Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we are asking the question, 'are Thai Police, specifically Labour Department and Immigration, monitoring foreigners' online activities? What am I talking about here?

I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Phuket News, that thephuketnews.com, the article is titled: Russian caught working illegally as motorbike driving instructor. Now the thrust of that article goes a different way. I urge those watching this video go check out that article in detail to learn more, but quoting directly and pertinent to this video: "She found the services by searching online." So just for some context here. This person was operating illegally completely without a Work Permit if you read through the article. Then on top of that, they were also engaging in something that I think borders on, actually overlaps well into what's called ‘inland transportation’ in Thailand which is a very restricted aspect of Thai occupations. It's something up there with land and land trading that Thai Authorities take very, very seriously and look to insulate the local Thai labour market very greatly from foreign competition. It's just a fact; it's just how it is here in Thailand. Again inland transportation, considered a big deal. The point I'm trying to make with that little excerpt is that this person, one of his customers found him online and then quoting further: "Police noted they had found online other foreigners offering the same service." I think the Phuket News would not have noted that if that was not noteworthy. I've said this before and I'll say it again. Thai Police are not ignorant; Thai Authorities are not ignorant; Immigration, Labour, the Police Department, whomever you want to look at, they're not ignorant of the internet. They are well aware that there are foreigners that are using the internet as a platform to operate illegally here in Thailand or to do things that are in contravention of Thai Law, including engage in restricted occupations as I've discussed in many other videos, both recently and in the past. 

Long story short and the thing to take away here is expats, wannabe ex-pats, tourists looking at maybe being expats, coming into Thailand and maybe doing a video because you are like a travel blogger and then you move on or something, I don't think anybody needs to greatly pine or opine over that issue but if you are here really working, and you know who you are, and you are doing it online, especially on YouTube where you are time stamping your activities, they are looking and they are serious about this. Work Authorization violations are especially acutely concerning to Thais right now as there are economic upheavals throughout the world, although Thailand isn't doing that bad comparatively. Meanwhile, we have just come off this 6-month spate or so of so-called 'foreigners behaving badly' and again Thai Immigration Officials, Labour Department Officials, standard law enforcement, Royal Thai Police are acutely aware of issues involving, again foreigners coming to Thailand engaging in both illegal and illicit activity, as well as operating outside the laws on foreign work restrictions.

So yeah, will they use the tools at hand to go after folks including using online portals to ascertain whether or not someone's working illegally? I think absolutely they will, and this is something people should be aware of moving forward, and it's all the more reason why those looking to work here in Thailand, are well advised to get into compliance with relevant Thai Work Permit laws.