News Forum - Thailand News Today | Phuket pushes for special visa for digital nomads

[Thaiger]

Phuket officials are pushing for a visa scheme for “digital nomads” who want to live or stay in Thailand while working remotely. Under the proposed Phuket X Community for Digital NOMADs Visa, eligible foreigners would be offered a work permit and a stay on the island province for six months to a year. The visa scheme would also allow foreigners to open a savings account and buy health insurance. The visa proposal was submitted to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and to the Foreign Affairs Minister by the President of Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation, Rewat, The president says […]

The story Thailand News Today | Phuket pushes for special visa for digital nomads as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Guest1]

15 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Phuket officials are pushing for a visa scheme for “digital nomads” who want to live or stay in Thailand while working remotely.

And they may have a chance, that some of them will go for a visa. Till the borders are open and visa runs are possible, again. There have been lots of them on Phuket, before Covid already. Digital Nomads aren't Nomads any longer, as soon they settle. And most of them are Nomads, because they don't wanna pay taxes! Which I think, aside the health care premium , is the other thought for visa and wp, right?

[LoongFred]

If they  can  contribute to Thai society not just the entertainment industry it's OK. If it's just a scam to stay without contributing I'd say no. Eliminate the scam. Make sure they are taxed.

[Soidog]

The good thing is that these people will most likely spend between 50,000-100,000 baht a month and hence contribute to Thai society. They will most likely help those people in need of it most. The street vendors, the small bar owners, tuk tuk drivers and no doubt help the odd person begging on the street. I’d prefer these people more than those who sit at home all day and once a week go to a high end restaurant and put the money in the banks of the mega rich families who control Thailand. That’s not contributing to Thai society, it’s perpetuating the shameful wealth gap. 

[Guest1]

10 minutes ago, Soidog said:

The good thing is that these people will most likely spend between 50,000-100,000 baht a month and hence contribute to Thai society. They will most likely help those people in need of it most. The street vendors, the small bar owners, tuk tuk drivers and no doubt help the odd person begging on the street. I’d prefer these people more than those who sit at home all day and once a week go to a high end restaurant and put the money in the banks of the mega rich families who control Thailand. That’s not contributing to Thai society, it’s perpetuating the shameful wealth gap. 

Just my2c:

That are other digital nomads, as the one from before or whom are already here, methinks. And almost NO one, who is longer here, is helping the TukTuk Mafiosi's!

Aside, the nomads I know/knew, yes they made/make money by working their notebooks in Thailand, but did often spend even less, as a normal tourist: Renting rooms, apartment, houses is cheaper, as Hotels, renting, buying a moto or car is ....,  knowing which restaurant you wanna go,...,  plus: Lots of them have to work in evening and night time, to meet with clients in Europe and America. So not really time, 5 days a week, for spending money in entertainment locations. And I don't see that they will spend more, in case health insurance becomes mandatory plus taxes have to be paid.

But lets read in a couple of years, how this program worked out.

[Soidog]

23 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

Just my2c:

That are other digital nomads, as the one from before or whom are already here, methinks. And almost NO one, who is longer here, is helping the TukTuk Mafiosi's!

Aside, the nomads I know/knew, yes they made/make money by working their notebooks in Thailand, but did often spend even less, as a normal tourist: Renting rooms, apartment, houses is cheaper, as Hotels, renting, buying a moto or car is ....,  knowing which restaurant you wanna go,...,  plus: Lots of them have to work in evening and night time, to meet with clients in Europe and America. So not really time, 5 days a week, for spending money in entertainment locations. And I don't see that they will spend more, in case health insurance becomes mandatory plus taxes have to be paid.

But lets read in a couple of years, how this program worked out.

I agree with observation around many people who currently call themselves digital nomads. But if they pitch the prices for visas and health insurance in a competitive way, then they can attract the next tier of DN. The only reservation I have is that the people making the rules will be motivated by the wrong things and ultimately Fu*k it up like everything else they do. 

[dirkzett]

Why should I register as a digital nomad in Thailand? Either I am one, then I live nomadically or I want to become sedentary.
Many countries do not charge tax on worldwide income, e.g. Philippines, Dominican Republic, Colombia. So why would I do something so stupid?
 It is enough that I have to fight with my tax authorities back home, because they want to have taxes on something that is none of their business.
 But there are also legal ways to get around this, even for Germans like me..

 

On 3/21/2022 at 7:00 AM, Thaiger said:

Beamte von Phuket drängen auf ein Visumsystem für „digitale Nomaden“, die in Thailand leben oder bleiben möchten, während sie aus der Ferne arbeiten. Im Rahmen des vorgeschlagenen Visums der Phuket X Community for Digital NOMADs würde berechtigten Ausländern eine Arbeitserlaubnis und ein Aufenthalt in der Inselprovinz für sechs Monate bis zu einem Jahr angeboten. Das Visasystem würde es Ausländern auch ermöglichen, ein Sparkonto zu eröffnen und eine Krankenversicherung abzuschließen. Der Visumvorschlag wurde dem Büro des stellvertretenden Premierministers und dem Außenminister vom Präsidenten der Verwaltungsorganisation der Provinz Phuket, Rewat, vorgelegt. Der Präsident sagt […]

Die Geschichte Thailand News Today | Phuket drängt auf ein spezielles Visum für digitale Nomaden , wie in Thaiger News zu sehen ist .

Lesen Sie die ganze Geschichte

 

[JamesR]

Those of us who are so called digital nomads will not tell the Thais we are writing software and selling it while in our houses in Thailand, plus people like me who are over 50 will get the 'old bloke' annual visa extension and say we are retired.

It will be great, no fixed hours, 'work' when we like and enjoy Thailand at the same time, it will be great as it will keep my brain in-gear and I won't have to search around like a lot of retired farangs in Thailand for things to moan about as I will be too busy to become bored.

Plus choose places like Phuket to be a 'Nomad', it has the best of all scenarios, I can't imagine living in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do and no one interesting to converse with, I like the international modern feel of Phuket.

[JamesR]

Sorry error. 

[Faraday]

Post containing Foreign Language & the reply to it removed.

 

Moderator

[Artemis080]

The point of this visa is not to enable people to live in Phuket long term. It's a medium-term visa option for under a year and mimics other "work remotely" programs around the world. I support that.

I'm actually not sure why they are bothering with attaching a work permit to this visa type. It's pointless and will involve the dept of labour, who in turn will have to create their own new procedures.

It should be treated like an Elite Visa, with no ability to become a tax resident. Then they just need to highlight that you don't need a work permit for work that you do that does not directly involve Thailand. eg. A YouTuber commercially vlogging here does need a WP because they are making a living from the direct association of being in Thailand. A person coding on a laptop for a foreign company with no Thai clients does not.

[LoongFred]

11 hours ago, JamesR said:

Those of us who are so called digital nomads will not tell the Thais we are writing software and selling it while in our houses in Thailand, plus people like me who are over 50 will get the 'old bloke' annual visa extension and say we are retired.

It will be great, no fixed hours, 'work' when we like and enjoy Thailand at the same time, it will be great as it will keep my brain in-gear and I won't have to search around like a lot of retired farangs in Thailand for things to moan about as I will be too busy to become bored.

Plus choose places like Phuket to be a 'Nomad', it has the best of all scenarios, I can't imagine living in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do and no one interesting to converse with, I like the international modern feel of Phuket.

Why live in Thailand in a falang ghettos if you only want to avoid Thais.  Thailand is exciting because it's uniquely Thai and everyday is an adventure. No need to seek out moaning falangs, just learn Thai and fit in. It's very rewarding. If you want to lock yourself in a room coding, but you could do that back home. 

I didn't come to Thailand to work. I made a lot more money back home, nows the time for adventure.

[Bluesofa]

23 minutes ago, Artemis080 said:

A YouTuber commercially vlogging here does need a WP because they are making a living from the direct association of being in Thailand. A person coding on a laptop for a foreign company with no Thai clients does not.

Saying that working in Thailand for a company abroad doesn't need a work permit.
Do you have a link to immigration or the ministry of labour to confirm this?

IIRC immigration define 'work' as something like 'any effort undertaken - mental or physical - that produces a result'.

[Artemis080]

20 minutes ago, Bluesofa said:

Saying that working in Thailand for a company abroad doesn't need a work permit.
Do you have a link to immigration or the ministry of labour to confirm this?

IIRC immigration define 'work' as something like 'any effort undertaken - mental or physical - that produces a result'.

The 2018 Emergency degree changed quite a bit, including WP not being tied to the specific job title and geographic region and work definition.

Without deep diving, this probably helps. But, it's still as vague as ever.

https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-law-working-without-a-work-permit-now-possible-67692.php

Phuket police have repeatedly said that working on laptop doesn't need a work permit per se. But you still need to be low key because nothing is formally written anywhere.

Integrity did a good article on YouTubers - https://www.legal.co.th/resources/corporate-and-tax-advisory/thailand-corporate-law/do-foreign-youtubers-thailand-need-work-permit/