FAQ - Work Permit for Foreign Expat
In case an advanced request of extension the position period submitted not less than 15 days before the expiry date of previous permission and not excess 90 days after the expiry date. The permission period will be extended for 1 or 2 more years from the expiry date depending on a type of activity.
If an advanced request of extension the position period more than 90 days prior to the expiry date, in the e-Expert System, please label the application as "urgent" and clearly provide reasons for the extension. The duration will be extended for 1 or 2 more years from the submitted date in the system depending on a type of activity.
Requesting an application through the e-Expert system requires a position period to remain at least 15 days to ensure that it has a sufficient time to process through the following steps:
- Request Form 11.1 for extending the position duration would take 5 working days.
- Request Form 11.2 for extending the duration of stay for a foreigner and accompanies (if any) would take 3 working days.
* A frequently occurred problem is that applicants receive BOI approvals but they do not extend their visas and work permits within the expiry dates. In this case, foreigners have to do newly apply to BOI and leave Thailand to apply for new Non-B Visas. When returning to Thailand, please apply for the extension of stay, re-entry permit, and work permit respectively.
Recommendation: A company is strongly encouraged to apply for position renewal before the expiration.
- Foreigners who hold Tourist Visas (TR60) are allowed to stay for 60 days whereas foreigners who hold Transit Visas (TS30) are allowed to stay for 30 days. Please note that foreigners are illegal to work with these visas.
- To apply for visa and work permit, please follow the step-by-step instructions as follows:
- For a new BOI promotion project, foreigners can apply for changing type of visa into Non-B Visa at the Foreign Experts Unit and the Immigration Division 1. For more information, please access https://www.immigration.go.th/index Particular Services for extension of temporary stay, Notification of address every 90 days, Re-entry Permit, Visa Issuing and Changing type of Visa, could be provided only for foreigners carrying out duties relating to the specific law : Immigration Act Petroleum Act / Board of Investment Act / Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand Act.Contact at One-Stop Service Center for Visas and Work Permits at Chamchuri Square Building, 18th floorTel. 0-2209 1100Office hour: Mon-Fri 8:30 - 12.00 and 13.00 - 16:30 Closed on OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS Map: http://osos.boi.go.th/TH/contact/
- If the foreigners do not have visas, they have to leave Thailand to apply for Non-B Visas at the Royal Thai Embassies or Royal Thai Consulates-General located in their residing countries.
- Apply for visa stamps/endorsements and prepare BOI issued documents along with Non-B visa applications.
- Non-B Visas can be applied at the Immigration Division 1 located at The Government Complex , Chaengwattana Rd. Bangkok.For more information, please access https://www.immigration.go.th/index Available Services for extension of temporary stay in Thailand, Notification of address every 90 days, Permanent Resident Permit, Visa Issuing and Changing type of Visa, Re-entry Permit, Alien Registration, Endorsement and Re-entry Visa for Resident Certificate holders.At The Government Complex Commemorating His Majesty The King, Chaengwattana Road.Tel : 0-2141-9889 , Fax : 0-2143-8228Office hour: Mon-Fri 8:30 - 12.00 and 13.00 - 16:30 Closed on OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS Map: https://www.governmentcomplex.com/handicap/contactus.php
- A holder of a Non-B Visa is allowed to stay and work in Thailand for a maximum period of 90 days. In this regard, before working the holder must contact BOI, Immigration and Department of Employment as the following steps:
- After arriving in Thailand, the holder must apply for staying and working in a BOI promoted company. He/she is allowed to stay for 1 or 2 years depending on a particular type of companies.
- Apply for a work permit and family entry (if the position has been approved) OR
- Request for temporary foreign national employment (not exceed 6 months)
- Request for urgently temporary foreign national employment (30 days)
- After being notified by the BOI that permission for stay in Thailand has been granted, please promptly prepare a passport to Immigration Bureau to receive an approval stamp to stay in the Kingdom prior the expiration of permit-to-stay, at Immigration Division 1, Subdivision 3 or the Checkpoints that enterprise located in. And at the same time, please apply for re-entry permit (multiple entries) to enter and leave Thailand within the visa's validity. (These processes must be done before the original permission of stay has been expired.)
- A work permit application needs to be processed promptly after being notified by the BOI that permission for stay in Thailand has been granted. Work permit is required for any jobs and will last the duration of permission by the BOI.
Information as of March 2014
- - A company has to submit Form 14.1 to terminate a foreigner's employment in the e-Expert system. Then, the company can contact BOI to receive a termination notice, and it must bring the original passport of the foreign experts to void his/her visa. This process can be done 15 days prior to the last date of the employment. In this regard, BOI extends the duration of stay of the foreign experts for 7 days.
- - In case that a foreign experts who wishes to resign from his/her current company and transfer to a new one and his/her visa will be expired less than 15 days, BOI must consider issuing an urgent permit (30 days) while processing a new employment.
Information as of March 2014
- Application form TM.7 ( Fee 1,900 bath)Please fill the technicians and followers by order
- Application form TM.8 ( Fee S= 1,000 bath, M=3,800 bath)Please fill the technicians and followers by order
- 2 recent (4x6 cm) photographs of the applicant (taken not more than 6 months)
- A letter from BOI, A letter from Department of Mineral resource, A letter from Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand
- A passport with its copies ( Every page)
- TM.6 ( Departure and Arrival cards)
- Form Sor.Tor.Mor.2 (STM.2)
Note: Foreigners must submit the application by themselves
- A company must submit Form 6.1 in the e-Expert system for the urgent employment of foreigners (the maximum period is 30 days). BOI will consider approving the urgent employment within 3 hours and required foreigners must have Non-B/Non-IB Visas. However, the urgent employment can only be requested once.
- In case that the work of foreigners cannot be done before the expiry date, the company cannot apply for urgent employment but the company can request a temporary stay for the foreigners up to 6 months by submitting BOI their qualifications and employment certificate. If the foreigners fail to extend the duration of stay or the submitted date is less than 15 days before the expiry date, the company has to initially request for an urgent employment (permit period is 30 days) to ensure the sufficient time to complete the remaining processes: apply for a new position and request for bring in foreign experts. Nevertheless, foreigners's families have to request an extension of their stay at Immigration Bureau, Ministry of Interior or leave Thailand and request for Non-O visas by themselves.
Information as of March 2014
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Position extension : No evidence of technology transfer when requesting for a position extension
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- - In order to extend a position, especially the position in the Expatriate/Management level, it is compulsory for a company to provide the evidence of technology transfer to Thai employees. The evidences should cover the information of knowledge-transferred dates, topics, training method, transferee names, results, as well as future plans for next technology transfer.
- A company has to request for BOI's approval to undertake additional work in other affiliated companies. For consideration, all evidences of company's affiliation have to be provided. After receiving an approval, the company has to update this information in the foreigner's work permit.
Information as of March 2014
Investor must have evidence of remittance or money transfer from Bank of Thailand in the amount at least 10 million baht for 2 year permit.
The required documents are as follows:
- The application form (Tor.Thor.2) and 3 photographs of front view and 5x6 cm. In size (taken not more than 6 months)
- A passport with 1 copy of all pages showing the valid non-immigration visa
- The Letter of Employment (as per the official form)
- Evidence of remittance or money transfer from Bank of Thailand in the amount of not less than Baht 2 million (The Bank of Thailand Form Tor.Thor.3)
- Proof of important of funds not less than Baht 2 million (applying for 1 year)
- Proof of important of funds not less than Baht 10 million (applying for 2 years)
- Application form TM.7 ( Fee 1,900 bath)Please fill the technicians and followers by order
- Application form TM.8 ( Fee S= 1,000 bath, M=3,800 bath)Please fill the technicians and followers by order
- 2 recent (4x6 cm) photographs of the applicant (taken not more than 6 months)
- A letter from BOI, A letter from Department of Mineral resource, A letter from Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand
- A passport with its copies ( Every page)
- TM.6 ( Departure and Arrival cards)
- Form Sor.Tor.Mor.2 (สตม.2)