Visas for Thailand
To work legally in Thailand as an expat it is necessary to obtain a work permit. If arriving into the country under the auspices of a sponsoring company, the employer should guide you accordingly and should bear the brunt of the organisational burden.
However, if your sponsoring company seems communicatively stunted, or if you don't have the benefit of securing a position prior to your relocation, it is possible to obtain a work permit once in the country. Many of the more menial positions in the countryside or along the southern islands will even employ expats illegally without a work permit and pay them “under the table”, though this is in strict violation of Thai law and is not advised.
If planning to get a work permit in Thailand, the first step of the process is obtaining a non-immigrant visa. It is best to come into the country with this document already organised through the Thai consulate in your home country. A multiple entry visa is preferable, but it is possible to get this document from within Thailand as well. There a number of different categories within this domain; take care to select the most suitable for your plans.
Expats applying for a non-immigrant visa will need a letter from a sponsoring company stating the following:
Once you are in possession of a current non-immigrant visa it is possible to apply for a formal work permit. The crucial factor in qualifying for a work permit is that you have skills that cannot be replicated by a Thai individual. The Department of Labour is becoming more and more reluctant to issue these permits, thus doing research prior to ascertain what job descriptions and positions are in demand will work to your benefit.
Generally, work permit applications must be accompanied by the following documents, though requirements change often. It is best to contact the consulate in your home country to confirm information.
Work permit applications can take weeks or even months to process; it’s important to arm yourself with patience and to make sure that your visa does not expire. If it is in danger of expiring apply for the appropriate extension – it is imperative that your visa is current the day you sign for your work permit.
To physically retrieve your work permit, it is necessary to go to the Labour Department in Huay Kwang with your passport.
However, if your sponsoring company seems communicatively stunted, or if you don't have the benefit of securing a position prior to your relocation, it is possible to obtain a work permit once in the country. Many of the more menial positions in the countryside or along the southern islands will even employ expats illegally without a work permit and pay them “under the table”, though this is in strict violation of Thai law and is not advised.
Getting a non-immigrant visa in Thailand
If planning to get a work permit in Thailand, the first step of the process is obtaining a non-immigrant visa. It is best to come into the country with this document already organised through the Thai consulate in your home country. A multiple entry visa is preferable, but it is possible to get this document from within Thailand as well. There a number of different categories within this domain; take care to select the most suitable for your plans.
Expats applying for a non-immigrant visa will need a letter from a sponsoring company stating the following:
- The applicant has been offered a job
- The company requests that the applicant be given a non-immigrant visa so the company may apply for a work permit for them
- The company knows the person to be dependable, upstanding and law abiding and that they will respect the laws and customs of the Kingdom of Thailand.
Getting a work permit in Thailand
Once you are in possession of a current non-immigrant visa it is possible to apply for a formal work permit. The crucial factor in qualifying for a work permit is that you have skills that cannot be replicated by a Thai individual. The Department of Labour is becoming more and more reluctant to issue these permits, thus doing research prior to ascertain what job descriptions and positions are in demand will work to your benefit.
Generally, work permit applications must be accompanied by the following documents, though requirements change often. It is best to contact the consulate in your home country to confirm information.
- Copy of the picture page/identification page of your passport (the one with your photo and passport number)
- Your non-immigrant visa
- Copy of the passport page with your current entrance stamp
- Copy of your entry card
- Copy of your degree or resume or transcript - sometimes they require it be certified by your country's embassy (this requires bringing your degree or resume to your embassy, declaring it is a true and original document and then paying an authentication fee.
- A doctor's certificate stating you are in good health (this can be arranged quickly in Thailand and generally costs less than 100 baht and usually does not required any actual exam
- 2 colour, 4 by 5 centimetre photos (this is the photo size used by most photo shops in Thailand for Visas. This is not a Passport photo size which is different.
- Three to Five Thousand baht (depending on the length of your work permit.
Work permit applications can take weeks or even months to process; it’s important to arm yourself with patience and to make sure that your visa does not expire. If it is in danger of expiring apply for the appropriate extension – it is imperative that your visa is current the day you sign for your work permit.
To physically retrieve your work permit, it is necessary to go to the Labour Department in Huay Kwang with your passport.
