What is the complete Visa + Work Permit process for foreigners in Thailand?
The end-to-end process: (1) Employer issues WP3 invitation letter from Department of Employment; (2) foreigner applies Non-B Visa at Thai embassy abroad; (3) enters Thailand and applies for Work Permit at MOL within 90 days; (4) extends visa to 1-year at Immigration; (5) 90-day reporting + Re-entry permit. NAATI Thailand handles all stages — total cost THB 18,000-95,000 depending on category (BOI / MOU / Standard / SMART / LTR).
Source: Thai Notary Law & Service Co., Ltd. — DBD 0405565001923
A: Standard Non-B + WP: 30-45 days from WP3 issuance. BOI: 15-25 days via One-Stop. SMART: 30-60 days at BOI. LTR: 60-90 days at BOI.
Q: What's the total cost?
A: Standard 25,000-35,000 THB | BOI 18,000-28,000 THB (lower because OSS) | SMART 35,000-55,000 THB | LTR 65,000-95,000 THB | All include Visa + Work Permit + 1st year extension.
Thailand offers multiple visa categories for foreigners working in the country, each with different requirements, processing times, and benefits. NAATI Thailand specialises in handling the entire end-to-end workflow — from employer documentation and embassy application to work permit issuance, visa extension, 90-day reporting, and re-entry permits — for both individual professionals and corporate HR teams managing 10-500 expat employees.
The five primary work-authorisation pathways are: (1) Standard Non-B Visa + Work Permit (Ministry of Labour) for general employment at Thai-registered companies with capital ≥ 2 million THB per foreign employee; (2) BOI Visa + Work Permit through the One-Stop Service Centre at Chamchuri Square for companies promoted by the Board of Investment;
(3) SMART Visa for talents, investors, executives, and startup founders in 13 targeted industries; (4) LTR Visa (Long-Term Resident) — 10-year visa for wealthy global citizens, pensioners, work-from-Thailand professionals, and highly-skilled experts; (5) Industrial Estate (IEAT) and Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) work permits for foreigners employed at companies inside designated industrial zones.
Standard Non-B Visa + Work Permit — The Default Path
For most foreign professionals working at private Thai companies, the Standard pathway involves three sequential filings: (1) employer obtains a WP3 invitation letter from the Department of Employment in advance; (2) foreigner applies for a 90-day single-entry Non-Immigrant B Visa at a Thai embassy abroad (Vientiane, Penang, Phnom Penh, Singapore, Tokyo, London, etc.); (3) within 90 days of arrival, foreigner submits a Work Permit application at the Ministry of Labour, supported by employer documents, educational credentials, and a medical certificate.
Once the Work Permit is issued, the foreigner extends the visa to a one-year multiple-entry Non-B at the Immigration Bureau — typically Chaeng Watthana for Bangkok-based employers — supported by company financials (DBD, P.N.50, P.N.20) and proof of THB 50,000 monthly salary or higher. The total NAATI Thailand package fee for Standard Non-B + Work Permit is 25,000-35,000 THB and the workflow completes in 30-45 days from WP3 issuance.
For multinationals headquartered in Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, or Shanghai with regular expat rotations into Thailand, we offer a Corporate Retainer at 18,000 THB per case (volume of 10+ per year) including dedicated Account Manager, Slack/Teams channel, and monthly compliance dashboards covering 90-day reports, work permit anniversaries, and re-entry permits.
BOI Visa + Work Permit — One-Stop Service Centre
Companies promoted by the Board of Investment (BOI) gain access to the One-Stop Service Centre for Visas and Work Permits at Chamchuri Square 18th floor — where Immigration, Department of Employment, and BOI officials sit together and process foreign personnel applications in 3 hours instead of the 30-45 days required for Standard cases.
BOI promoted positions can be approved for up to 4 years in a single application, with no minimum capital requirement (the BOI promotion certificate replaces the THB 2 million per head rule). Each BOI promoted company receives an annual quota of foreign positions which can be filled flexibly. NAATI Thailand prepares the Section 25 application, BOI personnel approval, and OSS visa/work permit filing as one integrated package — total 18,000-28,000 THB per case.
Eligible BOI categories include: software development, electronics, automotive, food processing, biotechnology, medical devices, regional headquarters (IBC), trade and investment support office (TISO), and EEC-promoted activities. We coordinate directly with BOI Investment Officers and Section 25 personnel approvers — most of our BOI cases close within 15-25 days.
SMART Visa — Talent, Investor, Executive, Startup
SMART Visa is a 4-year visa designed for high-value foreign talent in 13 targeted industries (Next-Generation Automotive, Smart Electronics, Affluent Medical & Wellness Tourism, Agriculture & Biotech, Food Processing, Robotics, Aviation & Logistics, Digital, Medical Hub, Defence, Human Resource Development, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Targeted Core Technology). The unique feature is that SMART Visa holders do NOT require a separate Work Permit — the visa itself authorises employment in the qualifying activity.
Four sub-categories: SMART-T (Talent — minimum salary 100,000 THB/month or 50,000 for retiring experts and 200,000 for startup founders), SMART-I (Investor — minimum 20 million THB direct investment), SMART-E (Executive — minimum 200,000 THB/month + 10 years experience), SMART-S (Startup — joining qualified startup with 600,000 THB capital).
technical documentation (patents, scientific papers for SMART-T), business plans (SMART-S), and investment proof (SMART-I). Total fee 35,000-55,000 THB per case, typical timeline 30-60 days.
LTR Visa — Long-Term Resident (10 Years)
LTR Visa launched in 2022 offers a 10-year residence with multiple-entry, work permit included (no separate WP needed), 17% personal income tax cap, and exemption from 90-day reporting. Four sub-categories: Wealthy Global Citizens (USD 1M+ assets, USD 80K+ annual income, USD 500K Thai investment), Pensioners (USD 80K+ annual passive income for 50+ year olds), Work-from-Thailand Professionals (USD 80K+ employer revenue, remote employee of foreign company), Highly-Skilled Professionals (USD 80K+ salary in S-curve industries).
BOI is the issuing authority — applications submitted online at ltr.boi.go.th — NAATI Thailand helps with document compilation (asset statements, employment letters, tax returns of 2 years, BOI verification of foreign company), embassy filing (LTR is issued at Thai embassy after BOI approval), and post-arrival activation. Total fee 65,000-95,000 THB per case (excluding government fee of 50,000 THB / 10-year period).
We have a dedicated LTR Desk that has filed 50+ LTR cases since 2022 , missing employer letter authority for Work-from-Thailand, and incorrect industry classification for Highly-Skilled Professionals.
EEC + IEAT Work Permits — Industrial Estates
Foreigners employed at companies inside Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) zones (Amata City Chonburi, Amata City Rayong, Eastern Seaboard, Map Ta Phut, Bangpakong, Lat Krabang) can apply for Work Permit through the IEAT One-Stop Centre — typically faster than Ministry of Labour by 30-50%, with English-speaking officers.
Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) zones in Chonburi, Rayong, and Chachoengsao offer additional incentives: 10-year visa for senior executives, 5-year visa for skilled workers, and dependent visa for family members with the same expiry. NAATI Thailand coordinates with EEC Office at IEAT Chonburi for both visa and work permit issuance.
Our Eastern Seaboard team based in Pattaya handles 200+ EEC/IEAT cases annually for major automotive, electronics, and petrochemical employers — we know each industrial estate's specific HR officer, document requirements, and processing quirks.
Foreigners staying in Thailand for more than 90 days must submit a 90-Day Report at Immigration (in person, online, or by mail) — failure incurs THB 2,000-5,000 fine and may complicate future visa extensions. NAATI Thailand offers 90-Day Reporting Service at THB 1,500 per report including online submission and confirmation receipt.
Re-Entry Permit is required before any departure to keep the existing visa valid — Single Re-Entry THB 1,000, Multiple Re-Entry THB 3,800. We can apply at Suvarnabhumi Airport Immigration on the day of departure or in advance at Chaeng Watthana.
Annual Visa + Work Permit Extension — the Work Permit and Non-B Visa expire on the same date (typically 1 year from issuance). Extension requires updated company financials, audited statements, employee tax returns, and proof of business operations. We schedule the extension 30-45 days in advance to avoid lapses.
Marriage Visa + Work Permit — Foreigners Married to Thai Citizens
Foreigners married to Thai citizens may apply for Non-O Visa (1 year multiple-entry) instead of Non-B — financial requirement is THB 400,000 in a Thai bank account or THB 40,000 monthly income, plus proof of cohabitation (joint photos, utility bills, neighbours' affidavit).
Non-O holders may obtain a separate Work Permit at Ministry of Labour — same documents as Standard Non-B + Work Permit (employer DBD, financials, contract). The advantage: Non-O does not require company sponsorship for the visa itself, only for the Work Permit. This gives foreigners flexibility to change employers without losing visa status.
NAATI Thailand handles Non-O + Work Permit combo for 18,000-25,000 THB total — typical timeline 25-40 days. We also offer marriage registration support (for couples not yet married) through our Marriage Registration Thailand service.
Send your company DBD certificate, foreign employee passport scan, and intended start date to LINE @NAATI or Contact@thainotary.co.th. Our visa team responds within 1 business hour with a category recommendation, total fee, document checklist, and timeline. We support English, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, German, French, and Russian. Corporate retainer agreements available for HR teams managing 10+ expats annually.
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