Hi!

 

Is a work permit needed for building your own house/assisting during the build?

 

I have read the law, and read old threads, but don't feel any wiser. 

 

Anyone here with experience on this? I.e real cases to refer to? 

 

I'll be building in Isaan.

 

Cheers,

Valerian

 

I fully renovated our place and did a lot of the work myself and organized everything, no work permit and no one battered a eyelid just left me to it.

Maybe if I was in a more visible position say on the main road the police might of stopped bye.

I build me own house about 10 years ago. No issues

There I should nothing in law that requires you to have permission to build the house you live in.

Can i brush my own teeth without a WP?

The law: you are not allowed to do it.

http://thailawonline.com/en/others/labour-law/forbidden-occupations-for-foreigners-jobs.html

 

Can you get away with it? some do , some don't.

3 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

The law: you are not allowed to do it.

http://thailawonline.com/en/others/labour-law/forbidden-occupations-for-foreigners-jobs.html

 

Can you get away with it? some do , some don't.

Building your own home is not an an occupation, therefore, the law doesn't apply.

 

The OP can't work at the occupation of a builder. Completely different.

39 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Building your own home is not an an occupation, therefore, the law doesn't apply.

 

The OP can't work at the occupation of a builder. Completely different.

He can't work as a builder doesn't have to get paid. 

1 minute ago, FritsSikkink said:

He can't work as a builder doesn't have to get paid. 

Good luck finding a builder who will work for free. 

44 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Building your own home is not an an occupation, therefore, the law doesn't apply.

 

The OP can't work at the occupation of a builder. Completely different.

It won't be HIS home to start with.

how do you build your own house in Thailand?

 

It's an oxymoron. 

 

8 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

He can't work as a builder doesn't have to get paid. 

He is not working as a builder.

ANY work paid or unpaid  even volunteering requires a work permit.

 

There are entries on this forum now where people have been fined 50k for repairing there own roof !

A bar owner fined for repairing stools! (apparently).

 

 

So to answer the OP, no you cannot legally do what you intend.

7 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

It won't be HIS home to start with.

Probably, but you don't know that for sure. I own my house.

 

Even if he doesn't as long as he is not working as a builder in the context of occupation/employment he is not breaking any law.  There is nothing stopping me doing any causal unpaid work on property owned by family/friends.

 

I imagine you are just repeating the misinformation often written on this and other forums.

 

I used to play football for a amateur team. No permission required. If I wanted to play professionally, paid or unpaid, I would need permission.

3 hours ago, saakura said:

Can i brush my own teeth without a WP?

 

      Wouldnt fancy being a bachelor in LOS ,     cant do anything here , without a WP ..

Thanx for the replies.

 

I am aware of the wordings regarding the legal definitions of work and rewards in Thailand. And if you choose to take them literally - then every foreign tourist answering work related emails should be handcuffed and thrown in jail.  Apparently this doesn't happen - ever.

 

I'm also aware of bib's, immi's and others using the law to fine/extort owners in business related cases (such as husbands "helping" out in the store, bar or what ever business the couple are running).

 

But I have never heard of home owners being fined/jailed/blacklisted for working on/improving their family property.

So any first hand experiences or references to real cases (not hearsay) would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Valerian

7 hours ago, elviajero said:

Probably, but you don't know that for sure. I own my house.

 

Even if he doesn't as long as he is not working as a builder in the context of occupation/employment he is not breaking any law.  There is nothing stopping me doing any causal unpaid work on property owned by family/friends.

 

I imagine you are just repeating the misinformation often written on this and other forums.

 

I used to play football for a amateur team. No permission required. If I wanted to play professionally, paid or unpaid, I would need permission.

" There is nothing stopping me doing any causal unpaid work on property owned by family/friends."

You are misinformed, You need only 1 person who reports you to the authority and the labour law will stop you.

You doing a sport has nothing to do with it.
 

8 hours ago, elviajero said:

Probably, but you don't know that for sure. I own my house.

 

Even if he doesn't as long as he is not working as a builder in the context of occupation/employment he is not breaking any law.  There is nothing stopping me doing any causal unpaid work on property owned by family/friends.

 

I imagine you are just repeating the misinformation often written on this and other forums.

 

I used to play football for a amateur team. No permission required. If I wanted to play professionally, paid or unpaid, I would need permission.

"I own my house."

Is it a house or a condo if it is a house:

Do you own it or a company.

Who owns the land the house is build on.

 

" There is nothing stopping me doing any causal unpaid work on property owned by family/friends."
You are misinformed, You need only 1 person who reports you to the authority and the labour law will stop you.
You doing a sport has nothing to do with it.
 

No, he isn't. In my case everyone including police always know that I build my house by myself.

The law: you are not allowed to do it.

http://thailawonline.com/en/others/labour-law/forbidden-occupations-for-foreigners-jobs.html

 

Can you get away with it? some do , some don't.

Yes, these are all jobs and it presumes being hired or paid for such work. Building your own house with no employer or employment should not apply. Who or how is "work" being interpreted?

 

32 minutes ago, wobalt said:

No, he isn't. In my case everyone including police always know that I build my house by myself.

So they don't mind, doesn't make it legal.

9 hours ago, elviajero said:

He is not working as a builder.

I should say that it is difficult to build a house without working as a builder.

Whether you are being paid or not is irrelevant, volunteer work for instance is also taking work away from a Thai and people have been reported.

It isn't a matter of interpreting the term 'work', the statute is intended to stop Thais having work taken away from them by foreign workers.

I have very visibly been renovating and building around our house  in Buriram and don't intend to stop until I drop. We have the village big lady as one neighbour, obertour as another, no problem.

The best way to go about things mightbe to visit the village big lady with a bottle of whisky and tell her what you are going to do, don't ask for permission, see how she reacts. I didn't even do that myself

 

So they don't mind, doesn't make it legal.

It doesn't make it illegal as well. I am always wondering why foreigners spent their time to read and interpret Thai laws, which are for a good reason were constructed like package inserts of medications. Enjoy your life here. And by the way - due to my profession I had the opportunity in the past to discuss the aspects of building a own house with relevant ministries: no problems with it.

53 minutes ago, wobalt said:

It doesn't make it illegal as well. I am always wondering why foreigners spent their time to read and interpret Thai laws, which are for a good reason were constructed like package inserts of medications. Enjoy your life here. And by the way - due to my profession I had the opportunity in the past to discuss the aspects of building a own house with relevant ministries: no problems with it.

"It doesn't make it illegal as well"

The Labour Act does

"I am always wondering why foreigners spent their time to read and interpret Thai laws"

Because I live and work here.

"I had the opportunity in the past to discuss the aspects of building a own house with relevant ministries"

There is only 1 which is the Ministry of Labour.

 

Please define "own house"

 

Any kind of work in Thailand requires a work permit, this is the law. If you work without the proper dokumentation the you are breaking the law, and take the risk of being arrested, incarcerated at a detention center, then deported, and blacklisted. 

"It doesn't make it illegal as well"
The Labour Act does
"I am always wondering why foreigners spent their time to read and interpret Thai laws"
Because I live and work here.
"I had the opportunity in the past to discuss the aspects of building a own house with relevant ministries"
There is only 1 which is the Ministry of Labour.
 
Please define "own house"
 

You are interpreting this law based on your foreign conceptions.
How can you work and live here with obviously much fear?
MoL,MFA, MoJ, MoI, PM ...to name a few, involved in such policies?

 
Please define "own house"
 

Own house= a house/property, where I live and which belongs to me.
And if you like to ask - the land belongs to my family since more than 25 years

This whole thing always gets under my skin;

Moving, cutting grass, repairing/maintenance on your vehicles (by the way, I caught a guy at an auto repair shop putting on a used oil filter during an oil change), changing lights, planting a tree, repairing a leaking pipe, things that require immediate action (glowing wire in a breaker panel), ect..................................................

Makes just about all of us guilty.

Taking work away from a Thai, hahaha...

There aren't many Thais living around me that would spend 6hrs pushing my lawnmower, plus they wouldn't push it straight...

I'll take my chances :)

11 hours ago, elviajero said:

Probably, but you don't know that for sure. I own my house.

 

Even if he doesn't as long as he is not working as a builder in the context of occupation/employment he is not breaking any law.  There is nothing stopping me doing any causal unpaid work on property owned by family/friends.

 

I imagine you are just repeating the misinformation often written on this and other forums.

 

I used to play football for a amateur team. No permission required. If I wanted to play professionally, paid or unpaid, I would need permission.

 

Is this your opinion / what you think would be nice / what you would like the law to be?

 

Or are you quoting the word of the appropriate law and the actual meaning of that law?

Edited March 27, 20179 yr by scorecard