Arrested in Thailand!! (5years in Prison) 

I’ve lived here in Thailand for the past 30 years. Always worked outside of the country. You obviously knew that you needed a work permit, just as anyone else. In fact, being a tour guide, as a foreigner, is a restricted profession and you’re not even allowed to work doing this. Therefore, even if you’d applied for a work permit, after getting a business visa (non immigrant B), they would have turned you down for it. Working here is the same as any country. How do you think a Thai would have faired in the UK wanting to work on a tourist visa? The same thing would have happened to them as it do you. Trying to circumvent the rules of any countries visa regulations is always going to get you sooner or later. If you want to come back and work, get a non immigrant visa “B” and come out and find a firm to employ you. If they are a proper firm, they’ll apply for a work permit for you, then you can start working, except in the tourism industry which is only available to Thais.

We can't imagine what your line of thinking was and that is ok. Thanks for sharing your experience. Respectfully, when people are directing rude comments towards, you don't need to reply. We all have mishaps in life. Glad you are safe. We need to lead with compassion more.

Banged up aboard 😞 Glad you are free, stay strong, take care 🙏

Thanks bro for sharing with us your experience. For sure we start to keep in mind lots of things! Sometimes life sucks! Stay strong and keep travelling! Regards!

What a dark time and story, you did so well getting thru, thanks for sharing.

So happy to have been on that first tour, you were great! 🫶🏼

This experience for you Before I stay Thailand.... Nice to see you at home

Happy your out!!!!!!!

I have had a motorcycle accident. They have kept my passport for nearly a year now. Court session scheduled for October. Potential prison sentence is much higher, but I hope that the case has to be dismissed/dropped. At times I am also very worried. I havent been lucky with my lawyer. I also feel like lacking support even though, or maybe especially as I am have 2 children. Thank you for making this video.

Mate, I’ve never seen one of your videos but surely to god you know about a work visa?

I worked for 2 years for the Tourist Police in Phuket,All of you guys know what visa you're on when you arrive here, Tourist with no work permitted under any circumstances and a quick visit to the immigration website would have confirmed that, Working illegally in Thailand is a serious offence and you were lucky you were not deported for breaking the visa regulations here, Ignorance of foreign laws here is no excuse for breaking them so own it mate and move on.

A sobering tale, however you were not 'very unlucky' more like naive. I've been going to Thailand since the 90's and like you fell in love with the country and always wished to go live & work there. Over time I became aware of the work permit restrictions, so kind of gave up on the idea of working there. However, I was lucky enough to get a job offer. This involved getting a work permit, which means personally attending an immigration department office (every year) and getting a little blue book, sponsored by your employer. Working without that (and quite likely getting caught) you're going to experience a world of pain & trauma, as you found. Unlike the UK, Thailand is very stringent about restricting jobs for their own nationals. The crystal clear point to be made in your summary should be, Do Not Work in Thailand Without a Work Permit !

The Thai government doesn’t mess around when it comes to visas, I overlooked my departure flight dates and ended up overstaying my visa by 2 days, paid about 30 usd in fines. I watch my visa dates like a hawk after paying $ fine and getting a note attached to passport . Did you get black listed by Thai immigration? thanks for posting experience

How long is "a period of time" ? 1 hour ? 1 week ?

Good. You learn a lesson.

Thumbs up 👍

Very common in Thailand, the employer convinces the employee everything is fine but rhe employee takes the heat at the end of the day. Even when one tries to insist that everything is done above board, you cannot be sure. I am owed a lot of money in unpaid salaries from working in Thailand. Got my work permits but not the pay promised.

And the company you worked for was called what?

Lived here in Thailand for over 30 years, use to work here in the early days. The companies, oil field, always applied for the correct visa and obtained a work permit. As others have stated certain job types are off limits to foreigners, I can understand how you may not have known this, why would you. The company you worked for though would have for sure known all of the legal requirements. They were just taking advantage of your lack of knowledge. There has been a big clamp down recently in the tourism sector due to complaints from the Thai people, mainly aimed at Chinese companies. You just got caught up in it, I would have been very surprised though if you got 5 years. Well done for putting this out there for others to learn from. I hope you can return and enjoy the country.

Naive would be an understatement. good you put this vid out, the world is full of people just like you. Hopefully you may of saved another youngster.

What's with the sad background music 😂

3 minutes in i thought, sounds illegal. The thai rep is the guide, you can't be a tour guide. I worked many years as a dive instructor in Thailand, but always with work permit. Your employer sure know about this. Even with a work permit , read what you can do , you can't guide turists!

So title should say 5 months waiting to get my passport back not 5 years in prison lol

Thai's are hundred percent about paperwork and following the process and laws. It is better for them to have thai workers anyways. Glad it worked out for you.

why did u sign an NDA ? and then u could name the company ?

5 years in prison? No that's not true. I don't think you stayed overnight . You people with BS thumbnails.😮

While you may have viewed your experience as rather unlucky, all the information that is needed about working legally in Thailand is available online. A quick google search reveals all. So, did you search or just go along for the ride? Something is very wrong about your tale of woe. I'm sure your experience was unpleasant, but it really is easy to find the information. All of this would've been avoided by a bit of quick research.

Thailand RU-vidrs beware.

Don't break the law, and you will be fine.

You got really unlucky mate. There is so many people working in Thailand without a visa. I think it could have been handled a lot better by simply paying the first person that approached you.

Unfortunately you can’t go back to Thailand anymore. You are banned from Thailand for life. You don’t have work permits. It’s required to get work permit from consulate. You have accepted that.

I was banged up in Phuket and Bangkok IDC, not as long as yourself but was a crazy life experience

Wow crazy, 5 years in prison, your big chance to get big on youtube and you hit us with that clickbait. bro

You keep repeating yourself ….exit

If it was another location, I think you would not be arrested…still not a good idea to work without a permit. With so many Russians visiting, living and (illegally) working as tour guides in Phuket, the police presence at touristy locations are high. Some bad luck involved.

I survived 9 murder attempts in Prachuap khirikhan prison, all in 18 days. Those places is hell on earth

You said you lived in Bali. Well same thing, you can’t work without a work permit

RED FLAGs: - Bent Contract / Tourist Visa / No work Permit / Being Naive / Being Young / Your employer who didn't care / ANSWER: - Never trust anyone / do your own research and get proper advice / Never sign an NDA

So no prison? Couple nights at the police station.

Am I to stoned.. or is it quiet hard to follow his story here? 😊

This guy would be one of the first to rant about foreigners working in UK without permits.

You need a visa for any work, you should have done your homework.....

Don’t mess with Thai law

Boohoo no blankie

?

A red flag 🚩 would’ve been A Company in Bali a whole different country hiring People to Work In Thailand , knowing how strict Thailands immigration Laws for Visa are. Knowingly just of simple Internet research on what jobs are restricted by Thailands laws for foreigners to occupy wouldnkeep a person in good visa grace. Its a known fact A guide licensed for tours in Thailand is strictly reserved for Thais So are communication jobs , Hair Salon work even if you’re a licensed electrician or Brick layer in your country of origin and You buy a Condo. And repairs are necessary if you’re on a retirement visa you can NOT do any work in Your Condo for home improvements whatsoever They would hold a hearing to revoke your retirement visa Point of fact any company looking to hire workers in Thailand will be investigated to see if compliant . Mechanics same situation your not permitted to service your own vehicle Auto or Motobike .

man, the clickbait is annoying. Can't really blame you though because no one would've clicked on the video if the title was honest

I must be particularly thick but I found this kind of hard to follow. I mean I assume you were some sort of unofficial holiday rep but how that works, how you were recruited etc would have been nice to know at the start. You kept talking about "we" and " the team" like everyone reading knows who that is. I just think if you're new to the channel and don't happen to know you personally in real life then there's a lot of assumed knowledge, but regardless an interesting video anyway. This year "they've decided not to send anyone out" ..,"they'll only use Thai reps" Who is "they"? Plus you said you were doing this "tour" independently so what do "they" have to do with it? Maybe next time start with a bit about yourself, who you work for and how you came to get the job, what the job is exactly etc would be helpful.

If you want to work in Thailand you need a work permit employment is not permitted without a work permit everyone knows this

5 years in prison? That title is completely misleading. Working without permission? What an idiot.

Sorry…. But did you say that you followed the tours during the 5 months of you waiting for a verdict/result in your case? Does that mean you continued to do what you got caught for whilst awaiting your fate? I got a little confused on that part? I’m glad you are out of that mess and are safe and well anyways bud. Count yourself a very lucky man and take it as a lesson learned. I utterly respect how the Thais deal with this sort of thing. They do not piss around when it comes to people entering or working in their country illegally. They are super strict on these matters. And are making more stringent laws all the time to keep their country and citizens safe. They are aware that if they start to relax these laws then every Tom dick and harry will want a piece of Thailand and it will be over run by criminals and no gooders. It will then lose control and it’s charm. This is what makes Thailand the magical kingdom it is. I only wish our “United Kingdom” would of taken a leaf from their book a long time ago. Then we wouldn’t be in the shit we are now. Try getting on a boat full of people and entering Thai waters in order to take advantage of their national health service and social security benefits… and see where that gets you? The uk is on it knees now! 😢

I watched the first twelve minutes of this, so pardon me if you answer my question further on. My question is this: You appear to have known very little about Thailand before you were arrested. How the heck did you get a job as a tour guide? Am I understanding correctly that somebody in Bali hired you to be a guide in Thailand? That wasn't a huge red flag for you? I'm confused.

Did he know this before he did it?

As an aside.....Why on Earth do you feel the need to play "Tinketbell Music" while you are reciting a serious matter ? Or any music for that matter..............

Click bait

Yawn

You took a job that you had no qualifications to do. You failed to due diligence on your own behalf. You are not a victim here. Both you and the business that sent you there are in the wrong.

Boring, take care of your life. No one givs a shit

Its you own fault. No Sympathy Should have got a work permit

The Tourist Police were on your case because YOU BROKE BASIC THAI IMMIGRATION LAWS!!! End of Story!! Traveling wakes us up. Lesson learnt champ!!!

People judge yet when ya go out there and this information was never available or no one told you, how are you to know, and dont say its commin sense, you need to have this information for it to be common sense. If no knowledge or wisdom is passed to you then whats your parameters