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Comment by fookyong | Hacker News Reader

To those in this thread saying you need an appropriate working visa to work in these countries:

Have you ever worked for a company in Country A and been sent on a business trip to Country B? Most likely your company didn't need a Country B working visa for you, just for a business trip.

I am not a lawyer, but I don't see how the digital nomad lifestyle is any different. If you're just spending short amounts of time in these countries, legally how is this any different from going on a business trip since your company and salary will be paid in the origin country.

I'm sure there's a cut off point, like once you go over a certain amount of time it becomes harder to justify your trip as a short term business trip... but what's that line?

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The point is that it doesn't matter at all what you think is reasonable. All that matters is what the immigration authorities in the countries you visit decide, and they can be very capricious in some of these countries.

Personally I haven't heard of anybody having trouble anywhere in SE Asia on 30-day stays but I have heard of people getting in trouble for working on 2-3 month tourist visas, often when ratted out by other foreigners.

You aren’t a lawyer, and clearly don’t have (much) practical experience as a foreign worker, and yet you still give out legal advice.

a) Some countries do require a specific visa even just for a “business meeting”. Often getting that visa will require documentation or an official letter from a company either in your home/resident country or the country you are visiting.

b) Some countries do differentiate between a visit for “business” (such as meetings) and a visit for “work” (as in actually doing something)

> You aren’t a lawyer, and clearly don’t have (much) practical experience as a foreign worker, and yet you still give out legal advice.

Ah hate to pull this card, but I've been an expat now for almost 14 years :) worked in Japan and Singapore (legally, with correct working visa etc etc), and just for this last year I've been a nomad flitting from country to country.

You mention "some countries" - sure some are stricter than others, but are any of the countries you're talking about on this list?

It would be insane for a country in Asia (except the ones still developing) to have such requirements. It is entirely routine for folks from companies in (for example) Singapore, to travel regionally for business on an extremely frequent basis.

I normally frown upon making assumptions of people :) but since you assumed I didn't have much practical experience as a foreign worker, I'm going to also assume you haven't done much business in Southeast Asia.

The country I have specific knowledge of is Thailand, which expressly states visa-exemption entries are for tourism only, a business visa is required for business trips (e.g. meetings) and a work permit (which also requires a business visa) is required to work in the country legally. (There are different laws covering the many labourers from neighbouring countries)

Please keep in mind I didn't say that every businessman/woman GETS a business visa for meetings etc, I said thats what the law says they should do. Your comment was about the "difference legally" between a business trip and a foreign worker. Legally there is a difference between them, and legally neither should be doing it on a tourism visa exemption.

I apologise for the assumption, as it turns out we were both wrong - I have lived in Thailand coming up on 2 years. To work here legally I created a Thai company. I have clients back in Australia and in Singapore.

It really depends, and you should really check. I went to Israel for a week for business meetings, and needed a work visa. Coming from the US, I didn't need to file paperwork ahead of time, but coming from some other non-US branches I may have needed a letter of invitation from the local branch to do a business meeting and then leave.

Yes you can come in on a tourist visa and work, and I'm sure some people do that, but if you're looking to be on the full up and up, even short stays may need work visas.

That's how I see it. People who chose this lifestyle are more often than not prone to bend the rules a bit here and there (which entrepreneur/hacker doesn't?), cut some corners and tend to have some MacGyver tricks at their disposal.

I hope those MacGuyver tricks include either an invisible skeleton key or a wrist-strap soap on a rope.

There is a lot of commentry in thailand right now because immigration are cracking down on people abusing a loophole in the visa exemption system.

The law hasn’t changed at all, it’s just being enforced, and people act like it’s somehow against their human rights for a country to enforce it’s own immigration laws and tell them “no sorry, you are clearly not a tourist just because you have left every 30/60/90 days and returned the same day, for the last 3 years”.

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