Foreigners Working Illegally...Caution

[halfway inn]

Posted Yesterday, 19:46

‘Many foreigners working illegally’, say officials

by: Nattha Thepbamrung

PHUKET: Santi Udomkiratak, Deputy Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation for the provinces of Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga, has spoken about yesterday’s “anti Russian business” protest in Bang Tao, saying Thai people cannot complain about Russian businesses that are operating legally.

But yesterday's protest has drawn attention to the issue of foreigners working illegally in Phuket, with authorities saying many foreigners are working here without work permits, or doing different jobs to what their work permit states.

The large group of mainly Thai taxi drivers protested in Bang Tao yesterday (January 28) against Russian businesses who are, they say, undercutting the market and taking business from locals.

The Thai protestors were not concerned about whether the Russians were operating legally or not – they just wanted them out – but they also asked officials to check the legality of the businesses.

In trying to deal with the problem, local government officials have suggested a crackdown on business licences and work permits for foreigners, which they hope might help solve the problem.

Some of the businesses targeted yesterday are suspected of operating illegally, authorities say.

Yesterday afternoon there was a meeting between the protestors and provincial officials, lead by Ma-ann Samran, the president of Cherngtalay Or Bor Tor.

The meeting concluded that to help solve the problem, authorities must ensure businesses are operating legally, and staff have work permits, Mr Ma-ann said.

Mr Ma-ann said local authorities are going to strictly enforce these requirements.

If foreigners are caught working without a work permit, they will be arrested immediately, he said.

Mr Ma-ann said there were two main issues, the first was foreigners holding a work permit but doing a different job than was stated on the permit, and the second was foreigners who didn’t have a work permit at all.

Mr Ma-ann said that the owner of Alex Tour, a Thai man named Dan Wannabaworn, visited him yesterday to confirm his business was now closed.

Mr Ma-ann said Alex Tour, targetted yesterday by the protesters, was operating legally with a business licence, but the Russian staff did not have work permits.

There were six other businesses in the same area that were also closed yesterday, which were suspected of operating illegally, Mr Ma-ann said.

Mr Ma-ann told The Phuket News, “there are only 51 foreigners who hold a work permit to work in the Thalang area,” which included the three main “foreigner areas” of Pak Lok, Cherng Talay and Bang Tao.

There were many people working illegally in the area, he said.

Many of the people who held the correct work permit were connected to hotels in high positions, so if officials saw foreigners working in jobs such as tour guides, they might be suspected of having no work permit, added Mr Ma-ann.

Meanwhile, Mr Santi told The Phuket News that another meeting will be held soon to try to find a solution, involving him, the Tourist Police, Immigration Police and Provincial officials.

“This is a complicated issue so, we must have a talk among many sectors involved,” Mr Santi said.

“When Russian businesses are operating illegally, they can be prosecuted. But the ones that are legal – we cannot complain about them. Authorities must strongly manage this issue.”

Representatives from two Russian-owned businesses had already approached Mr Santi to discuss the issue of some Thai people opposing Russian businesses.

“I agree with the cases where Russian businesses have been closed because a Thai person opens the tour business, but hires Russian staff who do not have work permits.

“But when the Russians do business legally, we cannot ask them to close.”

[halfway inn]

Plan to inspect foreign businesses in Phuket

Phuket Provincial Employment office chief Yaowapa Pibulpol.

PHUKET: -- Phuket and Bangkok officials will create a plan next week to check foreign-operated businesses on the island, the chief of the Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO) said yesterday (February 7).

PPEO chief Yaowapa Pibulpol told The Phuket News that a team of officials, including Phuket Governor Maitree Intusut, Phuket’s vice governors, police, employment and labour office officials , will start making plans next week to inspect the businesses.

They would be checking for work permits for foreigners and inspecting the details of any Thai shareholders.

“We will start to plan and organise teams to inspect all three districts – Muang, Thalang and Kathu,” she said.

The PPEO held a conference for Thai businesspeople yesterday (February 7) at the Merlin Hotel in Phuket Town, to inform business owners about the laws about hiring foreigners, work permits, and the employment act and laws.

Immigration officer Pol Lt Col Suban Krutpan spoke about the immigration laws, and outlined the process foreigners needed to go through to work in Thailand.

Department of Employment lawyer Tipakon Wutthiprecha gave more details about foreigners working in Thailand.

Ms Yaowapa said the officials would visit businesses only in groups – and warned that anyone who arrived alone claiming to be from of the departments involved in the checks might be a fake.

“We encourage people to take photos of these people and inform the police immediately by calling 191, because they might be cheating people.”

[halfway inn]

Six expats arrested in Phuket on work permit offences

PHUKET: Six East Europeans were arrested yesterday (March 11) around midday by Immigration Police in Rawai, on work permit offences

Immigration police led by Pol Col Sanchai Chokkayaikij, Superintendent of the Phuket Immigration Office, raided the Rawai premises of Promo Co and OK Solution Co, which are owned by the same people – two Thai shareholders and Russian Maria Batura.
 
Ms Batura, 33, was arrested along with fellow Russians Nikolay Evdokimov, 32 and Marina Efremova, 43, as well as Belorussians Aleksandr Lyah, 34, and Sergey Kazei, 26, and Ukranian Denys Kravchenko, 30.
 
Pol Capt Angkarn Yasanop of the Immigration Police said that the companies offered website design and consulting.
 
“Ms Batura, the owner, and Mr Evdokimov, the manager, hold work permits but they were issued in Bangkok and are not valid for Phuket. Ms Batura hired the other four, who do not have work permits.”
 
Capt Angkarn said that Phuket Immigration Office has a policy to be strict on all illegal workers.
 
“We do not focus only on Russians, but there are currently many Russian people trying to work illegally in Phuket.

That said, we will also suppress all other illegal foreign businesses and workers.”
 
He said that if the six are found guilty, they will be deported to their home countries.

[halfway inn]

Phuket crackdown on Russians heads north

Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada said Russians would be targeted first as he had received many complaints from local Thai people about Russians allegedly 'stealing people's jobs'.

PHUKET: -- Local officials will start conducting raids across Phuket’s Thalang District, which covers the northern third of the island, targeting any businesses involving foreigners.

The raids will first target businesses involving Russians, a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall was told yesterday.

As have other recent immigration crackdowns, the Thalang operation will specifically target foreigners either working illegally in Thailand or using Thai nominees to open businesses.

“The raids, starting from today [March 26], will target Russians first because we have received a lot of complaints from Thai people accusing Russians of stealing their jobs,” explained Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada.

“We will not only check their work permits, but also check that the workplace address cited in their work permits matches the place where they are working,” he added.

Present at the meeting to hear the latest orders were Thalang District Chief Supoj Chanakij, Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO) chief Yawapa Pibulpol, Phuket Immigration officer Capt Angkarn Yasanop and officers from other government agencies who will be involved in the raids.

“We are collecting and checking the details of foreigners working in Thalang to help solve the problem of foreigners stealing local people’s jobs,” Vice Governor Chamroen explained.

According to Phuket Employment Office records, there are currently 1,005 foreigners of 17 nationalities registered to work in Thalang, including 109 English, 99 Russian, 80 French and 69 Italian nationals.

V/Gov Chamroen asked for monthly meetings to keep him abreast of the campaign’s progress.

The recent arrest of a Russian woman found working illegally as a tour agent in Patong (story here) highlighted the penalty for working without a work permit: a fine from 2,000 to 100,000 baht, or up to five years in prison, or both.

The penalty for illegally entering the country is a fine of up to 20,000 baht and deportation from Thailand.

[halfway inn]

[halfway inn]

Phuket Immigration: British realtor to be deported



PHUKET: --
Phuket Immigration today arrested for illegal entry a British man who had been working on the island as a realtor, a profession reserved for Thais, since 2011.

Richard James Daffund, 44, was picked up by police as he walked along Phuket Road, just several hundred meters from the Phuket Immigration Office.

The Englishman was recognized by police, who notified immigration, Capt Angkarn Yasanop of Phuket Immigration said.

Capt Angkarn, along with Phuket Immigration chief Sunchai Chokkajaykij and immigration officers, set out to find Mr Daffund.

“We spotted a man who matched the description of Mr Daffund and asked for his passport. He could not produce it, so we took him to the Phuket Immigration Office,” said Capt Angkarn.

“According to our records, Mr Daffund entered Thailand in December 2010 and left in January 2011. We have no records for him after that date,” he said.

He confessed that he had entered Thailand illegally through Malaysia in 2011 and had been working in Phuket as a realtor, he said.

“He will be transferred to Bangkok to be deported,” he added.

phucketgazette

[halfway inn]

Phuket office identifies 82 'foreign-owned' businesses suspected of using Thai nominees


Mr Nimit is ready to take action against businesses illegally using Thai nominees in Phuket

PHUKET: -- The Phuket Business Development Office (BDO) has identified 82 businesses suspected of breaching the Foreign Business Act (FBA) by using Thais as nominees so that foreigners can hold majority control.

The businesses were identified ahead of raids by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) set for this week, targeting illegal foreign businesses in Phuket.

“After checking our records, we identified 75 suspects running the 82 businesses we believe are using Thai nominees,” Phuket BDO Chief Nimit Kangkajit said.

“Of the 82 businesses, 64 of them are using the office of their accountant or lawyer as their business address. The others could not be contacted.”

All businesses in Thailand must have a physical address to legally operate.

“I would like to see the DSI make some progress in enforcing the law concerning Thai nominees,” Phuket Tourist Association Vice President Bhuritt Maswongsa said.

“Foreign tourism entrepreneurs see the benefit of these crackdowns, as it supports those who operate legitimately,” he said.

The number of businesses registered in Phuket from January 1, 2013 to July 9, 2013 has shown a four per cent increase over the same period last year, said Phuket BDO Chief Mr Nimit.

“Of the 950 businesses registered during this period, 171 companies are operated by Russians, and most of these are property related.
And 171 companies are Korean-operated, most of which are tourism oriented,” explained Mr Nimit.

About 18,000 businesses are registered with the Phuket BDO, but only about 15,000 of them are open and operating, he said.

“This means 3,000 businesses have closed without following their legal obligations to notify the Business Development Office,” Mr Nimit said.

phuket gazette

[halfway inn]

FOREIGNER WORK PERMITS


Work permits are no longer being processed at a Bangkok hotel as Labour Department regains control of its Din Daeng offices.

Labour Dept Begins Work on Processing Huge Backlog of Foreigner Work Permits

BANGKOK:-- Thailand’s Labour Department, which had spent the last two weeks operating from the Princeton Hotel, returns to its offices in Din Daeng with a limited workforce to begin tackling a huge backlog of work permit applications.

As government offices in Bangkok continue to be besieged by scores of anti-government protesters, the full extent of the Bangkok Shutdown is being felt not only in the capital but right across Thailand.

The campaign by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee to cause major disruption to the heart of Bangkok’s central governmental infrastructure has meant that many business owners and foreign nationals have been unable to obtain the necessary licenses and permits needed to operate businesses and work legally in Thailand.

Some of the offices which been most affected by the Bangkok Shutdown campaign include the Board of Investment, Industrial Work Department and the Labour Ministry, which had been forced to rent the Princeton Hotel in order to provide a safe and suitable place for officials to work in.

The knock on effect of the temporary closure and disruption to the Labour Ministry has not only caused a huge backlog of work and delay in issuing work permits to foreigners in Bangkok, it has also resulted in significant disruption to Labour departments nationwide as it has been revealed that the Department’s national computer server is located in the offices which are currently occupied by PDRC supporters.

This has meant that local provincial Labour offices have been unable to access the Department’s national database of foreign workers in order to process new work permit applications or renew existing work permits, leaving the whole system at a complete standstill.

[halfway inn]

WORKING WITH NO WORK PERMIT

French resort manager, Ukrainian tour guide nabbed in work permit raids


Resort manager Eric Raymond Seigneurin, 55, was charged with working illegally.

PHUKET: Phuket Immigration last night arrested the manager of The Blue Garden Resort & Spa in Cherng Talay, where Russian woman Iana Strizheus was found bruised and battered after her alleged kidnapping ordeal.

Officers moved in and arrested French national Eric Raymond Seigneurin, 55, at about 9pm after plainclothes police posing as tourists observed him serving tourists at the resort.

Mr Seigneurin presented his passport and the company registration documents for the resort to officers, but could not produce a work permit, explained Phuket Immigration Inspector Tianchai Chompoo.

“In addition to being charged for working without a work permit, Mr Seigneurin was charged for not filing a list of guests currently staying at the resort with Phuket Immigration, which in this case would have included Ms Strizheus,” Lt Col Tianchai said.

Mr Seigneurin was taken to Cherng Talay Police Station to process the charges.

Earlier last night, at about 7pm, immigration officers arrested Ukrainian national Ivan Vivdenko, 26, in Phuket Town on an outstanding warrant for working without a work permit and working illegally as a tour guide.

“We received a tip-off from plainclothes police that Mr Vivdenko was seen walking on Phuket Road,” Col Tianchai said.

“He was wanted on a warrant issued by the Phuket Provincial Court on March 5, so we took him to Chalong Police Station to be processed, as it was the Chalong Police who requested the warrant.”




Phuket Gazette 2014-03-26

[halfway inn]

FOREIGNERS WORKING IN DIVE INDUSTRY

Checks begin on foreigners working in Phuket dive industry



PHUKET: -- A senior official in the Foreign Labour section of the Phuket Employment Office has confirmed that officers will tomorrow (April 3) begin checking work permits of all those foreigners working in the dive industry in Phuket.

The order to make the checks comes direct from Governor Maitri Inthusut, in the wake of the furore over Chalong police officers allegedly targeting the dive industry and extorting money in return for dropping criminal cases over purported irregularities in work permits.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Tomorrow, we will begin checking the 190 diving instructors and staff in 114 diving companies in Phuket to see if they have work permits or not.”

The checks will continue one day a week until all the companies have been visited, he said.

He added, “I believe that all the work permits issued are correct because there [applicants must provide] many documents to us before we issue a work permit.

“So, tomorrow there will be a check on work permit. We will also offer advice to [dive company foreign staff] on [any limits to what they may or may not do].

“According to the work permit, dive instructors may only teach their customers how to dive correctly; they can’t work as [underwater] tour guide. I’m going to remind them again about this.”

A spokesperson for the Association of Thai Underwater Sports (ATUS) – also speaking on condition of anonymity – said that ATUS is in favour of the checks. “This will help to clarify everything. Then we will know what the facts are.”

This afternoon ATUS representatives are due to meet with Governor Maitri Inthusut.

 They will hand him a letter complaining about the alleged extortion by police officers, and asking for his help in ensuring that job descriptions in work permits are clear and allow foreign employees to carry out all their duties.


Phuket News 2014-04-02

[halfway inn]

ILLEGAL TOUR GUIDE

Tourist police arrested Dmitrii Pindiurin, 27, a native of Kyrgyzstan for working illegally as a tour guide.



PHUKET: Saturday 08-11-2014

Under orders to crack down on illegal tour guides, Tourist Police officers arrested Pindiurin at 10.30am (08-11-2014) while he was showing two tourists around in Karon.

Pindiurin was not able to produce a work permit when questioned by the officer.

He then admitted he had sold the couple a tour package on November 3 and had picked them up today at Jiraporn Hill Resort in Patong.

Officers searched Pindiurin and found several invoices for tour packages from various companies, as well as tourist maps and price lists for tours conducted in Russian.

Pindiurin also had in his possession an iPad, US$900 and B13,000 in cash.

Pindiurin initially faced charges of working without a work permit but the guide made his situation worse when he offered police a B40,000 bribe to drop the case.

Officers led Pindiurin to believe they would accept the bribe and allowed a midday appointment to be set up for an accomplice of Pindiurin's to bring the bribe money to the police station, where the event would be captured on security cameras.

The accomplice, who has not been named, arrived as arranged.

Police seized the bribe money and slammed Pindiurin with an additional charge of bribery.

[halfway inn]

RUSSIANS ILLEGALLY RUN PATTAYA TOUR COMPANIES

Russians arrested as District Officers raid illegally run Pattaya Tour Companies

PATTAYA:

Late on Thursday Night, Government Officers from the Banglamung District Administration, with the assistance of the Thai Army, conducted raids on 4 Tour Companies in Pattaya and arrested 6 Russians who were suspected of working without Work Permits.

In each case a Russian was used, armed with marked bank notes, who would purchase tour packages from the illegal foreign workers.

As soon as the transaction was complete, officers would move in and recover the marked notes as evidence of the Russians working illegally.

The Tour Companies visited during the night’s operation were: SS2007, 7 Tour, Rattana Tour and Sanyar Tour.

A total of 6 Russian nationals were detained and initially taken to the Banglamung District Office.

[Oytopikos]

CHIANG MAI:-- Seventeen foreigners have been arrested for working illegally following a raid on a condominium in Chiang Mai.

 

The raid, which took place at 12.30am on Friday found 17 Westerners of various nationalities providing online English classes to people in China from a room in the ground floor of the Riverside Condo.

 

Upon being apprehended by police, the foreigners were asked to produce their passports and work permits.

 

However, whilst twelve of the individuals could produce their passports, they were unable to produce work permits.

 

Among those who could not produce work permits were three Americans, a Canadian, a German, a Dutch national, two Irish nationals, two Britons and two Australians.

 

As well as not having a work permit, it was also revealed that a fourth American was on overstay.

 

The remaining foreigners had passports and valid work permits but were in breach of work conditions.

 

According to the Bangkok Post, the foreigners had been hired by BOI 360 Max Co, however the online language school was found to be operating without permission.

 

10 notebook computers were also seized.

 

The foreigners now have of face charges of working illegally in Thailand and are currently being held at Mai Ping police station.

 

In order to work legally in Thailand foreigners are required to have a valid work permit and the appropriate Non-Immigrant visa/extension.

[Oytopikos]

At 4:30pm, a team of tourist police went to Koh Hae and arrested Ahmet Komurco, 37, and Altin Cem Salih, 49, who were working at the Coral Island Restaurant.

The arrest came after tourist police received a tip-off about a group of Turkish men who have been selling tour packages to tourists.

Police arrived at Koh Hae and swooped the beach before heading to the restaurant and demanding to see the work permits and id of its employees. Ahmet and Altin was working behind the counter of the restaurant at the time.

“Both men provided their passports with visas allowing them temporary stay in Thailand. However, they did not have work permits.

“This operation is part of the on going campaign to reduce human trafficking and to stop foreigners living or/and working in Thailand illegally,” said Capt Kritsathorn Uthong of the tourist police.

Ahmet and Altin were taken to Chalong Police Station where they were charges with working in Thailand illegally.   


 http://www.thephuketnews.com/two-turkish-men-arrested-for-working-illegally-on-island-off-phuket-53850.php#sthash.JDUH4p2d.dpuf

[halfway inn]

Harsher labour law penalties hit Phuket employers, foreigners

PHUKET: 27 June, 2017
The Chief of the Phuket Employment Office (PEO) has cautioned foreigners and employers to be aware of a raft of new penalties for breaches of labour law introduced on Friday.

The warning follows the newly issued “Emergency Decree” on “Management Immigrant Work” dated June 17, which came into effect on Friday (June 23).

“To all employers and foreign employees, please be careful, because some of these new penalties are very harsh,” PEO Chief Pitool Dumsakorn told The Phuket News today (June 27).

“For example, deceiving that one can bring a foreigner to work without a work permit can incur a fine from B600,000 up to B1 million and from three to 10 years in prison, or both, for each foreign worker deceived,” he said.

The Emergency Decree is comprised of 33 provisions, but Chief Pitool stressed that foreigners and employers need to be aware that the penalties for eight breaches of the law in particular have been increased.

The eight provisions are highlighted in a Thai-language leaflet currently issued by the Department of Employment, and now available at the POE.

Mr Pitool noted that the most important provision was No 1 on the leaflet, which states: “If an employer employs a foreigner to work at a foreigner-forbidden position, the employer is fined with B400,000- 800,000 per employed foreigner.”

“This one is important because it is probably the most common one,” Mr Pitool said.

“Number six is also important, because not a many people know that it is wrong to keep a foreigner’s work permit,” he added.

Rule 6 on the leaflet states: “If a person withholds a work permit or other documents belonging to a foreigner, he/she will be imprisoned not more than 6 months or fined not more than B100,000, or both.”

The other five provisions highlighted by the leaflet are:

• If a foreigner works in excess of the work as described in the work permit, the foreigner may be fined up to B100,000.

• If an employer allows a foreigner to work in excess of the work described in the work permit, the employer may be fined up to B400,000 per foreigner employed.

• If a foreigner works without a work permit or works in a position prohibited to foreigners, the foreigner may be fined B2,000-100,000, or imprisoned up to five years, or both.

• If a foreigner works on an urgent and essential nature without approval from a labour officer, he/she may be fined up B20,000-B100,000.

• Any person operating as a job agency for foreigners without a license may be fined B200,000-600,000, or imprisoned for one to three years, or both.

For more information about the new provisions, call the Department of Employment hotline at 1694 (Thai language only):
https://www.doe.go.th/prd/main/news/param/site/1/cat/7/sub/0/pull/detail/view/detail/object_id/7720


thephuketnews