I am currently working on North eastern Thailand on a tourist visa that's valid until 26 july July and I have been in Thailand for two months now just started working as a teacher.my school has never employed a foreigner before.kindly help me on what to do for I fear an overstay and my school is a municipal school very slow on decision making.

If you want to work, you need a Non-B Visa, a work permit, and an eventual extension by reason of employment for the duration of your contract. No ifs and or buts about it. If you are caught working illegally, you will likely be detained (imprisoned), fined, deported, and blacklisted from re-entering Thailand.

 

Tell your school if they cannot make you legal, there are many schools that will.Do NOT continue to violate the laws.

I know people who teach here on tourist and retirement visas. Whether out of laziness or the desire to avoid paying taxes to a venal kleptocracy, they haven't bothered going legal. None of them have ever been investigated or arrested. So I wouldn't worry about anything if I were you.

18 minutes ago, chippendale said:

I know people who teach here on tourist and retirement visas. Whether out of laziness or the desire to avoid paying taxes to a venal kleptocracy, they haven't bothered going legal. None of them have ever been investigated or arrested. So I wouldn't worry about anything if I were you.

Agree. I've met countless people teaching and doing online work, etc, on tourist visas. I think a few are probably on overstay now, but I've never heard of any of them being investigated or deported, etc.

 

Before any members get angry and call these people 'scumbag foreigners' etc, I'm simply relaying information I know. Don't shoot the messenger. Your anger doesn't change anything. 

 

 

Edited July 18, 20178 yr by rkidlad

Never heard of tourists being turned away without 20k either until this week.. Only a matter of time.. They are closing the game

16 minutes ago, tonray said:

They are closing the game

it is not a game!

20 minutes ago, tonray said:

Never heard of tourists being turned away without 20k either until this week.. Only a matter of time.. They are closing the game

Exciting times ahead, huh?

5 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

Exciting times ahead, huh?

not for those with proper visas.. quite calm 

2 hours ago, jnrdekinyua said:

on a tourist visa that's valid until 26 july

 

is 26 july the end of your initial 60 day entry ?  or did you already get the 30 day extension at your local immigration office ? (effectively giving you 90 days in country).

 

if you've already got the extension, sounds like you need to go to laos and get a new tourist visa from a thai consulate there.

 

edit:  by the way, i commend the OP for not using the usual 'i have friend who'

Edited July 18, 20178 yr by buick

I agree with both camps here. Know several persons working in teaching on all sorts of diffrent visas. At least two have done for years. One did for ten years and has now retired!. 

I also agree that they should go legal. However not my problem or buisness live and let live. Dont affect me in the slightest.

The OP should be aware that he/she is working illegally. It is also a fact that penalties, if caught. for illegal working can be draconian. 

 

The school should be supplying the supporting paperwork needed to obtain a "B" visa and subsequent work permit. The OP will likely also have to obtain a police clearance cert. from the RTP before a "B" visa can be issued. 

 

 

48 minutes ago, tonray said:

not for those with proper visas.. quite calm 

No, I mean for people with too much time on their hands.

39 minutes ago, buick said:

 

is 26 july the end of your initial 60 day entry ?  or did you already get the 30 day extension at your local immigration office ? (effectively giving you 90 days in country).

 

if you've already got the extension, sounds like you need to go to laos and get a new tourist visa from a thai consulate there.

 

edit:  by the way, i commend the OP for not using the usual 'i have friend who'

26th july is the end of my 60days so I can get an extra 30days on the same visa.what do I need to apply for an extension and can I do it at the provincial immigration office im almost 400kms from bangkok

And thanks to you all your responses are very helpful and I really appreciate this forum

4 minutes ago, jnrdekinyua said:

26th july is the end of my 60days so I can get an extra 30days on the same visa.what do I need to apply for an extension and can I do it at the provincial immigration office im almost 400kms from bangkok

You can apply for a 30 day extension of your 60 day entry for a fee of 1900 baht. It can be done at any immigration office if you have a local address to put on the application form.

1 hour ago, rkidlad said:

Agree. I've met countless people teaching and doing online work, etc, on tourist visas. I think a few are probably on overstay now, but I've never heard of any of them being investigated or deported, etc.

 

Before any members get angry and call these people 'scumbag foreigners' etc, I'm simply relaying information I know. Don't shoot the messenger. Your anger doesn't change anything. 

 

 

The immigration department has NO interest in any foreigner who earns money "legally" (i.e. you are not breaking other Thai laws) offshore as long as you have no physical operation in Thailand and none of the income is generated from Thai sources or companies that have Thai branch/operations.   This is deemed to be offshore income.  Understand though that at any point the Thai government could reinterpret it to be illegally working in Thailand retroactively - since it is just interpretation of stated laws one way or another.

 

If however you work for a Thai company, a Company with a Thai branch or have physical operations in Thailand (or employ a Thai) -- you are playing Russian roulette and like that game eventually the chamber will be loaded and you will end up committing suicide.   It just takes one person to notify authorities because of any slight committed against them or the company you are working for -- or any employee that feels passed over etc.

2 hours ago, chippendale said:

I know people who teach here on tourist and retirement visas. Whether out of laziness or the desire to avoid paying taxes to a venal kleptocracy, they haven't bothered going legal. None of them have ever been investigated or arrested. So I wouldn't worry about anything if I were you.

Easy to say when it's someone elses liberty at stake.

History has shown that an upset Thai or Foreigner who takes exception to the individual & reports them or a clampdown by the authorities comes wthout warning

2 hours ago, chippendale said:

the desire to avoid paying taxes to a venal kleptocracy,

As opposed to a benign kleptocracy?

 

I seriously doubt many who break the law have such supposedly  lofty motivation. Do these modern day Robin Hoods donate their tax-free savings to charitable causes or just add an extra case of Chang to the weekly shopping?

We all are grown ups (supposedly lol). We all take responsibility for the actions we take in life. We are all diffrent therefore it follows we all look at the risks we take diffrently. Some see freefall/base jumping as an extremley dangerous pursuit. Some see working on a non working visa as serious and dangerous. Others see the same as non dangerous and invigorating. Taking certain steps before doing anything reduces any risks to any activity. In other words whats good for one is not good for another. However if you bring an illegal activity to the thai visa table and ask people to eat and coment on said activity be prepared to be villified. 

Keep your own council is best advise. In the op's case i would have asked how and what i need to do to be able to teach here as ive been offered a job,  but at the moment im on a TR visa. Then advise would stream your way without the vilification.

Edited July 18, 20178 yr by jeab1980

1 hour ago, jnrdekinyua said:

what do I need to apply for an extension

 

you need the following (someone help me out if i've missed something):

 

TM7 form

photo

copy of passport pages (personal info page, entry stamp page, visa page)

copy of TM6 (your arrival/departure card)

 

it is a standard process.  very rare for someone to be refused.  some offices are busier than others so not sure how long it might take. 

I hope all the illegal teachers get deported as their is no control what so ever that they aren't convicted of being a sex offender.

2 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

I hope all the illegal teachers get deported as their is no control what so ever that they aren't convicted of being a sex offender.

No words. Lets tar all with the same brush eh.

5 hours ago, tonray said:

If you want to work, you need a Non-B Visa, a work permit, and an eventual extension by reason of employment for the duration of your contract. No ifs and or buts about it. If you are caught working illegally, you will likely be detained (imprisoned), fined, deported, and blacklisted from re-entering Thailand.

 

Tell your school if they cannot make you legal, there are many schools that will.Do NOT continue to violate the laws.

Are you quite sure the extension of permission to stay is a requirement?

 

I know plenty of people here with WP's and multi-entry non-imm visas working legally who just exit every 90 days.

Be very careful how you go about the process already outlined above.

Do not talk about your previous working.

I have just returned from Immigration yesterday & they are tightening the screws.

Do not listen to ones above that say "Don't worry about being legal" The Labour Dept are getting tough

as well. Go & get legal, it is not difficult & I am sure if you are a good teacher your school will help you.

On the salary you are getting tax will be minimal & you should feel good about paying it as you would pay in your home country.

 

35 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

I hope all the illegal teachers get deported as their is no control what so ever that they aren't convicted of being a sex offender.

Give the rather poor standards that the Thai police employ for background checks there is no guarantee that the legal ones aren't either.  On that basis shouldn't all the legal teachers be deported as well? 

32 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Are you quite sure the extension of permission to stay is a requirement?

 

I know plenty of people here with WP's and multi-entry non-imm visas working legally who just exit every 90 days.

Agree with you, I don't think it is a requirement.

 

However, I do think that the Thai government has meant that continuous stays should be on extension of stay rather than ME visa, so it would not surprise me if they start looking at that in the future.

I know getting visas and stuff can be a bot of a hassle, but there are rules and laws. I do not understand people coming to Thailand, or any other country, who fail to get the right visas. You are working illegally and you know the saying....if you can't do the time, then don't do the crime.

Under no circumstances you should be working without proper work permit. Please do talk to your scholl management to arrange an WP for you ASAP.

18 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Agree with you, I don't think it is a requirement.

 

However, I do think that the Thai government has meant that continuous stays should be on extension of stay rather than ME visa, so it would not surprise me if they start looking at that in the future.

You are right. The system is designed so that someone living and working in the country extends their permit to stay, and the ME visa is for people living abroad that visit frequently for work. Fortunately it is generally not enforced and living/working using a ME visa is tolerated.

7 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Fortunately it is generally not enforced and living/working using a ME visa is tolerated.

Normally those who are working here full time and using a ME Non B visa to do so, cannot meet the requirements for an extension of stay based on working, either due to low salary or the employer cannot provide sufficient documentation.

Makes no sense to work here on a ME visa long term, both for the employer and the employee, unless you have to!

Edited July 18, 20178 yr by Mattd