work permits/freelance advice

[Gollyfish]

Hi,

I'm planning on taking my idc in Thailand next year and then hoping to find work afterwards.

From what I've read it would be very unlikely for a new instructor to get a work permit through a dive shop, so the best way would be to set up a company and freelance.

I've been told this would cost around 60,000 baht.

Has anyone had experience of doing this? And would anyone know the rough monthly running costs once set up?

Is it possible to earn a living this way? (pay for accom. Food, a few drinks here and there and keep insured and renewed).

Any stories, experiences and advice are very welcome.

Thanks
GF

 

[red_barbarian]

Check out thaivisa.com for visa advice. My understanding is the immigration guys can be very hard nosed in the Southern parts of the country. Also make sure you take a hard look at the conditions in the other IDC (immigration detention center) in Thailand before you stick your neck out very far. I know several guys in the North that work on Edu visas, other guys that do it on tourist visa's , personally I wouldn't do it without a WP that allows for the kind of work you are doing. IDC's in Asia are not pretty places, and you may be permanently banned form coming back.

 

[funrecdiver]

I think it will be difficult for you to make money this way. There are many excellent independent scuba instructors in Thailand and most of the ones I have talked to recently are looking for ways to make money outside of their scuba activities.

As for setting up a company, prices vary. You should have the company that sets your company up for you tell you exactly what are all the monthly and yearly fees. The various requirements and fees to maintain a foreign company in Thailand can be mind boggling.

I don't want to discourage you, but Thailand is full of foreigners here hoping to make money in scuba diving, so there is a lot of competition here and there are many people who have been here for a long time (logged many dives with advanced instructor certifications) and they struggle to make a living here in the current (lack of business) climate in Thailand.

I strongly advise you to have other ways of bringing income into Thailand rather than a plan that is built upon relying only on teaching scuba as a new instructor.

 

[funrecdiver]

OBTW, was just searching around TV for some scuba toys (nothing) and found this ad about setting up a company:

Quick set up a thai company from thb 15,000

Bangkok Lawyer Limited Partnership can assist you to do the business in Thailand:
- set up a Thai company starts from THB15,000
- work permit from THB 18,000
- Notary public starts from THB1,300.
Free legal and investment consultation 24/7.
For more information, please email or call

Of course, I have no idea if the company above is good or not, but your best best is to shop around and talk to a number of companies before paying 60,000 baht.

 

[stevenl]

Company setup will be around 30.000 Baht here on Phuket. Monthly expenses, tax, social etc., 6.000 Baht minimum.

 

[Quero]

People do manage to make enough money for the kind of things you ask about as long as you are happy to live simply with no extravagances. One young, brand-new instructor I met last year was able to come to Phuket, set up a company from which she obtained a work permit, and work for just one season, making enough for her living expenses and to pay her taxes, and she still saved about 75K over a period from October to May.

I would advise doing as much as possible before arriving--get the company set up and get your B class visa so that when you get your instructor credentials you can start immediately on the work permit. If you wait until you arrive to start setting things up, you will have to finance your living expenses for a couple of months before you can work legally.

The costs involved depend a huge amount on the sort of company you want to run. If you just want a company only on paper so that you can work as a freelancer, the monthly costs are not huge--about 5K to pay your taxes and your accountant's retainer. There are other expenses like visa renewal fees and work permit renewal fees that are paid in lump sums, as well as annual company audit fees, all of which, if pro-rated as part of the monthly cost, would probably add another 2K or so. If, on the other hand, you want a company with an actual physical presence, the costs are higher since you'll have rent, equipment purchase and maintenance, TAT license, and myriad other costs.

 

[funrecdiver]

And don't forgot that all foreigners who have a work permit (via setting up their own company) in Thailand must have a "desk" in an office; so if you form your own company, you must pay someone in an office building (not your home) every month for a "desk" to satisfy draconian work permit requirements.

 

[Ban's Tec]

What area are you planning on doing your IDC? Would be a good idea to look at what systems the local dive students are using at the moment to prevent you from spending what you might not have to. If you are thinking about Koh Tao you can contact me directly for local logistics and options. cwerger@hotmail.com

 

[stevenl]

And don't forgot that all foreigners who have a work permit (via setting up their own company) in Thailand must have a "desk" in an office; so if you form your own company, you must pay someone in an office building (not your home) every month for a "desk" to satisfy draconian work permit requirements.

No, not a requirement (maybe officially, no idea, but in real life here no problem at all).

 

[funrecdiver]

No, not a requirement (maybe officially, no idea, but in real life here no problem at all).

It is DEFINITELY a requirement.

I have held work permits with large international companies in Bangkok (over 1500 employees), one mid to small size Thai company in Bangkok and also my own, fully owned my me, Thai company.

It is Thai law (or immigration policy, forgot which) that a (foreign) business must have a storefront and every foreign employee with a work permit must have a desk. This law is well known and every Thai company I know with foreign employees adheres to this law/policy.

If you are a foreigner and have a business in Thailand with a work permit, and don't have a desk for each foreign company in an office, you are technically breaking the law in Thailand.

If you don't believe me, just contact the legal folks at Sunbelt Asia and ask them