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Pathway

Thailand Non-Immigrant B Work Visa

Thailand Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

A Thai employer can support a Non-B visa for a specific job, but you also need the required work permit before starting. Initial admission is normally up to 90 days; a longer extension is a separate decision.

Job offer required?
Yes, with an employer able to support both applications
Work permission
The visa alone is insufficient; obtain the required active work permit
Permitted job duties
The work must be open to foreign workers; employer and extension requirements differ for ordinary and special categories

Summary

Thailand’s Non-Immigrant B (Non-B) visa is the usual entry route for someone taking a job with a Thai employer. You normally need two separate permissions: immigration permission to stay, and a work permit authorizing the job.

The initial stay is normally up to 90 days. A qualifying employer and employee can later apply for an extension of up to one year. Neither a job offer nor the visa alone authorizes work or guarantees that extension.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

A real job and an eligible employer

You need a defined role with a Thai-registered employer willing and able to support both immigration and labor applications. The mission may request the contract, employer invitation, company registration, shareholder list, relevant business license, tax and financial records, and Labor approval or other work-permit evidence.

Check that the actual duties are open to foreign workers. The Department of Employment describes 27 prohibited occupations and 13 kinds of work allowed only under specified conditions. A different job title does not make prohibited duties lawful.

This guide concerns ordinary employer-supported employment. Board of Investment (BOI) businesses, certain international or representative offices, treaty arrangements, teachers, journalists, and other groups may use different rules or application channels.

The later annual extension has its own checks

For an ordinary business-based one-year extension, Immigration commonly examines whether the company genuinely operates and meets conditions such as:

These are not universal requirements for every initial Non-B visa. Special employer categories can have exceptions or different criteria. The employer should check the later extension before assuming that an initial visa will lead to a year’s stay.

Personal and document requirements

Follow the responsible mission’s passport, current-status, and document checklist. Foreign-language records may need certified Thai or English translations, and company documents may need recent signatures and seals.

An interview, an ongoing job search, or plans to freelance without a qualifying employer are not enough.

Moving to Thailand for a sponsored job
  1. Confirm the job and employer category Check actual duties and requirements for both the visa and work permit.
  2. Complete entry and work authorization Follow the mission’s visa process and obtain effective labor permission before working.
  3. Apply for a longer stay if eligible Maintain employment records and check reporting, travel, and job-change requirements.

Immigration permission to stay and labor permission to work are separate approvals.

What This Route Allows

Once the necessary stay and work permissions are active, you can live in Thailand and do the work recorded in the permit. The approval can be tied to the employer, duties, and workplace; changes may require an amendment or new application before the new work begins.

The initial stay is normally up to 90 days. Later extensions of up to one year depend on continuing employment, employer eligibility, the work permit, and supporting records. Stays longer than 90 consecutive days also bring Immigration reporting duties.

Spouses and children may seek separate dependent permission. They are not automatically included and do not receive work rights through the family relationship.

What This Route Is Not

A Non-B visa is not a work permit, open employment permission, or a general freelance or remote-work route. Wait for effective labor authorization unless a specific legal exemption applies.

Permanent residence and citizenship are separate. Employment-based permanent-residence applications generally require at least three consecutive one-year extensions, plus substantial tax, salary, employer, and work-permit evidence, and are subject to annual application periods and nationality quotas. Three calendar years in Thailand alone is not enough.

Next Steps

  1. Have the employer identify the correct visa and work-permit category, check the permitted duties, and assess ordinary or special employer rules.
  2. Obtain the receiving Thai mission’s current checklist, including any Labor pre-approval or WP3 evidence. Prepare the required employment and company records, translations, and legalizations.
  3. Apply from outside Thailand through the official e-Visa system or responsible mission under its location rules. After entry, complete the work permit through the official e-WorkPermit system, launched nationwide on October 13, 2025. Start work only when authorized.
  4. Apply separately for an eligible extension before expiry and keep payroll, tax, social-security, address, company, and permit records current.
  5. Check cancellation or amendment timing before job changes, and whether a re-entry permit is needed to preserve your extension when traveling.

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