New To Working In Thailand?

[lookchin]

Dont let your Thai employer take you for a ride!

I was lucky enough to have a job offer before I arrived, acquiring the necessary non B, and began my job with no problems. My Thai employer took me on as a 3month probationary period and everything was fantastic, living and working in a country I truly love felt like a dream come true. Everything was fantastic, job, people, until I made enquiries into the status of my work permit, or lack of one.

Instead I was offered a generous payrise and told that 'we will organise it, dont worry'. After a few weeks I decided that the company were not going to organise the required work permit, for whatever reasons they had. So therefore I decided to resign. The Thai company never paid me my last months salary, and unfortunately i have lost any respect I have for this thai organisation.

Fortunately for me the UK is the 4th largest investor in Thailand, so I should have no problem finding a position with an international company. I feel dissapointed with myself for not reading into the Work permit/Thai employment Laws when i first arrived. Just a warning to those 'new kids on the soi' like me, make sure everything is in writing and your employer organises your work permit from day one.

The company I worked for still has farang workers without permits, illegal work practices for both employee and employer. Thailand is becoming stricter every-month, if you do have a job offer make sure the Thai company sorts the permit, from day one, before the local boys in brown 'pay a visit to the new kid on the soi'.

As for the title here, I am also at fault for not asking them to show me the permit sooner. Beleive me, its in your best interests to look after number one from day one.

Best Regards!

Lookchin

[JimsKnight]

Dont let your Thai employer take you for a ride!

I was lucky enough to have a job offer before I arrived, acquiring the necessary non B, and began my job with no problems. My Thai employer took me on as a 3month probationary period and everything was fantastic, living and working in a country I truly love felt like a dream come true. Everything was fantastic, job, people, until I made enquiries into the status of my work permit, or lack of one.

Instead I was offered a generous payrise and told that 'we will organise it, dont worry'. After a few weeks I decided that the company were not going to organise the required work permit, for whatever reasons they had. So therefore I decided to resign. The Thai company never paid me my last months salary, and unfortunately i have lost any respect I have for this thai organisation.

Fortunately for me the UK is the 4th largest investor in Thailand, so I should have no problem finding a position with an international company. I feel dissapointed with myself for not reading into the Work permit/Thai employment Laws when i first arrived. Just a warning to those 'new kids on the soi' like me, make sure everything is in writing and your employer organises your work permit from day one.

The company I worked for still has farang workers without permits, illegal work practices for both employee and employer. Thailand is becoming stricter every-month, if you do have a job offer make sure the Thai company sorts the permit, from day one, before the local boys in brown 'pay a visit to the new kid on the soi'.

As for the title here, I am also at fault for not asking them to show me the permit sooner. Beleive me, its in your best interests to look after number one from day one.

Best Regards!

Lookchin

Sounds like you used to work as a teacher in an international school. Its the same story in the scuba diving industry, all the promises but few deliverys.

[Cyberstar]

In case one is about to drop the employer anyway, and in case one would like to have his last payment(s) - one could remind the employer that it is illegal to employ foreigners without a workpermit and that the penalties for the employer is even tougher than the penalties for the employee.

[tutsiwarrior]

a short clause in the contract of emplyment should be inserted to stipulate that ALL immigration requirements, work permits, etc., shall be handled by the employer. In many places this requirement is time comsuming and costly for the employer. Any delays or procrastination by the employer that results in illegal status for the employee is thereby covered in the contract of employment...so if the cops come lookin', show them the employment contract and it's the employer's ass, not yours...

at least, that's the way it should work. In Bahrain the lazy arsed client couldn't be bothered until I indicated that my temporary visa had expired...the ragheads came tumbling down the stairs in a bother after that one...got things sorted a couple of days later...

[marty827]

Dont let your Thai employer take you for a ride!

I was lucky enough to have a job offer before I arrived, acquiring the necessary non B, and began my job with no problems. My Thai employer took me on as a 3month probationary period and everything was fantastic, living and working in a country I truly love felt like a dream come true. Everything was fantastic, job, people, until I made enquiries into the status of my work permit, or lack of one.

Instead I was offered a generous payrise and told that 'we will organise it, dont worry'. After a few weeks I decided that the company were not going to organise the required work permit, for whatever reasons they had. So therefore I decided to resign. The Thai company never paid me my last months salary, and unfortunately i have lost any respect I have for this thai organisation.

Fortunately for me the UK is the 4th largest investor in Thailand, so I should have no problem finding a position with an international company. I feel dissapointed with myself for not reading into the Work permit/Thai employment Laws when i first arrived. Just a warning to those 'new kids on the soi' like me, make sure everything is in writing and your employer organises your work permit from day one.

The company I worked for still has farang workers without permits, illegal work practices for both employee and employer. Thailand is becoming stricter every-month, if you do have a job offer make sure the Thai company sorts the permit, from day one, before the local boys in brown 'pay a visit to the new kid on the soi'.

As for the title here, I am also at fault for not asking them to show me the permit sooner. Beleive me, its in your best interests to look after number one from day one.

Best Regards!

Lookchin

Hi Lookchin,

Hope you've found another job. I am thinking of getting a job or starting a business in Thailand. formerley working in the building trade, I have sold my house in the uk and looking to start a new life. so i need all the advice i can get. your info about the work permit was very helpful as i would probably have been in the same position as you. If you can think of any other tips I would appreciate it. I spent 2 weeks in Thailand and loved it. I am currently in Singapore with relatives, but hope to go back to Thailand soon.

Best Regards

Martin Lawrence

[andy1308]

I know this isn't a lot of use now, but my own experiences were the same up to the point where you didn't get your WP. I got mine, but only after a month or so of being here. Just one thought though - the letter I needed from my Thai employer before leaving the UK said they would be responsible for all costs involved in getting the permit, and for costs in sending me home if it didn't happen. I think that clause was almost demanded in order to get the Visa - but I guess your experience wasn't the same in that respect either ?

[lookchin]

Martin

Thailand is a fantastic place to be! You did right in selling your house in the UK, i dont miss that cold miserable expensive ignorant place for one minute! As for the thai company experience, i have become smallminded and ignorant towards small thai businesses in general, I should not lose all my trust and respect for small thai business, just from one bad experience, but unfortunately I have. Better I now work for an international company, who are professional, have written contracts and sort the permit from day one.

Welcome to thailand!

Lookchin

[lookchin]

cyberstar you are right regarding the employment laws, but I didnt really fancy taking my chances of a thai business versus farang scenario. I dont really think that I would win, I am a guest of thailand, trying to make an honest living, to pay the taxes to the kingdom and therefore have to trust the company to some extent. They did break the law, but also the thai law would say i broke the law also, as I was waiting for them to process the permit which they never did. They have farang working there now, I could make their lifes very hard, as they do not have work permits and immigration is clamping down on illegal workers as i am sure you are aware. But i will keep my mouth shut and learn my lesson the hard way, why should i ruin someone elses dream, i just hope they learn the lesson before the laws become stricter and people catch up with them!

Have a Funky new year! jesus whats with all these bombs in bangers tonight? hope you are all safe and enjoy a fantastico new year for 2550!

Lookchin!