taabarang....this might put a smile on your dial for the day...

HNOM PENH (Khmer Times) – Foreign retirees living here worry that the government is creating bureaucratic hurdles to volunteer work, part time work, or even just living here.

The Interior Ministry has ordered immigration enforcement officers to implement a longstanding labor law requiring all foreigners working in the Kingdom to obtain work permits and business visas.

Grare Andre, a 72-year-old retiree from Paris, said enforcement of the work permit law is a good step forward for the Kingdom. But he he worried that too much regulation could take away the very reasons that made the Kingdom appealing to retirees like him.

“It’s free here,” said Mr. Andre. As a holder of a one-year multiple entry visa, Mr. Andre spends half of the year in Cambodia and half in Paris. “Not too many regulations like Europe.”

“If [Cambodia] wants to change things, it’s fine – just don’t change it to make it like Europe,” said Mr. Andre. “I speak for myself. I’ve been coming here for five years. I’ve worked a long time. I don’t want to work anymore. That’s why I came to Cambodia.”

Within the retired expat community, there has been great confusion over work permit requirements following comments made by the Interior and Labor Ministries regarding who requires a permit.

To clarify things, Labor Ministry spokesman Heng Sour told Khmer Times: “Retired foreigners can live in Cambodia without a work permit.”

If a foreign retiree isn’t employed in any capacity in the Kingdom, then only an immigration visa is needed to live in the country lawfully, Mr. Sour said.

“The work permit requirement is only for those foreigners who are employed in Cambodia,” he continued. “Therefore, those retired persons have no need to be concerned – as long as they are not employed.”

But, Mr. Sour stressed that if retirees are employed in any capacity, they must get work permits.

“If they are employed during their retirement here, they will have to pay for and obtain the work permit,” he said.

The immigration department has collected about $340,000 in fines from foreigners who did not have work permits, according to Uk Heisela, chief of investigations at the Interior Ministry’s Immigration Department.

Following an Interior Ministry meeting on immigration on Wednesday, General Sok Phal, director general of the Immigration Department, said that 90,000 foreigners now live in the Kingdom legally.

http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/8174//

taabarang wrote:General, Thanks for the kind thoughts, but I do not share your optimism at all. I've seen threats come and go, but this one is here to stay.

Which "one" are you referring to? The one published today about March? Or the countless other ones that have been published recently that haven't affected you in the slightest yet?

All I'm saying is that this has been threatened time and time again, and now after all these false flags for YOU, you're now thinking this latest one is "THE ONE" to be worried about.

Anyways, it's all up in the air.

By April 1, 2015 we will know if you are right or I am right about this all.

[Look on the bright side! Even if YOU'RE right, you have AT LEAST until March 1 before you need to even think about worrying!]

Bitte_Kein_Lexus wrote:So KIWI, do you come on business/normal visas or, tourist visas when over here?

I come in an E-Type Visa, am I abiding by all the immigration laws? No, because I have been taking advantage of the relaxed enforcement of those laws like so many others. Before I made the decision to move to Cambodia permanently I done my research about the immigration and labour laws, and and the reality of the laws actually been enforced, therefore I know that one day I may have to suffer the consequences of not abiding by those laws and I am prepared for that.

[EDIT] I apologise to taabarang, and those in a similar situation, if I am coming across as unsympathetic, it must be quite scary for you with all of the uncertainty. The way I was raised, and taught during my time in the military, was to always plan in advance and to be prepared. I honestly feel that there is no need to panic for those of us who aren't working and/or are retired in Cambodia just yet, I hope I am not wrong, but if I am then I will do my best to comply with the laws. If I am unable to comply and run the risk of deportation or worse, then I will start planning my exit strategy.

taabarang wrote:Again, what is your optimism based on?

And yeah how do you know there is all of March to comply; simply because The Ministry of Labor neglected to mention a date, does not mean they have not settled on an unpublished one.

My optimism is based on the "FACTS." Your pessimism seems to be based on these fruitless articles. They have been threatening these same things since the moment I've arrived in Cambodia, and to this very day not you or I have been affected by it in the very least.

And I DON'T know there is all of March to comply, but my $100 bet with you covers every single second in March, just to prove beyond doubt that you will be wrong about this based on ANY given time in March, whether the beginning or end.

taabarang wrote:For the learning impaired, I repeat again-I was never informed about the work permit law. It didn't exist when I came here. It is easy to suffer consequences if you are young and have no loved ones who depend on you to lose. Too many low riders on high horses here.

When did you come here? Are you sure it didn't exist, or you just never knew about it?

Besides, this is how laws typically work. You don't get "notified" of them, you need to check them yourself.

I've been amazed for many years by the number of people working in Cambodia with nothing more than a Business/Regular visa and think they are working "legally."

? did u arrive before 1993 cause thats how long the wp has been on the books
if not as i said
ignorance is no excuse, did you expect them to go up to every Barang an tell them?

I am sure even way back than it was posted somewhere>

otherwise as PSD- Kiwi stated, be prepared for the consequences,

I truly feel for ur situation but its NOT the Cambodian governments fault
Can not believe that your living that close to the edge that a few $100's will screw up ur life with ur family
Thats truly sad at 72 that you made no plans for getting old

General Mackevili wrote:
[Look on the bright side! Even if YOU'RE right, you have AT LEAST until March 1 before you need to even think about worrying!]

taabarang wrote: And yeah how do you know there is all of March to comply; simply because The Ministry of Labor neglected to mention a date, does not mean they have not settled on an unpublished one.

Honestly, this might give us a glimpse of your biggest problem here...

Where did I ever say I know that the date is at the END of March? I didn't. You "think" that's what I said.

I have a feeling you might be doing this with all the info you get about these dreaded business visas and work permits.

I was giving you the benefit of the doubt with the bet by letting ALL of March to pass before saying you are wrong on this one.

Again, if you haven't been forced to pay for a work permit by April 1, 2015 it's a FACT that you're wrong about how serious they are about it this time around and I'm right.

That's fair logic, right?

You seem to take every one of these articles as gospel, but also fail to remember how many countless times these exact articles come out with vague dates that have already come to past no matter how you interpret them.

Join me in my optimism! ! !