I want to go to Thailand to work remotely in January and stay there for about 3 months. I have documentation from my Portuguese company proving that I continue working for them. Is that considered illegal work there or can I just enter on a normal tourist visa?
Does your Portuguese company give you any documentation that explicitly mentions you work remotely, or does it just prove you're an employee? Because technically entering on a tourist visa and working remotely for a foreign company is a gray area in Thailand - it's not exactly illegal if nobody finds out, but it's also not legally permitted. The Thai government is pretty strict about this and can consider it a violation of labor laws, even if you're working for a company outside the country. The safe option would be to apply for a business or work visa, depending on what Thai immigration accepts in your case.
the biggest catch is that thailand actually enforces this! even if you're working remotely for a portuguese company, you're technically breaking the law if you use a tourist visa, because you're generating income within thai territory, and they take that seriously there. the best way is to get a work visa or at least an Elite Visa (it's expensive but keeps you out of trouble) - a regular tourist visa leaves you exposed even if nobody finds out! company documentation helps, but to do things properly you really shouldn't risk it with a tourist visa, you know?
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