working on my own home

[huahinboilerman]

hi there  i have a question  do i need a work permit to do work on my own home?

we had a builder (total anal cavity) working for us  in petchaburri  who we kicked of the site. I'm now completing the technical bits myself (am qualified  aircon/ plumbing engineer in uk) together with a bit of help from local  labour .

whats my position? all comments  appreciated.

 

[ubonjoe]

Doing a bit of work on your own home is OK. How much you can get away with depends upon where your home is located.

Having some local help and being the supervisor looks better than doing it all yourself.

When we built our home in a small rural village several years ago I did all the electrical and plumbing myself while workers from the village were doing other things.

[swissie]

Where there is no plaintiff, there will be no judge.

If the ex-contractor knows about Immi-Laws and gets wind of you working, he might be tempted to blow the whistle on you.
Cheers.

[al007]

Stay real do as you wish, just do not shout about it

 

Unlikely you will have a problem unless you have a big fight with someone

[Get Real]

Not a problem. As far as I am concerned, I have been building 2 houses in Thailand. Almost or mostly by myself. Never heard a complaint, and off course I did, and it´s smart to, bring in village people to do some of the work for you. That always seem to keep everybody happy. If you then just are a plain and friendly guy, then I sincerely doubt that you will have any kind of problem.

The law tells a different story. Here you are under no cirumstances allowed to do any work at your house at all, without a work permit. Luckily that´s one thing that is seldom enforced. The reasons are plainly that nobody ever gets to know about it, and that they actually don´t care so much. The reason why they not care is that you are going to live and spend your money in Thailand and on your Thai wife anyway.

Cheers, and good luck!

[steven100]

As others have mentioned,  not a big deal if you get a local to do some of the work, it's a matter of share some of the $$ locally.

And just keep a low profile and don't draw attention ...  work every day but just keep it to yourself.

[IMA_FARANG]

Probably you will be ok.

I have heard stories however where foreigners have issues with the local village head man in the village, and  not using local Thai laborers  has caused the foreigner problems  with the powers that be.

So be careful, as you are always a FARANG,

 

[LazySlipper]

How does working on, or building your own house fall in the category of "work".  I looked into the prohibited jobs for foreigners and I can't find anything prohibiting this. This is important for me as I am planning on building my own house. I do hire two Thais to help me do the difficult work.

 

Any clear cut info that I can take a look at? Hearsay and opinions are fair enough but the written word stands. If anyone knows please let me know... 

 

http://www.thaiworkpermit.com/prohibited-occupations-in-thailand.html

 

Found this link... doesn't seem prohibited to do DIY work on your own house or building it... 

 

 

Doooooooo...

 

now if found this link. I take it all back!

http://www.mol.go.th/en/content/page/6347

 

Edited May 29, 2017 by LazySlipper

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, LazySlipper said:

How does working on, or building your own house fall in the category of "work".  I looked into the prohibited jobs for foreigners and I can't find anything prohibiting this.

According to the alien working act any work requires a work permit.

See section 5 of the  Alien Working Act B.E. 2551 (2008) for the definition of work.

But if you read the earlier posts in this topic you will find there can be a little leniency when working on your own home.

 

[transam]

Don't these links refer to work you cannot do to earn cash...?

 

 

[Estrada]

Strictly speaking the answer is no, but in practice Thailand is the Land of All Possibilities.

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, transam said:

Don't these links refer to work you cannot do to earn cash...?

 

No

Working as a volunteer requires  a work permit.

[Crossy]

6 minutes ago, transam said:

Don't these links refer to work you cannot do to earn cash...?

 

Nope, work does not have to be paid to require a WP, remember the tsunami volunteers who were threatened with arrest?

 

[transam]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

 

Nope, work does not have to be paid to require a WP, remember the tsunami volunteers who were threatened with arrest?

 

Yep....I was asked to help (volunteer) at a local "private" school, l said OK, sort out a permit, they said no, you are not being paid a salary, l said that sounds risky to me and walked..

[johng]

3 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

 remember the tsunami volunteers who were threatened with arrest?

 

I certainly do  and I think that was the end of my  "rose coloured glasses" days towards Thailand.

[Crossy]

As others have noted, in general a spot of DIY isn't going to be an issue particularly if you get a couple of village chaps or family to help out with the donkey work (pulling cables etc etc). You do the technical stuff.

 

Over the years we've put up various structures, car-port, verandah roof, chicken house palace, shed and two ponds all designed by myself and built by assorted family members and friends. We actually now have a circle of guys we can call on for concreting (we have a mini-mix so no dodgy hand mixing), blockwork, steel structure, roofing, paint, my step-son supervises. I own the tools, buy the materials and do the sparking and plumbing and make doors and the like. We all drink beer and eat Wifey's cooking afterwards.

 

The only time anyone has said anything was when Puyai Baan came round to ask if we were building another house (it was the car-port). OK he really came round for a beer and a natter but needed an excuse.

 

[YetAnother]

40 minutes ago, Crossy said:

was when Puyai Baan came round to ask

seems too much exposure to too many people; is the likely penalty only a fine or are we looking at more serious ?

[cardinalblue]

From a legal perspective you need a work permit as it is a violation of the law...

 

from in a practical and reality standpoint you can get away with it as you are small potatoes unless you piss someone off to bring it to attention of the authorities...

 

no different than planting some corn on your land or repairing the sala in your rice fields....

 

Wear a hoodie....

[KarenBravo]

Home maintenance and gardening is no problem.

Building a house from scratch, in full view of the public maybe.

[alanrchase]

Suppose you could ask if a work permit is required to drive yourself to the shops? Should you employ a chauffeur? Get a taxi?

[Clarinet man]

Excuse me chaps and I really don't mean any offence!  I am at a loss to understand how can you guys live under those conditions? 

 

   No allowed to work on your own homes . A lot of the work is of substandard. And in most cases you are getting ripped off . 

 

Or is it a whole country of farrang lost souls? 

  Once again I don't mean to offend but I am at a loss that is why I left . 

[mikebike]

8 minutes ago, Clarinet man said:

Excuse me chaps and I really don't mean any offence!  I am at a loss to understand how can you guys live under those conditions?

Easy. By having common sense and a good relationship with locals!

[cliveshep]

I guess it could be taken to extremes - In fact they gave me a driving licence but driving a motor vehicle is prohibited in LazySlippers list Item 5, shaving is out item 10, so is variously rolling a cigarette (30), cannot sew a button on your shirt (item 31),   draw a plan of the house you want (33), filling in an immigration form or writing home to mother (38).

 

I wonder if the whole thing depends on the definition of "Work" in Thai Law, is it ANY work or only paid work and if on your own home and car and person and clothes is that excluded or not?

[transam]

20 minutes ago, Clarinet man said:

Excuse me chaps and I really don't mean any offence!  I am at a loss to understand how can you guys live under those conditions? 

 

   No allowed to work on your own homes . A lot of the work is of substandard. And in most cases you are getting ripped off . 

 

Or is it a whole country of farrang lost souls? 

  Once again I don't mean to offend but I am at a loss that is why I left . 

In the UK it is illegal to do many things, for instance, electrical work on your house, and gas pipe work is a no-no. You want to do alterations to your house, the borough engineer gets involved..Drainage, the water board is involved, plus they all cost you money before you do anything...

[Monkeyrobot]

Technically speaking I guess if you clean your own home or wash your car or cut you grass you are breaking the law????

[jak2002003]

I was worried that someone would report me 'working' when I was making myself a sandwich....

 

I don't know what the Thai definition of 'work' is because most don't know what a days work is themselves.... (only a joke)!!!!!

[LazySlipper]

Here is a question for.. Ubonjoe or anyone who is in the know... but maybe this won't work because it is under the prohibited jobs section... but here goes anywho

 

I have a work permit and getting a second place for work costs 5000 bht... would it possibly even remotely so to add where I plan to build my house on my work permit and have my wife be my employer?

 

I already predict a "NO" but who knows... 

[SOTIRIOS]

....'occupation'.....'profession'......

 

...working for a salary.......

 

....working on your own house.......no salary........free......

 

...so logically ....you should be allowed to 'work' on your own house....

 

...unless they can provide you with a Thai that is willing to work for free....???

 

...this is not an employment.....

 

....nobody hiring...no money changing hands....no 'jobs' being taken away from Thais....

 

...one would think...a right.....a basic right....

 

...wonder if anyone is willing to present this as an argument.....

 

...are you allowed to repair a flat tire on your bike....???

 

...oil your squeaky door....???

 

...stitch your pants.....???

 

...come on.....when is 'enough'.......enough.....???

 

...maybe cooking one's own food should be illegal too....???

 

 

 

 

 

[LazySlipper]

2 minutes ago, SOTIRIOS said:

....'occupation'.....'profession'......

 

...working for a salary.......

 

....working on your own house.......no salary........free......

 

...so logically ....you should be allowed to 'work' on your own house....

 

...unless they can provide you with a Thai that is willing to work for free....???

 

...this is not an employment.....

 

....nobody hiring...no money changing hands....no 'jobs' being taken away from Thais....

 

...one would think...a right.....a basic right....

 

...wonder if anyone is willing to present this as an argument.....

 

...are you allowed to repair a flat tire on your bike....???

 

...oil your squeaky door....???

 

...stitch your pants.....???

 

...come on.....when is 'enough'.......enough.....???

 

...maybe cooking one's own food should be illegal too....???

 

 

 

 

 

 

Technically, if you look at the second link I gave, you can't even supervise work being done on you own house...

 

 

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, LazySlipper said:

I have a work permit and getting a second place for work costs 5000 bht... would it possibly even remotely so to add where I plan to build my house on my work permit and have my wife be my employer?

 

Your wife would have to form a company with 1 million baht of registered capital and 4 thai employees for the job to  added to your work permit. You also would need permission from your employer.