4
(2)

If you want to start working in Thailand, you’ll have to get a Thailand Work Permit. But, in order to visit the nation and apply for permission in the first place, you must first obtain a Thailand Work Visa.

If you want to remain in the country for an extended period, you must also get an extension of your permission to stay. As a result, the following is the procedure for working in Thailand:

  • Request for a Thailand Work Visa at an embassy in your home country.
  • Request for a Thailand Work Permit at Thailand’s Department of Employment.
  • Obtain a Stay Permit Extension from the Thai Immigration Bureau.

Throughout this essay, we will tell you everything about Thailand’s work visas, who needs them, how to apply for them, their requirements, etc.

What are Thailand Work Visa Basics?

When you enter Thailand intending to work, you must apply for a Thailand Work Visa, which is a Category “B” non-immigrant visa.

However, just having a visa isn’t enough. You can’t work with just the visa, even though it’s a non-immigrant visa. To be able to reside and find work in Thailand, you must first get a work permit and then extend your stay after you arrive.

Get the FREE Cheat sheet for

Thailand Work Visa

Who Needs a Thailand Work Visa?

A foreigner who is not a Thai national and wants to find work in Thailand must get a Thai Work Visa. They must get this work visa from their home nation. Having a Thai Non-Immigrant Visa is mandatory for extending the stay of a work permit. Therefore, even those who are not required to obtain a Thai tourist visa must obtain a work visa.

What are the Required Documents for a Thailand Work Visa?

When applying for a Thai work visa, you will require the documents below:

  • Your passport. A valid passport must have six months of validity with at least two blank pages. If you’re filing for a one-year visa, be sure your passport is valid for at least 18 months.
  • An application form for a Thai work visa. It must be completed and signed. You can download it from the embassy’s website or obtain it by going to the embassy and getting it in person.
  • Passport-sized photo of yourself:
    • 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm
    • White background
    • Less than six months old.
    • Have a neutral facial expression.
    • Your face must be fully visible in the photo.
    • Religious headgears are allowed.
    • Glasses without heavy frames are allowed.
  • Evidence of adequate financial resources to fund the period of your stay. If you are going alone, you will require 20,000 Thai Baht and 40,000 Thai Baht if you travel with a family.
  • Documents of Police Clearance.
  • An approval letter from the Thai Labor Ministry. Your Thai employer must present a permission request to the Thai Ministry of Labour’s Office of Foreign Workers Administration at the Department of Employment.
  • If you intend to find a job as a pre-university school teacher, you need:
    • An acceptance letter issued by the educational establishment
    • An approval letter from a Thai government agency. You can get this approval letter from the Office of the Private Education Commission or the Office of the Basic Education Commission.
    • The institution’s license or business registration, as well as a list of investors and a biography of the school.
    • Your curriculum vitae

How Can You Get a Thailand Work Visa?

Before you go to Thailand, you must request a Thailand Work Visa at one of Thailand’s diplomatic mission offices in your home country or a nearby nation.

  1. Visit the Thai embassy where you want to submit your application or check their website. Schedule an appointment and learn about their business hours, business days, and the recommended form of Thai visa fee payment.
  2. Collect the necessary paperwork for a Thai work visa.
  3. Present the papers as well as the visa application. You can apply to the following embassies, depending on which one you apply to:
    1. In-person
    2. By mail, in which case you must include a pre-paid and self-addressed envelope.
  4. Allow some time for the visa application to be evaluated.
  5. Gather your passport and visa. They will be returned to you if you apply via mail.

If your Thailand Work Visa is accepted, you must visit the country within the specified time frame, or your visa will expire.

The Immigration Department Offices in Thailand may be able to help you convert a Tourist Visa to a Non-Immigrant Visa “B” Category if you are already in Thailand with a Tourist Visa. But, this is not always guaranteed.

How Much Is the Thailand Work Visa Fee?

The following is the cost of a Thailand work visa:

  • Thailand work visa Single Entry visa cost of about 65 USD is required.
  • The payment for a multiple-entry Thailand work visa is about 164 USD.

Depending on the local currency, the costs and the method of payment might vary significantly from one nation to the next. For example, some offices only take cash, while others may need payment by bank transfer.

Interested in immigrating to Thailand as a Pharmacist? Just click the link.

What are the Thailand Work Permit Basics?

The Thai Work Permit enables the owner to work in Thailand lawfully. To be considered qualified for this permit, you must work for a firm that meets the Ministry of Labour’s requirements, which include:

  • 2,000,000 Thai Baht is the least registered capital of the company.
  • The firm has paid nearly 5,000,000 Thai Baht in taxable income to the Revenue Department in the last three years.
  • The company is a business in the field of export that has received at least 3,000,000 Thai Baht in overseas remittances in the last year.
  • At least 50 Thai citizens must work for the firm.

Moreover, companies have a limit on the number of expatriates a firm can hire, which is proportional to the company’s capital. Businesses, for example, may recruit one foreign worker for every 2,000,000 Thai Baht in the registered capital or one foreign worker for every 50 Thai locals.

The Thailand Work Permit is linked to a particular occupation and company. Therefore, if you wish to alter your employer or office address, you must inform the Ministry of Labour and make the appropriate changes.

What are the Required Documents for a Thailand Work Permit?

Once you apply for a Thai work permit, there are many supporting papers that you and your employer must provide, including:

  • Your passport
  • Photocopies of your passport pages
  • Your Thailand Work Visa.
  • Your educational degrees and credentials.
  • Your employment letter or work contract, which details your income, position, and job duties.
  • Other relevant certifications and licenses.
  • Your Curriculum Vitae/Resumé
  • Three photographs of yourself. 5 x 6 centimeters
  • Evidence of accommodation in Thailand
  • Certification of your health
  • Foreigners who are married to Thai citizens must:
    • Certificate of marriage
    • The company’s certificate of incorporation
    • A list of shareholders in the business
    • A Certificate of VAT
    • Withholding tax of the business
    • Any other documentation requested by the Ministry of Labour officials conducting your application.

Note: The paperwork you provide from your home country must be authorized and translated into Thai before it can be submitted. In addition, the company’s seal should be affixed to every page of the documentation, and the Managing Director should sign every page.

How Can You Apply for a Thailand Work Permit?

After receiving your work visa and traveling to Thailand, you or your employing company must file for a Thailand Work Permit at the Ministry of Labour. You and your employer must present the relevant papers to facilitate the application. The work permit application must be submitted before your visa ends and before you begin working.

Once you’ve filed your application, it usually takes the Ministry of Labour roughly 7 days to process the work visa. Then, once a decision is taken and the work permit is issued, you must return to the Ministry of Labour to get it and complete the appropriate paperwork.

Once you’ve gotten your work permit, you must carry it with you at all times if immigration officers come to your office and want to view it. You might be penalized if you don’t have your permit with you.

How Much is the Thai Work Permit Fee?

  • The cost of a Thai work permit varies based on the length of the permit:
  • For a period of up to three months: 750 Thai Baht
  • For a period of three to six months: 15,000 Thai Baht
  • For a period of six to twelve months: 3,000 Thai Baht

How Long is a Thai Work Permit?

A Thailand work permit is valid for a maximum of one year. Therefore, if your job contract is for less than a year, your work permit will be for the same length of time.

Can You Extend a Thai Work Permit?

If your Thailand work permit has validity for up to a year, you can request to renew it for another year if you meet the relevant conditions. That means you must have a valid working contract, enough salary, etc.

Can You Extend a Thai Work Visa (Extension of Stay)?

If the application for your work permit is accepted, you will be able to begin working. But, if you want to stay in Thailand for an extended period, you must visit the immigration bureau and apply for an extension of stay. You must apply for an extension before the existing work visa expires. It means that you must apply within 90 days of entering Thailand. The validity of your extension of stay is one year from the date you entered Thailand.

You can seek to prolong the extension term for another year after it ends. Then, after three years of staying on a work visa, you are able to apply for a permanent residence permit.

What is a Thai Re-Entry Permit?

You must obtain a Thailand Re-Entry Permit from the Immigration Department in addition to renewing your visa.

The Re-entry Permit permits you to depart Thailand while your visa is still valid without the visa becoming invalid. If you exit Thailand without a re-entry permit, you will be unable to re-enter without obtaining a new visa.

What is a Mandatory 90-Day Check-In?

Any expatriate who remains in Thailand for more than three months for any reason is required to notify Thailand’s Immigration Department every 90 days. You can declare your presence beginning 15 days before the precise day and continuing for up to 7 days later in one of the ways below:

  • In person, go to the local immigration office.
  • Send a registered mail to the closest immigration office.
  • Use the online computerized system of the Immigration Department.

Most individuals, however, prefer to apply in person since the process is the most straightforward and error-free.

Let’s Sum Up

Expatriates who desire to work in Thailand can submit their applications for a Thailand work visa. However, a work visa is not enough, and you have to apply for a Thailand work permit.

There are two ways to apply for a work visa such as applying in person and by mail. To get this visa, you must present some evidence regarding your education and work experience in addition to the standard required documents.

On the Visa Library website, you can learn about other Thailand Non-Immigrant visas Student visas as well as ways to immigrate to other countries. Have you ever tried to obtain a Thailand work visa? If so, please share your experience with our readers.

How useful was this article?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 4 / 5. Vote count: 2

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this article.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.