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Can You Obtain a Work Permit in Thailand Without an Employer Presence?

Work PermitVisa RulesNon-O Visa
Feb 26, 2020
5 years ago
David *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Post by James Anderson was closed. It was mentioned you cannot get a work permit without a company or branch in Thailand. You can in fact get a WP with no employer presence in Thailand. I and 6 other guys from 3 different companies in Europe and Honk King have one.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The post discusses the possibility of obtaining a work permit (WP) in Thailand without having a company or employer presence in the country. Several commenters share their experiences and differing opinions, with some asserting that it's feasible under certain conditions, such as needing support from a Thai entity. The conversation touches on the nuances of working in Thailand as an expatriate, including the distinction between short-term and long-term work permits.
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Adrian *************
Other option open your business and hire 4 Thais, 1x work permit for you.
5 years ago
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James **********
Interesting, my company operates in a very niche field (space technology) & has burgeoning ties with Thai defense & space agency.

But if I read this correct the WP would require Thai collaborator to write letter saying that they need a company representive to be here to support our product or service?

Is this correct?
5 years ago
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David *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Basically the supporter, in my case a distributor, provides a supporting letter and invite letter but have to comply with same paper work requirements as if we were employed by them, those are found on the ministry of labour website, lots of company papers. In your case may be worth considerring BOI visa, no border bounces or 90 day reporting ;-)
5 years ago
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Ellie *******
yes, and they need to provide a lot of company papers too
5 years ago
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Ellie *******
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Benjamin ******
>You can in fact get a WP with no employer presence in Thailand

Can I see a copy of your work permit (with the confidential information blocked out)? I never heard of anyone getting a WP without a company established in Thailand. Because this is new to me, and if it is, I'm interesting in finding out more about it and how it's done.
5 years ago
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David *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
the distributor told me no need for wp it will be fine, no one checks, they have done this many times with installers from other countries working here but I told them as I live here I dont want to risk deportation and a fine and a ban, also not good for my company if caught working illegally and we are international company and it would prevent me entering other countries.Not worth the risk.
5 years ago
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David *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
i blanked bday also lol
5 years ago
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Ellie *******
yes, issued to someone working for you. they are not payed in Thailand. Technically not employee of that company
5 years ago
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Ellie *******
AFAIK it's possible if Thailand company invite and support them. But purpose is business, not employment.
5 years ago
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Ellie *******
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Ellie *******
You still need contributing company in Thailand.
5 years ago
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Robert *******
And some see the difference.

Coming to Thailand to do a short time time business trip or skilled labor like fixing machines, sounds completely different than being based inside Thailand.

Logic and common sense is visiting Thailand to fix a machine is when the machine is up and running you leave the country.

Based inside Thailand means you live here in being here all year around, watering the plants in the garden, walking your dog.

Yes, everything is possible if we start to compare apples with oranges and call everything Same Same but different.
5 years ago
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David *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
BTW this is not limited to WP, I can also obtain BOI with no company prescence in Thaiand, this would be supported by the Hospital. Already spoken to BOI about this and it was their advice how to get it without a company here. They said may be possible through distributor but much easier through hospital where equipment is installed and maintained.
5 years ago
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David *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
so its not comparing apples to oranges, I have a valid work permit and based in Thailand living. The only issue is for next project in bangkok it will be different work permit as hospital location is different.
5 years ago
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David *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
I live here and have a work permit. You do not need a work permit for machine repair, thats a specialist task exempt from a work permit. My work permit is to perform and manage installation activities and even to train others, for this I have a work permit and can extend if if I wish for the whole year or longer so it is not short term. If there are on going projects with no local skilled persons t perform the tasks you can do longer than one year.
5 years ago
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David *******
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Astrid **********
Is the "workpermit" you mention an actual workpermit in the form of this blue book and is valid for a year?

Or a granted permission to work when you are send out by a foreign company to a conference/business meeting or to lecture .. or to do a certain short term job that Thai can not do? Do you get a workpermit blue book then also? If not then that might be the confusion?
5 years ago
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Astrid **********
Yes this is what I am aware of also. So maybe I misunderstood the post ☺
5 years ago
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David *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Astrid *********
 you dont need a wp to do short term visit business trip conference or lecture and the wp can be for 3 or 6 months also depending on your visa
5 years ago
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David *******
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Jimmy *******
Yes how to do that ?
5 years ago
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David *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
see above reply
5 years ago
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David *******
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James ********
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5 years ago
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Oliver **********
How did you do it?
5 years ago
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David *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
There are couple of things, you can work in Thailand for up to 15 days without a permit, for such things as fixing machines, also can use visa exempt for business meetings conferences etc but not actually work. To get WP obviously need a visa I have Non o based on marriage my friends all got Non b, some whlle here some from home country. We had to get invite letter from a distributor to support WP application. It is allowed for skillsets not available within Thailand.
5 years ago
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David *******
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Chris ********
How is Honk King Dave ? 🤣🤣
5 years ago
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David *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
lol not there, supposed to go to HCM in 2 weeks but see they stopping entries by plane. BK done
5 years ago
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David *******
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