likely to cost on an ongoing basis. The outcome of any negotiation depends entirely on how much they like him, but the higher up the food chain this problem goes, the more it's going to cost - all the more reason to try to solve the problem now.

 

There is of course a real risk to the OP that he will get busted and kicked out, but he must have known all along the potential consequences of working illegally here (or anywhere else).

[Tchooptip]

16 minutes ago, Sir Bogdiver said:

DO NOT GO YOURSELF

That is an absolutely inviolable rule in Thailand

The authorities are quite happy to talk straight to a Thai intermediary but as soon a a farrang shows up it forces their hand and it all becomes official with very predictable consequences.

Agree 100%

[Rc2702]

How have you managed to sleep at night for 16 years. This is far from believable but me personally I would front it out and face them informally and cut a deal. Just for a good night's sleep

[dbrenn]

7 minutes ago, Rc2702 said:

How have you managed to sleep at night for 16 years. This is far from believable but me personally I would front it out and face them informally and cut a deal. Just for a good night's sleep

 

The story is believable - lots of people here fly under the radar. 

 

The OP needs to try to cut an informal deal. A lawyer won't be able to help as the OP is clearly breaking the law and (working as a sole proprietor) will never be able to regularise position as regards work permits and visas. The only way that a lawyer could help is if the OP changes the structure of his business - registers a school, hires Thai employees, forms a limited company, etc. These are things that the OP has considered not possible. The only thing a lawyer could do at this early stage is help in a negotiation that the OP and his wife could do themselves - getting the authorities to turn a blind eye. A lawyer would also be of use if the OP does get busted, to assist with court cases, deportation and the like.

 

Edited December 23, 2016 by dbrenn

[meatboy]

7 minutes ago, Rc2702 said:

How have you managed to sleep at night for 16 years. This is far from believable but me personally I would front it out and face them informally and cut a deal. Just for a good night's sleep

if he manages to cut a a deal,he has already said he dont want to be subjected to a substantial fine,so how is he going to keep a family,

no job,maybe told to leave after palming their hands with silver.if he has no money to do this then there is no alternative.

tooooooooooooo many hands to palm.

[Rc2702]

6 minutes ago, dbrenn said:

 

The story is believable - lots of people here fly under the radar. 

 

The OP needs to try to cut an informal deal. A lawyer won't be able to help as the OP is clearly breaking the law and (working as a sole proprietor) will never be able to regularise position as regards work permits and visas. The only way that a lawyer could help is if the OP changes the structure of his business - registers a school, hires Thai employees, forms a limited company, etc. These are things that the OP has considered not possible. The only thing a lawyer could do at this early stage is help in a negotiation that the OP and his wife could do themselves - getting the authorities to turn a blind eye. A lawyer would also be of use if the OP does get busted, to assist with court cases, deportation and the like.

 

I always thought if your trying to do something like this then chances are you get someone onside rather than wait it out. If they prove you ran a business illegally for 16 years. What kind of actions (formally) are taken. Anyone with some examples?

[buick]

42 minutes ago, petedk said:

He says he is here on a non-immigrant visa.

 

i may have missed it, where does the OP provide info on which visa he has (or extension of stay, etc...) ?  in an earlier post in this thread, i suggested the OP let us know his visa status as his next question might be related to how to resolve an overstay.  one could assume married to thai and has non imm O (and i hope that is what he has). 

[DLang]

They were just looking in to see if any of your students have a 'Bigger' parent than them.

 

If you don't, close up shop and take a holiday for a while, if you do, give their kid a big discount and extra stickers. :D

[lemonjelly]

Good grief, there's a lot of bitter, twisted old gits on this forum nowadays, ruining it, really....... anyway, as an earlier poster said, approach immigration and ask if they want a partnership in a business...... I reckon one of them will bite, you'll lose some income, but you've already attracted their attention..... or close your classroom and teach online, lots of companies offering work.

[elgordo38]

4 hours ago, Loaded said:

It's not right.

Your not living in Rightland this is Wrongland. A complaining foreigner running a business sounds like a receipt for disaster. I applaud your fight em bravery. Here discretion is the better part of valor. 

[tomacht8]

I think your thai wife will be able to speak english well?
Let your thai wife run the show.
Just let only your wife take the cash from the customers.
Your thai woman should sit at the teacher's desk, you only sit in the classroom and participate in the group discusions.
Try to make it legal.
Good luck.

[elgordo38]

2 minutes ago, lemonjelly said:

Good grief, there's a lot of bitter, twisted old gits on this forum nowadays, ruining it, really....

You sure have a lot of audacity making this statement and then giving him advice to break the law further your a beaut a real peach of a pear. The further down the rabbit hole he crawls the worst it will get. I will not offer advice as I feel he is in an unattainable position. 

[sandemara]

Were you really hoping anyone on a farang open forum would encourage you to continue blatantly breaking immigration and labour laws? Just "a married guy trying to  make a living". Pathetic.

[muzmurray]

23 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

I think your thai wife will be able to speak english well?
Let your thai wife run the show.
Just let only your wife take the cash from the customers.
Your thai woman should sit at the teacher's desk, you only sit in the classroom and participate in the group discusions.
Try to make it legal.
Good luck.

 

Still totally illegal.

[thedemon]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

 

 

 

- PR holders still need a work permit, I got PR more than 2 decades ago, had a WP before PR and all the time since I got PR. 

 

- The list of professions / occupations reserved for Thai citizens only still applies.

 

 

 

Yes the Alien Working Act requires a PR to have a Work Permit. But my point was that the Immigration Act does not. If you don't believe me, read them.

 

Alien Working Act.pdf

Immigration_Act_EN.pdf

 

However the Immigration Act states that anyone with temporary entry status (i.e. anyone without PR) cannot work unless granted implicit permission to do so.

 

Why is that relevant? Because according to the op, it is Immigration checking him out, not the Labour Dept. Every case that I have ever personally heard of where a business was raided and someone either prosecuted or (more commonly) forced to pay a bribe, it was carried out by Immigration, not Labour.

 

 

 

 

[tezzainthailand]

120% discount for kids of all immigration officers would be a better option.

[lucifer666]

Your'e cheating the system. you deserve all you get

[dbrenn]

26 minutes ago, lemonjelly said:

Good grief, there's a lot of bitter, twisted old gits on this forum nowadays, ruining it, really....... anyway, as an earlier poster said, approach immigration and ask if they want a partnership in a business...... I reckon one of them will bite, you'll lose some income, but you've already attracted their attention..... or close your classroom and teach online, lots of companies offering work.

 

That's what I think. The OP's only chance is to offer some nice gifts or negotiate a cut of the action. If they like him personally, and if the community likes him and values his services, then he might be allowed to continue on. Small places in the provinces are more likely to turn a blind eye.

 

I don't see that he has any other options. 

[dbrenn]

13 minutes ago, thedemon said:

 

Yes the Alien Working Act requires a PR to have a Work Permit. But my point was that the Immigration Act does not. If you don't believe me, read them.

 

Alien Working Act.pdf

Immigration_Act_EN.pdf

 

However the Immigration Act states that anyone with temporary entry status (i.e. anyone without PR) cannot work unless granted implicit permission to do so.

 

Why is that relevant? Because according to the op, it is Immigration checking him out, not the Labour Dept. Every case that I have ever personally heard of where a business was raided and someone either prosecuted or (more commonly) forced to pay a bribe, it was carried out by Immigration, not Labour.

 

 

 

 

Yep. We all know what the rule book says. In Thailand (as you may be aware) the way the authorities interpret it, or enforce it, depends very much on how much they like you personally - more so out in the sticks. 

 

So many 'capo' people on this thread seem to enjoy watching one of their own go down - this guy is just a small operator in the middle of nowhere, and he's not hurting anyone. Rather sad and nasty, some of the posters here, really.

Edited December 23, 2016 by dbrenn