Visa's

[ken.p]

Hi all. I shall soon be entering Thailand on a 3 month married ta a Thai Visa, then the plan is to extend this probably to a retirement Visa, after read a lot here about Visas, it seems immigration favor this over married visa.

My question is, I intend to build a house up north, and would like to participate in the build other than just paying the bills. What’s the chance of obtaining a working visa to do this, legally or ever paying tea money?

Ken.p

[dtaai-maai]

None whatsoever. Forget it.

[barrys]

... My question is, I intend to build a house up north, and would like to participate in the build other than just paying the bills. What’s the chance of obtaining a working visa to do this ...

Where up north?

[ken.p]

... My question is, I intend to build a house up north, and would like to participate in the build other than just paying the bills. What’s the chance of obtaining a working visa to do this ...

Where up north?

hi barry.
Buriram small village noncharoen

[lomuamart]

I tend to agree with dtaai-maai. There are probably no grounds under which you'll get a Work Permit to do manual work - unless it's something really specialist? Maybe apply for one on the basis of "supervision/directing"?
However, I think you may find that the taxes and so on will be prohibitive for a one-off project.
Hopefully, some other members can give you more advice as this area is not my speciality.

[lomuamart]

BTW,
The reason that Imm prefer a retirement extension, as opposed to one based on marriage, is that they decide matters locally. A marriage extension involves more paperwork and has to be sent to BKK for approval.

[dtaai-maai]

The other issue, of course, is that if you get an extension on the basis of retirement that will rule out employment of any kind in Thailand.

[Nereus]

In a small village you MAY get away with doing some of the fitting out work, such as plumbing, electrical, built in furniture and the like. But I think that you would need to have a good relationship with a builder that would do the main structural work.

It is another "grey" area whereby if you try to do the right thing and apply for a work permit, you will be denied and probably closely watched. If you were to do woodwork for example, as a "hobby", I doubt that you would have any problems providing you do not tread on any toes in the village.

When I first came here over 20 years ago I bought an old house in Bangkok that was just habitable, and then spent the next 10 years on my time off from work, renovating the inside without a thought of a work permit. But I did get contractors to do outside work such as concreting and the like.

[lomuamart]

The other issue, of course, is that if you get an extension on the basis of retirement that will rule out employment of any kind in Thailand.

Good point, read in conjunction with what Nereus has written.

[barrys]

I'm with Nereus on this one ...


... about 10 years ago I lived in a small rice-farming village in Khon Kaen province.
I bought an existing house there and converted it using local labour, supervising them and doing quite a lot of the work myself - never had a problem.

A couple of Australian guys did the same in the village, one of them building his own house from scratch more or less on his own. Neither of them had problems.

You need to have a good relationship with the locals and the local village headman, in particular.

I used to lend them tools now and again and give them a hand with odd jobs, that sort of thing.

If you make yourself part of the community and don't upset anyone, you'll be accepted and you shouldn't run into too much difficulty.

[dtaai-maai]

If you make yourself part of the community and don't upset anyone, you'll be accepted and you shouldn't run into too much difficulty.

Wise words that apply to pretty much all aspects of life in all parts of Thailand.