Working pessonally on one own house.

ben achi · Post by **ben achi** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 12:51 am

I have been doing a fair bit or reading to establish how one can actually build a house in Thailand. Coolthaihouse is a fantastic resource. One of the attractions for me of building my own house is that is that I can be actively involvd the management of the construction process as well as completing those parts of the construction work which I can do by myself. The type of work I would complete myseltf might be the internal fit out - electrics cupboards and kitchen etc.

I was alarmed to read the following the other day.

"If you do not have a work permit, you cannot legally work on your own house, at least not manual work. Even with a work permit, construction work is listed as a restricted occupation. Do a google search on “Restricted Occupations Thai law” and you will find several references detailing what you cannot do, even with a work permit.

Technically speaking it is illegal to check up on the building progress your self without a permit since it can be considered work, so be careful and stay friendly with the neighbors to avoid visits by the police.

You will probably get many offers from farang friends who want to help out for a little beer money. This is a bad idea! If you get caught, both you and your friend will be in big trouble."

Can anybody confirm whether the statements are true.

Post by **dozer** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 7:59 am

This gets down to 'can you mow your lawn without a work permit' (after all, you are not a not a licensed gardener). Let's take another example, painting. You could very well get in trouble for painting your friends house, even for free (or for that matter painting an orphanage as a part of some volunteer activity) - but you will never get bothered for painting your own house. Whether technically it is illegal or not may not be relevant, as a matter of practice no one has ever been hassled for painting or doing other physical work on his own house.

Since the law is particularly broad “WORK means, to engage in work by exerting physical energy, or using knowledge, whether or not in consideration of wages, or other benefits” it makes more sense to think about how the law is applied (since under this strictly speaking mowing your lawn, working out at a gym, teaching your child to read, would all be illegal). So the important aspect becomes 'in practice is xyz allowed or not'.

jazzman · Post by **jazzman** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 8:26 am

Typical alarmist information of the kind that gets posted on ThaiVisa.Com or Ajarn.com

ben achi · Post by **ben achi** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 9:53 am

I must say it all sounded rather unreasonable and impractical particulary if you are working on a house for yourself. A bit different if you are in paid employment building stuff as a means of making money. From what I have read the letter of the law states the unreasonable case - worth being aware anyway!?!?

thegrogmonster · Post by **thegrogmonster** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 11:26 am

I have so far replaced the switchboard and repainted all of the downstairs of our house. I have used Thais before to do some work and I find that they do not do a better job then I can. I have no problem paying for someone to do quality work but if I can do the same then I will do it.

The only problem I had so far was that when I was replacing the switchboard there was no pole fuse or anything to isolate the incoming supply to the house so I had to disconnect the wire from the load side of the electricity meter. So a nosy neighbour accused me of stealing electricity and was going to report me. I told the wife to tell him to mind his own business and report me if he wanted to. The electricity company were coming out to upgrade the meter anyway.

By the way I am an electrician and would not recommend anyone undertaken this work if they are unqualified.

somdet · Post by **somdet** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 2:23 pm

The father of one of my students built his own house with the help of two Thai guys. He told me that he had to bribe the police and the land office guy, but that it wasn't much and after an inital payment they never bothered him.

atlas_shrugged · Post by **atlas_shrugged** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 10:02 pm

These Thai police that are going to arrest you for checking progress on your house, would these be the same Thai police who were uninterested in collecting the complete, perfect set of hand & fingerprints left on glass by the cat burglar I caught in my daughter's room while she was sleeping?

Just wondering.

-Atlas

ben achi · Post by **ben achi** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 10:14 pm

What a shocking experience. I bet that made you boil!!

From what I can make of things there appears to be one set of rules for the farang and another for everybody else. It appears that the Thai people consider we have a lot of money and can afford to loose some of it - to them.

I dont mean to be insensitive, and had I suffered the same experience as you I would be very angry, but there are good things and bad things about living in all countries this is clearly one of the downsides of Thailand.

Trust that you managed to scare of the burgler and that the house, contents and most importantly your family are safe.