Many foreigners enter Thailand for short businesses trip of one or two days whether for the purpose of negotiating an agreement, to attend or to speak at a conference, to provide technical support, or to source a local supplier, without being aware that the purpose of their visit requires a work permit in accordance with Thai laws.
Indeed Thai Labor law work definition is very broad and consists of exercising any activity whereby one exerts energy or uses knowledge, whether or not in consideration for wages or other benefits relating to business deemed as work under the law. It furthermore covers any work-related activity, either permanently or temporarily.
Section 37(5) of the Immigration Act B.E is anorther disposition that gets a lot of foreign citizens in trouble. To sum it up it requires that any foreigner who is permitted to stay in Thailand temporarily is required to report to the Immigration Department to confirm his/her residential address upon completion of every 90 days period of stay.
Visa abuse is not a novelty in Thailand and for the past 3 years we have seen a race between foreigners who abuse the visa system to stay in Thailand (and those who assist them) and the Thai Immigration who always finish by catching up.
Introduction to the Visa B
What is a Non Immigrant Visa B
Foreign investors who wish to come into Thailand to conduct a business or to work must first obtain a Non Immigrant Visa B with a Royal Thai Embassy.
The Non Immigrant Visa B will allow you to stay in Thailand for a period of not more than 90 days at a time. This visa may be granted for a single entry or multi entries.
On the 11 September 2009, Thai news reported a new crackdown on back-to-back Tourist visa applications under the form of an extended screening of visa applicants. Unfortunately I must say that this latest measure does not surprise me and is only one side of a new policy started by the immigration department around two years ago as part of a “spring house cleaning”.
