All foreigners who intend to work in Thailand can do so as long as they conform to the Alien Employment Act. This requires you to obtain a work permit issued by the country’s Department of Employment, Ministry of labor. Here is a guide to employment permits in Thailand for foreign workers and expatriates:
It begins with a non-immigrant visa
Any foreigner worker must first obtain a non-immigrant visa before entering the country. Without this crucial document, you cannot get a work permit. On average, it takes about 7 days to get a work permit – faster than it would take for you to obtain the same in any other ASEAN neighbors.
Working outside your company’s designation
Section 8 of the Foreign Business Act allows employers to apply for a work permit on behalf of their prospective employees. However, the work permit can only be issued once the foreign employee gets into Thailand. In this case, he/she has to present himself/herself to receive the work permit. You should keep in mind that the permit is issued to the individual with the support of the organization for a specific job position. You cannot work under a different position.
Steps for employers
As previously mentioned, foreigners (expatriates) can only get a work permit if and only if they have a non-immigrant visa. With this in mind, it’s important to mention the steps employees should take to obtain a work permit for themselves. For a start, they must submit the following:
- An application form filled in by the employee
- A letter of employment/engagement from the organization (company)
- The employee’s personal tax declaration form
- The company’s affidavit or certificate of incorporation
- A copy of the employee’s passport
- 3-4 copies of a recent photograph
- Certified copies of the employee’s academic transcripts
