My Mate Nate doesn’t have a work permit – but lucky break means he won’t be prosecuted for working
Youtuber My Mate Nate doesn’t have a work permit and records show he has never even applied for one, but luckily for him, he won’t be prosecuted.
However, despite working illegally in Thailand he wont be prosecuted due to an amnesty on foreign workers in place until January.
The 24 year old American has been in hot water since a series of videos have got him in ever increasing trouble. In a latest stunt he put foreign coins on a railway track incurring the wrath of the Thai authorities.
He was charged with trespass and damage to the railways while an online petition signed by 30,000 people demanded he be deported.
Now the Labour department has confirmed that he has been working illegally. Ranon Peetiwan said that though he was doing videos on social media he was earning money from the clicks of viewers of his YouTube channel that amounted to working.
And that work was illegal because he was in Thailand and he has no work permit and according to department records has never even applied for one.
This seemed to run contrary to what Nate himself has claimed.
But the American cannot be prosecuted for working. An amnesty is in place until January 1st, a total of 180 days. This was introduced after proposed 800,000 baht fines for those employing foreign nationals was considered too severe.
Ranon said that this was a very lucky break for Nate Bartling. He was entitled to apply for a work permit in the coming weeks but it would be up to officials whether he would be granted one.
On the one hand some of his work has exhibited inappropriate behavior that may not be a suitable role model for Thai youth. However, if he were to atone for this and change his ways then a permit might be granted, pointed out Ranon.
Ranon said the way was open for either eventuality.
Some people have claimed that Nate’s videos have been viewed hundreds of millions of times. If that were the case his earnings could easily have topped many millions of Thai baht.
Source: Thai Visa
