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

Yes, because it is not the airline to bother with. It is immigration. As you just explained perfectly well. On both steps: you do not know if they ask. If the airline asks: you take out the credit card open your web browser and buy a ticket. If immigration askes: you might already have an "DENIED ENTRY" stamp in your passport, and no chance to buy a ticket.

@John *******

A dive master is not classed as a tourist guide. What nonsense is that? And in general a dive master has his own completely legally registered Thai company. He needs a boat. A boat can only be skippered by a Thai skipper. He needs extra hands on deck. No idea what happened in those incidents you observed, but has nothing to do with "tour guide" versus "dive trainer/teacher". Being a diving trainer is a completely legal activity if everything around it is legally registered.

Do you want to imply that a guy who is rich enough to own a boat is not rich enough to legally register a Thai company and then decide if the company owns the boat or he himself?

How do you do a radio call to the next harbour if you have no Thai personal speaking Thai? Who is filling the diving bottles? If you have no Thai personal working for you? Who is taking care of all of the gear?

Some posts here on FB make no sense at all.

@Kool ******

No one is using "proxy employees". They all have a real job and on top of that I pay their health insurance and pension fond. /FACEPALM

@Terary *********

Does not matter how much you own. Owning 1% is enough. And there are easy ways to set up a company where you own 100% if you quallify.

@Terary *********

""

Basically the law is, you can't legally do a job a Thai person can do...

""

That is nonsense. Hint: read the law.

@Kool ******

My lawyer says otherwise.

And a company I own is not owned by proxies: but by me.

@Kool ******

No, you have not to pay them. You have to pay social insurance, and that is it. And that means you have not to pay them and need no work contract, aka hire them. Marriage visa's 400,000THB requirements have nothing to do with company founding. You are seriously confused.

@Jens ********

You do not need the money in the bank. REGISTERED .... you should consider to look at a dictionary what the difference is between the words REGISTERED and ACCOUNT BALANCE.

@Henrik ****

We are talking about LAOS!

@Henrik ****

One of the typical misleading summaries. For example legal consulting services are only restricted if it is about Thai Law. As soon as the laws involved are spanning several countries or require company specific skills: it is not prohibited. What actually prohibited means, is decided by the government authority, that hands out the work permit. Either they do it: then you can work legally. Or they don't.

Thailand is full with foreign legal advisors and lawyers.