To me, it’s basic common sense that a foreigner in any country should, when requested by an authorized official, be able to furnish evidence that he / she has a lawful entitlement to be in the country.

As for working on a tourist visa, be it here in China, in the UK, in the States, in Australia, in Europe, in Thailand, in Japan, and so on, is there any country where it is not illegal? Is there any country where the authorities do not consider it to be a serious offense?

Finally, is there any country where ignorance of a law or being told by another person that an activity is lawful when in fact it isn’t, is a means by which a lawbreaker can avoid punishment for having broken the law?