I have a question?

[Irish1972]

I received my Visa last week which allows me to stay in Thailand for 60 Days before having to renew it. My question is how long does it take to set up a company with a work permit included, or if I buy a company with a work permit included does that transfer to me?

Thanks

Kevin

You cannot obtain a work permit unless you have a non-Immigrant (B) visa. It sounds like you have a 60-day tourist visa, so you'll have to travel out of the country to apply for the new visa somewhere overseas.

[Bob]

You cannot obtain a work permit unless you have a non-Immigrant (B) visa. It sounds like you have a 60-day tourist visa, so you'll have to travel out of the country to apply for the new visa somewhere overseas.

The poster ought to visit a Thai attorney regarding a work permit or deal with an organization that has experience with such things. Generally, don't listen to anything you're going to hear on message boards unless the poster has a work permit and can authoritively speak about it (and, even in that case, the rules are applied somewhat differently at different immigration offices).

As to Rabbit's second point, I would note that I entered Thailand with a 60-day Tourist visa in January. Last month, at immigration in Hua Hin, I had that turned into the Non-Immigrant visa (which again was the prelude to obtaining the long-term retirement visa). I never left Hua Hin let alone Thailand (in fact, they were so unbusy that day - due to traffic blockages caused by convoys of the Asean groups - I got both the Non-Immigrant visa and the long-term retirement visa within an hour of arriving - and walked out with all I needed). Interestingly, they gave me a 90-day Non-Immigrant visa good to the end of May and the one-year long-term (retirement) visa runs from that date (so effectively I got 15 months!).

I'm talking about the Non-Immigrant (B) visa. www.thaivisa.com (http://www.thaivisa.com) agrees with me that it can only be obtained outside the country (see below). I (and they) stand corrected if wrong. If you're wrong, you owe me an apology, Mr. Retiree.

10 steps to One Year Work permit and visa
Step 1:
First, check some basics of your employer. This is the most important!

1. Minimum 2 Million Baht in registered capital per work permit in the company. The best option is that the capital is paid up, not just registrered on paper.

2. Minimum 4 employees per work permit in the company.

3. The Company are paying tax and VAT and have the paper work in order. This is very important. Shady companies with "office in the pocket" is not elligible to apply for a work permit for you!

4. Prepare all the paperwork for work permit application. Make three sets of everything, you will need that for the Immigration (below).

5. Make 5 sets of copies of passport's main page, and about 10 (twenty) passport colour photos.

6. Take one set of the company papers plus a letter from the company. You need these documents and 2 passport photos for Step2, your visa run.

7. Check that your passport have more than five (5) blank pages for visa stamps etc., and the passport is valid for at least 12 months or more.

If one or more of these basics are missing, forget about work permit !

Period.
Step 2:
Travel out of Thailand to get a NON-B visa

In our example today is January 26. Travel out and apply for a

Non-Immigrant Visa "B" outside of Thailand. You have to go for a visa run!

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

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

Remember that date you came in, February 1, for later on (step 9 and 10).
Step 3:
Check, check and double-check!

Recheck all documents needed, this will take time to be perfect. Your Thai employer will say that everything is in order, but it is not!! Double check!

Apply for work permit at the labour department. In our example it's now March 10.

Most people get refused because they forgot a map in Thai showing the location of the company. Some other Farangs get refused because they didn't had a necktie on the photo. Double check the requirements!

The application will take 2-3 weeks. The approximate ready-date is on your reciept from the Labour Department, in our example April 1.
Step 4:
Pick up your work permit

In our example it's now April 1, and it's now 3 weeks since you applied for work permit, and you have to pick up your blue work permit book in person at the Labour Department. The permit will be valid as long as your visa is valid, "Admitted until April 30" as in your passport.

Pick up some five extra forms for "Extension of Work Permit" (you will need a few of these later!)

NOTE: Be sure that you not go overstay or travel out of the country without Reentry permit, beacuse then the whole procedure go bananas, and you have to start from scratch with Step 1.

Now both your visa and work permit are in sync until April, 30.
Step 5:
Apply for one year extension

Apply for a One Year extension of stay at the immigration. You will some extra documents, copies of your work permit and you also need a set of paper similar to the one you submitted to the Labour Department.

The Immigration will first extend your NON-B only 30 days. If they do extend, then you are OK for now. You are now valid until May, 30 in our example.

Make sure you make another reeentry permit if you plan to travel, as a previous reentry is now invalid.
Step 6:
Update your work permit book!

Back to Labour Department and extend the work permit to be stamped up to the same day as your visa extension, May 30. Your work permit book shall now have the same expiry date as your visa, May, 30. You are in sync again!
Step 7:
Check with Immigration again

At least three (3) working days before the visa extension expires, on May 27, you have to visit Immigration again, and check you status. They will propably stamp you with another 30 days extension. You are now ok until June 27. And, needless to say, make new reeentry permit if you plan to travel, as a previos reentry is now invalid.
Step 8:
Update the blue Work Permit book again

Back to Labour Department again and update the Work Permit (as Step 6).

(You have to come back after 30 days and you will get another extension of 30 days. Your application is under consideration, says the stamp in the passport.)
Step 9:
One Year Visa from Immigration

This procedure can go on for several months, until you get the one year extension. Every extension require a new reentry of you are travelling. That extension will be valid until 1 year after the first day you entered Thailand last time with your new NON-B visa. In our example this is February 1, next year.


NOTE: The very same day that you receive your one-year extension, you should apply for a Multiple reentry permit, so you are allowed to travel in and out without risc of loosing both work permit and one-year extension.

NOTE: If you forget re-entry, and travel out of Thailand, you have to start from Step 1 again. Every new extension like this requires a new reentry permit (and nobody will inform you of that!)
Step 10:
The final step, update Work Permit to One Year

The final step is now to update your Work Permit to be valid to the same day as your One Year Extension, February 1, next year. Go back to Labour, they will update your work permit book to February 1, next year.

Voila, One Year Work Permit and Visa! Congratulations!


PS!

How much did this cost?

Labour : 3,100 Baht

Immigration: : 1,900 Baht

TOTAL COST PER YEAR: 5,000 Baht

[Bob]

Hell if I know what "letter" it is - but retirees have this natural aversion to apologizing to bunnies. :albino: :albino: :albino: :albino: :albino: :albino: :albino: :albino: :albino: :albino: :albino: :albino: :albino: :albino: :albino:

I didn't really realize that I had the wrong visa (tourist versus non-immigrant*) until the guy at immigration pointed that out to me. No problem - although some extra paperwork and fees - and I got the non-immigrant 90-day visa and the one-year retirement visa within an hour (or less). Total cost was 3,900 baht (2,000 baht for one and 1,900 baht for the other).

[*Back in December, I applied for a non-immigrant visa through a visa service in the states. They called me before submitting it to the Thai embassy, asking me if I really wanted a non-immigrant visa versus a tourist visa. I told them I didn't care which one I got so long as I could turn it into a retirement visa when I got to Thailand (I couldn't do that in the states as I had no method of getting a letter from my Thai bank from there). They apparently altered my application to a tourist visa as that's what I got - and didn't realize the difference until the Hua Hin immigration officer told me.]

I'd also note that I didn't need a medical certificate (when I asked about that I was told "no, I can see that you're okay!) and they had no interest in the police clearances I had obtained back in my home city. Rather simple - only needed my passport, the letter from SCB, two photos, some extra copies of the foregoing, and some baht.

[Smiles]

The so-called 'Retirement Visa' is I believe a variation of the Non-Immigrant Type 'O' visa (i.e. different from the Non-Imm 'B' visa mentioned by Rabbit face). One is not permitted to work on a Type 'O' visa.
Not sure if it can be 'changed' however into a visa which allows working in Thailand.

Cheers ...

[Bob]

Wow.....my compatriot in Hua Hin is whacking at me from an internet cafe on Petch Kasem while I'm online!

Remember, we're going to the mall at 11 so be here, sharp!

[MARK]

I'm talking about the Non-Immigrant (B) visa. http://www.thaivisa.com agrees with me that it can only be obtained outside the country (see below). I (and they) stand corrected if wrong. If you're wrong, you owe me an apology, Mr. Retiree.

10 steps to One Year Work permit and visa
Step 1:
First, check some basics of your employer. This is the most important!

1. Minimum 2 Million Baht in registered capital per work permit in the company. The best option is that the capital is paid up, not just registrered on paper.

2. Minimum 4 employees per work permit in the company.

3. The Company are paying tax and VAT and have the paper work in order. This is very important. Shady companies with "office in the pocket" is not elligible to apply for a work permit for you!

4. Prepare all the paperwork for work permit application. Make three sets of everything, you will need that for the Immigration (below).

5. Make 5 sets of copies of passport's main page, and about 10 (twenty) passport colour photos.

6. Take one set of the company papers plus a letter from the company. You need these documents and 2 passport photos for Step2, your visa run.

7. Check that your passport have more than five (5) blank pages for visa stamps etc., and the passport is valid for at least 12 months or more.

If one or more of these basics are missing, forget about work permit !

Period.
Step 2:
Travel out of Thailand to get a NON-B visa

In our example today is January 26. Travel out and apply for a

Non-Immigrant Visa "B" outside of Thailand. You have to go for a visa run!

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

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

Remember that date you came in, February 1, for later on (step 9 and 10).
Step 3:
Check, check and double-check!

Recheck all documents needed, this will take time to be perfect. Your Thai employer will say that everything is in order, but it is not!! Double check!

Apply for work permit at the labour department. In our example it's now March 10.

Most people get refused because they forgot a map in Thai showing the location of the company. Some other Farangs get refused because they didn't had a necktie on the photo. Double check the requirements!

The application will take 2-3 weeks. The approximate ready-date is on your reciept from the Labour Department, in our example April 1.
Step 4:
Pick up your work permit

In our example it's now April 1, and it's now 3 weeks since you applied for work permit, and you have to pick up your blue work permit book in person at the Labour Department. The permit will be valid as long as your visa is valid, "Admitted until April 30" as in your passport.

Pick up some five extra forms for "Extension of Work Permit" (you will need a few of these later!)

NOTE: Be sure that you not go overstay or travel out of the country without Reentry permit, beacuse then the whole procedure go bananas, and you have to start from scratch with Step 1.

Now both your visa and work permit are in sync until April, 30.
Step 5:
Apply for one year extension

Apply for a One Year extension of stay at the immigration. You will some extra documents, copies of your work permit and you also need a set of paper similar to the one you submitted to the Labour Department.

The Immigration will first extend your NON-B only 30 days. If they do extend, then you are OK for now. You are now valid until May, 30 in our example.

Make sure you make another reeentry permit if you plan to travel, as a previous reentry is now invalid.
Step 6:
Update your work permit book!

Back to Labour Department and extend the work permit to be stamped up to the same day as your visa extension, May 30. Your work permit book shall now have the same expiry date as your visa, May, 30. You are in sync again!
Step 7:
Check with Immigration again

At least three (3) working days before the visa extension expires, on May 27, you have to visit Immigration again, and check you status. They will propably stamp you with another 30 days extension. You are now ok until June 27. And, needless to say, make new reeentry permit if you plan to travel, as a previos reentry is now invalid.
Step 8:
Update the blue Work Permit book again

Back to Labour Department again and update the Work Permit (as Step 6).

(You have to come back after 30 days and you will get another extension of 30 days. Your application is under consideration, says the stamp in the passport.)
Step 9:
One Year Visa from Immigration

This procedure can go on for several months, until you get the one year extension. Every extension require a new reentry of you are travelling. That extension will be valid until 1 year after the first day you entered Thailand last time with your new NON-B visa. In our example this is February 1, next year.


NOTE: The very same day that you receive your one-year extension, you should apply for a Multiple reentry permit, so you are allowed to travel in and out without risc of loosing both work permit and one-year extension.

NOTE: If you forget re-entry, and travel out of Thailand, you have to start from Step 1 again. Every new extension like this requires a new reentry permit (and nobody will inform you of that!)
Step 10:
The final step, update Work Permit to One Year

The final step is now to update your Work Permit to be valid to the same day as your One Year Extension, February 1, next year. Go back to Labour, they will update your work permit book to February 1, next year.

Voila, One Year Work Permit and Visa! Congratulations!


PS!

How much did this cost?

Labour : 3,100 Baht

Immigration: : 1,900 Baht

TOTAL COST PER YEAR: 5,000 Baht


What an excellent post any body that thinks having A LEAGAL work permit in Thailand is easy read and take note.

Then add this expect to pay up to 200.000Bht per year to keep it Legal.
Monthly:
Accountants fee 3500Bht
Health insurance for Thai staff 520Bht per employ
Your own personal tax on income Minimum 3500bht

6 month pre audit account 1000Bht
12 month audit account 25000Bht
12 month business tax 8000

Renew work permit 6000
Renew 12 month visa 4500

If all goes well apx 160.000/200.000Bht per year.

DonтАЩt pay any of this lot above forget about a renew on your work permit and be aware of the MY FRIEND WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU. You would need a lot of friends working in different offices to sort this lot out.