Phuket

samesame657 · #1 13-03-2008, 21:30

Ok...
Might seem a stupid question, but.....

Do you need a work permit to renovate/refurb your own house?

K2 · #2 13-03-2008, 21:48

Unless you have neighbours with an extreme grudge - NO - as long its your own house (owned or rented).

LivinLOS · #3 14-03-2008, 09:46

Technically they could argue yes.. In the real world no.. Providing you have pissed no one off...

Of course that becomes very grey if the house is purely an investment and not to live in.. To buy a home, work on it yourself purely to do it up and sell without living init ?? Very questionable..

The law is so purposefully vague that doing the crossword could fall under the letter of the law !!

Goong · #4 15-03-2008, 00:17

A mate who lives and works on Phuket once told me, as a rule of thumb, if a Thai national can do the job, then you're probably better off to employ one to do it or definately try and get a work permit if you intend to do it yourself.

Come to think of it, i guess that means there is no such thing as a sex tourist............just a lot of people abiding by Thai law!

sundancekid · #5 15-03-2008, 01:37

Ok just asking here, but is there really a Thai law (enforced or not) that would actually prohibit me --- as a non-Thai --- from e.g. painting the outside / inside of my rented house? (Provided the landlord concurs of course.)

I have a WP here, but I’m of course not eligible to “refurbish” someone else’s house for money (not that anyone would hire me in any case, but hypothetically speaking).

So… grudge or not, would I be violating Thai law if I chose to paint the house myself? Again, just asking. Would love to see the specific text under which this potential law falls under by the way. Not that I doubt it exists, mind you...

LivinLOS · #6 15-03-2008, 08:51

According to the letter of the law yes.. As does even thinking about it !! Or posting on this forum.. Or etc etc etc.

Working is defined as "working by exerting one's physical energy or employing one's knowledge, whether or not for wages or other benefits"

Now lets forget for one second the fact that are using the word they are defining within the definition !! But as you can see the above could be used to apply to anything. It covers anything physical and anything mental. This is how Thais seem to like thier laws, vague, cover alls that can be selectively applied to create a tea money stream for the officers involved and to let those with power do anything untroubled and control the population without influence in any way they like. Just my 2 satang.