Ten Basic Steps Towards Getting Your work Permit And Visa in Thailand

Step 1:

First, check some basics of your employer. This is the most important!

Ensure that the Company has a minimum of 2 Million Baht as paid up registered capital per work permit. Make sure that the capital is not registered only on paper.
The Company should have at least four employees per work permit on its roles.
Be sure it is not a dubious company with an “office in its pocket”. The company should be paying VAT and have the necessary papers in order.
Make sure you have three sets of all your work permit application papers. You will need them for Immigration.
You will need 5 sets of copies of the front page of your passport, and about 20 (twenty) colored photographs.
Put together one set of the company papers, an official letter from the company, and 2 passport sized photos to get your visa.
Your passport should have more than five (5) blank pages for visa stamps etc., and the passport should be valid for at least 12 months or more.

Getting these basics in place will save you a lot of trouble in your quest for a work permit.

Step 2:

Travel out to get a NON-B visa

For this you will have to travel out of Thailand and begin a visa run! Supposing you want to be in Thailand on February 1,you will have to apply for a Non-Immigrant Visa "B" outside of Thailand in the last week of January. Make sure to make a hotel booking to Thailand. Book your hotel here!

You will need the company papers and a letter for Non-B Visa to the Thai consulate/embassy. Example letter here.

When you return to Thailand with your Non-B visa on February 1, you will be stamped in to stay in Thailand until April 30 (that's 90 days).

It is important to remember that date you came in, February 1, if you want to extend your stay in Thailand.

Step 3:

Check, check and double-check!

It is important to check all documents over and over again to ensure a smooth visa run. You have to make an application to the labor department for a work permit once you are in Thailand. It takes almost at least 2-3 weeks for the papers to get processed.

Also make sure that your passport photograph meets all the requirements or you may be refused for something as silly as not wearing a necktie in the photo.

Step 4:

Pick up your work permit

By now it is 3 weeks since you applied for work permit. Go in person to pick up your blue work permit book at the Labor Department. The permit will be valid as long as your visa is valid. You will find something like "Admitted until April 30" written in your passport. On your visit to the labor department be sure to pick up five forms for "Extension of Work Permit". This will save you return visits to the place.

NOTE: Be sure that you not go overstay or travel out of the country without Reentry permit. Otherwise you have to begin again from Step 1.

Now you are armed with both your visa and work permit till April 30.

Step 5:

Apply for one-year extension

It is advisable to apply for a One Year extension of stay at the immigration. You will need some extra documents, copies of your work permit and a set of papers that you submitted to the Labor Department. The Immigration will first extend your NON-B only 30 days. That should serve your purpose for the time being. You are now legally eligible to stay in Thailand until May, 30 in our example.

Make sure you make another reentry permit if you plan to stay further, as your previous reentry is now invalid.

Step 6:

Update your work permit book!

Your work permit has to be stamped once again to tally with your visa extension till May, 30. So make the necessary trip to the labor office. Your work permit book shall now have the same expiry date as your visa, May, 30.

Step 7:

Check with Immigration again

Your immigration status needs to be checked again at least three days before your visa expires, i.e. on May 27. You should not have any problem in having your visa extended for another month – till June 27. And, needless to say, make new reentry permit if you plan to travel, as a previous reentry is now invalid.

Step 8:

Update the blue Work Permit book again

Another trip to the labor department to update your work permit for 30 days. Yes, you will have to make this trip to earn your one- year extension. You will possibly be told that your application is under consideration and asked to come back after thirty days.

Step 9:

One-Year Visa from Immigration

This is a vital document for you if you don’t want to make these repeated trips to the immigration office. So apply for the one-year extension at the earliest. After that, every extension will require a re entry permit if you are traveling. This one-year extension now validates your stay in Thailand till February 1 next year. Remember never to travel out of Thailand without a re entry permit or else you will have to begin the entire procedure from step 1. It is best to apply for a Multiple reentry permit as soon as you get your one – year extension so that you are allowed to travel in and out of Thailand without risk of losing both your hard earned work permit and one-year extension.

Step 10:

The final step, update Work Permit to One Year

Now for one last trip to the labor office to update your work permit till February 1 next year to tally with your One-year extension. This should be fairly easy. They will stamp your work permit book to February one Next Year!

Voila, One Year Work Permit and Visa! Congratulations!