A Work Visa for Thailand: How to Work Legally in 2026
To work in Thailand you need two things: a Non-Immigrant B visa and a work permit. Both are tied to one specific employer, and the company has requirements of its own: four Thai employees and two million baht of registered capital for every foreigner. The whole process takes four to eight weeks. Almost nobody finds an employer inside 30 visa-free days, and a student visa is the cleanest way to cover the search and the paperwork.
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Non-B and work permit are different documents
- The Non-B is the visa that allows you to be in the country for the purpose of work.
- The work permit is permission from the Ministry of Labour to do a specific job for a specific employer.
You cannot work without a work permit, even with a Non-B. Remote work for a foreign company on a tourist or student visa is not allowed either - the DTV exists for that.
What the employer must have
For every foreigner, the company must have:
- four Thai employees registered in the social security system;
- 2,000,000 baht of fully paid-up registered capital.
The conditions are checked when you apply and at every annual extension. The exceptions are BOI-promoted companies and LTR holders. For representative and regional offices the ratio is 1:1 with no capital requirement.
The minimum salary
For the annual extension, immigration checks your salary. The threshold depends on nationality:
| Nationality | Minimum per month |
|---|---|
| Western Europe, North America, Australia, Japan, Korea, Singapore and others | 50,000 ฿ |
| Other Asian countries | 35,000 ฿ |
| Africa, Central and South America | 25,000 ฿ |
How the process runs
- The employer gets pre-approval on form WP.3 from the Ministry of Labour.
- You apply for the Non-B at an embassy abroad: 2,000 baht single entry, 5,000 baht multiple.
- After you arrive, the work permit application goes in through the e-Work Permit system, running since 13 October 2025.
- The permit is issued in 7 to 12 working days, or 1 to 3 days at BOI companies. Since 1 July 2026, approval comes with a temporary WP.62 permit, so you can work before the card is printed.
- Immigration extends your stay by a year for 1,900 baht.
Government fees
| What | Amount |
|---|---|
| Work permit application | 100 ฿ |
| Work permit for 3 / 6 / 12 months | 750 / 1,500 / 3,000 ฿ |
| Work permit renewal | 3,000 ฿ a year |
| One-year extension of stay | 1,900 ฿ |
| Re-entry permit | 1,000 ฿ single, 3,800 ฿ multiple |
Occupations closed to foreigners
The Ministry of Labour's list covers 40 occupations. Twenty-seven of them are closed completely, among them secretarial and clerical work, driving, working as a tour guide and Thai massage. The rest are open with conditions: under international agreements, or for qualified specialists.
How to live in Thailand while you look for work
Finding a job takes months, and the paperwork after an offer takes another one or two. None of that fits into 30 visa-free days.
A student visa buys you that time:
- 6 months of legal stay with no money requirement;
- from 27,200 ฿ with us, every extension included;
- the residence certificate that banks and employers ask for, 1,000 ฿.
You cannot work on a student visa, but you can go to interviews and wait out the paperwork without hurrying. The packages are under prices, and the full cost is in how much a student visa costs.
Summary
Working in Thailand is only legal with a Non-B and a work permit, both tied to one employer. The company needs four Thai staff and two million baht of capital per foreigner, and the salary runs from 25,000 to 50,000 baht a month depending on nationality. The process takes four to eight weeks, and 27 occupations are closed completely.
Message us on WhatsApp: within 5 minutes we will tell you how to stay in Thailand legally while you look for work or wait for your work permit, and what our student visa in Phuket costs. Family grounds for staying are in Non-O visa.
