Integrity Legal

It is becoming increasingly clear that Thai Immigration officials are becoming ever more concerned with those who are working illegally in Thailand. Therefore, this state of affairs begs the question: how does one obtain and/or maintain work authorization in Thailand?

It should be noted that there are two ways in which one can obtain employment authorization in Thailand. One way is to receive an offer of employment from a Thai company. Generally, if the prospective employee is offered employment while abroad, then a WP3 work pre-authorization letter will need to be obtained and the foreign worker will need to apply for a Thai business visa before traveling to Thailand to have their work permit booklet issued. However, if the foreign worker is not abroad, then that individual may need to travel abroad in order to see to it that a WP3 is issued as the Thai Labor Department will only issue such documentation on foreign workers who are physically residing outside of Thailand. Within Southeast Asia, the WP3 is increasingly necessary as those Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates in the region which issue Thai business visas will only do so for those who have been issued a WP3.

Once in Thailand with a B visa, the prospective employee can seek their work permit booklet. Their employer must formally request such documentation as the employer is the sponsor of the work permit. After the permit is issued it should remain either on the premises of the place of business or if the employee must travel to another location to undertake work-related activity a copy should go along with the employee. It is worth noting that in March of 2018 the Thai Labor Department relaxed Thai work permit rules and therefore it is now possible for foreign work permit holders to engage in work activity away from their sponsoring-business’s premises.

The protocols regarding work permit issuance in the context of a business owner are qualitatively different compared to work permit issuance for someone wishing to be employed at a company in Thailand. One significant difference, especially in the context of an SME or a startup company is the “Catch-22” situation some prospectively self-employed foreigners find themselves in. For example, in order for an entrepreneur to obtain a work permit, they need a business visa, a WP3 is often necessary, and in order to obtain a WP3 a company is necessary. Therefore, Thailand company registration is often the first step toward obtaining a Thai business visa and work permit. Those wishing to setup a Thai company are well advised to seek professional guidance as there are multiple ways to incorporate a Thai business which, depending upon the legal structure, may provide differing benefits.

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