Thailand is a destination worthy of being taken into account when it comes to working abroad. Like in most Asian countries, legal issues follow other principles, compared to Europe or the US. In case of foreigners who want to work in Thailand, the first thing to do is to solicit a non-immigrant visa at a Thai diplomatic representing office, for a one year stay. After getting one, working visas can be obtained. They must be solicited at the Immigration Office by the Thai firm that wants to hire a foreigner, and never by the foreigner himself/herself.
Foreigners should have in mind the fact that the stipulations of the Thai labor legislation can differ from what they know, which is why a good informing and a lawyer office consultation are usually recommended. For example, certain jobs are reserved for Thai citizens only, and they need to be checked before signing a work contract. It is also important to know that visas are not offered when entering the country, at the frontier, but they need to be possessed beforehand.
Another important piece of information is that The Immigration Office must be informed about the settling address, procedure that is repeated every 90 days. A work permit is not released for people who only have a tourist visa, so unless a person has an agreement with a Thai employer who is willing to hire him and start all legal formalities, a person can’t receive the permit.
People, who possess a non-immigrant visa and have a 3 year continuous stay in Thailand, can solicit the permanent stay visa. The owner of such a visa, who wants to travel outside the country and keep the right of permanent stay, has to initially request a non-immigrant visa. After the departure, the person has to come back before the completion of the one-year term, or otherwise, the permanent stay right is automatically revoked.
It is compulsory to obtain the ‘return permit’ for the settlement visa owner who wants to travel outside the country and then come back before the visa expires. If this is not solicited, the visa is automatically annulled when leaving Thailand. The return permit connected to the initial visa can be obtained as many times as it is requested. Anyhow, official information are offered by Thai authorities or at a lawyer office, when it comes to particular conditions, changes that occur periodically, sums of money that are necessary for any type of visa, medical insurance regime and other important details regarding visa and work permit in Thailand.
The work permit is often necessary for opening a bank account. For the release of a credit card, the tax is approximately 7euro. The online banking system is newly introduced in Thailand and most banks so not offer this service.