Freelancing in Thailand legally

Hi all,

As many of you Thailand fans probably know, Thailand is home to many freelancers due to the low cost of living among other things.. but the problem is that foreigners working without a work permit can face serious penalties if getting caught: deportation, hefty fines or even up to 5 years in jail!

A couple of friends of mine who live in Thailand came up with this system how to do freelancing in Thailand legally. They started a company in Chiang Mai under the BOI licence (board of investment) that allows them to hire foreigners very easily who can bring technological talent to the country. Now they are offering this service where they hire freelancers to work for them, so it can all be done legally without any trouble. I’m thinking of joining them, but wanted to ask your opinion first.

The system works in a way that the company invoices the clients of the freelancer instead, and then the company pays a salary straight to the freelancer. The company keeps 30% of the revenue from the clients, and pays the rest 70% as a net salary to the freelancer.

With the 30% they keep, they offer you:
-A Business visa
-Work permit
-All local taxes
-Health insurance
-Office space in Chiang Mai

What do you all think about this arrangement? First 30% sounds quite a lot to me but then again when looking at all the benefits you get it doesn’t seem that much at all. It’s always been my dream to live in Thailand!