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Contents
- In short
- Document → authority → what it allows
- What a Non-B visa gives you
- What a work permit gives you
- Remote work on a DTV, and the LTR's digital work permit
- Which comes first
- What you can do on a Non-B without a work permit
- Changing employer or leaving a job: what happens to the visa
- Where both documents get checked
- What's not confirmed yet
- What's next
A Non-B visa and a work permit are two separate documents from two separate Thai authorities, and they allow different things. The visa comes from a Thai embassy or consulate, and Thai Immigration handles entry and extensions once you are in the country: it lets you enter Thailand and stay there for the purpose of work or business. The visa itself does not let you work. For ordinary employment with a Thai employer, you also need a work permit — an authorisation issued by the Department of Employment under the Ministry of Labour, tied to a named employer, under the Foreign Workers Management Emergency Decree B.E. 2560 (2017). Some statuses and activities have their own rules and exceptions, covered below.
In short
- The embassy or consulate issues the visa; Thai Immigration handles entry and extensions; the Department of Employment issues the work permit.
- A Non-B visa lets you enter and stay in Thailand. It does not let you work.
- A work permit lets you work for one named employer, in one named role.
- To work lawfully you need both a work-authorising status and a permit issued on that basis; check the filing order with your mission and the Department of Employment.
- A DTV or visa-exempt entry does not substitute for a work permit, and neither does being a company director by itself.
Document → authority → what it allows
| Document | Who issues it | What it allows | What it's tied to | What happens without it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-B visa | A Thai embassy or consulate; Thai Immigration extends the stay | Entry and stay for work or business | The purpose of your visit | Without it, or another work-authorising status, no work permit can be issued on it |
| Work permit | Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour | Work in the role it names | One named employer | Fines, and possible deportation, for working without one |
| DTV | Most missions now require filing where you are a national or permanent resident (Royal Thai Embassy London, from 31 Aug 2026); check your mission | Long stays for remote work for foreign employers or clients | The activity, not a Thai employer | Do not assume it authorises work for a Thai company or client; check the required status and authorisation with the Department of Employment |
| LTR | BOI confirms eligibility; ask BOI how and where the visa itself is issued for your category | Stay, and for some categories a separately issued digital work permit for the right category and activity | The LTR category | Whether a digital work permit applies, and on what terms, depends on your category and role; check with BOI before you count on one |
What a Non-B visa gives you
A Non-B lets you enter Thailand and stay there for work or business. Check the rules on the website of the specific embassy where you apply, since missions differ. The visa does not give you the right to work — it gives you (or another qualifying status) the basis a work permit can be issued on. Fees and the exact length of stay are set by the issuing mission and Immigration, and we are not naming figures here until they are confirmed for your mission.
Our lawyers check which Non-B category actually fits your situation — joining a Thai company or setting up your own — before preparing any paperwork. Getting the category wrong at this stage delays everything that follows.
What a work permit gives you
A work permit comes from the Department of Employment under the 2017 decree, and it names your employer and your role. Companies are usually tested against two benchmarks — around THB 2 million of paid-up capital and four Thai employees per foreign hire — but the exact figures depend on the basis of the application and the type of employer, and the Department of Employment confirms them before you commit capital or sign a hire. BOI-promoted companies and LTR holders are exempt from that ratio.
Applications and renewals now go through the e-Work Permit system; check the current filing steps directly with the Department of Employment.
Remote work on a DTV, and the LTR's digital work permit
This is where most of the confusion comes from for workcationers and digital nomads. A DTV is meant for remote work for a foreign employer or freelancing for foreign clients — it carries no tax or banking advantage of its own. By the same logic it is not meant to cover work for a Thai company or Thai clients, though we have not found an official text that spells out exactly where that line sits; check with the Department of Employment before taking on anything beyond plain remote work for a foreign employer or client.
An LTR visa works differently: some LTR categories come with a separately issued digital work permit, but the terms depend on your category and the activity you register. Treat it as its own process rather than something that comes bundled in automatically — ask BOI or our team to check which category you are actually eligible for before you plan around it.
Which comes first
A work permit is issued on the basis of an existing Non-B visa or another status that authorises work. Check with your mission and the Department of Employment how the two applications are sequenced for your case. For the documents and timing at each step, see our guide on how to get a Thai work permit.
Our lawyers check whether the company meets the capital and staffing tests before you even file the visa application — that way you know there is a basis for the permit before the status is granted. If you need both documents handled together, we offer Non-B and work permit applications with a lawyer.
What you can do on a Non-B without a work permit
Ordinary employment on a Non-B requires a work permit. A handful of activities have their own exceptions, and whether a given one applies to you is something to check case by case, not assume. Working beyond what your permit actually describes is also a breach.
Business meetings are a common grey area. Thai lawyers generally treat attending board meetings and signing resolutions as not work, while day-to-day running of the business is treated as work. The law does carve out exceptions for some activities, but whether yours is covered — including an authorised director's role — needs checking on its own facts. If your trip involves more than straightforward meetings, tell us what you are planning and we will tell you whether a permit applies.
Changing employer or leaving a job: what happens to the visa
A work permit belongs to one employer, so moving to a new one means going through the proper process at the Department of Employment — whether that's a fresh permit or an update to the existing one depends on your case, and it's worth confirming in advance. We have not confirmed which deadline applies to your Non-B visa or extension of stay once you stop working — check with Thai Immigration before your employment ends.
If a move to a new employer is planned ahead of time, our team can help plan the transition so the new work permit is ready, or close to it, by the time the old job ends — without promising there will be no gap in status, since that depends on how long the application takes in your particular case.
Where both documents get checked
Before a first application or a renewal, the Department of Employment checks the capital and staffing requirements that apply to your employer's category, and tells you what evidence it wants. Thai Immigration checks the visa and your stay status separately, both on entry and at each extension. These are two independent checks at two different authorities, and passing one does not mean the other will pass automatically.
What's not confirmed yet
A few details around work permits only appear in single sources, and we are not stating them as fact without an official confirmation: a temporary permit said to be issued before the physical card arrives, the exact social security contribution rates, and how many days a Non-B holder has after leaving a job. Whether a given meeting-related exception applies to an authorised director's specific actions also needs checking case by case — we don't have a confirmed answer for that yet. For all of these, ask about the current rules before you plan concrete steps around them.
What's next
If you're setting up a company in Thailand or moving to a job with a Thai employer, our lawyers will check whether the company meets the capital and staffing tests, and prepare the paperwork for both the Non-B visa and the work permit. We reply within 24 hours and fix the fee before we start. Our "Company + work permit" package is [price].
For how company registration itself works and the capital it needs, see how to register a company and how much capital you need. A typical case shows how a company and work permit were set up without nominee shareholders. If your question is bigger than one document, our page on opening a business in Thailand covers the whole picture.
