Procedure concerning the employee applicant 

Foreigners who wish to work in Thailand must to be granted a work permit.

It is delivered by the Ministry of Labor, and the delay is about three weeks.

Foreigners must to apply for a Non-Immigrant Visa, before applying for a work permit.

In the case of Limited Company (most running company in Thailand, Thai administration requests the following documents:

1. Copy of Passport

                 - first-page 
                 - Recent passport-sized photograph (4 x 6 cm) of the applicant taken within the past 6 months.
                 - Completed visa application form.
                 - Evidence of adequate finance (20,000 Baht per person and 40,000 Baht per family).
                 - Page stamped of the last entered in Thailand

2. Copy of the entry card in Thailand

3. Copy of the applicant diploma (this document should be certificate by the Thai Embassy)

                - Letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour, justifying that the employment can not do by Thai people.
                - Copy of medical certificate
                - 2 identity color photographs (5*4cm)

Procedure and conditions concerning the company 

Only Limited Companies having at least one of the following criteria can apply for a work permit:

Have a share capital of 2 million baths and employ 4 Thai employees (a work permit for each 2 million baht capital and for 4 Thai employees)

Be set up in Thailand for at least 3 years and pay annually at least 5 million baths of company tax during the last three years (a work permit for each 5 million baht tax) 

Generate, by activities of export, at least 3 million baths a year of entrance in currency (a work permit for each generated 3 million baths).

The limit number of work permit in a company of Thai law is 10, except in the last case, or it is 3. In any case, the company has to respect the ratio 1 foreigner for 4 Thai.

The company engaging a foreigner has to include, in the file of demand, documents asked for the Non-immigrant Visa B (index card of identity of the company), attached with the following copies:

The last balance sheet and the last earnings report audited 

The receipt of the excise tax of the previous month 

The last tax of the Social Security, filled with the agent of the Social Security (Form SAW PAW SAW 1-10).

For more information:

S’implanter en Thailande, supervised by Francoise Melley, Edition Ubifrance, on 2007

Rules and Conditions in the Consideration of Alien Applications for Temporary Stay in the Kingdom of Thailand, Order of the Royal Thai Police Headquarter, No. 606/2549 

Www.mfa.go.th , in July, 2007 

Www.immigration.go.th  in July, 2007

Useful contacts:  

Embassy and Consulates of the Kingdom of Thailand in France

Embassy of the Kingdom of Thailand in Paris

8, rue Greuze 75116 Paris

- Phone: 33 ( 0 ) 1 56. 26 50 50 - Fax: 33 ( 0 ) 1 56 26 04 46 (consular functions assured by the Embassy).

Consulate of the Kingdom of Thailand in Marseille

Consulat général Honoraire 8, rue du Cargo Rhin-Fidélité 13002 Marseille 

- Phone: 33 (0) 4 95 05 47 00 - Fax: 33 (0) 4 95 05 47 11

Consulate of the Kingdom of Thailand in Bordeaux

Royal Thai Consulate – Visa services

42, avenue du Président Robert Schuman – 33110 Le Bouscat.

Tél. +33 (0) 892 68 69 16 - Fax +33 (0) 5 56 08 67 92

Consulate of the Kingdom of Thailand in Lyon

Royal Thai Consulate - 40 rue du Plat - 69002 LYON

Tél/Fax : +33 (0) 4 78 37 16 58 

e-mail : thailande.consulatlyon@wanadoo.fr 

Addresses in Thailand:

Office of Foreign Workers Administration

Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour

Tel: +66 (0) 2 245 2745, 245 3209

Immigration Bureau

507 Soi Suan Plu, Sathorn Tai Road

Tel : +66 (0)2  287 3101-10