Employees of Thai companies
Non-B visa, first work permit, one-year extension of stay, and the renewals and 90-day reports that follow — coordinated with your HR team so the company file and your personal file match.
Department of Employment · Immigration · One Stop Service
Thai work permit — filed, renewed and kept compliant
From the Non-B visa through the work permit, the one-year extension of stay and every renewal after it — prepared by a team that also translates and legalises the foreign documents your file depends on.
What a Thai work permit actually is
A work permit is permission to perform a specific job, for a specific employer, at a specific workplace, issued by the Department of Employment. It is separate from your visa: the visa lets you stay, the permit lets you work, and the extension of stay keeps both aligned for a year at a time. Most refusals we see come from mismatches between the three — a job title outside the company's registered objectives, a capital or staffing shortfall, or a foreign degree that was never legalised.
Who we file for
Company directors & business owners
Director appointments, foreign business considerations, and permits that match the objectives registered with the Department of Business Development.
BOI & IEAT promoted companies
Filing through the One Stop Service Centre where the capital and Thai-staff ratios are relaxed and processing is faster than the ordinary route.
Teachers & academic staff
Degree and transcript legalisation, teacher licence waiver paperwork, police clearance, and the school's supporting documents in the format the employment office expects.
LTR & SMART visa holders
Digital work permits issued under the One Stop Service Centre, with the annual reporting these categories require instead of 90-day reporting in some cases.
Urgent & remedial cases
Expired permits, cancelled employment, changed job title, or a rejected file — reviewed, corrected and refiled with an honest assessment of what can and cannot be saved.
How the process runs
1. Eligibility and structure review
We check your visa category, the employer's registered capital and Thai-staff ratio, and the job title against occupations reserved for Thai nationals before anything is filed.
2. Document collection and translation
Passport, degree, transcripts, employment contract, corporate documents and a medical certificate — with certified translation into Thai where required.
3. Legalisation of foreign documents
Apostille or embassy legalisation abroad, then certification by the Department of Consular Affairs in Bangkok so the employment office accepts the document.
4. Visa and work permit filing
Non-B application or conversion, then the work permit application at the provincial employment office (or the One Stop Service Centre for BOI, LTR and SMART cases).
5. Extension of stay at Immigration
Once the permit is issued we file the one-year extension, arrange the re-entry permit and register the 90-day reporting cycle.
6. Ongoing compliance
Renewal reminders, change-of-employer notifications, address reporting and annual filings, so nothing lapses while you are busy working.
Playbook: obtaining a Thailand work permit
A Thai work permit is issued by the Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour, and must sit alongside a valid visa status. The usual sequence has four stages: the employer prepares corporate documents and checks the Thai-to-foreign staff ratio; a WP-3 pre-approval is filed so the applicant can obtain a Non-B visa at a Thai embassy; after entry the work-permit application itself is filed; and finally the stay is extended with the Immigration Bureau. The order cannot be rearranged.
Documents to prepare
| Document | Issued by | Preparation note |
|---|---|---|
| Passport with a Non-B category visa | The applicant / Thai embassy | Check that passport validity comfortably covers the period applied for. |
| Medical certificate | A hospital or clinic in Thailand | Must cover the prescribed conditions and be recent enough for the registrar. |
| Degree certificate and employment references | The issuing institution / previous employers | Foreign documents need certified translation and the legalisation the authority requires. |
| Employer corporate file: company affidavit, shareholder list, financial statements | DBD / the company auditor | Must be recent copies within the registrar's accepted age. |
| Tax filings and social-security records for Thai staff | The employer | Used to evidence the Thai-to-foreign employee ratio. |
| Photographs and fully signed application forms | Applicant and employer | — |
| Professional licence, e.g. teaching or engineering licenceif applicable | The relevant professional council | — |
Step-by-step process
- 1
Check eligibility and ratio before startingwe handle
Confirm the role is not on the list reserved for Thai nationals, that the employer has sufficient registered capital and Thai staff, and that the applicant's qualifications match the position. This is the highest-value stage to take advice on: restructuring before filing is far easier than fixing a refusal.
- 2
File WP-3 for the pre-approval letterwe handle
The employer files WP-3 with the Department of Employment to obtain the pre-approval letter, which the applicant then presents when applying for the Non-B visa at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad.
- 3
Obtain the Non-B visa and enter Thailandyou prepare
Apply at the designated Thai embassy, then travel on that visa. Entering as a visitor and converting later is possible only in limited cases and under different conditions.
- 4
File the work-permit application (WP-1) and collect the permitwe handle
After entry the employer files the work-permit application with the corporate file, medical certificate and qualifications. Many offices now issue the permit in digital form.
- 5
Extend the stay with the Immigration Bureauwe handle
With the permit issued, apply to Immigration for the extension of stay, keep the required reporting schedule, and obtain a re-entry permit before every trip abroad.
- 6
Ongoing upkeep: renewals, job changes and notificationswe handle
Changing employer, job title or work location requires notification and amendment of the permit; renewals should start well before expiry so the status never lapses.
Pitfalls — why files get rejected
Starting work before the permit is issued
Working before the permit is issued — including unpaid work — is a legal risk for both the individual and the employer. Wait until the permit is actually issued.
The Thai-staff ratio is short on filing day
The ratio is measured on actual social-security and tax evidence, not headcount on paper. A resignation days before filing can stall the application.
The stated job title does not match the real duties
The permit is tied to the stated position and scope. If actual duties differ, amend the permit rather than leaving the mismatch in place.
Foreign documents lack the full legalisation chain
Foreign degrees and references usually need certification in the issuing country plus embassy steps and a certified translation; plain copies are commonly rejected.
Forgetting the re-entry permit before travelling
Leaving Thailand without a re-entry permit cancels the extension of stay and the process must be restarted.
Choosing the employment route
| Option | Best for | Authority | Caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary Thai company (SME) | Full-time staff of a Thai-registered company | Department of Employment + Immigration Bureau | Must meet registered-capital and Thai-staff ratio criteria. |
| BOI-promoted company | Expert roles inside a promoted project | BOI e-Expert together with the One Stop Service Centre | The position must already be approved in the project's position list. |
| Representative or regional office | Non-revenue activities such as sourcing or quality control | DBD + Department of Employment | Activity scope is limited; commercial trading in Thailand is not allowed. |
If you do it yourself
- Gather personal documents and qualifications and arrange the medical certificate yourself.
- Coordinate with the employer's HR to obtain a complete, sufficiently recent corporate file.
- Book the embassy appointment, file in person and track each office's own timetable.
If we handle it end to end
- Pre-check eligibility and ratio and flag risks before anything is filed.
- Assemble both the employer and employee files, with certified translation handled in-house.
- File WP-3, WP-1 and the immigration extension, with renewal reminders afterwards.
We advise, not just process paperwork
- Our team has handled work-permit and business-visa files for over 15 years and checks the patterns that most often trigger a refusal before filing.
- We do not only file: we advise on employment structure, job scope and a long-term renewal plan.
- Initial advice is available by phone or LINE before you commit — no originals needed to start.
NOTARY & APOSTILLE TRANSLATION INTERPRETERS (NAATI) CO., LTD. — a team with more than 15 years of work in translation, document certification and filings with Thai authorities. We advise before any file is opened, and we never guarantee an authority's decision.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work in Thailand on a tourist visa?
No. Employment of any kind requires a work permit issued under the Royal Decree on Managing the Work of Aliens, and the visa you hold must be one that permits an application — normally a Non-Immigrant B (or another category that allows work, such as certain LTR and SMART visas). Working without a permit exposes both you and the employer to penalties and can affect future visa applications.
Which visa do I need before applying for a work permit?
Most employees enter or convert to a Non-Immigrant B visa sponsored by the Thai company. The company files supporting papers (registration certificate, shareholder list, VAT and financial statements, employment letter) and you file your passport, photographs, degree, and medical certificate. LTR and SMART visa holders apply through the One Stop Service Centre instead of the ordinary Department of Employment route.
What are the company requirements to hire a foreigner?
The standard rule at the Department of Employment is registered capital of two million baht per foreign employee and four Thai employees per foreigner, with reductions or exemptions for BOI-promoted companies, foreign-owned entities under a treaty, representative offices and certain categories. We review your company file before submission so a shortfall is fixed rather than discovered at the counter.
Does my degree need translation and legalisation?
Usually yes. A degree or transcript issued abroad is normally required in certified Thai or English translation, legalised by an Apostille (for Hague Convention states) or by the issuing country's authorities plus the Thai embassy, and then certified by the Department of Consular Affairs in Bangkok. We handle translation and the full legalisation chain in-house.
How long does a work permit take?
With a complete file and a compliant employer, the work permit itself is typically issued within days to a few weeks at the provincial employment office, but the whole sequence — visa, permit, then the one-year extension of stay at Immigration — takes longer. Timelines vary by province and by the officer's requests, so we confirm the current position at filing rather than promising a fixed date.
What is the digital work permit (e-Work Permit)?
The Department of Employment now issues many permits digitally, viewable in the e-Work Permit system instead of the traditional blue book. The legal effect is the same; some banks and government offices still ask for a printed copy, which we provide with your file.
What must I report after the permit is issued?
You must notify changes of employer, position, workplace address or salary; renew before expiry; complete 90-day address reporting at Immigration; and obtain a re-entry permit before leaving Thailand if you want to keep a single-entry extension of stay alive. We track these dates for clients on a retainer.
What happens to my permit if I resign?
The permit is tied to the employer. On termination it must be returned and cancelled, and your permission to stay is usually shortened. If you have a new employer lined up we can run the cancellation and the new application in sequence so the gap in status is as short as possible.
Official sources
Related services
One team handles the full chain — translation, notarisation, MFA legalisation and embassy attestation — so your document is accepted the first time.
Certification & legalisation
Translation
Personal records & immigration
Not sure which route your document needs?
Send a photo or scan and our staff will confirm the exact steps, supporting documents and realistic turnaround under the receiving authority's current rules.
Free document check
Send your passport page, the job offer and the company's registration certificate. We reply with the exact document list, the legalisation your degree needs and a realistic sequence of filings.