ASEAN nations (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) pilot a free regional labor market for skilled workers and professionals which will be starting on 2015. It means that there will be a free movement of labor and workers among member countries of which the following countries are included: Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Singapore, Laos, Philippines, Brunei, and Vietnam.

As part of the implementation of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) to form a cohesive Asian Community, the member countries’ skilled labor will soon be allowed to move freely across each members’ country. This will open up free flow of investment, capital and skilled labor to provide deeper regional economic integration.

One of the goals of ASEAN 2015 would be a healthy and transparent labor market thus hitting a mark on globalizing trend. As there would be a good inflow and outflow of workers, we will be able to attract the best domestic talent; the competitiveness will increase job performance and working skills. English language and computer usage will be a must, thus will be developed.

As of now, AEC focus on the following professions such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, engineering, architecture, accounting, natural resources, and geographical exploration. Eventually it will cover other fields and other levels of job not mentioned above.

As there would be movement of workers into and out of the country, there would be more opportunities to work abroad. This will raise the quality of domestic labor. It will also open more opportunity for trade, investment, employment, new knowledge and advance technology. Thus it will be a good opportunity to set-up business in Thailand. Sectors such as training institutions, enterprises and workers will gear up and stay competitive; thus allowing the regional labor market to be more integrated and more qualified. With those professions mentioned above, the license, diplomas, certificate and experienced granted in another country will be recognized. Effective AEC economic activities among member countries could result to expansion of market and production, thus creating more employment opportunities. Zero tariffs on Southeast Asian market come along with AEC, so foreign investment is expected to flow.

It has its own disadvantage. First would be strong competition. In the liberalization of the Southeast Asian economy each will be competing against each other in the level of communication skills, working standards, and many other criteria set to find the fittest of those qualities. Poor English skills will be disadvantaged, so as those will low productivity. Thus it sounds again more like survival of the fittest.

Issues like migrant labor exploitation may arise. Challenges like allowing huge flows of workers in rich countries like Singapore may not be feasible. There could be a shortage of highly-skilled laborer in his home country. Concerns with regards to language barrier and communication skills have been identified like extreme shortage of natives speaking foreign language (English), and this disintegration of language skills will result to difficulty in accessing new knowledge. We have to consider factors limiting the labor mobility such as language, new loans, and family adjustments.

 

 

As marriage is one of the milestones in a person's life it must be held and celebrated in the best way the couple prefers it to be- from choosing the place of marriage, location, or marriage theme. The couple may tailor-fit it in accordance to one's culture, tradition or religion.

By choosing to marry in Thailand there are rites, rituals and intricacies of a traditional Thai wedding ceremony. On its legal aspect, marriage in Thailand involves following the Thailand law and marriage court rules. Marriage registration in Thailand is actually the process of registering the marriage at a Register Office.

Marriage in Thailand includes the following requirements: Both parties need to be at least seventeen years of age(for Thai national), for foreigners who want to marry in Thailand, the eligible age would depend on their country's rule of marriageable age. Take note that this could vary depending on nationality; the person should not be insane or otherwise mentally incapacitated; the couple should not have the same adoptive parents; they should not have blood relations; and they must not have a spouse at the time they marry in Thailand.

In addition to this, there are documents required to submit in order to marry in Thailand. Getting all of these documents ready including the House Registration Certificate in the case of Thai nationals, proof of previous divorce or death of spouse, and affidavits from embassy, as well as translated copies of affidavits approved by the Foreign Ministry take time and effort to prepare. A reputable law firm in Thailand could assist you in the preparation of these documents and communicating with the different government agencies involved. The documents required for each marriage application vary depending on whether you are a Thai national or a foreigner, what nationality you have or what passport you do hold.

A good law firm in Thailand will provide you information and basic marriage registration procedure, thus allowing yourself and your to-be spouse enough time to arrange for all of these documents before you come to Thailand and marry. Knowing the correct information will save you time and effort and avoid denial of your marriage registration application due to incomplete documents. Retaining the service of a law firm will assure you stress-free marriage preparation.

You may also consider preparing prenuptial agreements or other management of property and assets before you plan to marry in Thailand. Thai lawyer or a law firm in Thailand could assist you with this.

Once all the documents are ready, you can do the actual registration process with the District Office. The couple will be required to give consent to take each other as spouse in front of the registrar by giving their signatures, verbal consent and written declarations.

You can make your marriage in Thailand easy, organized and less stressful giving you more time to enjoy the wonderful attractions in Thailand with your partner while getting the wedding of your dreams.

 

Working-sector expats move to Thailand both for leisure and work. Thailand's growing economy, purchasing power parity, low cost of living and laid-back lifestyle appeals to a lot of expats. But a foreigner who wishes to come and live in Thailand seeks to earn a living. The first thing most expatriates wish to know is how to find a job in Thailand.

While the availability of jobs in Thailand for foreigners is limited, working legally in Thailand also requires issuance of a valid work permit. Thai work permit gives authority to the holder to work in Thailand. So when considering a job offer or a potential job employment, even on top of housing, travel, medical insurance, salary package and remuneration benefits the most important thing a foreigner needs to consider is whether or not the potential employer would provide a work permit. Also, there is a provision for the kind of jobs available for expats. An expat can only perform jobs that are not currently listed under prohibited occupations in Thailand for foreigners.In Thailand, foreigners are allowed to land in jobs such as teaching English, translator, actor or model, dive instructor, professional position such as accountant, engineer, salesman, lawyer, executives, or even running his/her own business.

Working in Thailand and securing a work permit is not easy. There is a restriction of the issuance of a work permit. If not deemed as necessary, if Thai local can do the job, there is no reason for the organization to hire an expat. Also, the difficulty of securing a work permit arises in meeting the set ratio of the number of Thai locals versus the number of expats working in an organization. There is the challenge for the company of not meeting the requirements set by the Ministry of Labor for the approval of work permit application.

In addition to this, the work permit is good only for a particular job for which it was issued within the geographic limitations specified in the work permit. Working in a position or at a location other than that specifically approved is grounds for termination of your permit. You may hold more than one position with one or more employers but you must obtain permission for each position and for each employer. Generally, the permission for each position is entered in the original work permit record.

To be eligible for processing a work permit, the foreigner needs to secure first a Non-Immigrant "B" Visa. Once non-immigrant visa has been received, he may then apply for a Thailand work permit. If submitted correctly with complete documents an application can be processed in 10 days. Work permit is applied at the nearest Provincial Department of Employment Office.

Required Documents

Ministry of Labor requires the following documents to be submitted in processing of the work permit:

• signed copy of every page of the passport,
• non-immigrant visa,
• transcript of records authenticated at the embassy of the foreigner's country,
• resume,
• embarkation card,
• health certificate,
• passport-size photo,
• marriage certificate (if applicable).

If you are married to a Thai national, aside from the marriage certificate, spouse’s identity card, birth certificates of children, household registration certificate must be presented. If you are applying for a position previously held by another foreigner, a photocopy of your predecessor’s work permit, together with his/her notice of resignation from the company or a letter confirming his/her intended date of departure must be included.

Validity

The work permit is valid as long as your visa allows you to remain in Thailand. When the foreigner resigns from work, they are also required to return the work permit within seven (7) days from the date of resignation. And if the foreigner changes the nature of his or her employment or his or her employer, they must secure a new work permit.

Exemptions

Exceptions to the Alien Employment Act permit foreigners to perform work without a permit if it is deemed necessary and urgent which can be completed within 15 days. However, the Department of Employment must be informed before such work begins.

Violations

There is a legal consequence if work permit has been violated. Working without a valid work permit is a criminal offense. Penalties include imprisonment of not exceeding 5 years or a fine from 2,000 THB to 100,000 THB, or both. In the case you agree to travel out of Thailand within the period of time prescribed by the interrogating officer, which must not be later than 30 days, the interrogating officer may impose a fine and make arrangements for you to travel out of Thailand. Foreigners who do work reserved solely for Thais will be fined of up to 20,000 THB. A company or employer that hires a foreigner without a valid work permit is subject to a fine from 10,000 THB to 100,000 THB for each foreign worker/employee.

Work permit must be carried all the time especially during work-related activities. Be prepared to show it upon immigration check.

 

Thai citizens living abroad can now renew or replace stolen, damaged or lost Thai ID card overseas. Thailand is one of the countries who has devised a national identity card system. Before, Thai expats can only renew or replace Thai id card in their home country at the offices of Amphur in Thailand.

The Thai ID system serves as a certificate of citizenship. This identity card contains the “population identification code” which is assigned to each Thai citizen at birth or upon receiving citizenship. It is issued by the Department of Provincial Administration of the Ministry of Interior.

Each card has a code of 13-digit string in format:

x-xxxx-xxxxx-xx-x

The first digit would show the Type of citizenship Second to Fourth digit would show the office where the number was issued 6th to 12th digit would be a group and sequence numbers last digit - check digit

The whole population of Thai national is recorded and contained in a central database system. Each ID card contains electronic fingerprint and facial image data which serves as the citizen’s record. The ID card system is issued by the government, controlled and maintained by the Interior Ministry.

In the event that the national ID card has been stolen, damaged or expired, it can now be replaced at Thai Consulates and Embassies of the Thai citizen’s country of residence making it more accessible for Thai nationals living overseas. Royal Thai Consulates and Thai Embassies in Sydney, Singapore, Berlin, Taipei, Los Angeles, and New York are ready to implement this.

Only in the event that you will be securing your Thai ID for the first time, it can only be submitted and processed in Thailand, so for first time applications there is still a need to process it back home.

 

Most foreign nationalities would like to stay in Thailand for a longer period. While they arrive in Thailand with the initial visa (such as tourist visa), if they wish to stay in Thailand for more than 30 days or if they are planning to come to Thailand and their purpose of visit is business, they can apply for a One year Thai visa or 90-day Thai visa.

One year non-immigrant Thai visa

You can apply for a 1-year multiple entry non-immigrant visa which will allow you to stay in Thailand and travel in and outside the country for 1 year. This one year thai visa is issued for applicants who wish to enter Thailand to perform official duties or religious activities, conduct business or investment, work, and study, visit the family and other activities. This type of visa can be extended for 3 months on or before the visa expiration date.

90 day Thai visa

If you intend to stay in Thailand for more than the normal tourist visa, the 90 day non-immigrant visa is the best option which will allow you to stay 90 consecutive days. 90 day non-immigrant visa to Thailand for foreign citizens is issued to applicants who wish to enter Thailand to perform official duties or religious activities, conduct business, work, and study, visit the family and other activities for a period of 90 days with the ability to extend their stay for 7 days.

 

If you are a foreigner and legally married to a Thai national, there is one type of visa that you could file.

Thai Marriage Visa is a type of visa suitable for you if you wish to stay in Thailand for long term. This visa can be renewed without leaving Thailand.

With the Thai marriage visa, you are allowed to apply for a work permit.

To process the One Year Marriage Visa in Thailand, you need to show your marriage certificate and you need to meet the financial requirements.

Financial requirements for the Thai Marriage Visa

An amount of at least THB 400,000 must be deposited in a Thai local bank for 2 months before you process the visa application (A letter from the bank is needed to verify this)

OR A monthly income of at least THB 40,000 (A letter from the embassy is needed to verify this income) OR a combination of both

Prior to obtain this One Year Marriage Visa, you need to obtain first a 90-day Non Immigrant Visa from the Thai Embassy in your home country so you can enter Thailand. The whole process will take 5 to 8 business days.

Requirements for the initial Thai visa

• Passport
• Passport size photos
• Embassy fee
• Siam Legal documents
• Copy of marriage certificate/registration

The immigration will accept your marriage visa application on the last 21 days of your 90 days Non-Immigrant visa so you can travel around Thailand. Therefore, we can start the conversion of your 90 days Non Immigrant Visa to One Year Marriage Visa when there's 30 days left on your 90-day Non-Immigrant 'O' Visa.