[Captain]

In the new Asia Bugle:

Ricky Diamond agogo Pattaya suffered a certain indignity when he got nicked for not having a work permit. It would be a fine line as to whether he needed one, many may think, as in common with most Pattaya bar owners, he is a supervisor not a worker. The facts are that he was stitched up by a rival bar owner. The Immigration Police admitted that much when they arrested him. Whom is not altogether clear, although everybody has an unsupported theory! A farang seems to be the most likely! I suspect Ricky’s problem was that Diamond agogo was doing too well. And maybe recent publicity saying it was the best in Pattaya stuck in someone’s craw! Remember the number 1 rule in Thailand is “low profile!”
A couple of interesting points came out of this event. The Immigration Police stated that anybody who is a partner in a bar should have a work permit. I think that really means if you are a partner in the bar and spend time in the bar, rather than a simple investor. The evidence that Ricky was working was that he was shaking hands with customers. But the reality was that they knew exactly who to arrest and nothing he said, or did, could have stopped it. If I was a bar owner in Pattaya without a work permit I think I would be thinking hard about getting one - and paying the taxes! You can get a work permit with a company with a paid up capital of 2 million Baht but you can not serve behind the bar or do the cashier’s job. In other words, a job a Thai can do. I think you can get a work permit with other business vehicles, so take advice


How about that.
So barowners: shaking hands is working. How about drinking with the clients?