[desdiv]

Let's say I run a US company and hires an American who works remotely in Thailand (illegally on a tourist visa).

The other alternatives are:

1. I hire an American who works in the US

2. I open a Thai subsidiary and sponsor work visas for Americans to work there

3. I open a Thai subsidiary and hire Thais

Obviously option 2 and 3, while unlikely, provide a bigger boost to the Thai economy and result in higher tax revenue for the Thai government.

Yes, it's nice for the guest country to have people telecommuting on tourist visas, but it's detrimental to their IT industry.