Tourist Visa Extension

[filipina_26]

hi,

i have a 90 days touris visa.i got it in the philippines free maybe bcoz im a filipino.my 60 days is due on dec 23.so if i extend my visa for another 30 days and paid 1900 baht at the immigration bureau, does this mean that i should leave thailand this january?please advise as i am really confused with all the changes in the current visa law.someone told me that i can get a visa exemption for another 30 days?can u tell me where?there's seems to be a 2 option of where can i get an extension, have it on the immigration office or get a visa exemption.is this correct?also after i used up my 90 days here, can i do the border run every 30 days for a maximum of 90?or until i get my work permit requirements?i am working now and my boss said that he will give me the wp after 3 mos.it's been a month since i started working so i still gor 2 months that is due on feb.a month beyond my 90 days.help me, really confused

Thanks for the help.

[Sunbelt Asia]

hi,

i have a 90 days touris visa.i got it in the philippines free maybe bcoz im a filipino.my 60 days is due on dec 23.so if i extend my visa for another 30 days and paid 1900 baht at the immigration bureau, does this mean that i should leave thailand this january?please advise as i am really confused with all the changes in the current visa law.someone told me that i can get a visa exemption for another 30 days?can u tell me where?there's seems to be a 2 option of where can i get an extension, have it on the immigration office or get a visa exemption.is this correct?also after i used up my 90 days here, can i do the border run every 30 days for a maximum of 90?or until i get my work permit requirements?i am working now and my boss said that he will give me the wp after 3 mos.it's been a month since i started working so i still gor 2 months that is due on feb.a month beyond my 90 days.help me, really confused

Thanks for the help.

Your boss is in big trouble if you are working without a work permit. More trouble, in fact than you if caught. In order to get a work permit, you must have a non immigrant visa not a tourist visa. Why will he not get you a work permit now for you?

He should at least give you the paperwork for you to take the Embassy to get a 90 day non immigrant visa in KL or Singapore. Then you can get the work permit.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[ladn]

tell ur boss, U SUCK! if u get caught by the immigration,u will go to jail....absolutely! so tell him to get u,visa right away!

[filipina_26]

hi,

i have a 90 days touris visa.i got it in the philippines free maybe bcoz im a filipino.my 60 days is due on dec 23.so if i extend my visa for another 30 days and paid 1900 baht at the immigration bureau, does this mean that i should leave thailand this january?please advise as i am really confused with all the changes in the current visa law.someone told me that i can get a visa exemption for another 30 days?can u tell me where?there's seems to be a 2 option of where can i get an extension, have it on the immigration office or get a visa exemption.is this correct?also after i used up my 90 days here, can i do the border run every 30 days for a maximum of 90?or until i get my work permit requirements?i am working now and my boss said that he will give me the wp after 3 mos.it's been a month since i started working so i still gor 2 months that is due on feb.a month beyond my 90 days.help me, really confused

Thanks for the help.

Your boss is in big trouble if you are working without a work permit. More trouble, in fact than you if caught. In order to get a work permit, you must have a non immigrant visa not a tourist visa. Why will he not get you a work permit now for you?

He should at least give you the paperwork for you to take the Embassy to get a 90 day non immigrant visa in KL or Singapore. Then you can get the work permit.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

i know im n big trouble.and they are deducting 15% off my salary for the tax, i said i should not be deducted because i dont have a work permit and the tax number am i correct?

[bubba]

i know im n big trouble.and they are deducting 15% off my salary for the tax, i said i should not be deducted because i dont have a work permit and the tax number am i correct?

Absolutely correct. Your boss is pocketing the 15%. Of course he is not submitting income tax withholding for an unregistered, illegal worker without a tax card.

BTW, I heard some rumors a couple of weeks ago about an enforcement of the labour law against illegal Phillipine English teachers working in Thailand. If that happens to be your case (and of course you don't have to confirm or deny that here!), you might want to seriously consider getting legal, or else look for another job where they will provide you with work permit and not steal from you by falsely telling you that they are withholding income tax that they are pocketing.

[filipina_26]

i know im n big trouble.and they are deducting 15% off my salary for the tax, i said i should not be deducted because i dont have a work permit and the tax number am i correct?

Absolutely correct. Your boss is pocketing the 15%. Of course he is not submitting income tax withholding for an unregistered, illegal worker without a tax card.

BTW, I heard some rumors a couple of weeks ago about an enforcement of the labour law against illegal Phillipine English teachers working in Thailand. If that happens to be your case (and of course you don't have to confirm or deny that here!), you might want to seriously consider getting legal, or else look for another job where they will provide you with work permit and not steal from you by falsely telling you that they are withholding income tax that they are pocketing.

i will discuss about the taxt with my boss.the thing is some financial adviser is telling him that i should be deducted by tax.by the way is it possible to stay in thailand for 3 more months doing the border run (3 x 30 days) after i used up my m months valid tv?(60 + 30 days extension)is this possible? Please advise, because the way i see it you can go here without a visa and stay for 90 days and come back with a 3 months valid tv. Can i do it vice versa i have a visa then do the visa run?

[bubba]

i know im n big trouble.and they are deducting 15% off my salary for the tax, i said i should not be deducted because i dont have a work permit and the tax number am i correct?

Absolutely correct. Your boss is pocketing the 15%. Of course he is not submitting income tax withholding for an unregistered, illegal worker without a tax card.

BTW, I heard some rumors a couple of weeks ago about an enforcement of the labour law against illegal Phillipine English teachers working in Thailand. If that happens to be your case (and of course you don't have to confirm or deny that here!), you might want to seriously consider getting legal, or else look for another job where they will provide you with work permit and not steal from you by falsely telling you that they are withholding income tax that they are pocketing.

i will discuss about the taxt with my boss.the thing is some financial adviser is telling him that i should be deducted by tax.by the way is it possible to stay in thailand for 3 more months doing the border run (3 x 30 days) after i used up my m months valid tv?(60 + 30 days extension)is this possible? Please advise, because the way i see it you can go here without a visa and stay for 90 days and come back with a 3 months valid tv. Can i do it vice versa i have a visa then do the visa run?

Not sure about the visa issues, and the Sunbelt people would be best to advise on that.

The key issue is: you are working illegally on a tourist visa and without a work permit. You are risking arrest and detention at immigration prison if you are caught. Your boss knows that, and he is even taking money from you and calling it "tax withholding". I suppose he feels it is worth the risk, since he will have significant legal problems as well if he is discovered.

Yes, the financial advisor is correct that withholding must be done with employee's wages in Thailand, and that withholding must be sent to the Revenue Department each month, while specifying the employee's tax ID number. Social Security contribution must also be submitted. Your boss cannot possibly be doing that, since you do not have a work permit and you do not have a tax ID number. I seriously doubt he is sending in withholding to the Revenue Department with a note by your name (no tax ID number - illegal foreign worker).

If I were you, I would seriously consider the risks you are taking, added to the fact that your boss is deducting part of your salary and it is definitely not going towards tax withholding. If you are OK with gambling on time in immigration prison and deportation, then that of course would be your decision. Don't mean to be putting this too harshly, but you need to think carefully about the possible outcomes of this situation, particularly since there is apparently some sort of effort forthcoming on behalf of Immigration with some sort of "crackdown" on illegal Philippine workers. I know there are plenty here, as we recently advertised for office staff in the BKK Post and amazingly about ten percent of the CVs that came in were from Filipinos living in Thailand. This is sort of a recent occurrence, as we didn't see that nine months ago with the same newspaper advert.

[thai_narak]

You need a Non-B visa to be able to get a work permit. As you said, your visa is a tourist one which in this case not applicable for work permit application. To be able to get a Non-B visa you have to provide papers (invitation letter, company registration, etc.) from your employer to thai embassy in the Phillipines or maybe in nearby countries like Malaysia or Singapore.

For now, you are working illegally! If you and your employer will be caught, your employer will be fined and possibly jailed and you will be fined, jailed, and deported.

Edited December 18, 2006 by thai_narak

[junkofdavid2]

i know im n big trouble.and they are deducting 15% off my salary for the tax, i said i should not be deducted because i dont have a work permit and the tax number am i correct?

Absolutely correct. Your boss is pocketing the 15%. Of course he is not submitting income tax withholding for an unregistered, illegal worker without a tax card.

BTW, I heard some rumors a couple of weeks ago about an enforcement of the labour law against illegal Phillipine English teachers working in Thailand. If that happens to be your case (and of course you don't have to confirm or deny that here!), you might want to seriously consider getting legal, or else look for another job where they will provide you with work permit and not steal from you by falsely telling you that they are withholding income tax that they are pocketing.

i will discuss about the taxt with my boss.the thing is some financial adviser is telling him that i should be deducted by tax.by the way is it possible to stay in thailand for 3 more months doing the border run (3 x 30 days) after i used up my m months valid tv?(60 + 30 days extension)is this possible? Please advise, because the way i see it you can go here without a visa and stay for 90 days and come back with a 3 months valid tv. Can i do it vice versa i have a visa then do the visa run?

I totally understand what kind of jerk employers you may have... and I also understand that at this point in time, you may not have any other choice but to work with them because of no other alternatives. The lesser evil, if you can afford it, is to volunteer to pay for the Work Permit yourself and not wait for your boss' 3 months before he forks out the money (assuming your boss' issue was just the expense). Assuming that your boss' company is "eligible" to employ foreign workers, the work permit and B-Visa from Singapore would cost about 30,000 baht if you do it thru Sunbelt Asia (that already includes the price of Air ticket and Hotel to Singapore to get your Type The Singapore ticket and hotel (I recommend Hotel 81 or Fragrance Hotel, cheap but clean and safe) will cost you about 15,000, the B visa in Thai embassy in Singapore would cost about 2500, Sunbelt's service fee to prepare Type B documents is 1000, Sunbelt's service fee for Work Permit is 6500, and govt fee 850. Plus add some for miscellaneous expenses (Example, Sunbelt charges 300 baht "travelling" fee per trip to go here and there to file your documents.

Unfortunately, even if you can pay for your own B Visa and Work permit, this all CANNOT be done if your boss' company wasn't registered properly. (Ex. it should have a registered capital of 2 Million Baht, it should be VAT registered, etc.) In this case, you'd have to first pay Sunbelt to "fix" the company registration so that it can employ foreign workers, and that will cost a lot too.

I'm speaking from experience here.

[Mahout Angrit]

by the way is it possible to stay in thailand for 3 more months doing the border run (3 x 30 days) after i used up my m months valid tv?(60 + 30 days extension)is this possible? Please advise, because the way i see it you can go here without a visa and stay for 90 days and come back with a 3 months valid tv. Can i do it vice versa i have a visa then do the visa run?

You can enter on 30day visa free entrys upto a maximum of 90 days in any 180 day period IF The Phillipines is one of the countries that get 30 days on entry (some only get 15days) but you should heed the warnings about working

[junkofdavid2]

i know im n big trouble.and they are deducting 15% off my salary for the tax, i said i should not be deducted because i dont have a work permit and the tax number am i correct?

Absolutely correct. Your boss is pocketing the 15%. Of course he is not submitting income tax withholding for an unregistered, illegal worker without a tax card.

BTW, I heard some rumors a couple of weeks ago about an enforcement of the labour law against illegal Phillipine English teachers working in Thailand. If that happens to be your case (and of course you don't have to confirm or deny that here!), you might want to seriously consider getting legal, or else look for another job where they will provide you with work permit and not steal from you by falsely telling you that they are withholding income tax that they are pocketing.

i will discuss about the taxt with my boss.the thing is some financial adviser is telling him that i should be deducted by tax.by the way is it possible to stay in thailand for 3 more months doing the border run (3 x 30 days) after i used up my m months valid tv?(60 + 30 days extension)is this possible? Please advise, because the way i see it you can go here without a visa and stay for 90 days and come back with a 3 months valid tv. Can i do it vice versa i have a visa then do the visa run?

Not sure about the visa issues, and the Sunbelt people would be best to advise on that.

The key issue is: you are working illegally on a tourist visa and without a work permit. You are risking arrest and detention at immigration prison if you are caught. Your boss knows that, and he is even taking money from you and calling it "tax withholding". I suppose he feels it is worth the risk, since he will have significant legal problems as well if he is discovered.

Yes, the financial advisor is correct that withholding must be done with employee's wages in Thailand, and that withholding must be sent to the Revenue Department each month, while specifying the employee's tax ID number. Social Security contribution must also be submitted. Your boss cannot possibly be doing that, since you do not have a work permit and you do not have a tax ID number. I seriously doubt he is sending in withholding to the Revenue Department with a note by your name (no tax ID number - illegal foreign worker).

If I were you, I would seriously consider the risks you are taking, added to the fact that your boss is deducting part of your salary and it is definitely not going towards tax withholding. If you are OK with gambling on time in immigration prison and deportation, then that of course would be your decision. Don't mean to be putting this too harshly, but you need to think carefully about the possible outcomes of this situation, particularly since there is apparently some sort of effort forthcoming on behalf of Immigration with some sort of "crackdown" on illegal Philippine workers. I know there are plenty here, as we recently advertised for office staff in the BKK Post and amazingly about ten percent of the CVs that came in were from Filipinos living in Thailand. This is sort of a recent occurrence, as we didn't see that nine months ago with the same newspaper advert.

Bubba,

9 months ago, those illegal filipinos were probably here already.

The reason they didn't apply to your advertisement at that time was because they were happy with their jobs even without work permit, because they could do border runs.

Now that there is a border run crackdown, they're trying to "leave" their current jobs (which have no work permits) and look for work in companies which give work permits, like yours (i hope).

Cheers,

junkofdavid2

[filipina_26]

The key issue is: you are working illegally on a tourist visa and without a work permit. You are risking arrest and detention at immigration prison if you are caught. Your boss knows that, and he is even taking money from you and calling it "tax withholding". I suppose he feels it is worth the risk, since he will have significant legal problems as well if he is discovered.

Yes, the financial advisor is correct that withholding must be done with employee's wages in Thailand, and that withholding must be sent to the Revenue Department each month, while specifying the employee's tax ID number. Social Security contribution must also be submitted. Your boss cannot possibly be doing that, since you do not have a work permit and you do not have a tax ID number. I seriously doubt he is sending in withholding to the Revenue Department with a note by your name (no tax ID number - illegal foreign worker).

If I were you, I would seriously consider the risks you are taking, added to the fact that your boss is deducting part of your salary and it is definitely not going towards tax withholding. If you are OK with gambling on time in immigration prison and deportation, then that of course would be your decision. Don't mean to be putting this too harshly, but you need to think carefully about the possible outcomes of this situation, particularly since there is apparently some sort of effort forthcoming on behalf of Immigration with some sort of "crackdown" on illegal Philippine workers. I know there are plenty here, as we recently advertised for office staff in the BKK Post and amazingly about ten percent of the CVs that came in were from Filipinos living in Thailand. This is sort of a recent occurrence, as we didn't see that nine months ago with the same newspaper advert.

I know many filipinos here are working illegally but not that many compared to other foreign nationals.and i believed that not only us are working here illegally but many nationalities as well.it just so happenned that most filipinos opted to apply for a job even if the salary is very low just to get a work and have a work permit,i think that is the case.ANd it doesn't mean that we get this low salary job compared to americans we are less educated than them.I think most of the teachers working in the international school especially Filipinos are too qualified, they are not just given ther chance to prove themselves because they are asians.

I mean who wants to work illegal here?like for me, i didn't have the difficulty finding a job, it is good paying the only problem is that they want my work permit after 4 mos. I am going to the Philippines this Jan. to get a Non-B visa,some of the papers are with me I am waiting for a few more.

I don't think there's this crackdown on philippine workers, I think it is for all those working illegally here be it filipino, american, autralians etc. it's all the same.So I am making all efforts to finally get my work permit and work here legally.

[junkofdavid2]

Good for you if you are going to Manila to get your B Visa docs. I sincerely hope you get it. However, just to let you know in advance, it's quite difficult to get the B visa in Manila, unlike in Singapore where it's almost automatic as long as you have complete documents. In Manila, you may even be asked to show your employment contract, and then they sometimes even question the contents of the contract and say that "this and that" should be included in the contract, and "this and that" is an unfair provision of the contract (like "why doesn't your contract specify your holidays off?" or "your contract should include benefit like this or that"... In any case, since you'll be in manila for the holidays anyway, go ahead and try to do it there. I suggest you get TWO copies of the documents. First give one set of documents to Thai embassy Manila. If they deny your application, you can use the second set of documents to apply for one in Singapore where it's almost automatic. You can get a cheap Cebu pacific flight from Manila to Singapore, and then a cheap Tiger Airways or Air Asia or Jetstar from Singapore to BKK.

As for your comment that "Filipinos with lower salary doesn't mean they're less educated." Well, I agree. Nobody implied that to begin with. However, it's an issue of "

packaging" . The customers (Thai students) prefer to be taught English by White people (even those from "white" countries which don't speak much English), and therefore, they fetch a higher price even for the same service. Just like in the supermarket, where you can have 2 or 3 or more brands of ketchup which taste identical, but the consumer buys the one with the packaging which appeals to him/her. We can complain and wine all we want about how it's "unfair", but that is the reality of consumer behavior.

[junkofdavid2]

Good for you if you are going to Manila to get your B Visa docs. I sincerely hope you get it. However, just to let you know in advance, it's quite difficult to get the B visa in Manila, unlike in Singapore where it's almost automatic as long as you have complete documents. In Manila, you may even be asked to show your employment contract, and then they sometimes even question the contents of the contract and say that "this and that" should be included in the contract, and "this and that" is an unfair provision of the contract (like "why doesn't your contract specify your holidays off?" or "your contract should include benefit like this or that"... In any case, since you'll be in manila for the holidays anyway, go ahead and try to do it there. I suggest you get TWO copies of the documents. First give one set of documents to Thai embassy Manila. If they deny your application, you can use the second set of documents to apply for one in Singapore where it's almost automatic. You can get a cheap Cebu pacific flight from Manila to Singapore, and then a cheap Tiger Airways or Air Asia or Jetstar from Singapore to BKK.

As for your comment that "Filipinos with lower salary doesn't mean they're less educated." Well, I agree. Nobody implied that to begin with. However, it's an issue of "

packaging" . The customers (Thai students) prefer to be taught English by White people (even those from "white" countries which don't speak much English), and therefore, they fetch a higher price even for the same service. Just like in the supermarket, where you can have 2 or 3 or more brands of ketchup which taste identical, but the consumer buys the one with the packaging which appeals to him/her. We can complain and wine all we want about how it's "unfair", but that is the reality of consumer behavior.

Oops, i meant "whine", not "wine"...

[filipina_26]

Good for you if you are going to Manila to get your B Visa docs. I sincerely hope you get it. However, just to let you know in advance, it's quite difficult to get the B visa in Manila, unlike in Singapore where it's almost automatic as long as you have complete documents. In Manila, you may even be asked to show your employment contract, and then they sometimes even question the contents of the contract and say that "this and that" should be included in the contract, and "this and that" is an unfair provision of the contract (like "why doesn't your contract specify your holidays off?" or "your contract should include benefit like this or that"... In any case, since you'll be in manila for the holidays anyway, go ahead and try to do it there. I suggest you get TWO copies of the documents. First give one set of documents to Thai embassy Manila. If they deny your application, you can use the second set of documents to apply for one in Singapore where it's almost automatic. You can get a cheap Cebu pacific flight from Manila to Singapore, and then a cheap Tiger Airways or Air Asia or Jetstar from Singapore to BKK.

As for your comment that "Filipinos with lower salary doesn't mean they're less educated." Well, I agree. Nobody implied that to begin with. However, it's an issue of "

packaging" . The customers (Thai students) prefer to be taught English by White people (even those from "white" countries which don't speak much English), and therefore, they fetch a higher price even for the same service. Just like in the supermarket, where you can have 2 or 3 or more brands of ketchup which taste identical, but the consumer buys the one with the packaging which appeals to him/her. We can complain and wine all we want about how it's "unfair", but that is the reality of consumer behavior.

Yes I agree, it's the reality here.anyways my friend is going to get his non b in manila this week, i hope he gets it, if not. i will just fly to Singapore instead.I know the embassy in Manila is very strict in giving visas, I witnessed it myself when i applied myself,lucky for me to be given a tv (90 days) because i just made them believed that I was still working in a multinational company.you have to think ahead of them because most consul in manila are like that.