If you are an expatriate working in Thailand, a Thai Work Permit should be one of your basic must-haves. As a
matter of fact, it would be illegal to work in Thailand without your Work Permit. As an employer or employee,
it would be best to be well-informed about the process of applying for and retaining a Work Permit.
First of all, you will need to have a Non-Immigrant Visa before being able to apply for a Work Permit. The Thai
Work Permit can be granted to expatriates who satisfy any or most of the following conditions:
Working for an establishment with a registered capital of at least 2,000,000 Baht. One expatriate can be hired
for every 2,000,000 Baht of capital.
To legally work in Thailand, a foreigner must apply for a work permit. Work permit is a legal document that
states a foreigner’s position, current occupation, or job description and the Thai company he is working with.
It also serves as a license to perform a job or an occupation allowed for foreigners inside Thailand.
Foreigners entering Thailand are not permitted to work, regardless of their type of visa, unless they are
granted a work permit. Those who intend to work in Thailand must hold the correct type of visa to be eligible
to apply for a work permit.
To secure a work permit in Thailand, a foreigner needs an initial visa, which is a non-immigrant visa. The non-
immigrant visa must be obtained before entering Thailand.
Once the foreigner has a non-immigrant visa, he may begin to process the work permit. The work permit
process would take 7 business days to accomplish. Work permit application is processed in the Ministry of
Labor office.
A foreigner is eligible to apply for a work permit as long as he has a non-immigrant visa or a resident visa, has
an available employer who will provide documents for work permit, and the occupation he will perform is not
prohibited to foreigners.
The applicant has to submit the following documents:
- 2 inches photo
- medical certificate
- original passport
- letter of employment
- certificate of degree
- address in Thailand
The employer has to provide the following:
- company certificate and objectives
- list of shareholders
- application for VAT
- withholding tax of the company
- financial statement
- photocopy of the director’s passport and work permit with signature affixed
- office map
- letter of employment stating position and salary of applicant