Visas & Work Permits
Same-Sex Marriage
Thailand Privilege Card Program by Thailand Elite
Since 2003, Thailand Elite, an organization supported by the Thai government and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (“TAT”), has offered the opportunity to eligible foreigners to obtain a Thailand visitor visa for 5, 10 or …
Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa has been granted to a highly-skilled professional. How does the 17% personal income tax flat rate work in practice?
Congratulations to highly-skilled professionals whose Long-Term Resident (“LTR”) visa is approved and stamped in their passport. Those LTR professionals with potential eligibility to pay personal income tax at a 17% flat rate may however now have questions about how this …
Urgent Work Permit Requirements Revised
While it is relatively easy for foreigners to come to Thailand as tourists, potential issues often arise when they come for “work”, which includes such activities as academic seminars, business meetings, or market research, just to name a few. These …
New Alien Workers Law
The primary Thai laws and ordinances governing “aliens”, or non-Thai nationals, working in Thailand are the Alien Workers Act, B.E. 2551 (“Alien Workers Act”) and the Royal Ordinance on Bringing Alien Workers to Work with an Employer in the Kingdom …
Thailand’s New E-Work Permits Bring An End To Blue Books
By Piyawannee Watanasakolpunt and Suthasinee Neamsum Foreigners employed in Thailand are required to obtain an appropriate visa as well as a work permit. Work permits are issued by the Ministry of Labor and take the form of a small, passport sized …
Activities Falling Outside the Scope of “Work” for Thai Work Permit Requirements
The Thai Alien Occupation Act, B.E. 2551 (the Act) provides that foreigners cannot perform any act of work or service without first obtaining an appropriate work permit from the Department of Employment of the Ministry of Labour. The definition of …
Thai Immigration Cracks Down on Visa Overstays
Foreigners who stay in Thailand beyond the period prescribed in their d visas may now effectively be “blacklisted” from re-entering Thailand either temporarily or permanently, depending on the length of their overstay and whether the overstay is voluntarily admitted to …
New Rules for Urgent Work Permits – Practical Implications
By Andrew Wynne Foreigners visiting Thailand for meetings of a company in which they or their employer have invested may already be aware that a work permit is required for this activity. They may not be aware that henceforward the …
Urgent Work Permits – FAQ
When do I require a Work Permit? Any foreigner working in Thailand must have a work permit, and the definition of work is extremely broad. Work is defined as "engaging in work by exerting energy or using knowledge whether or …
Work Permit and Visa Rules in Thailand
Overview Work permits, visas and the relationship between the two are a source of considerable consternation and confusion for investors and other foreign business people in Thailand. The process of obtaining a work permit and a long-stay visa is complicated …
New Criteria for Granting Work Permits
The Director General of the Department of Employment in the Ministry of Labour (DOE) has issued a notification setting out revised criteria for labour officials to consider when issuing work permits under the Alien Work Permit Act B.E. 2551 (2008) …