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Can I open an online shop and sell handmade artwork from Thailand on a DTV visa?

DTV Visa Freelancing in Thailand Online Business Handmade Artwork Visa Restrictions Work Permit Tax Regulations Expat Life in Thailand

Nov 30, 2024

a month ago

Milena ******************

ORIGINAL POSTER

I am on a DTV visa as a freelancer. Can I open an online shop, make handmade artwork, sell and ship from Thailand to non-Thai customers, or will this be considered a local business? Any advice?

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The conversation centers around whether a person on a DTV visa in Thailand can operate an online store to sell handmade artwork. Most comments strongly indicate that selling handmade items while in Thailand on a DTV visa is prohibited, as it constitutes local business activity, which requires a work permit. There are also references to specific regulations concerning foreigners working or engaging in business activities in Thailand, pointing out that any income generated from activities conducted in Thailand is not allowed without proper permits. A few comments implied that if the sales are purely for international customers and do not involve making or shipping products from Thailand, it could be fine, but the general consensus leans towards needing a work permit.

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Frankie *******

U can get your thai gf to help set up n assist in your work

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Bent *************

Cannot!

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Dave *******

Freelancer please explain how you got dtv on this 🤔

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Sam *********

You can do anything once 👍

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Erik *******

The answer is clearly : No. Please don’t believe the misinformed folks or the liars: there are plenty on here.

It’s very simple: if any physical work is made inside Thailand then you need a work permit. Even voluntary work is not allowed under a DTV. DTV is ONLY for remote and digital working. Got my answer from the BOI in Bangkok. You can’t get more official answer than that. I would recommend you to ask them directly and not Facebook…

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Will ****

doing dropshipping to export products made by a company in Thailand to other countries is allowed?

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Did *****

in OP's post it's not drop shipping if you physically ship it yourself. Drop shipping is if someone is handling the shipping for you, the producer itself or one of its distributors.

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Will ****

yes, as I have not a business in Thailand, I can't register as an exporter.

I have some dubts about this

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Did *****

The dropshipper is operating the "export" business. You're just a customer of the dropshipper.

Lacking details and not being a tax attorney I can't elaborate further :)

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Did *****

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Ticha *****************

Any activity that make you earn money in Thailand require work permit. After some transaction abroad. Your income transaction will be blocked by bank and must be declared at bank using related documents. And that also includes paperwork to prove that your business is legally opened in Thailand and you are legal worker.

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Nicholas ************

No

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Abhishek *******

You will have to form a company and get a work permit. You chose wrong visa

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Braulio *********

No, unless you hold a work permit

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Did *****

I don't think that the DTV was meant for that. You're in the same category as digital nomads and remote workers. Do you see the difference ?

I'm very skeptical that producing physical goods to market online and ship through customs is allowed. But hey , I might be wrong and could rent a Warehouse, fill it up with stuff thousands of handmade candles, paintings and soaps and sell it outside of Thailand under the guise of freelancing on DTV instead of saying that I started a business 🤷🏻‍♂️

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Chris *******

No, you cannot conduct any form of business inside Thailand.

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Christopher *************

No

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Rob **********

You will need to check the Thailand prohibited occupation list.

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Hanzala ***

Anyone who says you can't do this, didn't read your question properly.

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Sonny ******

Just use VPN When online

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Iliyan ***********

No. You are a tourist and working without permit will land you in a lot of trouble.

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Eric **********************

Yes you can sell it overseas as long as the money is made overseas and the clients are overseas your fine I do marketing and advertising and sales of products online they told me it was fine as long as the money is made out of Thailand basically u can't make any money in Thailand cause ur not paying taxes does not mean u can't ship things

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Milena ******************

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Eric *********************

Thanks! Yes, overseas company, overseas customers, just shipping from Thailand. May I ask who you asked about your online business? Any office?

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Luit *****************

@Milena *****************

Why will you ship from Thailand when you produce overseas? You say everything is done overseas except from the shipping.

Why not sent from the country where you actually make the products and do the work?

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Eric **********************

@Milena *****************

just can't hire thais can't make money in Thailand can't pay anyone to work for you in Thailand it's all gotta be remote and overseas .

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Milena ******************

ORIGINAL POSTER

Thanks for your help Eric!

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Milena ******************

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Eric **********************

@Milena *****************

the Thai embassy in LA and the general consulate in bkk . I was worried I film videos and advertisements for a living and do social media I ship things from. Pattaya to usa all the time so I was nervous short answer is they told me that as long as the money is made overseas in a overseas bank account I could do whatever for my business

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Eric **********************

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Jessie ******

U can't be a freelancer in Thailand

U r taking work away from from the Thai freelancers

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Luit *****************

A lot of laughing about this posting, but what

says is what Thailand wants to prevent with the restrictions on DTV.

A lot of more or less illegal actions are not strictly checked, but my lawyer here told me that employment laws are very powerful.

When I live here with my girlfriend in a home I paid for but is on her name, and I work in the garden, strictly seen that means I am working in Thailand, and doing work a Thai also could have done, and that is prohibited in Thailand.

So when I do this work and have an argument with neighbours who have influence in government, I seriously could get in trouble.

When I am married this is different, then I am allowed to do.

Also voluntary work is prohibited, because that also could be done by Thai

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Jeff ******

@Luit ****************

I could be wrong but I think

is joking, because “freelancer” has an entirely different meaning in Thailand. 😆

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Luit *****************

I understand, but sometimes jokes are more true than you think.

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Luit *****************

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Will ************

You can’t make anything in Thailand and sell it. You also cannot have Thai customers or be employed online by anyone or business in Thailand.

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Eric **********************

@Will ***********

they are selling l it overseas it's allowed the money is made overseas in a overseas bank account has nothing to do with Thailand

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Luit *****************

@Eric *********************

made in Thailand and shipped from Thailand, that sounds just like a Thai company selling overseas, which of course is not allowed on DTV, because it absolutely is not remote work.

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Eric **********************

@Luit ****************

dtv only stops you from hiring thai employees and making any money in Thailand cause u don't pay taxes that's all as long as you make the money overseas and your business is conducted overseas your fine if you do it all your self.

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Luit *****************

@Eric *********************

DTV clearly says "working prohibited" , even voluntary work is considered as work, and not allowed without permit.

You are misinformed, because with DTV it is possible to set up a company and hire Thai employees, as long as you do no work yourself, and even signing contracts can be seen as working.

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Eric **********************

@Luit ****************

I make videos and sell videos and products from. Thailand the government told it's 100% ok this is how I know this

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Luit *****************

@Eric *********************

I read

"make artwork" that does not sound to me as remote work.

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Eric **********************

@Luit ****************

videos and social media is making art work also it's the same thing still being made in Thailand and sent to whatever country to be sold .

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Luit *****************

@Eric *********************

I highly doubt shooting the video is allowed on DTV.

I think it will be seen as work in Thailand which is prohibited with DTV.

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Eric **********************

@Luit ****************

working in Thailand you obviously don't understand the wording or what remote work is and no tou can not set a company up or hire thai no your wrong

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Luit *****************

@Eric *********************

I can even set up a company without having a visa, you mix up different things.

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Eric **********************

@Luit ****************

yes I know you cab but you can't on a dtv your not allowed to even own a company in Thailand on it

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Eric **********************

@Luit ****************

lol it's not I was given my DTV visa from Thailand for social media content and advertising and marketing they told me it was 100% ok they gave me the Visa they ask what u do and for your paperwork and business documents and banks they know it's not prohibited at all its all remotely done 😉 DTV again only stops you from hiring thai cause u don't pay there taxes and making money in Thailand cause u don't pay taxes .....

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Luit *****************

@Eric *********************

DTV also does not stop you from paying tax on Thailand, as soon as you are over 180 days a year in Thailand, you will be tax resident. If you really have to pay taxes depends on a lot of things.

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Luit *****************

@Eric *********************

You do not seem to understand what working in Thailand means.

The remote work you're doing is allowed with DTV because that is not considered as working in Thailand, but the moment you are shooting a video yourself it is not remote anymore, but actually working in Thailand, which is simply forbidden on DTV.

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Eric **********************

@Luit ****************

your way would mean u could not even fill out an email in Thailand for work lol it's crazy talk

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Eric **********************

@Luit ****************

I don't care what you say lol your wrong I have had meeting with my lawyer In bkk and the embassy in LA lol 😆 you can say. Whatever you want but this is what the Thailand government told me and told me how I needed to conduct my business there ROMOTE WORK MEANS U GET PAIDED OVERSEAS AND YOUR MONEY IS MADE OVERSEAS AND ITS NOT MADE IN THAILAND IS ALL

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Luit *****************

The ownership of a company has nothing to do with a visa at all, please stop telling all this misinformation here.

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Luit *****************

@Eric *********************

Why are you shouting? Or is it just a failure in your keyboard?

It does not make the content of your message any better...

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Luit *****************

@Eric *********************

Since when is a lawyer in Bangkok and an embassy in U.S. Thai government?

But good luck with your business on a DTV.

Just believe what fits you best.

But don't complain when you get a fine from a Thai ministery because you're working illegal.

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Eric **********************

@Luit ****************

the shop is selling them online it's a online business does not matter where you drop ship from its 100% a remote business online sales online advertising overseas business overseas bank

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Eric **********************

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Leong ***********

Depends on what artwork you are making….some aspects are reserved/restricted to Thais only.

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Milena ******************

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Leong **********

Thanks, I checked prohibited job list and its not listed there!

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Da ****

@Milena *****************

that doesnt matter. the prohibited job list is when you have a business in thailand and a work permit… the DTV prohibits ANY work in thailand. you are only allowed to work remotely / for entities outside of thailand.

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Da ****

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Gian *******

I don't think so... handmade work (in Thailand) is prohibited for foreigners as far as I know.

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Achanster ******

Ship from Thailand to non Thai customers.

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Graham ******

exactly, handmade is hardly remote

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Achanster ******

but it's for remote customers?

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Luit *****************

@Achanster *****

What are remote customers? Every customer in an online shop?

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Achanster ******

@Luit ****************

the post said so, hey do you have to assume the opposite ?

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Luit *****************

@Achanster *****

sorry, but I see nowhere "remote customers" meant in this thread, you started using it as far as I can see, but maybe I miss some posts, it looks like facebook is not showing all posts allways. Who started using "remote customers"? I only find your post mentioning it.

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Graham ******

@Achanster *****

how do you prove that, remote means online not physically creating something?

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Achanster ******

how do you prove otherwise?

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Graham ******

@Achanster *****

not my problem but the DTV is not known as the digital nomad visa to allow people to physically manufacture a product which can end up not leaving Thailand

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Graham ******

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John *******

No!

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Yaowalak ********

yes

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Yaowalak ********

i mean yes you can do. open online shop ship things from thailand to ur customer.but good more if your hire thai person to be an admin for ship ur parcel for you.

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Ticha *****************

@Yaowalak *******

In the end, money goes to her account and that's considered business activities which require proper business set up.

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Luit *****************

@Yaowalak *******

if she makes and ships in Thailand, that is work, which is not allowed on DTV

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Dan *********

@Luit ****************

if she is taxed and registered and everything about the business is from her country, wouldn’t it be considered work from her country regarding of where it’s shipped from? People who drop ship could be shipping stuff from many places in the world

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Luit *****************

If the actual work, the making of the shipped products is not done by her, nor by Thai employees managed by her, then it can be considered as doing remote work, but I read "I make handmade artwork, sell and ship from Thailand"

The first part "I make handmade artwork" is the part that is considered as working in Thailand if she actually makes it in Thailand.

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Donald *********

@Luit ****************

charge so much fir shipping might not be worth it

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Reply to

Donald *********

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