8 South Koreans arrested for illegally teaching in Bangkok schools
Officers from the Immigration Bureau arrested eight South Korean nationals for working illegally as teachers at two language schools in Bangkok.
The officers raided two language schools in the Bang Na and Ratchada areas of Bangkok yesterday, February 6. The schools had multiple separate classrooms, each equipped with students’ tables and teachers’ tools, including whiteboards, student exercises, Korean textbooks, and monitors.
Police found eight South Korean nationals teaching students both online and in person at the two schools and requested to inspect their work permits. However, none of the South Korean teachers at either location could provide the required documentation.
Among the eight South Korean nationals, six were male and two were female. They entered Thailand legally under the visa-free scheme, and some remained in the country after marrying Thai wives. However, despite their legal entry and stay, they had not obtained work permits to teach at the schools.
The schools’ owner, Wipha, reportedly paid the South Korean nationals 200 baht per hour for online teaching and 350 baht per hour for in-person classes. They were compensated both in cash and via bank transfers.
The South Korean national who had worked at the school the longest had been teaching there for over a year.
All of the illegal foreign employees were charged under Section 8 of the Foreigners’ Working Management Act for working without a permit. The penalty ranges from a fine of 5,000 to 50,000 baht, deportation, and a two-year ban from applying for a work permit in Thailand.
Wipha, the Thai employer, was charged under Section 9 of the Foreigners’ Working Management Act for hiring foreign workers without a permit. This offence carries a fine of between 10,000 and 100,000 baht per illegal employee.
If Wipha were to commit the same offence again in the future, she would face imprisonment of up to one year and a fine ranging from 50,000 to 200,000 baht per illegal employee. She would also be banned from hiring any foreign workers for three years following the final court judgment.
On Wednesday, February 5, another South Korean national was arrested in Chon Buri for working illegally as a tour guide. He was detained while leading a group of tourists on a luxury boat trip.
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