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Non-Immigrant B visa and work permit requirements explained. The 4:1 Thai employee ratio, company registration, and the LTR alternative for senior professionals.
Working in Thailand without a valid work permit is a criminal offence. Penalties include fines of up to 100,000 THB, deportation, and a ban from re-entry. The 2025 enforcement crackdown has significantly increased inspections at co-working spaces and serviced offices.
Working legally for a Thai company requires two distinct authorisations: the Non-Immigrant B (Business) visa, which gives you the right to enter and stay, and the Thai Work Permit, which gives you the right to perform paid employment. Both are mandatory and neither is valid without the other.
The Non-Immigrant B visa must be obtained outside Thailand at a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate before arrival. Your employer must supply the sponsorship documents. The initial single-entry Non-B is valid for 90 days; once you have your work permit in hand, you can convert to a 1-year multiple-entry Non-B inside Thailand.
Work permit applications are lodged in person at the Department of Employment (DOE) within 30 days of entering Thailand on your Non-B visa. The permit specifies your employer, position, and workplace address — changing employer requires a new permit.
For each foreign employee your company employs, the company must maintain at least 4 registered Thai employees on payroll. This ratio applies to the total company headcount, not per department. Companies that fall below this ratio during a work permit renewal period may have the renewal denied.
4 : 1
Thai : Foreign employees required
฿18,000
Minimum Thai employee wage
30 days
Window to apply after Non-B entry
Your work permit specifies the exact job title and employer. Performing work outside this scope — even within the same company — is a violation. Certain professions are reserved for Thai nationals only (taxi driving, hair cutting, accounting, etc.) and cannot be placed on any work permit.
Companies with Board of Investment (BOI) promoted status benefit from a streamlined visa and work permit process. BOI companies are exempt from the standard 4:1 Thai/foreign employee ratio and can obtain visas and work permits through the One Stop Service Centre at Chamchuri Square in Bangkok — typically within 3 business days.
BOI companies can hire foreign staff without the 4:1 Thai employee constraint, enabling international teams to operate freely.
Visas and work permits issued through the BOI One Stop Service are typically processed in 3 working days versus 4-6 weeks at standard DOE.
BOI-promoted companies can sponsor 1-year multiple-entry Non-B visas directly from the outset, skipping the 90-day single-entry step.
Senior executives, researchers, and investment fund managers at BOI-promoted companies may qualify for a SMART visa — a 4-year long-stay visa with no work permit required.
If you are a senior professional earning USD 80,000 per year or more from a foreign employer with annual revenues above USD 50 million, the LTR (Long-Term Resident) visa is almost certainly a better path than the Non-B route. It removes the work permit requirement entirely for remote work, provides a 10-year multiple-entry visa, and includes significant tax advantages on foreign-sourced income.
No work permit required for remote work. No 4:1 employee ratio. 10-year visa. Annual immigration reporting. Foreign income tax exemptions. For high earners working with foreign companies, this is the superior structure.
Download the complete work permit guide — Non-B checklist, DOE application form guide, and the BOI fast-track comparison.
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