In thailand working in the uk

[zok7]

Hi there,

 

I was wondering if people could offer me some general advise I can't seem to find on the internet. I'm a UK citizen and I work remotely over the internet and was wondering if I can get a work permit in Thailand. The work doesn't involve Thailand or Thai people. I'd be being paid from the UK into a uk bank account but would be willing to pay Thai tax. Can I do this? The reason I ask is I want to rent a place for 6 months or so in Phuket but I'd worry that if I didn't get the second 3 month tourist visa I wouldn't be able to return to my flat.

 

 

[bartender100]

You have to pay UK tax not Thai, work permit for what you describe, I will stick my neck out and say impossible as you need to work for a Thai company, but there are some clever people on this forum might say different

 

You say you looked online, have you read this? not difficult to find 

 

http://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/work-permit-basics.php

 

or this

 

http://www.siam-legal.com/Business-in-Thailand/thailand-work-permit.php  got 2 million Baht handy?

 

 

 

 

[Tanoshi]

Your work station will be in Thailand, so effectively you will be working illegally.

It is not possible to get a work permit in your situation.

 

You should have no problem getting a second Tourist Visa though.

Just don't let Thai authorities know what your doing.

[Crossy]

For a 6 month stay get a multiple-entry tourist visa from the Thai embassy in London (I'm assuming you can meet the financial requirements). Valid for 6 months, 60 days per entry (each can be extended by 30 days).

 

No worries then about not getting the second tourist visa, although in reality (unless you have a history of staying in Thailand) it likely wouldn't be an issue.

 

You won't be able to get a work permit, so flying under the radar is your only option.

 

[over it]

Get an ed visa. Stay under the radar. Been doing it for years on the retirement visa.

Edited August 3, 2017 by over it
because...

[anon789561]

as said by all above

[JackThompson]

It is unfortunate that no visa / tax / work-permit is available for the millions like you who work remotely.  This lack of a modern-update to "work" rules costs Thailand untold baht in lost foreign-sourced revenue.  As long as the funds you use to live here are not earned in the current-year, no taxes to Thailand are due, even if you stay here more than 180 days/yr (the time-cutoff).   I would suggest you spend savings from previous years to live here, and save your current income for future years' spending.

 

4 hours ago, zok7 said:

... I'd worry that if I didn't get the second 3 month tourist visa I wouldn't be able to return to my flat.

You should be able to get between 1 and 2 years worth of tourist-visas per-passport from Thai  consulates in nearby countries.  If you start by visiting each only once, and spread them around, you might make it to 2 years before needing to get a new passport to start fresh.  Different consulates have different rules for obtaining a TR-Visa, which may include showing 20K Baht via an account-statement (not cash) and/or hotel-bookings and/or a flight out of the country.  The clue to knowing when you need a new passport, is when a consulate puts a little-stamp on your visa which says, "This person travels frequently to Thailand..." - which prevents getting additional TR-Visas from many consulates.

 

Entering the country is another matter entirely.  Unlike Thai-Consulates in neighboring countries, Immigration will see your entire history across passports.  As there is no legal-limit on Tourist-Visa use, entry-points which follow the law will allow you to enter, provided you can show 20K Baht worth of cash or travelers checks and evidence of where you will be staying.  I use travelers checks to avoid risk of loss or theft, from this dangerous and antiquated method of "carrying money" for trip-funding.

 

But be aware that some/all airports have Immigration staff which are inventing non-existent rules, then denying entry to those with longer-stay histories.  In most cases, the "reason for denial" is due to the person not knowing the 20K Baht must be "in cash" vs "available" via modern technology (ATM machines), as specified in the IATA (airline) rules.  If being denied for "not having the money," you will not be given access to an ATM to prove your finances, and a bank-statement (paper or on your phone) will not be accepted. 

 

After you have been here awhile (+6 months), I would suggest you use only domestic air-flights, and cross via land-borders, with the exception of Poipet/Aranyaprathet.  Always carry the 20K Baht upon entry. 

[Here2008]

3 hours ago, over it said:

Get an ed visa

 

That would be very unwise especially in Phuket where Ed visa abuse has been virtually eliminated. 

[Bastos60]

No workpermit required since you are not working for Thai company, on the premises of a Thai company, or for Thai customers. 

For immigration you are considered on holiday and people are allowed to perform work 'online' or 'remote' for their own business/employers while on holiday. 

As long as your employer/customers are not paying you into your Thai bankaccount.

 

No taxes payable in Thailand for your work, you are still on holiday, it is not their concern how you spend your holiday. 

 

But I wouldn't go off working from a bar or restaurant or any other public place, just to avoid having to explain what you are doing.

 

Edited August 3, 2017 by Bastos60

[elviajero]

You would be working in Thailand as that's your physical location.

 

You can't get permission to work unless employed by a company legally operating in Thailand. You could set up your own company but it's expensive and almost certainly impractical.

 

Most people in your situation work from home "under the radar".

[elviajero]

6 minutes ago, Bastos60 said:

No workpermit required since you are not working for Thai company, on the premises of a Thai company, or for Thai customers. 

 

Wrong, wrong and wrong!

 

You need permission to carry out any occupation whilst in Thailand regardless of who you work for or who/where the customers are.

[Bastos60]

4 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Wrong, wrong and wrong!

 

You need permission to carry out any occupation whilst in Thailand regardless of who you work for or who/where the customers are.

This topic has actually been discussed multiple times on this forum.  

whilst not set in stone, immigration actually confirmed you can work remote from Thailand for your business/employer while on holiday.

 

So you are wrong wrong wrong.

Edited August 3, 2017 by Bastos60

[Here2008]

Just now, Bastos60 said:

This topic has actually been discussed multiple times on this forum.  

whilst not set in stone, immigration actually confirmed you can work remote from Thailand for your business/employer while on holiday.

 

So you are wrong wrong wrong.

Before the bickering gets out of hand perhaps you can provide a link to the official statement you allege the Thai  immigration service has made in relation to working whilst on "holiday" 

[Rimmer]

A post has been reported and has been removed:

 

7) You will respect fellow members and post in a civil manner. No personal attacks, hateful or insulting towards other members, (flaming) Stalking of members on either the forum or via PM will not be allowed.

 

 

[BritTim]

To the OP: look up the many threads on "digital nomads". Summary: there is no practical, technically legal way to work in Thailand as a digital nomad. At the current time, this does not matter. The authorities understand that the current law is antiquated and, for lack of a better solution, just tolerate people working online for foreign employers without work permits and tax numbers. Of course, this policy could change at any time, but I consider it unlikely that would occur without prior warning.

[phuketjock]

Your OP really answers your own question, if you are on any kind of tourist visa

you cannot, under any circumstances, legally do work, of any kind, in Thailand.

I can understand you want the benefits of living in Thailand while earning the

means to do so online, many do the same as you are doing but as of right now

there is no actual legal way to do this in Thailand. 

If you wish to continue doing this then you have little choice but to keep your

head well below the parapet and make as little noise as possible like all the

others in very similar circumstances to yourself.

That does not mean I agree with what you are doing nor does it in any way make

it right.

Edited August 3, 2017 by phuketjock
addition

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, Bastos60 said:

This topic has actually been discussed multiple times on this forum.  

whilst not set in stone, immigration actually confirmed you can work remote from Thailand for your business/employer while on holiday.

 

So you are wrong wrong wrong.

Discussed to death and yet people keep giving wrong information/advice.

 

You are now changing/adding to what you said. The Immigration Bureau have never confirmed anything regarding remote work. A couple of immigration officers in Chiang Mai have said that tourists on holiday can keep up with their work. Living and operating a business in Thailand is a completely different situation.

 

Immigration Act

Section 37 : An alien having received a temporary entry permit into the Kingdom must comply with the following :

1. Shall not engage in the occupation or temporary or employment unless authorized by the Director General. or competent official deputized by the Director General .

 

If anyone is carrying out their occupation whilst in Thailand the law (above) says they need permission. That is the only fact that matters and the only official confirmation that exists.

 

Generally countries don't, rightly, have a problem with typical 'tourists' keeping up with work whilst on holiday/passing through. All the time someone in Thailand can convince the authorities that they are a 'tourist' they've probably little to worry about and are highly unlikely to be prosecuted. However, IMO anyone living in the country for longer than 6 months as a tourist is on really dodgy ground and should keep their work hidden from the authorities.

 

Anyone that believes differently should open an office in their local town and work from there on their tourist permit and report back, from the IDC. 

 

Three reasons why, IMO, digital nomads/remote workers are getting away with it; 

1. Thailand don't have an official publicly published limited on how long someone can live in the country as a tourist. Therefore they have to prosecute all tourists or none.
2. The work is, mostly, done at home/out of sight.
3. This kind of work doesn't, in most cases, go against Thailands aim of protecting Thai jobs.

Edited August 3, 2017 by elviajero

[scorecard]

5 hours ago, Bastos60 said:

No workpermit required since you are not working for Thai company, on the premises of a Thai company, or for Thai customers. 

For immigration you are considered on holiday and people are allowed to perform work 'online' or 'remote' for their own business/employers while on holiday. 

As long as your employer/customers are not paying you into your Thai bankaccount.

 

No taxes payable in Thailand for your work, you are still on holiday, it is not their concern how you spend your holiday. 

 

But I wouldn't go off working from a bar or restaurant or any other public place, just to avoid having to explain what you are doing.

 

 

'No workpermit required since you are not working for Thai company, on the premises of a Thai company, or for Thai customers.'

 

That's not correct, the applicable Thai labour laws don't see it like that.

4 hours ago, Bastos60 said:

This topic has actually been discussed multiple times on this forum.  

whilst not set in stone, immigration actually confirmed you can work remote from Thailand for your business/employer while on holiday.

 

So you are wrong wrong wrong.

 

This has also been discussed to death but never any link etc.

 

Additionally it's not up to immigration. It's been said many times before that immigration recognize WPs and other labour matters is not their remit and like most countries they strongly avoid stepping into the territory of other ministries, plus very few immigration officers have any knowledge about the WP subject.  

Edited August 3, 2017 by scorecard

[anon789561]

if I were you i'd probably do what crossy says for your visa. With regards a work permit, that is impossible.  However, as long as you are not working from a fixed office there is no issue. I have had it cleared from a number of corporate lawyers in Thailand that as long as you are not conducting business with thai companies or clients and do not have a fixed office the labour department don't care. I can confirm this as I was visited by the labour department last year that checked the business I was conducting, went through my emails and laptops and asked to see some bank statements and left me to it. no fine, nothing. so sort your visa and enjoy. Phukets a bit of a dump by the way 555

[TechnikaIII]

In such matters, I find the "Need to Know" rule works well.

[Tony125]

Check out this link      

Why Thailand Is The Ultimate Digital Nomad Destination | HuffPost

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/courtney-lambert/why-thailand-is-the-ultimate_b_11387164.html

 

 

Just Google  ------     digital Nomads in Thailand

Edited August 3, 2017 by Tony125
more info added

[Autonuaq]

10 hours ago, JackThompson said:

It is unfortunate that no visa / tax / work-permit is available for the millions like you who work remotely.  This lack of a modern-update to "work" rules costs Thailand untold baht in lost foreign-sourced revenue.  As long as the funds you use to live here are not earned in the current-year, no taxes to Thailand are due, even if you stay here more than 180 days/yr (the time-cutoff).   I would suggest you spend savings from previous years to live here, and save your current income for future years' spending.

 

You should be able to get between 1 and 2 years worth of tourist-visas per-passport from Thai  consulates in nearby countries.  If you start by visiting each only once, and spread them around, you might make it to 2 years before needing to get a new passport to start fresh.  Different consulates have different rules for obtaining a TR-Visa, which may include showing 20K Baht via an account-statement (not cash) and/or hotel-bookings and/or a flight out of the country.  The clue to knowing when you need a new passport, is when a consulate puts a little-stamp on your visa which says, "This person travels frequently to Thailand..." - which prevents getting additional TR-Visas from many consulates.

 

Entering the country is another matter entirely.  Unlike Thai-Consulates in neighboring countries, Immigration will see your entire history across passports.  As there is no legal-limit on Tourist-Visa use, entry-points which follow the law will allow you to enter, provided you can show 20K Baht worth of cash or travelers checks and evidence of where you will be staying.  I use travelers checks to avoid risk of loss or theft, from this dangerous and antiquated method of "carrying money" for trip-funding.

 

But be aware that some/all airports have Immigration staff which are inventing non-existent rules, then denying entry to those with longer-stay histories.  In most cases, the "reason for denial" is due to the person not knowing the 20K Baht must be "in cash" vs "available" via modern technology (ATM machines), as specified in the IATA (airline) rules.  If being denied for "not having the money," you will not be given access to an ATM to prove your finances, and a bank-statement (paper or on your phone) will not be accepted. 

 

After you have been here awhile (+6 months), I would suggest you use only domestic air-flights, and cross via land-borders, with the exception of Poipet/Aranyaprathet.  Always carry the 20K Baht upon entry. 

You have to pay taxes where the work is done.

 

And remotely means the work actually is done at the place of origin and that is where the money comes from.

 

World income you have to pay taxes over it. In this case the uk

 

No work permit possible because work is actually done remote in the uk.

 

That is what they told me not so long ago

[JackThompson]

7 minutes ago, Autonuaq said:

You have to pay taxes where the work is done.

And remotely means the work actually is done at the place of origin and that is where the money comes from.

World income you have to pay taxes over it. In this case the uk

No work permit possible because work is actually done remote in the uk.

That is what they told me not so long ago

Yes, I must pay taxes to the USA on my global-income, so I hear where you are coming from.  It is only the Thai-tax aspect which I was describing.

If Thailand got wise, they would offer a visa-solution that involved paying taxes on a min-income as part of the package, at which point remote-workers could bill to here, and use tax-agreements/treaties in-place to offset their foreign tax obligation(s).  If not for the capital-requirements, which are inappropriate for this type of business, that is what I would be doing - even though I don't need the visa any more.  I'd much prefer paying tax over here than some place I haven't been in over a decade, and will never live again.

[NorthernRyland]

11 hours ago, JackThompson said:

You should be able to get between 1 and 2 years worth of tourist-visas per-passport from Thai  consulates in nearby countries.  If you start by visiting each only once, and spread them around, you might make it to 2 years before needing to get a new passport to start fresh.  Different consulates have different rules for obtaining a TR-Visa, which may include showing 20K Baht via an account-statement (not cash) and/or hotel-bookings and/or a flight out of the country.  The clue to knowing when you need a new passport, is when a consulate puts a little-stamp on your visa which says, "This person travels frequently to Thailand..." - which prevents getting additional TR-Visas from many consulates.

 

Does this apply to people who travel back to their country of origin every year? I go back home once a year for about 2 months but since they stopped issuing the 3 entry tourist visa here and I don't have the $7000 USD I had to get 2 tourist visas in Laos and Cambodia for the first time in 12 years. I believe I'm officially abusing the visa system now but I understood that going back home "usually" was good enough to get away with 2 tourist visas a year, but maybe they've tightened down? I'm still in the US now for 2 weeks but I'll seriously reconsider getting on the plane if I'm going to get denied a visa in 3 months. Damn.

[JackThompson]

14 minutes ago, genericptr said:

Does this apply to people who travel back to their country of origin every year? I go back home once a year for about 2 months but since they stopped issuing the 3 entry tourist visa here and I don't have the $7000 USD I had to get 2 tourist visas in Laos and Cambodia for the first time in 12 years. I believe I'm officially abusing the visa system now but I understood that going back home "usually" was good enough to get away with 2 tourist visas a year, but maybe they've tightened down? I'm still in the US now for 2 weeks but I'll seriously reconsider getting on the plane if I'm going to get denied a visa in 3 months. Damn.

In theory, the consulate would look at the time between TR Visas when making their decision on whether or not to issue the extra-stamp that triggers needing a new passport.  That did not happen in my case, as after spending 7 months out of Thailand, I went to Vientiane, and they counted old TR-Visas and put in that extra-stamp.  I did have close to a year, continuous, before that break, though.  This was a couple years ago - so not sure how the "counter" there operates, today. Hopefully, this would not happen in your case - as it should not. 

 

But do not confuse obtaining TR Visas with entering the country, which is another thing entirely.  I seriously doubt you would have any issues coming in, given only 2 TR Visas / yr and stays far-away in the meantime.  Be sure to have 20K Baht in cash or travelers checks, though.  For those who are really concerned about denial of entry, the solution is to fly to Penang, and come across by land.  The land-borders seem to be obeying Thai law, rather than making up their own law, as they sometimes seem to be doing at airports.

 

You aren't "abusing" anything, unless you are using your Tourist Visa to take a Thai's job, or otherwise cannot afford to fund your stay here.  The authorities could put in limits on TR-Visa use any time they wish, but they haven't. It's their choice, and a wise decision for their economy not to impose limits. 

Edited August 3, 2017 by JackThompson

[NorthernRyland]

11 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

In theory, the consulate would look at the time between TR Visas when making their decision on whether or not to issue the extra-stamp that triggers needing a new passport.  That did not happen in my case, as after spending 7 months out of Thailand, I went to Vientiane, and they counted old TR-Visas and put in that extra-stamp.  I did have close to a year, continuous, before that break, though.  This was a couple years ago - so not sure how the "counter" there operates, today. Hopefully, this would not happen in your case - as it should not. 

 

That's ominous. Did you have multiple TV's from Vientiane in the previous year? Since last year my passport is going to look like 1 TV from Colorado USA, 1 TV from Vientiane 1 TV from Phnom, over and over until I commit to getting the $7000 USD. Thanks.

[jenifer d]

7 hours ago, BritTim said:

To the OP: look up the many threads on "digital nomads". Summary: there is no practical, technically legal way to work in Thailand as a digital nomad. At the current time, this does not matter. The authorities understand that the current law is antiquated and, for lack of a better solution, just tolerate people working online for foreign employers without work permits and tax numbers. Of course, this policy could change at any time, but I consider it unlikely that would occur without prior warning.

that doesn't seem to have troubled "my mate Nate" until his antics got out of hand-

my experience is that if your local immigration like you & you show respect- and they likewise,

they don't sweat the little things

[jenifer d]

6 hours ago, elviajero said:

Discussed to death and yet people keep giving wrong information/advice.

 

You are now changing/adding to what you said. The Immigration Bureau have never confirmed anything regarding remote work. A couple of immigration officers in Chiang Mai have said that tourists on holiday can keep up with their work. Living and operating a business in Thailand is a completely different situation.

 

Immigration Act

Section 37 : An alien having received a temporary entry permit into the Kingdom must comply with the following :

1. Shall not engage in the occupation or temporary or employment unless authorized by the Director General. or competent official deputized by the Director General .

 

If anyone is carrying out their occupation whilst in Thailand the law (above) says they need permission. That is the only fact that matters and the only official confirmation that exists.

 

Generally countries don't, rightly, have a problem with typical 'tourists' keeping up with work whilst on holiday/passing through. All the time someone in Thailand can convince the authorities that they are a 'tourist' they've probably little to worry about and are highly unlikely to be prosecuted. However, IMO anyone living in the country for longer than 6 months as a tourist is on really dodgy ground and should keep their work hidden from the authorities.

 

Anyone that believes differently should open an office in their local town and work from there on their tourist permit and report back, from the IDC. 

 

Three reasons why, IMO, digital nomads/remote workers are getting away with it; 

1. Thailand don't have an official publicly published limited on how long someone can live in the country as a tourist. Therefore they have to prosecute all tourists or none.
2. The work is, mostly, done at home/out of sight.
3. This kind of work doesn't, in most cases, go against Thailands aim of protecting Thai jobs.

that does NOT specifically say they cannot do digital work that does NOT involve Thailand,

it says they cannot WORK here- unless one is doing digital work that involves Thai people spending THEIR money,

also- if one is on tourist visa, they are abusing if more than two consecutively (many divers and NON-work-permitted teachers abuse tourist visas) not sure about recently, as i only used tourist visa twice several years 

ago and now have retirement...

[scorecard]

 

Not specific to the post above, but several folks seem to be making it up as the thread continues, to suit their own desires.

 

The comment that pops up whenever this subject re-appears is 'they told me it's OK', but there's never any response to just who is 'they'.

 

Likewise with the repeated comments about immigration say it's OK, etc. Not their role.

 

The ultimate one that amuses me is a similar thread a few months back about 2 farang ladies supposedly working from a coffee shop in Chiang Mai and annoying customers with the line 'you absolutely must have a full suite: an e.mail address, a personal website, a facebook and twitter account, instagram etc etc.' and we can do it for you, and the Thai government says they want it for everybody and it's OK for us to do it for you, special important work no WP etc., needed'.

[scorecard]

19 minutes ago, jenifer d said:

that doesn't seem to have troubled "my mate Nate" until his antics got out of hand-

my experience is that if your local immigration like you & you show respect- and they likewise,

they don't sweat the little things

 

And again, WP & labour laws etc., are not immigration matters, they are handled a by a different ministry, nothing to do with immigration and I'm quite surprised if immigration officers are making comments about WP's etc.