Answered2 years ago

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

Csk *****

asked Feb 21, 2025

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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.

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 👍

2 years ago

Csk *****

@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. 🙏🏻

2 years ago

Csk *****

@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 👇

2 years ago

Csk *****

@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?

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

I beg to differ..

Max *********

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.

2 years ago

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.

2 years ago

Csk *****

@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.

2 years ago