Consular Services Thailand

[leaping larry]

Jun 23, 2018 11:32:37 GMT 7 nomadic said:

no he has just been getting double entry tourist visa for a total of 2 months. in for a month than to immigration for another month and then back to embassy in Laos. now on 3 rd one but is going to oz in November also. I'm just worried that too many tourist visa's will end up a problem. I will advise as bear said to stay in Laos for a while at least.

[leaping larry]

If Your friend is in laos they can get the setv 60 day tourist visa which can be extended at any immigration for another 30 days for 1900 baht, total 90 days without leaving. You can then go to neighbouring countries and apply for another 60 day tourist visa, repeat and repeat. They are cracking down on how many setv people have in their passport but if they havent had any then they would be good for a quiet a few.
The 6month visa has to be applied for from your home country and you need 8000 aus dollars in your bank account or equivalant depending on what country you are from. Also, you have to leave the country after every 60 days but they can also be extend each 60 days for another 30 days so all up that visa can turn into 9 months. Some people have done 3 of them back to back so thats over 2 years. I guess it depends on what your friend wants to do and how much money they have. In australian dollars the setv was 55 last december and the metv 225. The 1900 extension fee might be 2000 now..not sure.

[Deleted]

There are other visa available in Thailand Nomad knows this
But it will require money for these
Maybe this person does not have any money to pay for these

[nomadic]

I don't think it has occurred to him as yet and i haven't mentioned it. I just wanted some feedback prior But it seems we all agree that he may have problems long term in his current situation. I know you can get visa's to study the language or Bhudism. Sign up for a language course and heard many stories where they never bother to go once they get the visa.

[tasjo]

If he has the funds (I think it says $5k) the working holiday visa would be the best option because he can legally work without an issue.

[Banjo]

Does this still apply?
It's fairly strictly enforced.


Prohibited Occupations in Thailand

Foreigners are allowed to work in Thailand if you have a valid visa, a work permit and are employed with an occupation that does not violate the Alien Employment Act. If you are a foreigner and you intend to work in Thailand, you are subject to the Alien Employment Act, which requires you to have a work permit to be issued by the Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour, or unless it falls within an exception of the said Act.

According to Thai law, foreigners can work in the country but factors such as the national security, as well as the need of alien labour for the development of the country are being considered. Thai nationals are still to be given priority.

Listed below are the businesses that are prohibited to foreigners:

The Alien Business Law (N.E.C. Announcement 281). Business activities falling in categories A & B are generally closed to foreigners. Under category C you must obtain a permit prior to commencing business. Businesses outside these categories are exempt. The Ministry of Commerce will also help applications of non trading offices.

Category A:

1. Agriculture: rice farming; salt farming.
2. Commercial Business: Internal trade in local agriculture products, Land trade.
3. Service business: Accounting, farming animals, architecture, advertising, brokerage, auctioning, Barber, hair dressing & beautician. Building industry.

Category B.

1. Agriculture Business: orchids, cultivation, animal husbandry including silk worm raising, timbering, fishing.
2. Industrial & Handicraft: Rice milling, Flour making, sugar, alcohol & non alcohol drinks, Ice cream, Pharmaceutical manufacturing, cold storage, timber, gold, silver and inlaid stone, wood carving, lacquer-ware, match making, cement etc, Dynamiting rocks, Manufacturing garments & shoes, Printing, newspaper publishing, silk weaving or silk printing, manufacture of finished products in silk.
3. Commercial: all retailing not in category C. Or trading not in Category C, selling food an drinks, trading of antiques & fine arts.
4. Service Industry: Tour agency, Hotels except Hotel management, photography, laundering, dress making and service jobs.
5. Land, water & i.e. Transport.

Category C.

You are allowed to do the following:
Exporting, all wholesale trades not in A & B. retiling machinery, equipment & tools, selling food, beverages that promote tourism. Industrial & handicraft Business: manufacturing animal feeds, vegetable oil extraction, textile manufacturing, dyeing, fabric printing, glass ware manufacturing, making plates and bowls, stationary & printing paper, rock salt mining, mining.

In the category, you have to apply for a work permit in order to do business legally in Thailand.

www.thaiworkpermit.com/prohibited-occupations-in-thailand.html

[nomadic]

Are you sure about this in Thailand Jo? Never heard of it and sure there would be thousands of back packers doing it if available. I know of it in Oz but never heard of it here. I hope so for his sake. He works in web design/marketing for U.K. companies so can do it from anywhere. I see many falang doing this but usually not so young.

[Banjo]

It's not all that easy...

1.3. Have tertiary qualifications (full time courses with at least 3 years of study)

A lot of backpackers are in a gap year or vacationing students and this almost insists upon a university degree.

1.6. Have sufficient funds of at least AUD 5,000 for living expense in Thailand

A lot would struggle to show this after paying their return fare.

It seems to me to be a ploy to attract English teachers with decent qualifications.

thailand.embassy.gov.au/bkok/DIAC_Working_Holiday_Visa.html

[nomadic]

I have met a number of young English teachers over the years with degrees but very few see out the distance as conditions often change from what they are told at the start. More hours etc etc. with no more pay of course. Lots of stories where the Thai culture just wears them down also. I have a gate at the front car driveway of my place with a no parking sign in Thai. One side of the gate in a vacant block and the other side is my high concrete fence. So roughly 100 meters of empty space to park. Where do they more often than not park? Sometimes so close and exact that i can't even squeeze out. Really defies belief.

[tasjo]

I believe there is also a limit on the numbers allowed on the working holiday visa as well.

Banjo - I believe there are still pretty stringent restrictions on the type of work but while we were in Samui with it being more tourist orientated they were actively looking for native English speakers in hotel management.

If someone does go down the path of purchasing property my understanding is that you then have a business visa and can apply for a work permit.

Nomadic - if he isn't working for a Thai company I wonder if they would class him as working... Not sure I would take the chance though

[nomadic]

no he is not working at all in reality. he just wants to sit at his laptop in Thailand. As i said, i have met many doing the same because of the low cost of living and you can do the same thing from anywhere that has wi fi.

[Deleted]

So he is a genuine Digital Nomad then! I think you'll find most of them were on student or ed visas; well not anymore! Cheers bear

movingnomads.com/blog/digital-nomad-visa-finally-introduced-in-thailand-with-a-4-year-duration/

‘DIGITAL NOMAD VISA’ FINALLY INTRODUCED IN THAILAND WITH A 4 YEAR DURATION
August 19, 2017 / Nomad Guide / 9 comments
The Thai government approved a “Smart Visa” for business professionals today. It will be a major boost for Thailand as a Nomad hub, as it will invite more Digital Nomads and help them stay for longer durations than 3 months. They have currently limited the applicants to startup business owners, investors, high leveled executives, or other highly-skilled professionals. This visa may not work out for all Digital Nomads and all the details are not available at the moment. Currently, DNs can pay taxes as a foreign company or register the company in Thailand. (Thailand registered companies can get a tax holiday for 3 to 8 years)

A work permit won’t be necessary with this “Smart Visa”. Rather than reporting to authorities every 90 days now “Smart Visa” holders will only need to report to the immigration bureau every one year. This visa can also extend to family members. Although, it may not apply for all Digital Nomads, especially those working as content writers and other professions not fitting into the highly-skilled professional category.

This was long awaited by Digital Nomads as Thailand saw a sudden ‘boom’ of Digital Nomads since 2014. Most Digital Nomads are still working there on tourist visas without work permits. The work permit was considered as a major gray area, with some co-working spaces in Chiang Mai getting raided for unknown reasons. The government expects that this move would boost business growth leading to long-term economic benefits. Application for this visa would be available from January 2018. This is quite similar to the French Tech Visa introduced earlier this year.

More details available on PMDU Thailand.

hobowithalaptop.com/thailand-visas-explained

Search Terms:- Digital Nomads in Thailand. There's heaps of reading!

[nomadic]

the tax thing stood out. Years ago when i looked into registering a business i was told if i did i would have to pay tax. Even if i didn't have a single customer. Needless to say i didn't. No income still pay tax. Sounds like clink. How would they know your income if you are designing web sites on your laptop for a U.K. business who pays into your U.K. bank? but i'll pass it on bear for further investigation. cheers.

[Banjo]

It's a bit of a minefield having a business here, or anywhere in Asia for that matter.
Mind you, I've known people who've done very well, old Chiang Mai stalwart Gecko Books George made enough to retire in comfort back in the US when his health went bad.

I had a friend in the music business who had contacts with someone who had contacts with someone who had contacts with someone who knew people in the Thai Royal family.
(People in Asia will understand).
He still talks about the deal where a VERY important lady turned up and cut an album of her singing.
The day before it was to be distributed a couple of army officers turned up at the warehouse with a van and bought every copy at retail prices and "suggested" he destroy the master copies.
He never heard of it again.

[Deleted]

(Thailand registered companies can get a tax holiday for 3 to 8 years)

Read more: dspoverseas.proboards.com/thread/5122/consular-services-thailand?page=2#ixzz5JW3cy0cO

Add to that that the visa's for four years and you only report once a year; it sounds like a pretty good deal.

Many of us have difficulty socializing, but a get together with a group of younger like minded people in C-M could set him straight on it all. Cheers bear