Thailand Work Permit: THB 3,100 for One Year, Fines and Limits

A one-year Thai work permit costs THB 3,100 in government fees: THB 100 to apply and THB 3,000 for the permit. The THB 2 million capital and 4 Thai employees test belongs to the Immigration Bureau's extension of stay, not to the permit. Working without a permit costs the worker THB 5,000 to 50,000.

Budget THB 3,100 in government fees for a one-year work permit: THB 100 to apply plus THB 3,000 for the permit. The THB 2 million capital and 4 Thai employees test you may have heard about belongs to the Immigration extension of stay, not the permit itself.

What it costs and how long it lasts

A permit lasts as long as you ask for, but never more than two years from the day it is issued. The extension of stay is a separate fee of THB 1,900 at Immigration. LTR visa holders who work for a Thai employer pay THB 3,000 a year to maintain the permit.

Do you need one?

If you live in Thailand or are admitted temporarily other than as a tourist or in transit, you may do only work that is not banned, and you must hold a permit. The rule is in section 8 of the decree:

ห้ามคนต่างด้าวทํางานโดยไม่มีใบอนุญาตทํางานหรือทํางานนอกเหนือจากที่มีสิทธิจะทําได้อันเป็นการฝ่าฝืนพระราชกําหนดนี้

“No alien may work without a work permit or work beyond what he or she is entitled to do, in breach of this Emergency Decree.”

Foreigners’ Working Management Emergency Decree B.E. 2560, section 8, as replaced in 2018

Some jobs are closed to foreigners everywhere in the Kingdom. They include Thai massage, tour guide work, clerk and secretary work, hairdressing and beauty work, hawking goods and driving motor vehicles in the country.

If you are on a DTV, you cannot get a Thai work permit, work for Thai companies or freelance for Thai clients. LTR Work-from-Thailand Professionals cannot get one either. For short jobs such as meetings, seminars and film shoots, urgent or necessary work of up to 15 days is allowed on any visa.

Getting your permit, step by step

Skilled foreigners come in on a Non-Immigrant visa under the Non-B type.

1. Your Thai employer files Form WP3 at the Department of Employment or a Provincial Employment Office for the approval letter.
2. You apply for the Non-B visa, which is single entry and must be used within 90 days of issue.
3. After you enter, you must obtain the work permit within 90 days.
4. The application and fee go through e-WorkPermit.
5. Wait for approval: the handbook gives 4 days in total, not counting any time the file is sent for checking.
6. Pay the fee, book an appointment and appear in person for biometrics and your card.
7. With the permit, apply to Immigration for an extension of stay of up to 1 year with multiple entries.

Questions go to the Department’s hotline, 1506, press 2. To renew, apply before the permit expires, and you may keep working until the extension is refused.

For documents, the Department asks for an application form BT.25, proof of your permission to stay, education evidence or an experience letter, employment certification form BT.46 and a medical certificate. Forms are in Thai, and foreign-language papers need a certified Thai translation.

The capital and Thai-staff test

This test is part of the extension of stay, set by Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568, which allows stays on grounds of necessity of no more than 1 year at a time. For a business-necessity extension, the business needs:

• Paid-up registered capital of at least THB 2 million.
• Audited financial statements for the last accounting year.
• A ratio of 1 foreign national to 4 regular Thai employees.

You also need to meet the minimum income in Annex A. LTR visa holders are exempt from the ratio.

If an extension is refused, you must leave within 7 days of the day your permission ended.

Penalties for working or hiring without a permit

Working without a permit is a fine of THB 5,000 to 50,000, then removal from the country.

คนต่างด้าวผู้ใดฝ่าฝืนมาตรา ๘ ต้องระวางโทษปรับตั้งแต่ห้าพันบาทถึงห้าหมื่นบาท และเมื่อได้ชําระค่าปรับแล้ว ให้ส่งคนต่างด้าวผู้นั้นกลับออกไปนอกราชอาณาจักรโดยเร็ว

“An alien who breaks Section 8 is liable to a fine of five thousand to fifty thousand baht and, once the fine is paid, is to be sent out of the Kingdom promptly.”

Foreigners’ Working Management Emergency Decree B.E. 2560, section 101, as replaced in 2018

A repeat employer is also barred from hiring foreigners for three years.

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Not confirmed: Confirm the fee at the service centre or on 1506 before you pay. Law-firm alerts report a temporary permit card and relaxed filing rules in 2026, but no official page was readable. Ask the Department before relying on them.

General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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