Eight South Korean nationals have been arrested for working as language teachers without permits during raids at two branches of a language school in Bangkok.

The raids took place on Thursday at a branch on Ratchadaphisek Road and another in a shopping mall in Bang Na, police said, without naming the school. 

Police apprehended six men and two women employed as Korean language teachers. They had entered Thailand legally, with most holding 90-day visas while others were staying in the country through marriage to Thais. None of them had work permits.

The learning area consisted of several classrooms with whiteboards and TV screens. Officers found exercise books for students and brochures advertising various courses at different prices.

The teachers said they were hired by a Thai school owner, identified only as Wipha. They earned 200 baht per hour for online classes and 350 baht for on-site classes, receiving payment in cash or via mobile banking.

The Thai employer was charged with hiring foreign workers without permits.