Thai Immigration changes the rules for all foreign

[katoeylover]

30-days border runs now only 15 days

In order to limit the amount of foreigners using "back-to-back" border runs, Thai Immigration has issued a new regulation regarding the 30 days tourist exemption.


Effective immediately, travellers without visa will get only 15 days of stay if they are arriving via a land border checkpoint from a neighboring country.


Passengers arriving via an international airport will obtain a 30 days stay, and for them there is no change.


Travellers with Malaysian passports will obtain a 30 days stay.


This police order number 778/2551 is today confirmed by Royal Thai Police, Immigration Bureau, in Bangkok.

[Stogie]

If only the UK could run it's immigration in the same way...

[Guest]

Those Pattaya based mini bus visa run services must think this is their coup of the year

[marshal]

Will not affect most of us here, as people generally arrive by plane for 1-3 weeks. I was starting to worry, because in the past i would do 16-24 days depending on circumstances.

[mardhi]

For anybody legally employed its a non event - the target is the guy who is illegally working and not paying any tax. This has been underway for years as they try and weed out the non tax payers who really are working in some form or another. ironically, my last work permit renewal was the fastest its ever been and done and dusted in 14 days - compared to 6 months in years gone by.

Cheers
mardhi

[manarak]

how much tax does one have to pay on being self-employed with 50.000 baht of income a month?

[Stogie]

Er, in your business you won't be declaring a satang!

Stay off the radar if you are working from home on a computer or you'll end up in a heap of trouble.

[manarak]

Stogie, I checked the different visa types, and I am quite sure I will have to stay on a business visa.
But after a year, I will have to get a work permit, right?

There is no way I'll be doing visa runs...

What heap of trouble are you talking about?

[manarak]

actually, I just noticed that I could also apply for an "M" type visa, as a film producer.

[mardhi]

if you have a kid, the best visa to get is actually the education visa - i.e you enroll the kid in private school and whole family gets a yearly visa. if you dont have a kid but a spouse, you could get by on yearly visas which mean that you have to travel outside the country every 90 years (a border run). if you have a work permit there is NO guarantee that the Immigration police will grant you a 1 year visa UNLESS you meet their own criteria. In some ways getting a work permit is easier than the 1 year extension - they are provided by two different agencies each with their own criteria. If you apply for a work permit in BKK, the rules are pretty evenly applied - if you apply in a provincial area, the work permit is signed off by the governor of that province - they can be fickle. For any work permit, your employing company needs to be established for TWO years now and have audited balance sheets that show the sales volume is sufficient to support a work permit holder. i.e. if you have some tinpot company with virtually no audited sales, you wont qualify for a work permit. in simple terms they are looking for a capital of at least 2,000,000b being paid into the company, at least 4 employees, VAT registration and payment of all social and employee taxes. This is not cheap - it all adds up and you need to have a genuine company with genuine office and genuine sales when you go down this road. The flip side as Stogie suggests is keep off the radar screen and do none of this.

Cheers
mardhi

[Stogie]

If a visa run every 90 days is to much hassle then get ready for a shit load MORE hassle when you apply for a business visa!

Once you are on the grid in Thailand you are fucked... especially setting up a company with Thai directors and the colossal finance needed it to set the company up.... well, I'll save it for when I see you.

[mardhi]

by the way, with a work permit and a yearly visa - there is no requirement to physically leave the country and after 3 continuous years of visa extensions, you can apply for permanent residency.

But PR is a whole new ball game and not easy to achieve.

Cheers
Mardhi

[manarak]

Wow, thank you for all that info!
The Thai system seems almost as complicated as the CIS countries' system.

The education visa sounds interesting as I've got two kids.

I understand the visa is distinct from the work permit.
Obviously, I will need a work permit for any work for which other people will notice that I'm working.

My wife is a professional ballet teacher and performer, so she will need a permit for that.
If I am to take up an activity as a golf instructor, I will have to get a permit too.


I read somewhere that if the work permit expires or if one changes jobs, the visa expires too. While this sounds logical when the visa has been issued in conjunction with a work permit, do you know if this applies too if staying on grounds of the "education" visa Mardhi mentioned?


To obtain the work permit as self-employed, the requirement of 2 years of existence as an operating company is a little harsh. I would have no problem setting up an operating company running my restaurant and hotel directories websites as well as dinnerware webshops. Since all would be commission-based, there would be no VAT involved (except for the ballet school).

Sounds like the work permit is a lot of trouble for a small reward.

What advantages does one have in having a work permit other than being able to openly work?

[manarak]

I think I will pay a visit to my local honorary consul to get some suggestions.

[mardhi]

(manarak @ Dec. 04 2008,22:11) Wow, thank you for all that info!
The Thai system seems almost as complicated as the CIS countries' system.

The education visa sounds interesting as I've got two kids.

I understand the visa is distinct from the work permit.
Obviously, I will need a work permit for any work for which other people will notice that I'm working.

My wife is a professional ballet teacher and performer, so she will need a permit for that.
If I am to take up an activity as a golf instructor, I will have to get a permit too.


I read somewhere that if the work permit expires or if one changes jobs, the visa expires too. While this sounds logical when the visa has been issued in conjunction with a work permit, do you know if this applies too if staying on grounds of the "education" visa Mardhi mentioned?


To obtain the work permit as self-employed, the requirement of 2 years of existence as an operating company is a little harsh. I would have no problem setting up an operating company running my restaurant and hotel directories websites as well as dinnerware webshops. Since all would be commission-based, there would be no VAT involved (except for the ballet school).

Sounds like the work permit is a lot of trouble for a small reward.

What advantages does one have in having a work permit other than being able to openly work?

Just to clarify - you can get a work permit for a new company - but you wont get the yearly visa extension - you would have to leave the country every 90 days. That part is an immigration police requirement - nothing to do with the work permit office.

The benefit of a work permit is that its the only the way to achieve PR if thats your goal. Also any contract you sign is worthless unless you have a work permit and you will have lots more headaches just trying to do simple things like open a bank account. These things are not impossible without a work permit but they are more complex.

VAT would likely apply on ANY transaction you make invoiced out of Thailand - forget the fact its offshore as thats when loads of additional complications set in.

Administration in Thailand is a nightmare - I have one staff who does nothing but admin to ensure our company follows the law and she is always busy trying to keep us one step ahead of the ever changing rules.

There is a lot to be said for staying totally under the radar and NOT applying for a work permit especially if your business is internet based. if you do any physical work or come into contact with the public you SHOULD have a work permit.

Cheers
Mardhi