To be able to work in Thailand, foreigner must possess appropriate visa and work permit.

Before you decide to relocate to Thailand, you should take time to know the requirements and we will try to explain you the full process.

Visa and Work Permit in Thailand

In Thailand, Foreigners need to obtain an appropriate visa and then a work permit to work legally with a Thai company.

• A Visa is required for all non-Thai national who intend to work in Thailand and should be applied from their home countries. There are different of visa types that allow foreigner to apply for a work permit, such as the Non-Immigrant B visa, Thai marriage visas…
• A Work Permit will be required after foreigner has entered Thailand with a appropriate visa. It is a document issued by the Ministry of Labor with the foreign employee details, occupation, position, and the company.

1 – What are the Types of Visas?

Here are the types of visas that allow you to work in Thailand.

Non-immigrant B Visa (Business Visa)

This is common type of visa that issued to foreigners. They should apply in their country and get 90 days visa. After entering in Thailand, foreigner should apply for work permit, then extend the visa for a one year Non-immigrant B.

Non-immigrant B-A Visa (Business Approved Visa)

This type of visa is non often used and more specifically for investor in a business in Thailand. The visa is valid for one year. However, the issuance of this visa is at the discretions of the embassy.

Non-immigrant IB visa (Investment and Business Visa)

The Non-immigrant IB visa is for foreigners under the Board of Investment (BOI). Under this Type of visa, there is no specific requirement and process is facilitated with one Stop Services.

Non-immigrant M visa (Media Visa)

This type of visa is issued to foreigners planning to work in the media industry (Film, TV or online media). Depending on the specific type of media, foreigners will require approvals from related authorities.

Non-immigrant O Visa (Marriage)

If the foreigner is married to a Thai national, he can apply for this type of Visa. And requirement are easier (Thai quota is 2 Thais employees for 1 visa, Capital is 1,000,000 instead of 2, but you will need minimum salary 40,000 THB per month or 400,000 THB deposit on a bank account)

Smart Visa

Smart Visa is issued to foreign professional talents with specific skills and experience, foreign investors, startup entrepreneurs, executives, and family members of the Smart Visa holders. These professionals must work in restricted activities including biotechnology, smart electronics, biochemical…

Smart Visa can grant you a stay in Thailand for 4 years and specific privileges such as work permit exemption.

 2 – Application Non-Immigrant Visa B  (Business Visa)

Issued to applicants who wish to enter in Thailand to work or conduct business.
Foreigners who wish to work in Thailand must provide the following documents:
– Passport with validity of not less than 6 months.
– Completed visa application form.
– Photo (no more than 6 months).
– Evidence of adequate finance (20,000 Baht).
– Letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour.  (Employer submit Form WP3 at Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour www.doe.go.th/workpermit/index.html )
– Corporate documents of hiring company in Thailand such as:
1) business registration
2) list of shareholders
3) company profile
4) details of business operation
5) list of foreign workers stating names, nationalities and positions
6) map of company location
7) balance sheet, statement of Income Tax and Business Tax (PND50 and PP30 of the latest year)
8) value-added tax registration (PP20)

An alien who receives a Non-Immigrant visa can work in Thailand only when he got a Work Permit.

3 – Requirements For Thai Work Permit

The requirements for companies include:

• Officially registered as a juristic entity in Thailand
• A minimum of 2 million Baht registered capital per work permit
• Employed at least 4 Thai nationals per work permit
• For overseas registered companies, the minimum capital required is 3 million baht per permit.

Exemptions from these requirements can be granted in case the company is promoted by BOI. Nonetheless, the company must provide an explanation to BOI regarding the reasons foreign employees are necessary for the project.

The foreign individual applying for a work permit must also meet certain qualifications. These include:

• An appropriate type of visa
• A proper job from a Thai company
• Education background and work experience
• Medical Certificate without serious diseases or addictions

Required documents for Work Permit

From Company:

• Work Permit Application Form
• Company registration certificate and list of shareholders
• VAT certificate and filings
• Social security payment forms
• Corporate income tax filings
• Employment contract between the company and the foreign individual

From Foreigner:

• Original passport and copies, all pages, including visa page, latest stamp
• Copies of work experience certificates from previous employers
• Copies of educational certificates
• Recently issued medical certificate
• Photos (no more than 6 months)

The copies of each original document must be signed. In addition, some documents may need to be translated into Thai, if they are in other languages than English.

4 – Work Permit Process

The foreigner will need to submit the work permit application at the Ministry of Labor.

Step 1: Apply for Work Permit

The work permit application process should be completed within 90 days of visa.

For an application that meets certain requirements or is submitted under a BOI promoted company, it can be processed at the One-Stop Service Center for one-day approval.

Step 2: Work Permit Approval

Once all of the documents are filed, the applicant will receive a notification slip stating the date of collection. The foreign applicant must be present with the original passport to receive the work permit stamp from the Labor Department.

The process takes 2 weeks to a month. The work permit is valid for 1 or 2 years and need to be extended.

After the work permit is obtained, the foreign employee must process the visa extension from 90 days to at least one year.

Remark:

Foreigners who have received a work permit are only allowed to work for the company and within the roles stated in the permit.