Work Visas in Thailand

How to get a work permit and which routes actually exist

Working in Thailand requires two separate documents from two separate ministries: a non-immigrant B visa issued by the foreign ministry, and a work permit issued by the Department of Employment. Neither is sufficient alone, and the work permit is granted to the company rather than to the person, which is why the employer's registered capital and its ratio of Thai to foreign staff matter more than the applicant's own credentials.

Two documents, two ministries

The non-immigrant B visa is issued abroad by a Thai embassy or through the e-visa system and typically admits the holder for around ninety days. The work permit is applied for after arrival, at a Department of Employment office, by the employing company.

Once the work permit is in hand, the ninety-day admission is converted into an extension of stay of roughly one year, granted by the Immigration Bureau and renewed annually alongside the work permit. The visa, the permit and the extension therefore run on three related but distinct clocks.

Certain occupations are reserved for Thai nationals under long-standing restricted-occupation rules, and a work permit will not be issued for them regardless of the applicant's qualifications.

The ratio and capital conditions

• An ordinary Thai limited company is commonly required to employ around four Thai nationals for each foreign work permit it holds.
• Registered capital is commonly set at around two million baht per foreign employee, with a reduced figure often applied where the foreign employee is married to a Thai national.
• Minimum salary levels for foreign employees are commonly applied by nationality group, and are used both for the work permit and for the personal income tax assessment.
• Companies promoted by the Board of Investment are treated under a separate and considerably lighter regime, which is why many multinationals structure their Thai entity that way.
• Teaching roles carry their own layer: a teacher's licence or waiver from the Teachers' Council is normally expected alongside the work permit.

The Long Term Resident alternative

The Board of Investment's Long Term Resident visa was introduced to bypass this machinery for higher earners and specialists. It carries a term of up to roughly ten years, issued in two five-year blocks, and comes with a digital work permit rather than the conventional paper process.

Its four categories cover wealthy global citizens, wealthy pensioners, work-from-Thailand professionals employed by a foreign company, and highly skilled professionals working in targeted industries. Each has its own income, asset or insurance conditions, published by the Board of Investment.

Holders are commonly exempted from the ordinary Thai-to-foreign staffing ratio, and the highly skilled category is associated with a reduced flat rate of personal income tax.

Remote workers

The Destination Thailand Visa was introduced in 2024 for remote workers, freelancers and people attending extended courses or training. It is a multiple-entry visa valid for roughly five years, admitting the holder for around 180 days per entry with an extension of a further 180 days commonly available once per entry.

It is not a work permit for Thai employment. It covers work performed for employers or clients outside Thailand, and applicants are normally asked to evidence financial means of around half a million baht.

What the paperwork costs

Official sources

• Department of Employment — work permits
• Board of Investment — Long Term Resident visa
• Thai Immigration Bureau

Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.

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