Thailand Work Permit 2026: Non-B Visa, e-Work Permit, 4:1 Ratio, Fees & Timeline
The permit went digital in October 2025, a temporary permit now issues at approval, and the employer still needs four Thai employees and THB 2 million per foreigner — here is the whole chain, who files each step, what it costs and what gets it refused
Short answer: a foreigner may work in Thailand only with a work permit issued by the Department of Employment to a named Thai employer under the Emergency Decree on the Management of Foreigners' Working B.E. 2560 (2017), held together with a Non-Immigrant "B" visa and a matching extension of stay under the Immigration Act B.E. 2522. The employer files a WP.3 pre-approval before the person enters, the worker collects the Non-B visa abroad, and the employer then applies on the e-Work Permit system — mandatory since 13 October 2025 — which since 1 July 2026 issues a WP.62 temporary permit at approval so work can start immediately. A standard company must show 4 Thai employees and THB 2 million of paid-up capital per foreigner; BOI-promoted companies and LTR holders are outside the ratio. The job must not be one of the 27 occupations reserved for Thais. The DTV is not a work permit. This page is written by the Aniday team that runs these applications through Aniday's partner entity in Thailand. Verified 7 September 2026.
Which law governs Thailand work permits in 2026?
The Emergency Decree on the Management of Foreigners' Working B.E. 2560 (2017), as amended by the Emergency Decree (No. 2) B.E. 2561 (2018), is the work permit statute — it replaced the Alien Working Act B.E. 2551 (2008), sets the requirement that every foreigner working in Thailand hold a permit issued to a specific employer, and carries the penalty schedule. The 2018 amendment is the one that softened the original 2017 penalties and introduced the employer's 15-day notification duty, so any guide still quoting prison terms for a worker without a permit is reading the superseded text.
Immigration status is a separate statute and a separate authority: the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979), administered by the Immigration Bureau of the Royal Thai Police, governs the Non-Immigrant B visa, the annual extension of stay, re-entry permits and the 90-day address report. The criteria the Immigration Bureau applies when extending stay for employment — including the capital and headcount tests — are set by Immigration Bureau orders rather than by the Decree, most recently reported as Immigration Bureau Order No. 12/2568 (2025).
Three instruments changed the process recently. The Ministry of Labour Notification on Work Prohibited for Foreigners B.E. 2563 (2020) is the current reserved-occupations list. The Department of Employment's e-Work Permit system replaced the paper process from 13 October 2025. And the Department's notification effective 1 July 2026 created the WP.62 temporary work permit. Governing instruments: Emergency Decree B.E. 2560 as amended by (No. 2) B.E. 2561; Immigration Act B.E. 2522; MOL Notification B.E. 2563; DOE notification on temporary work permits, Royal Gazette 9 July 2026.
What are the steps from job offer to a foreigner legally working in Thailand?
Five steps split between the Department of Employment and the Immigration Bureau, and the order is fixed: the visa needs the pre-approval, the permit needs the visa, and the extension of stay needs the permit.
| # | Step | Who files, where | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WP.3 pre-approval | The Thai employer, at the Department of Employment (Office of Foreign Workers Administration in Bangkok or the provincial employment office), before the worker enters | A Ministry of Labour approval letter the embassy requires for the visa |
| 2 | Non-Immigrant "B" visa | The worker, at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad or via the Thai e-Visa portal, with the WP.3 letter and the employer's corporate documents | Single entry, 3-month validity, 90-day stay (THB 2,000); or multiple entry, 1-year validity (THB 5,000) |
| 3 | e-Work Permit | The employer, on the DOE e-Work Permit system after the worker has entered on the Non-B; employer identity verified through the ThaiID app | Digital work permit card with QR code; since 1 July 2026 a WP.62 temporary permit at approval |
| 4 | Extension of stay | The worker, at the Immigration Bureau, before the 90-day Non-B stay expires, with the permit and the employer's tax and social security filings | One-year extension of stay (THB 1,900), renewed annually alongside the permit |
| 5 | Ongoing status | Worker and employer: 90-day address report (TM.47), re-entry permit before any trip abroad (TM.8), TM.30 residence notification, social security registration | The file that survives an inspection |
Note what is not on the list. There is no route that starts with the person arriving visa-exempt and "sorting it out later": from 15 September 2026 visa-exempt entry is 30 days for the 60 eligible nationalities, and a change of status inside Thailand is discretionary and slow. There is also no transfer of a permit between employers. The Non-B must be obtained abroad against the employer's WP.3, and every step after it is tied to that employer. Governing instruments: Emergency Decree B.E. 2560; Immigration Act B.E. 2522 ss. 35 and 37.
What is the 4:1 Thai-to-foreigner ratio, the THB 2 million capital rule, and who is exempt?
A standard Thai company needs four Thai employees registered for social security and THB 2 million of fully paid-up registered capital for each foreign work permit — and both figures are tested again at every annual extension, not just at the first application. These are the two numbers that decide how many foreigners an entity can sponsor, and they belong to the employing entity, not the client.
| Employer type | Thai headcount test | Capital test | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Thai company | 4 Thai employees per foreigner, evidenced by social security filings | THB 2 million paid-up capital per foreigner | Some practitioners describe an alternative "1 foreigner per 50 Thai staff, maximum 5" test and a cap of 10 foreigners under the capital test; treat 4:1 plus THB 2 million as the rule the DOE and Immigration apply and confirm any variant with the office concerned |
| Foreign-majority company under the Foreign Business Act | 4:1 | Reported by some law firms as THB 3 million per foreigner | Set by regulation; confirm the current figure with Aniday before relying on it |
| BOI-promoted company | Not applied — positions approved under the Investment Promotion Act | Not applied | Processed through the BOI Single Window; permit in 1–3 working days |
| Representative, regional or branch office | 1:1 | Exempt from the capital and financial-statement tests | Scope of work limited by the office licence |
| LTR visa holder | Waived | Waived | Digital work permit THB 3,000 a year; 17% flat tax for Highly Skilled Professionals |
| Married to a Thai national | Relaxed in practice | Capital requirement halved in practice | Does not bypass the other requirements; still discretionary |
| Discretionary categories | Technology transfer, government contractors, labour-shortage areas, investment consulting, tourism | Officer discretion; do not build a plan on them | |
Why this matters more under an EOR than under your own entity. The permit names the employer, and the employer's headcount and capital are what is tested. An EOR entity sponsoring ten foreign professionals must carry forty Thai employees and THB 20 million of paid-up capital on its own books, or hold BOI promotion. When you evaluate an EOR provider for Thailand, ask how many foreign permits its entity is currently carrying and against what capital — capacity, not price, is the constraint. Governing instruments: Emergency Decree B.E. 2560; Immigration Bureau Order No. 12/2568 (2025) as reported; Investment Promotion Act B.E. 2520 for BOI companies.
Which occupations are closed to foreigners in Thailand?
The Ministry of Labour Notification B.E. 2563 (2020) lists 40 occupations in four lists, of which 27 are absolutely reserved for Thai nationals and cannot be permitted at all. The other three lists are conditional — open under an international agreement, to skilled or semi-skilled workers, or under a government-to-government MoU — and are where a job description can be drafted into or out of trouble.
| List | Status | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| List 1 — 27 occupations | Absolutely prohibited; no permit can be issued | Wood carving, driving motor vehicles, hairdressing and beauty, Thai massage, tour guiding, legal services, hand weaving, street vending, Thai-style crafts, secretarial and clerical work, auctioneering |
| List 2 | Permitted only where an international agreement Thailand has ratified allows it | Accounting, civil engineering, architecture — within the ASEAN mutual recognition arrangements |
| List 3 | Permitted for skilled or semi-skilled workers | Agriculture, construction trades, pottery and ceramics |
| List 4 | Permitted under government-to-government MoUs | Manual labour, retail shop assistants |
The practical trap is List 1's clerical and secretarial entry. A job description for an executive assistant, office administrator or "coordinator" reads to the registrar as reserved clerical work, and is refused. The permit also specifies employer, job title, duties and work location; a foreigner doing work outside that description is working without a permit for that work. Where the person will regularly be at a client's site, that site should be listed as an additional work location on the permit. Governing instruments: Emergency Decree B.E. 2560 s. 7; MOL Notification on Work Prohibited for Foreigners B.E. 2563 (2020).
How does the e-Work Permit system work, and what is the WP.62 temporary permit?
Since 13 October 2025 every new application, renewal, amendment, notification and cancellation is filed on the Department of Employment's e-Work Permit system, and the permit is a digital card, not a blue book. Manual filing survived only as a fallback where the system failed — to 28 January 2026, then under an extended facilitation measure to 28 July 2026 — and the paper route should now be regarded as closed.
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Employer registration | The employer registers on the system and verifies identity through the ThaiID app; an authorised signatory or a person under power of attorney submits |
| Processing time | Bangkok 7–10 working days; provincial offices 10–12 working days; BOI Single Window 1–3 working days |
| WP.62 temporary work permit (from 1 July 2026) | Issued when the registrar approves an e-Work Permit application but the digital card cannot yet be produced; the holder may work from that date. It carries its own validity date, and lapses when the regular permit issues or if the remaining steps — biometric enrolment, card collection — are not completed |
| Permit format | Credit-card-size digital work permit with QR code and barcode; verifiable online; must be producible on request during working hours |
| Notifications | Status updates by email, SMS and LINE; the same system is used for the employer's 15-day hire/termination notifications |
| BOI companies | Continue to use the BOI Single Window system, which has been linked to the DOE system |
What the temporary permit does and does not change. It removes the dead time between approval and card production — previously one to two weeks in which the person was in Thailand on a Non-B but could not legally work. It does not change who may work, for whom, or in what capacity, and it does not shorten the registrar's review. Treat it as a start-date accelerator, not a shortcut. Governing instruments: Emergency Decree B.E. 2560 ss. 59–62 and 67 (application, notification and renewal channels); DOE notification on the WP.62 temporary work permit, effective 1 July 2026, Royal Gazette 9 July 2026.
What does a Thailand work permit cost in government fees?
THB 3,100 for a one-year work permit — THB 100 application fee plus THB 3,000 permit fee — and THB 3,000 for each annual renewal, plus the visa, the extension of stay and the re-entry permit on the immigration side. Legalisation, translation, medical certificate and service fees are extra.
| Item | Fee (THB) | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit application fee | 100 | Department of Employment |
| Work permit fee by validity | 750 for up to 3 months; 1,500 for 3–6 months; 3,000 for 6–12 months | Department of Employment |
| Renewal, per year | 3,000 | Department of Employment |
| Amendments | 1,000 per change of duties or work location; 3,000 to add or remove an employer; 500 for a replacement permit | Department of Employment |
| Non-Immigrant B visa | 2,000 single entry; 5,000 multiple entry | Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Extension of stay, 1 year | 1,900 | Immigration Bureau |
| Re-entry permit | 1,000 single; 3,800 multiple | Immigration Bureau |
| Medical certificate | 500–1,500 | Thai hospital or clinic |
| LTR visa (alternative route) | 50,000 per person; digital work permit 3,000 a year | BOI / Immigration |
On the "THB 750 application fee" you will see quoted: that is the permit fee for a permit of up to three months, not the application fee. The statutory schedule under the Decree's fee regulation is THB 100 to apply plus the validity-based permit fee. Typical all-in cost including a service provider is in the THB 30,000–60,000 range for a straightforward case. Governing instruments: Ministerial Regulation on fees under the Emergency Decree B.E. 2560; Ministerial Regulation on visa fees under the Immigration Act B.E. 2522.
What documents are required, and do they need an apostille?
The employer's file is larger than the worker's, and it is the employer's file — tax, VAT and social security filings that prove the four Thai employees and the capital — that decides the outcome. Foreign documents still need full consular legalisation: Thailand's Apostille accession does not take effect until 28 February 2027.
| Party | Document | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Employer | Company affidavit and shareholder list | Issued within the last 6 months; paid-up capital visible |
| Employer | VAT registration and PP.30 returns; PND.1 withholding tax returns | Latest months; must show the Thai employees |
| Employer | Social security filings (SPS 1-10) | Evidence of the 4 Thai employees per foreigner |
| Employer | Audited financial statements | Latest year; a loss-making or dormant company draws scrutiny |
| Employer | Office map, photographs, lease; employment contract; job description | Job title and duties must avoid List 1 wording |
| Worker | Passport with Non-Immigrant B visa | At least 6 months' validity; more is needed for a full 1-year extension |
| Worker | Degree or qualification certificates, CV, employment references | No statutory degree rule, but the registrar expects qualifications matching the job; foreign documents consular-legalised and translated |
| Worker | Thai medical certificate | From a Thai clinic, certifying absence of leprosy, tuberculosis, drug addiction, alcoholism and elephantiasis; issued within 30 days |
| Worker | Photographs | 3 × 4 cm, taken within 6 months |
| Worker | Criminal record check | From July 2026 fingerprint-based checks are reported to apply to certain immigration extensions; confirm whether the specific extension category is affected before filing |
Legalisation until 27 February 2027: authentication by the issuing country's foreign ministry, legalisation by the Thai embassy or consulate there, then the Legalisation Division of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok, then certified Thai translation. From 28 February 2027 a public document from another Convention state will need only an apostille — but the translation requirement does not go away, and an apostille certifies the signature, not the content. Governing instruments: Emergency Decree B.E. 2560; Immigration Act B.E. 2522; Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, accession deposited 30 June 2026, in force for Thailand 28 February 2027.
How long is the permit valid, how is it renewed, and what happens on a change of employer or exit?
Up to one year at a time, matched to the extension of stay, renewed annually with the same headcount and capital test — and when the employment ends, a 15-day clock for the employer and a 7-day clock for the employee start.
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Validity | Up to 1 year, never beyond the extension of stay; 2 years possible for BOI and certain categories |
| Renewal | File on the e-Work Permit system before expiry — start 60–90 days ahead so the extension of stay can follow; the DOE recommends at least 30 days. The 4:1 and THB 2 million tests are reapplied |
| Minimum salary for the extension of stay | Immigration applies a nationality-based monthly floor: THB 50,000 for Western Europe, North America, Australia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore; THB 35,000 for other Asian nationalities; THB 25,000 for Africa and Central and South America |
| Change of employer | No transfer. The old permit is cancelled and the new employer applies afresh — and the new employer must itself pass the ratio and capital tests |
| Change of duties or location | Amendment on the e-Work Permit system before the change; THB 1,000 |
| Termination | Employer notifies the DOE and cancels the permit within 15 days of the last working day (fine up to THB 20,000) and notifies Immigration; the extension of stay lapses with the permit |
| After cancellation | The employee has 7 days to leave Thailand or obtain a different status; e-Work Permit cancellation itself processes in 5–7 business days |
| Dependants | Spouse and children obtain Non-Immigrant "O" dependant visas and extensions tied to the principal; no work rights without their own permit |
Sequence the exit deliberately. Cancelling the permit first and then discovering the person still needs a week to pack is how overstays start. In practice the employer files the DOE cancellation within the notice period with the last working day as the effective date, the worker obtains a re-entry permit or changes status beforehand if they intend to stay, and the Immigration notification goes in the same day as the DOE cancellation. Governing instruments: Emergency Decree B.E. 2560 as amended by (No. 2) B.E. 2561 (employer notification duties); Immigration Act B.E. 2522; Immigration Bureau extension-of-stay criteria.
What are the ongoing obligations — 90-day reports, re-entry permits, TM.30 and social security?
Four recurring duties keep the status alive after the permit issues, and three of them are the worker's personal responsibility. They are small, cheap and easy to forget, and every one of them produces a record that Immigration reads at the next extension.
| Obligation | Rule | Instrument |
|---|---|---|
| 90-day report (TM.47) | Notify Immigration of the current address every 90 days of continuous stay; window opens 15 days before and closes 7 days after the due date; online, in person or by post. Late: THB 2,000; up to THB 5,000 if found by an officer, plus THB 200 a day. Leaving Thailand resets the count | Immigration Act B.E. 2522 s. 37(5) |
| Re-entry permit (TM.8) | Required before any departure, otherwise the extension of stay is cancelled on exit; THB 1,000 single, THB 3,800 multiple; available at Immigration and at the international airports | Immigration Act B.E. 2522 s. 39 |
| TM.30 residence notification | The "house master" — landlord, hotel or employer providing accommodation — notifies Immigration within 24 hours of the foreigner taking up residence | Immigration Act B.E. 2522 s. 38 |
| Social Security Fund | Mandatory for foreign employees of a Thai employer: 5% employer and 5% employee on wages up to the ceiling of THB 17,500 a month from 1 January 2026 — maximum THB 875 each per month (up from THB 750 at the old THB 15,000 ceiling). The ceiling steps to THB 20,000 in 2029 and THB 23,000 in 2032 | Social Security Act B.E. 2533; Ministerial Regulation of 11 December 2025 |
| Carrying the permit | The digital permit must be producible during working hours on request; fine up to THB 1,000 (some sources cite higher figures) | Emergency Decree B.E. 2560 |
| Tax residency | 180 days or more in a calendar year makes the worker a Thai tax resident; employment income is taxed at progressive rates up to 35% by monthly withholding, and foreign-sourced income remitted to Thailand is taxable | Revenue Code s. 41 |
The social security number is the one that changes payroll budgets this year: the 2026 ceiling increase took the maximum monthly contribution from THB 750 to THB 875 for each side, and the phased increases to 2032 are already gazetted. It also matters for the ratio test — the four Thai employees per foreigner are counted from these filings. Governing instruments: Immigration Act B.E. 2522 ss. 37–39; Social Security Act B.E. 2533 and the Ministerial Regulation of 11 December 2025; Revenue Code.
What about BOI, the LTR visa, the SMART visa and the DTV?
Three of them are genuine routes to working legally for a Thai employer with fewer constraints; the fourth — the DTV — is not a work permit at all, and is the one candidates most often already hold.
| Route | What it is | Work for a Thai employer? |
|---|---|---|
| BOI-promoted company | A company holding an investment promotion certificate; foreign experts approved under the Investment Promotion Act and processed through the BOI Single Window in 1–3 working days; ratio and capital tests not applied | Yes — for the promoted company, in the approved position |
| LTR visa (Long-Term Resident) | 10 years (5 + 5), THB 50,000, administered by the BOI. Four categories: Wealthy Global Citizens, Wealthy Pensioners, Work-from-Thailand Professionals (employed by a foreign company; income around US$80,000 a year, employer revenue US$50 million over 3 years) and Highly Skilled Professionals (employed in Thailand in targeted sectors, US$80,000 or lower with an advanced degree). Benefits: digital work permit THB 3,000 a year, 4:1 ratio waived, 17% flat tax for Highly Skilled Professionals, annual instead of 90-day reporting, fast-track immigration. Requirements were relaxed in 2025 | Yes — Highly Skilled Professional category, with the LTR digital work permit |
| SMART visa | Since the 2025 restructuring only SMART S (startup founders) and SMART O (dependants) remain open; the Talent, Investor and Executive categories were closed and applicants directed to the LTR | Only for the startup's own founder; not an employment route |
| DTV (Destination Thailand Visa) | 5-year multiple-entry visa, 180 days per entry with one 180-day extension (THB 1,900), fee THB 10,000, THB 500,000 in funds held for 3 months. For remote workers, freelancers and "soft power" participants. From 31 August 2026 applications are accepted only at the embassy for the applicant's country of nationality or residence and a police clearance issued within 6 months is required | No. Remote work for foreign employers and clients only. It cannot support a Thai work permit and cannot be converted into one in-country; working for a Thai entity on it is working without a permit |
The DTV conversation to have with a candidate. "I already have a five-year visa" is true and irrelevant. The DTV permits presence, not employment by a Thai entity, and its 180-day stays make the holder a Thai tax resident without giving them the right to be on a Thai payroll. To employ them, the person exits, obtains a Non-B abroad against the employer's WP.3, and the ordinary process runs — the DTV is simply unused while the Non-B status is held. Governing instruments: Investment Promotion Act B.E. 2520; Cabinet resolutions establishing the LTR (2022) and DTV (2024) and the 2025 LTR and SMART revisions; Immigration Act B.E. 2522; Emergency Decree B.E. 2560 s. 8.
What are the penalties for working, or employing someone, without a permit?
THB 5,000–50,000 and deportation for the worker; THB 10,000–100,000 per foreigner for the employer, rising on a repeat offence to up to one year's imprisonment and/or THB 50,000–200,000 per foreigner plus a three-year ban on employing any foreigner. The Emergency Decree (No. 2) B.E. 2561 removed the prison term for the worker that the 2017 text carried; guides still quoting five years for the worker are out of date.
| Violation | Sanction |
|---|---|
| Foreigner working without a permit, or outside the permitted work | Fine THB 5,000–50,000; deportation; in practice a bar on a new permit for a period afterwards |
| Employer employing a foreigner without a permit, or in work not permitted | Fine THB 10,000–100,000 per foreigner. Repeat: imprisonment up to 1 year and/or fine THB 50,000–200,000 per foreigner, and a 3-year prohibition on employing foreigners |
| Employer fails to notify the DOE of a hire or termination within 15 days | Fine up to THB 20,000 per foreigner |
| Urgent and necessary work without the required notification | Fine up to THB 50,000 |
| Confiscating a foreign worker's passport or permit | Imprisonment up to 6 months and/or fine THB 10,000–100,000 per worker |
| Failure to produce the permit on request | Fine up to THB 1,000 (sources vary; some cite up to THB 5,000) |
| Overstay | THB 500 a day, capped at THB 20,000; re-entry bans of 1 to 10 years depending on length and whether the person surrendered or was arrested — figures widely cited but not re-verified in a 2026 official source; confirm with Immigration |
Enforcement is active and visible. The Department of Employment and Immigration run joint inspections of foreign workers in offices, not only on construction sites, and the digital permit makes the check instant — the officer scans the QR code and sees employer, job title and location. The commonest finding is not "no permit" but "wrong work": a foreigner on a permit for one employer or one location doing work for another. Governing instruments: Emergency Decree B.E. 2560 as amended by (No. 2) B.E. 2561, ss. 101 and 102 (worker and employer penalties); Immigration Act B.E. 2522 s. 81 (overstay).
How long does the whole process realistically take?
Four to eight weeks from a signed offer to a person legally at their desk, and the WP.62 temporary permit now takes one to two weeks of dead time out of the back end. The critical path is the employer's own document file and the consular legalisation of the worker's degree.
| Step | Realistic duration |
|---|---|
| Assemble the employer file; legalise and translate the worker's degree and references | 2–4 weeks — the dominant variable until 28 February 2027 |
| WP.3 pre-approval at the DOE | About 1 week |
| Non-Immigrant B visa at the embassy or via e-Visa | 3–7 business days |
| Travel, medical certificate in Thailand | 2–3 days |
| e-Work Permit application to approval | 7–10 working days in Bangkok; 10–12 in the provinces; 1–3 through BOI. WP.62 temporary permit at approval — work can begin |
| Digital permit card, biometric enrolment | 1–2 weeks, in parallel with working |
| One-year extension of stay at Immigration | Same-day decision in most cases; file before the 90-day Non-B stay expires |
| Total | 4–8 weeks typical; BOI 2–3 weeks |
If you need someone working in 60 days, the offer needs to be signed and the employer's tax and social security file confirmed clean this week, and the worker's degree should be at the Thai embassy for legalisation before the WP.3 is filed. Governing instruments: Emergency Decree B.E. 2560; DOE notification on temporary work permits effective 1 July 2026.
Why do Thailand work permit applications get rejected or delayed?
Nearly always the employer, not the worker: headcount that is not in the social security filings, capital that is registered but not paid up, or a job description that reads as reserved clerical work.
| Cause | Prevention |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 4 Thai employees on the social security filings per foreigner | Count from the SPS 1-10 filings, not the org chart; hire and register Thai staff before filing |
| Registered capital of THB 2 million per foreigner not fully paid up | Pay it up and have the affidavit reissued; Immigration checks the affidavit, not the intention |
| Job title or duties fall in List 1 — secretarial, clerical, driving, tour guiding | Draft the job description around the professional content of the role; never "assistant" or "coordinator" without a qualifying professional scope |
| Employer's tax or VAT filings missing or inconsistent | Audit the last 6 months of PP.30 and PND.1 before the WP.3 |
| Worker entered visa-exempt or on a tourist visa and applied in-country | Obtain the Non-B abroad against the WP.3; in-country change of status is discretionary |
| Foreign degree not consular-legalised | Start the legalisation chain at offer stage; apostille is not accepted until 28 February 2027 |
| Salary below the nationality-based floor at extension | Set the contract at or above THB 50,000 / 35,000 / 25,000 as applicable |
| Working at a client site not listed on the permit | Add the site as a work location before the person goes there |
| Left the country without a re-entry permit | Multiple re-entry permit at issuance for anyone who travels |
| Termination not notified within 15 days | Calendar the notification when the resignation is accepted |
How does Aniday handle Thailand work permits for clients?
Under an Employer of Record arrangement, Aniday's partner entity in Thailand is the named employer on the permit: it files the WP.3, supports the Non-B application, applies on the e-Work Permit system, and carries the ratio and capital tests on its own books — so a foreign company can place someone in Thailand without incorporating, without BOI promotion, and without owning the filing risk.
- Capacity check before the offer. A foreign hire consumes four Thai employees and THB 2 million of the sponsoring entity's capital; we confirm the headroom exists before the offer letter goes out, rather than discovering it at Immigration.
- Job description drafted against the List. Every title and duty is tested against the B.E. 2563 Notification before the WP.3, and the client's site is listed as a work location where the person will be there.
- Sequencing that respects the visa. WP.3 first, Non-B abroad, entry, medical, e-Work Permit with the WP.62 temporary permit so work starts at approval, then the extension of stay before the 90-day stay expires.
- Status maintenance. Multiple re-entry permit at issuance, 90-day reports calendared, social security registered at the current THB 17,500 ceiling, salary set at or above the nationality floor for the extension.
- Exit discipline. The 15-day DOE notification and the Immigration notification are filed together, with the effective date set so the employee's 7-day window is not a surprise.
Aniday is trusted by 5,000+ companies and works with a network of 50,000+ headhunters, combining EOR, payroll and hiring in one place. Read more about Employer of Record services, how to hire internationally and expand without a local entity, or see the work visa hub for other Asian markets.
Legal sources
- Emergency Decree on the Management of Foreigners' Working B.E. 2560 (2017), as amended by Emergency Decree (No. 2) B.E. 2561 (2018) — Department of Employment doe.go.th; e-Work Permit system eworkpermit.doe.go.th
- Ministry of Labour Notification on Work Prohibited for Foreigners B.E. 2563 (2020) — summarised at thailand.go.th
- Penalty schedule — thailand.go.th (Government Public Relations)
- Non-Immigrant Visa "B" requirements and fees — Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Thai e-Visa thaievisa.go.th
- Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) — extension of stay, re-entry permits, s. 37(5) 90-day reporting; Immigration Division 1 bangkok.immigration.go.th; TM.47 online tm47.immigration.go.th
- Immigration Bureau Order No. 12/2568 (2025) — extension-of-stay criteria for employment, as reported by Thai immigration practitioners
- DOE notification on the WP.62 temporary work permit, effective 1 July 2026, Royal Gazette 9 July 2026
- Social Security Act B.E. 2533 and the Ministerial Regulation of 11 December 2025 raising the wage ceiling to THB 17,500 from 1 January 2026
- Long-Term Resident visa — ltr.boi.go.th; Board of Investment boi.go.th
- Hague Conference on Private International Law — Thailand's accession to the Apostille Convention, 30 June 2026, entry into force 28 February 2027 — hcch.net
- Tourism Authority of Thailand — 30-day visa exemption from 15 September 2026 — tatnews.org
- Aniday — Work visas across Asia (hub)
- Last verified 2026-09.
Thailand work permits — frequently asked questions
What is the 4:1 rule?
Four Thai employees on the social security filings and THB 2 million of paid-up capital for each foreign work permit at a standard Thai company, tested at application and at every annual extension. BOI companies and LTR holders are outside it; representative and regional offices are tested at 1:1 with no capital test.
How much does a work permit cost?
THB 100 to apply plus THB 3,000 for a one-year permit; THB 3,000 per annual renewal. Add THB 2,000 or 5,000 for the Non-B visa, THB 1,900 for the one-year extension of stay and THB 1,000 or 3,800 for a re-entry permit.
Can someone work for us on a DTV?
No. The DTV is for remote work for foreign employers and clients only; it cannot support a Thai work permit. Working for a Thai entity on it is working without a permit — THB 5,000–50,000 and deportation for the worker, THB 10,000–100,000 per foreigner for the employer.
How long does it take?
Four to eight weeks end to end; two to three for a BOI company. The e-Work Permit itself takes 7–10 working days in Bangkok, and since 1 July 2026 a WP.62 temporary permit issues at approval so work can start before the card is produced.
Is the e-Work Permit mandatory?
Yes. It launched on 13 October 2025 for all applications, renewals, notifications and cancellations; manual filing was tolerated only as a fallback for system failures, to 28 January 2026 and then to 28 July 2026.
What do we do when the employee resigns?
Notify the DOE and cancel the permit within 15 days of the last working day (fine up to THB 20,000), and notify Immigration. The extension of stay lapses with the permit and the employee has 7 days to leave or change status.
Do we need an apostille or consular legalisation?
Consular legalisation until 27 February 2027. Thailand acceded to the Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026 but it enters into force for Thailand only on 28 February 2027.
Can we move the employee to another group company on the same permit?
No. The permit is issued to a named employer; the new employer applies afresh and must itself pass the ratio and capital tests.
What is the minimum salary?
There is no salary floor in the Decree, but Immigration applies a nationality-based floor at the extension of stay: THB 50,000 a month for most Western, North-East Asian and Singaporean nationals, THB 35,000 for other Asian nationals and THB 25,000 for African and Latin American nationals.
