Can I volunteer in Thailand on a Non-Immigrant O-A Long Stay Visa (retirement visa)?

and while this is a topic that comes up quite often it is certainly NOT related to anything to do with visas to thailand.

I'd say we're done and I wish good luck to the O/P in their endeavors here. (y)

@Scott *******

You are looking for logic where there is none to be had.

IF you're going to be comin' here on an O-A visa it will be "employment prohibited" AND no matter what you think (or what you found in engrish googling around) volunteering DOES fall under work in the eyez of the thaiz. Now whether that makes sense to you or not is totally irrelevant. It only has to make sense to the thaiz.

Believe me I'm not tryin' to piss on your parade, I'm telling you you're certainly NOT the first foreigner who wanted to volunteer here BUT due to the way the rules that define what constitutes work AND the rules that govern the issuance of a "work permit" <-(needed to volunteer for free) they couldn't do it.

Good Luck,

@Scott *******

, while I understand your desire to "give back" you need to do a LOT of research before you run yourself off the rails here volunteering.

On an O-A Long Stay visa it clearly says "employment prohibited" on it. In the powerz-that-b here eyes volunteering (whether paid or unpaid) constitutes "work" <- meaning you can't do it.

If you want to volunteer at a local school you should get the relevant police clearances. The appropriate visa and the correct work permit.

The school would need to support you in that, and they probably won’t.

You can think it should be however you like, but it isn’t like that it’s how it is.

Volunteering on a visa that you won’t get issued a work permit on, like the Non O-A you’re planning to get will leave you open to all kinds of potential problems. The main root of all those problems is that it’s illegal. You’re not a citizen of Thailand. You can’t do the things that a citizen can do. Once you get your visa you will be an alien who has been permitted to stay here under the terms of the visa you obtained. Aliens require work permits in order to work. Volunteering is regarded as work. It is work. It’s unpaid work but it’s work. Work that aliens require a permit for. You won’t get one so if you do that (unpaid) work you’ll be doing it illegally. This is something you need to decide if you’re comfortable with or not.

you cant work - on retirement visa - wont get a wp. - you might need volunteer visa / non o and a wp /