Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing the invention if you will of Thai Work Permits. For those who are unaware, there was a time here in Thailand and it was not a time I was here and in fact it really was not even a time I was on this Earth, but there was a time in Thailand when Work Permits did not exist. 

They were created in the late 70s it is my understanding. This has sort of been related to me from some old expat hands, guys that have been over here a long period of time; one in particular who became Thai well and dealt with the system way back, back in the day as they say. But yeah, there was a time when work authorization didn't exist, it wasn't a thing. Then at a certain point in the late 70s going into the early 80s, they created work authorization as a requirement under certain circumstances. It is interesting the evolution from there because the first Work Permits were lifetime Work Permits because they didn't have an expiration date. I guess in one sense folks that were in the bureaucracy didn't realize they might have a revenue stream on their hand by making those things expire and requiring people to continue to file for them and thereby pay a fee to get a renewal. The first ones though, they didn't expire and then in a sense there were unreviewable Work Permits in the sense that all you had to do was show up and pay and nobody really looked at your documentation. They simply looked at: "Did you have a Work Permit? Okay." "Are you paying the fee to get it renewed? Okay." boom renewed. 

The system we have now, there is both a renewal aspect and review aspect of Work Permits in the sense that if you show up and you are doing something that maybe is deemed outside the parameters of what foreigners are allowed to do in Thailand, it is possible to have even an issued Work Permit rescinded. It is very, very rare. I can't think of it even happening to anybody I have seen or dealt with in at least 10 years so it doesn't happen very often but it can happen. Work Permits can be rescinded. But I thought it was kind of interesting you know the evolution of this. Work Permits at one time didn't exist, then they created them for foreign nationals wishing to work in Thailand and they kind of evolved from there.

As with anything, increasing levels of sophistication, especially in a bureaucracy can create increasing levels possibly of frustration for those who are looking to apply for such a document. For those who feel they are having a bit of an issue getting a Thai Work Permit, it may not be a bad idea to contact a legal professional, gain some insight and guidance into how best to proceed.