Thailand Work Permit Service

Two permissions, two authorities, one timeline

A foreigner working in Thailand needs both an immigration status that allows employment and a work permit under the Royal Decree on Managing the Work of Aliens. The visa side is handled by the Immigration Bureau under the Royal Thai Police; the work permit is issued by the Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour. They are separate files with separate officers, and a defect in one does not pause the other. This is why files fail on sequencing rather than on eligibility.

The usual order is a Non-Immigrant B visa obtained abroad or converted in Thailand, then the work permit application, then the one-year extension of stay tied to the employment. Beginning work before the permit is issued is an offence for both the worker and the employer, and it is checked during later extensions because the start date on the employment documents is compared with the permit issue date.

Employer-side thresholds that decide feasibility

Occupations closed to foreigners

Thailand maintains a list of occupations reserved for Thai nationals, periodically revised by ministerial notification. Reserved work historically includes manual and craft trades, hairdressing, tour guiding, and clerical work of a routine kind. Some occupations are permitted subject to conditions rather than absolutely closed. Because the list is amended by notification rather than by statute, we check the current instrument each time rather than relying on a cached summary — an outdated list is the fastest way to promise a permit that cannot be issued.

Documents assembled on each side

• Employer: DBD company affidavit and shareholder list, VAT registration, latest financial statement, PND.1 payroll filings and SSO contribution list
• Employer: office photographs, map, and lease evidence where the officer requires site verification
• Employee: passport with valid Non-B status, TM.6 or entry record, 90-day report where applicable
• Employee: degree certificate and transcript, professional licences where the role is regulated
• Employee: employment contract, job description and organisational chart showing the position
• Medical certificate in the prescribed form, issued within the window the office accepts

Common mistakes and how we avoid them

More questions we are asked

Can I hold one permit and work for two companies?

The permit names the employer and the workplace. Additional employers or locations must be added to the permit before that work begins.

Is a degree mandatory?

Not by statute for every role, but officers weigh qualifications against the position. Experience evidence can substitute in practice for some technical roles.

What if I resign?

The permit ceases to authorise work for that employer and must be returned; the associated extension of stay is normally shortened, so the next filing is time-critical.

Does a BOI position skip the Thai-employee ratio?

BOI approval sets the foreign headcount for the promoted activity, which is what governs; the general ratio applies to non-promoted employers.

Can my spouse work on a dependent visa?

Not without her or his own work permit and a status that allows employment; a dependent Non-O alone does not authorise work.

How long does the whole process take?

Commonly one to three weeks at DOE for a complete file, and a matter of hours at OSOS for BOI positions, excluding time to gather employer documents.