| Overview
Foreigners who wish to work or do business in Thailand must obtain a non-immigrant B visa. These are available from Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General outside of Thailand, though nationals of certain countries must apply at the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General in their home country.
There are two types of non-immigrant B visas, the 90 day single entry and the one-year multiple-entry. Most often applicants will only be granted a 90-day single entry visa, though upon arrival in Thailand holders of 90 day visas are entitled to apply for one-year visas and Re-entry Permits, the procedure for which is described in greater detail below.
Thai law lists a number of prohibited occupations which foreigners are not allowed to perform in Thailand. Foreigners working in these industries will be denied work permits and subject to
Required Documents for 90-Day Single-Entry Visa
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| 1. |
Application form; |
| 2. |
Two photos (color, size 4 x 4.5 cm); |
| 3. |
Passport (valid for no less than 6 months); |
| 4. |
Letter from your company in Thailand with letter-head explaining the purpose of your visit, including the name of the company, organization or mission and their address in Thailand; |
| 5. |
Letter from your company abroad that you are currently working with; and |
| 6. |
Airline ticket or confirmation slip with flight number, date of entry and name; |
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| The issuance fee for the 90 day non-immigrant visa is 2,000 Baht or its equivalent in local currency.
Procedure for Obtaining a One-Year Multiple Entry Visa
Once the holder of a 90 day single-entry visa has arrived in Thailand he must first obtain a work permit from the Ministry of Labour before applying for the one-year visa. This must be done before the commencement his work. Once the applicant has obtained his work permit and gathered the necessary documents listed below, he may apply to the Immigration Bureau (for businesses with capital of 30 million Baht or less) or the One Stop Service Centre (for businesses with capital of more than 30 million Baht). The application can take months to process but extensions can be granted for periods up to two months if further consideration of the one-year visa application is necessary.
The two most common justifications for denying a one-year visa application are:
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| 1. |
A determination by the immigration authority that the earnings of the applicant are insufficient; |
| 2. |
The applicant's employer fails to meet the requirement that there be 4 Thais employed per foreigner; or |
| 3. |
The financial status and performance of the applicant's employer do not meet standards set by the Immigration Bureau. |
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| If the application is rejected, notice will be sent to the address listed on the application and the applicant will be given two weeks to leave Thailand. In some cases, the Immigration Bureau will allow the applicant to submit a new application if the applicant can show that the conditions that led to the rejection of the application have been corrected.
Required Documents for One-Year Multiple Entry Visa
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| 1. |
Affidavit of employer certified by the Department of Business Development within previous six months; |
| 2. |
List of shareholders certified by the Department of Business Development within previous six months; |
| 3. |
Certificate of Registration of the Company and any License; |
| 4. |
Balance sheet of company, and Por. Ngor. Dor. 50 (annual tax return) for most recent year; |
| 5. |
Work permit; |
| 6. |
Por. Ngor. Dor 1 (payroll withholding form) of employer for the most recent months, with receipt of payment (photocopy signed and sealed by director); |
| 7. |
Sor. Por. Sor. 1-10 (Social Security Fund return) of employer for the most recent months, with receipt of payment (photocopy signed and sealed by director); |
| 8. |
Por. Ngor. Dor. 91 (personal income tax return) of applicant for previous year, with receipt of payment (photocopy signed by applicant); |
| 9. |
Por. Por. 01, 09 and 20; |
| 10. |
Copy of an advertisement of the Company for the position of applicant; |
| 11. |
Employment agreement, if any; |
| 12. |
Photocopy of first page and visa page of passport (signed by applicant); |
| 13. |
Map of office (signed and sealed by director); |
| 14. |
Photo of applicant (4 X 6 cm); and |
| 15. |
Diploma or resume showing education and work history.
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