2. Application for Visa
2.1 Non-Immigrant Visa Category “B” (Business Visa) is issued to applicants who wish to enter the Kingdom to work or to conduct business.
(1) Foreigners who wish to work in Thailand must provide the following documents:
- Passport or travel document with validity of not less than 6 months.
- Completed visa application form.
- Recent passport-sized photograph (4 x 6 cm) of the applicant taken within the past 6 months.
- Evidence of adequate finance (20,000 Baht per person and 40,000 Baht per family).
- Letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour. To obtain this letter, the applicant’s prospective employer in Thailand is required to submit
Form WP3 at the Office of Foreign Workers Administration, Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour Tel. 02-2452745, or at the Provincial Employment Office in his or her respective province. More information is available at "http://www.doe.go.th/workpermit/index.html"]
www.doe.go.th/workpermit/index.html[/URL]
- Copy of Work Permit issued by the Ministry of Labour and alien income tax or Por Ngor Dor 91 (only in the case where applicant has previously worked in Thailand).
- Corporate documents of hiring company in Thailand such as:
1) business registration and business license
2) list of shareholders
3) company profile
4) details of business operation
5) list of foreign workers stating names, nationalities and positions
6) map indicating location of the company
7) balance sheet, statement of Income Tax and Business Tax (Por Ngor Dor 50 and Por Ngor Dor 30 of the latest year)
8) value-added tax registration (Por Por 20)
- Document indicating the number of foreign tourists (for tourism business only), or document indicating export transactions issued by banks (for export business only).
N.B.
- An alien who receives a Non-Immigrant visa can work in Thailand once he or she is being granted a work permit. An alien in violation of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) concerning taking up employment without work permit or the Royal Decree B.E. 2522 (1979) concerning holding employment in certain restricted occupations and professions shall be prosecuted and imprisoned or fined, or shall face both penalties.
- It is recommended that the applicant should apply for visa at the Thai Embassy/ Consulate in the country where he/she has the residence
(2) Foreigners who wish to conduct business in Thailand must provide the following documents:
- Passport or travel document with a validity of not less than 6 months.
- Completed application form.
- Recent passport-sized photograph (4 x 6 cm) photograph of the applicant taken within the past 6 months.
- Evidence of adequate finance (20,000 Baht per person and 40,000 Baht per family) for the duration of stay in Thailand
- Letter from the applicant’s company indicating the applicant’s position, length of employment, salary and purpose of visit(s) to Thailand.
- Documents showing correspondence with business partners in Thailand.
- Evidence of financial status in the case where the applicant is self-employed.
- Letter of invitation from trading or associated partners/companies in Thailand.
- Corporate documents of associated partners/companies in Thailand such as:
1) business registration and business license
2) list of shareholders
3) company profile
4) details of business operation
5) map indicating location of the company
6) balance sheet, statement of Income Tax and Business Tax (Por
Ngor Dor 50 and Por Ngor Dor 30) of the latest year
7) value-added tax registration (Por Por 20)
(3) Copies of company documents must be signed by the Board of Directors or authorised managing director and affix seal of company.
(4) Additional documents may be requested as and when necessary. In the absence of a required document, applicant must provide a letter explaining the unavailability of such document. Applicant must endorse on each and every page of the submitted copies of documentation. Documents in foreign languages must be translated into Thai and should be notorised by notary organs or by the applicant’s diplomatic or consular mission.
(5) Holder of this type of visa is entitled to stay in Thailand for a maximum period of 90 days. He or she may apply for an extension of stay at the Office of the Immigration Bureau and may be granted such extension for a period of one year from the date of first entry into Thailand.
2.2 Non-Immigrant Visa category “B-A” (Business Approved Visa) The granting of such visa to qualified applicants is under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Immigration Bureau in Bangkok. The applicant’s associated company in which he or she will invest in or conduct business with may apply for this type of visa on behalf of the applicant at the Office of the Immigration Bureau. Once the application is approved, the Immigration Bureau will advise the concerned Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Consulate-General via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue the visa to the applicant. The holder of this category “B-A” visa will be permitted to stay for a period of one year from the date of first entry into the Kingdom.
2.3 Non-Immigrant Visa Category “IB” (Investment and Business Visa) is issued to foreign citizens employed to work on investment projects which are under the auspices of the Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI). Such projects must be involved in or bring benefit to Thailand in the following ways:
- Export-promotion
- Increasing employment
- Utilising local raw materials
- Projects engaging the provinces
- Encouraging technology transfer to Thai nationals
- Not hindering existing domestic businesses
