To apply for work is one of the five reasons that foreigners apply for visa to Thailand. The Thailand Elite Visa is designed after the tourist visa, which means holders don’t automatically get permission to find employment in the Kingdom as a member.
First, however, let’s take a look at the process of applying for a work visa or work permit in Thailand.
How the Government Requires Foreigners to Apply for a Work Visa
The work visa is a requisite document that you need to have on your personal all the time, while you’re engaged in employment in the Kingdom. It has the information that the authorities need in order to identify everything about your work in the country – the company name, name of employer, your nature of work and address of the company.
Now, in order to apply for a work visa, you will need to hold a non-immigrant visa. Normally, the non-immigrant visa is an upgrade to the tourist visa and automatically grants you 90 days of stay in the country. For a normal tourist visa, you will have to apply for an extension after 60 days in the country. After your 90 days are up, you’ll have to exit the country or risk overstaying.
Now, with a non-immigrant visa, you can then apply for a work visa. You will need the assistance of the company you’re going to be working for. The Ministry will ask you to present documents like a Commercial Registration Document Certificate, Shareholders List, VAT certificate and filing, withholding tax and social security filings, among others.
You also have to bring your own documents as well, including your passport, the non-immigrant visa that you’ve obtained, a curriculum vitae, university transcript of records, 3 5 cm x 6 cm photos and any relevant licenses. These documents must go through your country’s embassy in Thailand for authentication.
If you’re married to a local or have children, you should bring documents like birth certificates and the marriage certificate.
Once you’ve complied with these documents, you can simply submit these to the Ministry of Labor and await results. If you’re in Bangkok, the process can take up to one week. Employees applying for a work permit in Phuket can expect to wait up to 2 months before the results of their application come in.
Can You Apply for Work as a Member of Thailand Elite?
Unfortunately, the Thailand Elite visa falls under the category of tourist. Under Thai law, you cannot legally seek employment if you’re holding a tourist visa. Tourists caught working without the proper permit can face not only fines, but blacklisting from ever entering the Kingdom.
Applicants who hold a non-immigrant visa will also need to cancel that visa if they are to apply for membership into the program.
Can an employee in Thailand still apply for Thailand Elite? Yes, they can and they are very welcome. However, they can only do so once their work permit expires and their employment is over. For instance, a former employee in a company in Thailand who wants to go full time freelance or a digital nomad while staying in Thailand qualifies for membership in the program.
Anyone who wants to come over to Thailand to enjoy Thailand holidays without having to do periodic visa runs will definitely benefit from the perks of enrolment. Contact us now and find out how you can be part of Thailand Elite.
