Work permit in Thailand

• The route is for foreigners who will work for a company in Thailand. Your prospective employer applies to the Ministry of Labour's Department of Employment for an approval letter (Form WP3, called WP32 by some missions), you apply for a Non-Immigrant B visa abroad, and you apply for the work permit after you enter; the work permit is not issued until you have entered and presented yourself, and work cannot start before it is issued.
• It is not for remote work for an employer outside Thailand: the Destination Thailand Visa is the route usually researched for that. Working without a permit risks imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of THB 2,000 to 100,000, and the employer risks a fine of THB 10,000 to 100,000 per foreign employee, according to the Board of Investment's one-stop guide.
• The LTR visa's Highly-Skilled Professionals category is for professionals in targeted industries with a contract from a Thai or foreign company, and it carries a digital work permit. Its Work-from-Thailand category grants no work permit.

Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand (mission checklist), Royal Thai Embassy, Thailand Board of Investment. Checked 16 October 2026.

• Missions ask for evidence of funds that varies with the mission and date: about THB 20,000 per person or 40,000 per family on a mission checklist created in 2017, about THB 30,000 on the Manama embassy's March 2024 checklist, and bank statements for each of three months ending at about US$1,000 on the Washington page. To be safe, have more than THB 31,000 or US$1,100.
• The sources we opened set no minimum salary for the Non-B visa, and the Board of Investment's 2018 guide does not state employer capital or Thai-staff rules, so check those with the Department of Employment. The LTR Highly-Skilled category asks for an average personal income of about US$80,000 a year over two years (to be safe, more than US$81,000), or about US$40,000 to 80,000 with extra proof.

Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand (mission checklist), Royal Thai Embassy, Thailand Board of Investment. Checked 16 October 2026.

• The mission checklist (created 2017) lists a passport valid for six months, the application form, a 4 x 6 cm photo, the funds evidence, the Ministry of Labour approval letter, a copy of any earlier Thai work permit with its tax return, and the employer's registration, licence, shareholder list, balance sheet and tax statements.
• The Manama embassy's March 2024 list asks for the passport biodata page, a photo from the last six months, a document showing where you live, the approval letter (or your work permit if renewing), and a one-year certificate of entry and departure; the Washington embassy also asks for the approval letter. The Wellington embassy adds a reference letter from a company in New Zealand or Thailand and a return ticket or itinerary.
• For the work permit in Thailand you need your passport with a Non-Immigrant visa valid at least six months, education evidence and letters from former employers, a medical certificate from a first-class licensed physician in Thailand, three 5 x 6 cm photos from the last six months and a detailed job description.

Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand (mission checklist), Royal Thai Embassy, Thailand Board of Investment. Checked 16 October 2026.

• The order is: the employer's approval letter, your Non-B visa from a Thai mission abroad, entry, then the work permit; tourist, transit or visa-exempt entrants must change to a Non-Immigrant B visa first. The one-stop service centre said in 2018 it could process visa and work permit transactions within 3 hours with complete documents; outside Bangkok you file at the provincial Department of Employment.
• A single-entry Non-B visa is valid for 3 months and each stay is up to 90 days, while Ottawa's fee announcement also lists a three-year multiple-entry Non-B. Missions state their own e-Visa times: Canberra at least 10 business days, Vancouver 10 to 15 business days and Wellington about 5 to 10 working days.
• After arrival your landlord must notify immigration within 24 hours (form TM.30), you report your address every 90 days, and everyone entering completes the Thailand Digital Arrival Card within 3 days before arriving.

Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand (mission checklist), Thailand Board of Investment, Royal Thai Embassy, Royal Thai Consulate-General, Immigration Bureau. Checked 16 October 2026.

• Embassy fees for the visa differ: US$80 for the Non-Immigrant B on the Washington page, CA$650 for a three-year multiple-entry Non-B on Ottawa's 2024 list, A$120 for a single-entry Non-Immigrant visa on Sydney's list of 15 July 2024, and NZ$700 at Wellington until 31 December 2026, down from NZ$800.
• The sources we opened do not give the government work permit fee for a non-BOI job; the LTR visa page lists a digital work permit fee of THB 3,000 a year. The Immigration Bureau's extension page lists a THB 1,900 fee for business extensions, and a 2014 One Start One Stop FAQ gives a re-entry permit fee of THB 1,000 for one re-entry and THB 3,800 for multiple.

Sources: Royal Thai Embassy, Royal Thai Consulate-General, Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), Immigration Bureau. Checked 16 October 2026.

• A work permit is granted for one year for a regular position and two years for executives or experts, and it lapses if not renewed before it expires; renewal needs proof that the previous year's tax was paid.
• Employers must report changes, transfers and terminations within 15 days, and a foreigner staying more than 90 consecutive days must report an address every 90 days, with a fine of up to THB 5,000 plus up to THB 200 a day for failing to.

Sources: Thailand Board of Investment. Checked 16 October 2026.

• Permanent residence is a separate annual quota process, with 100 places for each nationality; the 2026 window ran from 9 March to 3 April 2026. A 2018 law-firm article lists work or business among the categories and says applicants need three consecutive yearly extensions of stay on a non-immigrant visa.

Sources: Immigration Bureau. Checked 16 October 2026.

• A work-permit holder who stays at least 180 days in the tax year counts as a Thai tax resident under the Revenue Department's 2024 return guide, which taxes net income progressively from nil on the first THB 150,000 to 35% above THB 5 million, with filing due on 31 March (8 April online in 2025).
• The BOI lists a 17% personal income tax rate for LTR Highly-Skilled Professionals and an exemption for overseas income, and the work permit renewal needs proof that the last year's taxes were paid.

Sources: The Revenue Department (Thailand), Thailand Board of Investment (BOI). Checked 16 October 2026.

• Digital nomad visa in Thailand
• Retirement visa in Thailand
• Family visa in Thailand
• Long-Term Resident visa for investors in Thailand

• Visas in Thailand
• Thailand

1. Non-Immigrant B visa (working), Royal Thai Embassy, Washington D.C.. Checked 10 October 2026. Written for applicants in the Washington embassy's area; page updated 1 September 2026.
2. Visa types and requirements, Royal Thai Embassy, Washington D.C.. Checked 10 October 2026. Written for applicants in the Washington embassy's area; fees in US dollars.
3. US citizens abroad: filing requirements, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 10 October 2026.
4. Foreign earned income exclusion limit, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 10 October 2026. Tax year 2026 figure.
5. Physical presence test, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 10 October 2026.
6. Foreign tax credit, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 10 October 2026.
7. US international Social Security agreements, US Social Security Administration (Internet Archive copy). Checked 10 October 2026. Internet Archive copy captured 4 October 2026. Thailand is not on the list of agreements.
8. US–Thailand income tax convention (1996), text, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 10 October 2026. Signed 26 November 1996; general effective date 1 January 1998. Article 1(2) saving clause and article 4 (residence) read.
9. Publication 54, tax guide for US citizens abroad, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 10 October 2026. Edition revised December 2025 (continuous use).
10. Visa fees (Announcement No. 7/2567, fees in Canadian dollars from 16 July 2024), Royal Thai Embassy, Ottawa. Checked 15 October 2026. Fee announcement No. 7/2567, in force from 16 July 2024, on a page updated 5 January 2026; the fee table is an image.
11. Visa: how to apply, Royal Thai Consulate-General, Vancouver. Checked 11 October 2026. Page updated 20 April 2026; online applications only; 10 to 15 business days for complete applications.
12. Canada Pension Plan (CPP) deductions: employees working outside Canada, Canada Revenue Agency. Checked 10 October 2026. Written for employers; date modified 15 July 2026.
13. Social security agreements, Government of Canada. Checked 10 October 2026. Page dated 9 October 2026; Thailand is not on the list.
14. Thai E-Visa: who can apply, documents and processing time, Royal Thai Embassy, Canberra. Checked 11 October 2026. Page is undated; it publishes no fee list and no DTV checklist.
15. Visa information and visa fees (fee announcement of 15 July 2024), Royal Thai Consulate-General, Sydney. Checked 15 October 2026. Fee table in Australian dollars, effective 15 July 2024, an image on a page updated 6 March 2025; not Canberra's schedule.
16. Agreement between Thailand and Australia on double taxation: articles 11 to 15, The Revenue Department (Thailand). Checked 11 October 2026. The Thai Revenue Department's copy of the 1989 agreement text (page last updated 8 December 2011); predates the Multilateral Instrument. Articles 11 (interest), 14 (independent services) and 15 (employment) used.
17. Agreement between Thailand and Australia on double taxation: articles 21 to 25, The Revenue Department (Thailand). Checked 11 October 2026. The Thai Revenue Department's copy of the 1989 agreement text (page last updated 8 December 2011); predates the Multilateral Instrument. Article 24 (credit for Thai tax) used.
18. International social security agreements, Australian Government, Department of Social Services (Internet Archive copy). Checked 11 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 9 September 2026; lists 32 agreement countries; Thailand is not listed.
19. Types of visas (e-Visa applications), Royal Thai Embassy, Wellington. Checked 11 October 2026. Residents of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Samoa and Niue; page updated 23 July 2024; its standard fees are reduced until 31 December 2026 (D7).
20. Non-immigrant visa, Royal Thai Embassy, Wellington. Checked 10 October 2026. Page updated 18 March 2024; its fees predate the temporary reduction in D7.
21. Announcement: reduction of visa service fees, Royal Thai Embassy, Wellington. Checked 15 October 2026. Announcement 1/2569 dated 8 June 2026: reduced fees from 5 July to 31 December 2026.
22. New Zealand–Thailand tax treaty, Inland Revenue (New Zealand), Tax Policy. Checked 10 October 2026. 1998 agreement and protocol, signed 22 October 1998, in force 14 December 1998; listed among the DTAs in force.
23. Double Taxation Relief (Thailand) Order 1998 (archived copy), New Zealand Legislation (Internet Archive copy of 5 June 2023). Checked 10 October 2026. Internet Archive copy captured 5 June 2023. Articles 4 (residence), 10 to 12 (withholding), 15 and 16 (personal services), 19 (pensions) and 23 (credit) read.
24. Social security agreements, Work and Income (Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand). Checked 10 October 2026. Eleven agreements listed; Thailand is not one of them.
25. Required documents for Non-Immigrant visa category B (business), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand (mission checklist). Checked 16 October 2026. PDF created 6 July 2017, so the figures may have changed; confirm with your mission.
26. Required documents for work and business visa, Non-Immigrant B, Royal Thai Embassy, Manama (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand). Checked 16 October 2026. As of 17 March 2024; fees in Bahraini dinars left out.
27. Getting visa and work permit (non-BOI business), Thailand Board of Investment, One Start One Stop Investment Center. Checked 16 October 2026. Last updated November 2018 according to the page, so figures may have changed.
28. Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa: qualifications and privileges, Thailand Board of Investment (BOI). Checked 16 October 2026. Four LTR categories, dependants and how to apply; the page shows no publication date.
29. Applying for a visa, Royal Thai Embassy, Wellington. Checked 10 October 2026. Page updated 22 September 2026.
30. The notification of residence of foreign nationals within 24 hours (TM.30), Thailand Board of Investment, One Start One Stop Investment Center. Checked 11 October 2026. Quotes section 38 of the Immigration Act 1979; does not state the penalty.
31. Immigration Bureau of Thailand: home page and online services, Immigration Bureau, Royal Thai Police. Checked 16 October 2026. Home page: online 90-day notification, TM.30 and fines listed.
32. Important announcement on the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), Royal Thai Consulate-General, Chicago. Checked 11 October 2026. Notice posted 25 April 2025, in force from 1 May 2025; the rule is national.
33. LTR visa: visa issuance, Thailand Board of Investment (BOI). Checked 16 October 2026. How and where the LTR visa is issued, fees and the 60-day endorsement.
34. Extension of stay (การขออยู่ต่อ): retirement, marriage to a Thai national, business, tourism, Immigration Bureau, Royal Thai Police. Checked 16 October 2026. Page in Thai, read on 17 October 2026; it shows no date.
35. FAQ: About Re-entry Permit, Thailand Board of Investment, One Start One Stop Investment Center. Checked 15 October 2026. FAQ page dated December 2014; confirm current fees with immigration.
36. Annual application for permanent residence in the Kingdom (การขอมีถิ่นที่อยู่ในราชอาณาจักรประจำปี), Immigration Bureau, Royal Thai Police. Checked 16 October 2026. Page in Thai; announces the 2026 application window and quota; the requirement documents it links were not opened.
37. Guide to Personal Income Tax Return 2024 (P.N.D. 90), The Revenue Department (Thailand). Checked 15 October 2026. Return guide for the 2024 tax year, filed in 2025; a newer guide may exist.