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Helping my girlfriend to rent villas

SovietChild
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SovietChild Apprentice Member

SovietChild

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Hello Thaivisa forum, I have been in Thailand for a year with tourist visa and for the past month I'v been helping my girlfriend to rent villas. We rent villas through Airbnb and booking.com. My question is how much can I help her and not get in trouble? Can I come to the house and give the keys to  customers or its not allowed for me as a tourist visa holder to help out? 

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Peterw42 Platinum Member

Peterw42

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What could go wrong, lol. Living in Thailand on back to back tourist Visa's, illegal Airbnb rentals and working without a permit. Other than those minor things it all appears legit.

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MARK74 Rookie Member

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My question is how much can I help her and not get in trouble? 

 

Anything seen as work will get you into trouble.

If you co-owned the villas and/or were married and on a non immigrant visa there may be ways to get a permit but as it stands you could be looking at deportation if caught.

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Peterw42 Platinum Member

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6 minutes ago, SovietChild said:

Why illegal?

Short term rental under 1 month is illegal unless you are a Hotel. I doubt you are doing long term rental as there would be no need to regularly meet and give keys 

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SovietChild Apprentice Member

SovietChild

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7 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Short term rental under 1 month is illegal unless you are a Hotel. I doubt you are doing long term rental as there would be no need to regularly meet and give keys 

Where do you get this information from? And why is Airbnb full of villas? 

Edited by SovietChild
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Peterw42 Platinum Member

Peterw42

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5 minutes ago, SovietChild said:

Where do you get this information from? And why is Airbnb full of villas? 

Its been a major story in the media for the last year, a quick google search "thailand airbnb illegal" will bring up all the headlines, also numerous threads on Thaivisa.

 

People still list on Airbnb, many now insist on a minimum 1 month rent, and many get caught and fined for continuing short term rental.

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jackdd Platinum Member

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13 minutes ago, SovietChild said:

Where do you get this information from? And why is Airbnb full of villas? 

Because Thailand isn't enforcing the laws, but it's still illegal, and if the wrong person has a problem with it you might get into trouble

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elviajero Ruby Member

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5 hours ago, SovietChild said:

My question is how much can I help her and not get in trouble? Can I come to the house and give the keys to  customers or its not allowed for me as a tourist visa holder to help out? 

You cannot ‘help out’ — even giving out keys — without a work permit. To get a work permit you need to have a non immigrant ‘B’ visa and be formally employed by her/a business.

 

If caught you would probably — at worst — just be fined. You might be told to leave the country. You might (unlikely) be formally deported.

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SovietChild Apprentice Member

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37 minutes ago, elviajero said:

You cannot ‘help out’ — even giving out keys — without a work permit. To get a work permit you need to have a non immigrant ‘B’ visa and be formally employed by her/a business.

 

If caught you would probably — at worst — just be fined. You might be told to leave the country. You might (unlikely) be formally deported.

What if I marry her?

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Peterw42 Platinum Member

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1 hour ago, SovietChild said:

My neighbor rents his villas daily and weekly and so as many, many people here in Krabi. If you look around on Airbnb, they have thousands and thousands of listings. 

 

giphy.gif

My neighbour rides around without a motorbike helmet like thousands of others, and like illegal short term rentals, he may get caught in a future crackdown.

Middle of this year saw crackdowns all over Thailand. Police were actually doing sting operations, make a booking then fine the person who turned up with the keys, and check their work permit.

There may, or may not,  be another crackdown next week.

 

 

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elviajero Ruby Member

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48 minutes ago, SovietChild said:

What if I marry her?

You don’t get any work rights for being married.

 

If married you could get a non ‘O’ and base your permission to stay on your marriage rather than work. But you’d still be able to apply for a work permit, without a non ‘B’, if you get a job.

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DrJack54 Star Member

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1 hour ago, scorecard said:

 Because a few months ago the Thai government made AIRBNB illegal in Thailand.

 

No point in arguing why, it's now cearly the law.

First of all that's so not the point. Put airbnb legal or not aside, this guy is just having a stir. Either that or just plain foolish. He can do zero work, period. Probably would not get caught but that's not what he asked. As for airbnb...I live in bkk 7 yrs. Right now I'm having a break in phuket. Just left Kamala stayed airbnb. Had one night phuket town agoda. Today checked in Nai Yang beach AIRBNB. Look em up if you, not hard. Japan recently made airbnb need strict licence. I go there few times a year. 80% airbnb listings dropped off in Japan. But Thailand is not Japan. Point is, plenty of airbnb in los. Note, they ain't much cheaper often than hotel sites. This is all irrelevant. OP cannot WORK.

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onera1961 Explorer Member

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1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Thailand is not Japan. Point is, plenty of airbnb in los.

Every time I go Bangkok, I rent Airbnb. Yes, Yes, I know it is not legal. Renters are OK. I am not sure if the airbnb person even does TM30 or not. Probably not. Working in any form is strictly prohibited (except few like attending trade shows, attending seminars etc.) Other knowledgable person can comment on this.

The last time I rented an airbnb condo, the guy (a farang) just dropped by with his gf but the lady talked to me and exchanged key. That will be OK. If you're doing this, never give your phone number for contact. You're going to be caught only if somebody rats on you or Police run a sting. 

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merlin2014 Newbie

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6 hours ago, jackdd said:

Because Thailand isn't enforcing the laws, but it's still illegal, and if the wrong person has a problem with it you might get into trouble

  Correct, this comes under civil law & not criminal law so (I believe) you will only face prosecution if another person takes legal action against you. 

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moontang Gold Member

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There are signs in BKK condos about prosecution of Airbnb rentals.  Foreigners will always be the first choice to arrest.  I think the daily rental thing is more common at the beaches, but they can nail you on:. No work permit, no hotel license, tax evasion, and failing to notifying Immigration of foreigners staying in your property....and besides that, the Thais are known snitches, and so are other foreigners.

 

Otherwise, you would have Chinese leasing townhouses, and putting 50 bunkbeds in them...which they have indeed done...no fire protection, no standards on occupancy, ventilation, etc...

Edited by moontang
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MyFriend You Gold Member

MyFriend You

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8 hours ago, SovietChild said:

My neighbor rents his villas daily and weekly and so as many, many people here in Krabi. If you look around on Airbnb, they have thousands and thousands of listings. 

 

giphy.gif

Is that you, damned if I would rent from you, if you showed up with the keys to a place I was renting, I wouldn;t let you in.  Now the jokes are out, plain and simple  -  IT'S ILLEGAL to rent any houses or apartments for less than 30 days in Thailand.  hope that was loud and clear.  Notwithstanding Air BnB advertising "thousands and thousands" of places in Krabi - I am pretty sure that is exagerated but nevertheless, it is illegal.  Guess what  -  Air BnB will not be deported back to the Soviet Union, You Will!!

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