"My Mate Nate" doesn't have a work permit - but lucky break means he won't be prosecuted for working

[Meljames]

I'm gonna buy a tuk tuk and uber it out.

[bamukloy]

1 hour ago, AGareth2 said:

Does this mean the Digital Nomad situation will be reassessed?

Time to run if you a farang here and must work.

The thing is Thai will NEVER allow you to make money in this country..only spend....

 

 

 

 

Ooh, ooh, what do you do

I'm comin' runnin' after you

I'm gonna chase you til your hair turns grey

Ain't about to let you go

Gonna chase you til your knees turn blue

Up the hill and round the bend

Gonna get you in the end

You'd better look out, baby, when I do

Run ... run ... run ...

I'm coming to get you

Run ... run ... run ... I'm runnin'!

[MJKT2014]

6 hours ago, Thechook said:

It's already illegal to mow your lawns, wash your car and take the garbage out,

Gave up trying to understand your post when I read this nonsense from you.

[mikosan]

7 hours ago, Thechook said:

Why do you need a work permit to use your own computer in your own home to access and post on youtube?  YouTube is free to use and open to everyone and it's not as if you can hire a thai to do your hobbies, use your computer so you are entertained.  So farangs being amused and tapping a key on a keyboard is now another job reserved for thais in Thailand.  It's already illegal to mow your lawns, wash your car and take the garbage out, do we have to hire a thai to use my phone and call family?

Is it?  What law covers that? 

[LannaGuy]

you could not make this up!  now Nasty Nate is part of the amnesty  

[jenifer d]

3 hours ago, charmonman said:

That is an interesting point you make in that he was making the videos IN Thailand with the purpose of earning money on them, but what is the next step on this slippery slope? Maybe prohibiting tourists from posting any videos on Youtube of their Thailand holidays? Prohibiting foreigners from even using a laptop without a work permit? The bureaucracy of the labour / immigration departments of this country need to seriously update themselves to the modern world.

 

This whole story about My Mate Nate is almost as ridiculous as the pensioners who were arrested in Pattaya a couple of years for playing bridge. If putting a few coins on a railway track can seriously cause damage to the train or the tracks then Thailand also needs an emergency update to its transport system. What if a small stone found its way on to the track? Would it cause a major derailment? This whole thing is incredibly stupid, even for Thailand.

there is one MAJOR point that many are missing here, namely that Nate is making/producing videos

IN Thailand, IN Thai language, often w/Thai people- and MANY of his subscribers/fans/views are Thai citizens-

and also much of the "content" of same is derogatory towards Thai citizens and/or customs...

---

do NOT conflate the Pattaya bridge-playing pensioners and foreigners using laptops- even those working remotely/digitally w/this obnoxious Nathan Bartling's antics...

[owl sees all]

I have just spent a while watching Nate on YTube. Some of the slow mo' stuff is great.

 

However I think Nate should do more constructive things. Why not chuck TVs out of condo windows (7 floors and higher would do) just to test their durability of course. Be useful info' for me next time i want to buy one.

 

The slow mo' would be fantastic.

 

And before the experiments Nate's crew would clear the crash area first. Wouldn't want an accident would they.

Edited July 19, 2017 by owl sees all

[Lunchbob]

Wonder what kind of visa he could have?

[hanbla]

As I have learned you can't even run a blog here without workpermit. The same principles, if you have ads in your blog, you earn money and in the meaning of the law you are working. 

[anto]

5 minutes ago, Lunchbob said:

Wonder what kind of visa he could have?

Do Mormons need visas , to knock on your door and preach ?

[55Jay]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

This seemed to run contrary to what Nate himself has claimed.

I was looking through his content and various posts on social media a few days ago.  Indeed, he said he works for a company and clearly stated he has a work permit. 

[tobikoproject]

There are a HUGE amount of foreigners working in the Kingdom of Thailand illegally on a tourist visa every year. A lot of them if not all of them are also paid a handsome salary that is deposited abroad. Huge international companies who have businesses in Thailand fly their staff into Thailand to conduct work. It's obvious who those companies are so I don't need to name them as the list is so huge there wouldn't be any room to type them all here.

Edited July 19, 2017 by tobikoproject

[swanny321]

4 hours ago, terminatorchiangmai said:

Tax the guy and fine him for not having paid any taxes in Thailand !

Or, thai him to the train tracks.

[PremiumLane]

5 hours ago, ChidlomDweller said:

The answer is not just about Thailand but a global phenomenon.  Why should digital work be free of national regulations or taxes?  What about programming?  Why not incude all intellectual work?  Rules should be the same for everyone.  The only reason why digital workers and internet companies get away with it has to do with the ease of evading taxes, more than the ethics of it.

 

I'm not a fan of this government, or any Thai government, but that's a separate point.  If you choose to live in a country and enjoy the public benefits like roads, an educated population, access to a police force when needed, etc., you ought to pay just like the next person.  I know those benefits are a shambles in Thailand, but it's the general principle: taxes are the cost of living in a civilized society.  If you choose to make a country your home, and you make your money in that country, you're on the hook to pay taxes as much as a local worker.

agree, but they should make the process of getting a permit and paying the taxes easier - then a win-win for both parties

[swanny321]

27 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

However I think Nate should do more constructive things. Why not chuck TVs out of condo windows (7 floors and higher would do) just to test their durability of course.

 

    Or, he could jump out after it, some folks will do anything to land themselves on TV

[dluek]

This decision could have broader implications regarding the grey area of digital nomads and whether or not they could get in trouble. The decision makes it pretty clear that doing anything online which results in any kind of payment is deemed "work" by the authorities. 

[Foozool]

"And that work was illegal because he was in Thailand and he has no work permit and according to department records has never even applied for one."

 

 

What kind of visa does he have now ? Others struggling with entry everyday, but he has been living here for long time.❗️

[bamukloy]

Nate say No problem mate

 

If investigated, actually all he is doing is being an actor or a model.

 

The nonB visa he already have is probably base on investing in a Thai multi-media company behind all this.

 

All he have to do is get a work permit for "actor" or model for the company.

 

They cannot say its a banned occupation because Thai authority a while back order a clampdown on models/actor without a work permit.

 

So this then mean it possible can get a work permit for model or acting right?

 

[HHTel]

52 minutes ago, mikosan said:

Is it?  What law covers that? 

The quote below was issued from Janya Yingyong, an officer at the Phuket Provincial Employment Office Work Permit Section.

 

Quote

The retirement visa prohibiting employment means that you cannot do any kind of work “for anyone else” even if you don’t receive pay or any other reward for it.

For example, you cannot be a writer who sends your stories to publish in journals or newspapers, even if you don’t get paid, or work as a volunteer translating documents free of charge.

However, this doesn’t mean that you cannot do work for your daily life at your home. You are still able to clean the dishes, cut grass, cook or whatever in your home, just as anyone does in their normal daily lives.

 

[HHTel]

5 hours ago, ChidlomDweller said:

You point is?  I'm sure as an academic he pays taxes in the UK.  If he were employed as an academic in Thailand he should  pay taxes here.  (Let's not get into the separate argument whether this government is worthy of our taxes.)

 

By the way, as far as I understand it, the law here is that you only pay taxes on income generated here.  For instance, if I go to Singapore for a consulting job or receive rental income abroad, that's not taxable.  That would legally get many digital nomads off the hook.  Not that annoying Nate creature, though.

 

Ahem!  He's American.

[Thaidream]

The issue with Mr Nate basically boils down to the fact that he became very visible on numerous occasions and a few times was met with criticism from thousands of Thais who did not like his gimmicks.  Now, we have the police and labor department involved and I am sure the Revenue Department will be along soon. To me it is obvious he is using Thailand as a base to make money and this is work. 

 

The real question  is how does it apply to digital nomads who are also using Thailand as a base and making money even though no Thai person is involved.  My instincts tell me that if one keeps a low profile and does not advertise what one is doing- there would be little problem. However, using Social Media which anyone can see and indicating how wonderful one's life is and what they are doing does 'advertise' to everyone that Thailand is the place to do it. I can guarantee that the Thai authorities do read facebook and can make the connection- just as Western Embassies go into facebook when vetting potential Visa applicants.

 

Mr Nate for all his ability to speak fluent Thai- hasn't learned much about Thai customs and social interaction of working and dealing with Thais. I have no animosity towards him- I wish him well and hope he has learned that he's not back in America anymore.

 

 

[ldiablo72]

You tube advertisers only pay when someone clicks an ad or watches for that ad for 30 seconds.
Based on the amount of views this guy gets on his videos it's a safe bet that he could possibly be making a good living off YouTube videos but only if people are watching the ads.

[Thaidream]

Mr Nate needs to remember that when speaking Thai-one cannot use an American mindset and translate one's feelings directly. You must think in Thai and express yourself the same as a Thai would. That is the missing piece that still needs to be learned.

[Purdey]

I would assume that if his income is paid by an overseas company and went into an overseas bank, he would not have taxable income in Thailand.

There was a rumor years ago that a Microsoft programmer was living in Chiang Mai and working sans permit via a computer linked to Redmond. However, today the Thai government considers any kind of work, even without visible income, as requiring a work permit.

[DisainaM]

I think, its fair,

 

1 Mio US $ income a year is only peanuts, no need to pay taxes,

 

https://socialblade.com/youtube/channel/UC7rtE7hSTaC8xDf5v_7O1qQ

 

anyway, it should be the status of digital nomad,

the discussion is contraproductive.  

[Stardust314]

Just another "quality tourist" from west...    go home  joe 

[owl sees all]

28 minutes ago, 1024 said:

Mr Nate needs no language coaching from a bunch of PC T-Visa snowflakes.

Its the fascination created from him speaking Thai through a different culture that give Nates Tube channel the edge. He's something different and kids love different.

I showed the wife a couple of clips. She couldn't understand him. She can't understand me neither so no big deal.

 

I think he is doing OK.

 

Just needs to be a tad more controversial in order to appeal to most TvisaF members..

[Thaidream]

Mr Nate is not the only one who can speak Thai and I am no snowflake having been in and about Thailand for 50 years.  In addition, Mr Nate still speaks Thai with an American accent. He indeed does appeal to Thai children in the elementary grades which is fine. However, I Listened Toto Mr Nates 'apology' in Thai and it was not well accepted by the masses. He made too many excuses. His arrogance was showing through.  I am not giving anyone a lesson on how to speak Thai but I did pick up in his speech pattern that he uses Western thinking to try and express himself in Thai. It might work with the kiddies but not the young adults or adults.

 

No One certainly has to listen to my perspective on the situation but when one has an open mind too constructive criticism that is what makes a person grow and provides a view into how they are being perceived.  One thing I have learned in Thailand- don't ever think you know more than a Thai person regarding Thai issues.

[DisainaM]

2 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

, I Listened Toto Mr Nates 'apology' in Thai and it was not well accepted by the masses.

thats why he lost so many subscribers and viewers since April (according to the socialblade diagram, he lost nearly half of it)

[Time Traveller]

First of all, the Labor Dept have just openly said (not in words, but in their actions) that Nate was NOT breaking the law, he did NOT need a work permit for making youtube videos of himself. 

Because if he did need a work permit, they would have charged him !!!.....Government Ministries simply can not just say amnesty and the laws - as they are already written - no longer apply....(Come to Thailand, we're having an amnesty this month on working illegally,  next month an amnesty on drunk drivers killing cops, and amnesty after that on murder. And enjoy your vacation with no worries!) ..They are using the "amnesty" as an excuse to avoid the stupid situation they are being put in by jealous fools in Thai society. And subtly saying  please Mr Nate stop doing what you are doing, just so our sheeple in society all can be happy ignorant fools once again. This is how Thailand works.

 

The implication is this, if he really did need a work permit.....then every single foreign person, recording video or taking pictures on holiday or otherwise, even for no compensation whatsoever would be guilty as well for working without a permit. As said numerous times before this is not the intention of the Labor Act and never was.............If you think otherwise, they you probably also believe  that next year the Labor dept will order arrests of any tourists with camera for working illegally. 

 

Finally, I'd like to say that after reading all the comments on this thread and stupid public complaints about this, that Thailand has become such a sad place, full of sad losers. Instead of using this silly incident to be a cause for rallying around more liberal changes to Thai labor laws, people (especially loser expats) are jumping up and down hoping some person is deported. Jealous, perhaps ?