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What should I be aware of when receiving a job offer on a tourist visa in Thailand?

Thai visa regulations Work visa Tourist visa Employment in Thailand Visa conversion Work permits Non-B visa

Feb 21, 2025

17 days ago

Csk *****

ORIGINAL POSTER

I need some advice on what to look out for when getting a job offer while holding tourist visa. 

1. Does converting tourist visa to work visa require us to leave the country?

2. Is it possible to begin work while waiting for the visa to progress? (I believed it’s illegal to do so, but any advices are appreciated) Thank you.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

When considering a job offer while on a tourist visa in Thailand, there are several important points to keep in mind. First, converting a tourist visa to a work visa typically requires leaving the country, as many companies find the process complex and paperwork intensive to do so while remaining in Thailand. Second, it is illegal to begin working without a proper work permit and a non-restricted visa; although some employers might suggest otherwise, doing so can lead to serious legal repercussions.

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Paul ***********

Typically you will be asked to leave the country and go and get a single entry B Visa

You shouldnt work unless you have your Work Permit (blue book) or BOI issued digital work permit

No visa allows you to work 👍

17 days ago

Csk *****

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Paul **********

Thank you I had a feeling they lied to me when they said it’s possible to work while waiting for the document to finalize 😅 I’m a fresh graduate and is still inexperienced about this kind of things. Appreciate your comment. 🙏🏻

17 days ago

Csk *****

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Paul **********

Thank you once again that’s very helpful and kind of you

Paul ***********

or one of these... 👇

Paul ***********

shouldn't start working until you have one of these 👇

17 days ago

Max *********

@Paul **********

not true, you can start working with the pre-approval WP3 letter, within 3 weeks of working you should get the blue WP. This is the process for blue WP holders, for BOI digital WP it might be different.

17 days ago

Csk *****

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Max ********

I’ve done my research on WP3 and that would require us to be outside of Thailand in order to apply for this letter correct?

17 days ago

Paul ***********

@Max ********

I beg to differ..

17 days ago

Reply to

Paul ***********

Brandon ************

1) That depends on the company that hires you. It requires hundreds of pages of documents to convert from a tourist to a non-B visa inside Thailand, and many companies either cannot or will not go through all that trouble. It takes very little paperwork comparatively to apply for a non-B visa at a Thai embassy outside of Thailand.

2) You can only work when you both a work permit, and a visa that is not work restricted. Many employers will say it's okay to work while everything is processing, but that's not true. They don't care though as they aren't the ones risking deportation.

17 days ago

Csk *****

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Brandon ***********

Thank you so much for the response, it does sound sketchy when they said there won’t be any issue working while waiting for the document to be process as I have asked them regarding this issues multiple times.

17 days ago

Reply to

Csk *****

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Can I pursue my research in Thailand on a tourist visa and later convert it to a Non-immigrant B visa?

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