TL;DR
- A company must hold the correct registered share capital and Thai-to-foreign employee ratio before it can sponsor a Non-B visa and work permit.
- The Non-B visa must be obtained through a Thai embassy abroad before arrival; it is not available via in-country conversion.
- Thailand work visa cost is not a single number; it includes the government fee plus any professional service fees, and the totals differ by path.
- Senior hires qualifying for a Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa may have a separate, faster route that comes with meaningful tax advantages.
- The best-practice strategy for companies with multiple offices is to apply for the visa and work permit through the head office, not a branch.
Why Does Pre-Offer Planning Matter So Much for Thailand Relocations?
Most hiring timelines assume the compliance work happens after an offer is accepted. For Thailand, that assumption is expensive. The country's work authorization framework ties the company's eligibility to sponsor a foreigner directly to its corporate structure, its registered capital, and its Thai workforce headcount. If any of those elements are not in place before the hire starts, neither the visa nor the work permit can proceed [bakermckenzie.com].
Think of it this way: the company's eligibility to sponsor is like a foundation. You cannot begin building the hire's paperwork until that foundation is confirmed solid. Discovering a capital shortfall or a headcount gap after a candidate has accepted an offer creates pressure to either delay the start date or, worse, ask the hire to enter on a tourist exemption while the company catches up. Thai immigration has become more attentive to that pattern.
What Are the Core Company Requirements for a Non-B Visa Sponsorship?
Building on the foundation point above, here are the two canonical requirements a Thai-registered company must satisfy before it can sponsor a Non-B visa and work permit:
- Registered share capital: 2,000,000 THB in registered share capital per foreign employee the company intends to sponsor.
- Thai-to-foreign employee ratio: At least 4 Thai employees per foreign employee, with consistent Social Security Office (SSO) contributions for those Thai employees for at least 3 months before the application.
Both conditions must be satisfied simultaneously. A company that has the capital but not the headcount ratio, or vice versa, cannot submit [bakermckenzie.com]. The SSO contribution window of at least 3 months means that growing teams need to plan workforce buildout at least one quarter ahead of their target start date for the foreign hire.
The Foreign Business Act governs which business activities foreigners can engage in, and it is a separate legal framework from the Non-B visa sponsorship requirements, which focus on registered share capital and the Thai-to-foreign employee ratio.
Should the Visa and Work Permit Be Filed Through Head Office or a Branch?
This question comes up constantly for companies with multiple locations across Thailand. The recommended best practice is clear: apply for both the visa and the work permit through the company's head office, not a branch office. Once the visa and work permit are issued under the head office, the foreign employee can be assigned to and physically work at any of the company's branch locations without needing a separate transfer process for either document.
Filing through a branch adds procedural friction and can create complications if the employee later needs to work across locations. Head-office filing is cleaner and gives HR teams a more predictable structure to plan around.
What Is the Realistic Thailand Work Visa Cost for a Senior Hire?
Thailand work visa cost depends on the visa category and the application path. There is no single number, and employers should budget for both the government fee and any professional service fee separately.
| Visa Type | Who It Suits | Key Cost Note |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Immigrant B (Non-B) | Standard employment hire | Government fee applies; service fees vary by provider. Contact Issa Compass for current breakdown. |
| LTR (Highly-Skilled Professional) | Senior hire in a BOI-targeted industry earning USD 80,000+/yr | ~85,000 THB all-inclusive via Issa Compass (35,000 THB Issa service fee + 50,000 THB government issuance fee). BOI endorsement takes ~2 months [hlbthai.com]. |
The work permit is a separate cost and process from the visa itself. Employers should confirm the current government fee with the relevant immigration office or a platform like Issa Compass, as fees are subject to change [bakermckenzie.com].
Is the LTR Visa a Better Path for Certain Senior Hires?
Stepping back from the Non-B mechanics, a separate question worth asking early is whether your senior hire actually qualifies for the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa under the Highly-Skilled Professional (HSP) category. If they do, the LTR can be a more compelling path [hlbthai.com].
The HSP category requires:
- USD 80,000/yr average income over the last 2 years, OR USD 40,000-80,000/yr combined with a master's degree in science or technology.
- Employment with a Thai entity or branch in a BOI-targeted industry.
- The baseline financial requirement across all LTR categories: a health insurance policy covering at least USD 50,000 in medical expenses in Thailand, OR Thai social security benefits covering medical expenses in Thailand, OR at least USD 100,000 in a personal bank account maintained continuously for at least 12 months (travel insurance does not qualify).
The HSP category comes with a flat 17% personal income tax rate on Thai employment income, which for high earners is significantly below the standard progressive rate. The LTR itself is structured as 5 years plus a 5-year extension, giving continuous stay and free travel over that period, with annual reporting replacing the standard 90-day reporting obligation.
The HSP holder may apply for a digital work permit (DWP), collected at the One Stop Service Center (Department of Employment), with processing of approximately 3-5 working days. The DWP is not automatically included with visa approval; it requires a separate application step.
What Is the Correct Sequencing for the Hire's Arrival and Work Authorization?
The sequencing matters as much as the requirements themselves. A foreign employee cannot legally work in Thailand without a work permit, and the work permit cannot be issued until the Non-B visa is in place [bakermckenzie.com]. The general sequence for a Non-B path is:
- Confirm company eligibility (capital, ratio, SSO contributions).
- Obtain the visa: the Non-B visa must be obtained through a Thai embassy abroad before arrival. There is no in-country conversion path for the Non-B visa.
- Apply for the work permit after entering on the Non-B visa.
- The hire may only begin work after the work permit is issued.
For the LTR-HSP path, BOI endorsement takes approximately 2 months, so building that into the offer timeline is essential [hlbthai.com].
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a senior hire start working on a visa exemption or tourist visa while the work permit is processed?
Working in Thailand without a valid work permit is not permitted, regardless of visa status. The hire should not begin employment until the work permit is issued.
Does the 51% Thai ownership rule affect our ability to sponsor a Non-B visa?
No. The 51% Thai ownership rule is a Foreign Business Act requirement governing which activities a foreign-owned company can conduct. It is a separate framework from the Non-B visa sponsorship requirements, which focus on registered share capital and the Thai-to-foreign employee ratio.
What if our company has branch offices in multiple cities? Where do we file?
File the visa and work permit through the company's head office. This allows the foreign employee to work across any branch location without additional transfer procedures.
Does a senior hire's salary affect which visa they qualify for?
Yes, particularly for the LTR-HSP category. Income thresholds and industry requirements determine LTR eligibility [hlbthai.com]. For Non-B, salary is not the primary qualifying criterion; company eligibility is.
What are the tax implications of relocating to Thailand?
Staying 180 or more days in a calendar year makes a person a Thai tax resident. As of 1 January 2024, foreign income brought into Thailand is assessable regardless of the year it was earned. LTR-HSP holders benefit from a flat 17% rate on Thai employment income. For individual tax planning, consulting a Thai tax adviser alongside the visa process is strongly recommended.
How long does Non-B processing typically take?
Processing times vary by embassy and current workload. Issa Compass tracks processing times across 87 embassies live; check the Issa Compass platform for current estimates for the specific embassy handling the application.
What happens if the company's eligibility changes after the work permit is issued?
Work permit renewals require the company to continue meeting the share capital and employee ratio requirements. Changes to corporate structure or headcount should be reviewed against work permit compliance before they occur [bakermckenzie.com].
About Issa Compass
Issa Compass is a real-time visa platform that helps individuals and businesses apply for Thai visas through a guided workflow, with immigration experts and a legal team available for review and support. The platform's decision engine is trained on real-time embassy requirements and checks every application against tens of thousands of live requirements, including unlisted embassy-specific rules, before submission. Issa Compass has served over 10,000 clients across the region. For businesses managing corporate relocations, Issa Compass offers dedicated corporate services covering work permit compliance and streamlined onboarding for international hires, backed by the Issa Guarantee: if a pre-qualified application is not approved by immigration, applicants receive a full refund of both the government fee and the service fee, in accordance with Issa's terms and conditions.
Ready to plan your senior hire's relocation to Thailand?
Explore your options or get started at https://www.issacompass.com/visas, or find the right visa path at https://www.issacompass.com/find-my-visa.
