Work Permits in Thailand??

[Diver_City Boys]

I had 2 instructors apply last week, should be finished this week. Agree that is very fast, but 2-4 months is slow, that really means somebody is stalling things (could also be labour office if they don't like the account taking care of the WP process).

That's faster than what some DM courses takes to finish in thailand. Are they new applicant, or someone who terminated a WP priviously? And i guess for a new company that applies WP for their employees might be lenghtier process because of all the checks on records done on them? But still the differance is huge and obviously costly service, with chances someone in future monitoring and hustling your business quite often?

Can someone tell me if this is unrisky usual thing to do in phuket? I mean 2 weeks is really fast which many applicants might don't require, but waiting 2-3 months isn't fair too

 

[stevenl]

New, and they are doing it themselves, nothing to do with the company.

You simply have to go and find the right persons (no, I'm not one of them) and have them arrange it for you.

 

[smartecosse]

New, and they are doing it themselves, nothing to do with the company.

You simply have to go and find the right persons (no, I'm not one of them) and have them arrange it for you.

so they have set up a company and had work permits issued from the new company all within two weeks?

or do you mean that they have set the company up, applied for the permits and been told by the lawyer that now their applications are lodged they can work?

two weeks for work permits is do-able. Two weeks for new company set up and work permits issued must involve some serious greasing of palms

 

[stevenl]

No company set up involved, so it is just the work permits.

 

[ScubaGuards]

Just to add a few comments....

Phuket is strict, whilst other areas I agree are less strict.

I arrange work permits for people in Phuket that ask me for them, however, this year, the Phuket labour office has been clamping down, and in addition, TAT (tourism authority of thailand), have been enforcing that they are including in the money collections too. TAT say that if you're dealing with tourists, you must be tat-registered. This applies if the freelancer is running through a company setup for freelancing. Like mentioned in posts before, there are not many dive centres that will issue work permits through there own company to employee a temporary diver.

The amount of paperwork involved in preparing a company formation is very low. The amount of paperwork involved in preparing for labour office and the tat office are very high.

Last year, getting work permits tool around 6 weeks, this year they're taking much longer and the offices involved are being difficult to deal with. It's becoming more and more clear that whilst incoming divers want to work legally, there is no clear legal way for divers to work legally in the current legal system. A new legal working route really does need to be made for divers and the way that they work for other dive centres as required (freelancing).

Work permits state the allowed location(s) of your work to take place. If you're found working in places other than documented, and although you have an actual work permit, it's still a technicality that can be used against you.

It's fast becoming extremely risky to put up so much cash, to earn so little in return compared to the number of hours a diver generally works.

If anyone is looking for permits or accountancy services in Phuket, I will share my contacts and indeed help you myself, if I can.

 

[Scuba Steeve]

Can i also add that whilst a work permit is needed it is not applicable if you are working as a "Guide" as it is currently illegal (except if you are Korean!!!) for anybody other than a thai national to be employed as a "tour Guide" or any other such guide that involves guide-ing, weather that be on land or below it. So if you gain employment here it is worth remembering this is the case as some of the dive operators will ask you to act as a guide when they dont have work for you as an instructor. I also agree with other post's here regards the time it takes to obtain said permit and company papers, for me the first time around i waited over a year to get my papers sorted even then it all went **** up! after getting to know a few people i managed obtain both my company papers and work permit in less than three weeks!!! and thats with sorting out the exsisting company that was only half opened!!! You know the old saying "its not what you know but who you know".......:11:

 

[String]

On a related note to this thread, how do you actually go about finding jobs in Thailand?

I assume most aren't advertised online as i tried the usual 2 suspects sites and found very little.

Is it actually easy to find employment as an instructor there and if so what is the best way to go about it? From the outside it appears to be a mysterious black box type affair to working out how to get started finding employment there.

 

[smartecosse]

On a related note to this thread, how do you actually go about finding jobs in Thailand?

I assume most aren't advertised online as i tried the usual 2 suspects sites and found very little.

Is it actually easy to find employment as an instructor there and if so what is the best way to go about it? From the outside it appears to be a mysterious black box type affair to working out how to get started finding employment there.

you can email in advance or look at the PADI board but the easiest way is to turn up and knock on doors.

The first question you will be asked is if you have a work permit. If you do not then reputable shops will turn you away

WP will cost about US$1000 approx for the company set up and WP and can take from two weeks upwards. leave time to have this done before the busy season starts

failing that work on an island such as Phi Phi or tao where they are rather more lax about the work permit issues

 

[String]

Turn up and knock. Only issue is from this part of the world its an expensive risk

£600 to get there and find no work and get stranded.

 

[smartecosse]

Turn up and knock. Only issue is from this part of the world its an expensive risk

£600 to get there and find no work and get stranded.

its an investment not a risk

being able to find work is down to you, the more langauges you speak, specs you can teach and the more doors you knock on the more likely you are to succeed.

Of course many people come with a job already half organised via a friend etc but Phuket is strict on the work permit so even if you already have a foot in the door you will need to organise that