Hiring Foreign Employees in Thailand: Check Your Company’s Readiness First, Then Think About Visas

Companies that want to hire a foreign national in Thailand usually start with the question "how do we get the visa and work permit?" — which is only half right. Those two documents are the end of the road. The real gatekeeper is your company's own readiness: when a case stalls, it is usually the company side that is stuck, not the employee.

This guide is ordered the way the process should actually be thought through — company first, documents second.

Check the company side first — three conditions that decide the outcome

Registered capital. The core criterion is 2 million baht of paid-up registered capital per work permit (reduced to 1 million baht if the foreign employee is legally married to a Thai national; permanent residents are exempt). A company that wants to employ two foreign nationals needs 4 million baht paid up.

Thai employee ratio. In practice, the Department of Employment applies a ratio of four Thai employees per foreign national. This is administrative practice rather than a provision written in the statute — but real applications should be planned around it.

Registration and tax standing. The company needs its registrations in order, normal tax filings, and employer registration with the Social Security Office. Newly established companies whose paperwork is not yet settled should complete it before starting the process.

The two documents, in the right order

Non-Immigrant Visa "B" — applied for at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad, before the employee travels to Thailand. The Thai company prepares supporting employment documents.

Work permit — applied for after the employee has entered Thailand on the Non-B visa. Work may begin only once the permit is issued, and the scope of work must match what is stated in it.

After that, the obligations continue through the year: the employee's 90-day reporting, and annual renewal of both visa and work permit. Assign clear ownership of these deadlines from day one — missing them has legal consequences for both the company and the employee.

Jobs foreign nationals cannot do

Thai law reserves a number of occupations for Thai nationals — accounting work, certain brokerage work, and many skilled trades among them. Before agreeing a role with a foreign candidate, check that the actual work does not fall into a reserved occupation. The point to watch: the job title and the real day-to-day work must tell the same story.

Foreign employees' rights: equal to Thai employees in every respect

Once employed correctly, foreign employees receive the full protection of Thai labour law — social security, statutory leave and holidays, overtime, and severance pay. Structure the employment contract and benefits to the same standard as for Thai staff from the start.

A realistic timeline

From the day you agree terms with a foreign candidate, allow at least 2–3 months before the intended start date — for company-side documents, the visa application from abroad, and the work permit application. Newly established companies should allow more, because the company-side paperwork is usually the slower half.

If your company has no Thai entity yet

Everything above assumes you already have a registered Thai company. If you do not, hiring in Thailand — especially a Thai team — is still possible through an Employer of Record (EOR) service. Hiring a foreign national when you have no Thai entity is a far more case-specific matter, and information on it is highly inconsistent — for that situation, tell us your case first and we will assess which routes are realistically open to you.

Checklist before you start

• Enough paid-up capital? (2 million baht per work permit)
• Enough Thai employees for the 4:1 practice?
• Company registrations, tax and social security standing in order?
• The real work does not fall into a reserved occupation
• 2–3 months allowed before the start date
• Clear ownership of 90-day reporting and annual renewals

Hiring foreign employees involves many case-specific details — business type, special regimes in some cases, and the conditions of the role itself. Workwise is a licensed recruitment agency that works with foreign clients regularly. Tell us about your case — an initial consultation is free.

Timelines and criteria in this article reflect the practice of the relevant authorities at the time of publication. Always check the latest official announcements.