Last updated: 2026-05-04
How work permits in Thailand are issued, what a non-Thai operator needs to obtain one, and where the standard rules are different for BOI-promoted companies.
A work permit is the document that legally lets a non-Thai national work in Thailand. The visa (usually a Non-B for business) gets you into the country. The work permit, issued by the Department of Employment under the Ministry of Labour, is what lets you legally do work for a sponsoring employer once you're here.
Permits are tied to a specific employer, a specific role, and a specific place of work. Switch employers and you need a new permit. Work outside the listed scope without updating it and you're technically in violation.
A Thai company sponsoring a foreign work permit usually needs at least 2 million baht of paid-up capital per foreign permit it wants to issue, and at least four Thai employees for every foreign permit holder. The applicant has to be on a non-immigrant visa appropriate to the work category before the permit itself can be issued.
The paperwork usually includes the company's registration documents, the shareholder list, financial statements, the applicant's passport and visa, an employment contract, education and experience certificates, and a medical certificate. Processing varies. In Bangkok, expect a few weeks once everything is in.
BOI-promoted companies don't have to meet the standard capital or Thai-employee ratios for permits issued under the promoted activity. The Smart Visa programme is a separate track for tech, science, and senior-executive applicants, and it removes the work-permit requirement entirely for qualifying holders. US-owned companies registered under the Treaty of Amity get ownership flexibilities under the Foreign Business Act, which can simplify the corporate side of sponsoring permits even though the ratio rules themselves still apply.
If you don't have BOI promotion or a Smart Visa, the practical baseline is to capitalize the Thai entity at 2 million baht per intended foreign permit and keep the Thai-employee headcount above the ratio. If you're married to a Thai national these are halved (1 million baht and 2 Thai employees per permit). Skipping the standard requirements is one of the most common reasons permits get refused or quietly revoked at renewal.
This page is a plain-English reference. It is not legal advice. For specifics that affect your business, consult a qualified Thai law firm.