Number Of Work Permits For A Given Company

[luisparis]

Years back I read about companies beeing entitled to 1 work permit for every 4 thai workers they hire. Yet I know of several small indian companies who appear to import more staff from India than they have thais working in their office.

How can we manage this feat, considering that if we move to BKK we might need work permit for my wife, myself and two chinese citizens we're planning to fly in from Chao Zhou in the mainland? One would be working at home, taking care of the kid and house, and the other one actively helping in the company.

We'll basically need at most 2 thai citizens to work for us full time. Possibly only one.

Any idea how to work this out? Can we use the 2million THB registered capital for 1 work permit? And then , how can we use the registered capital?

Cheers

Luis

[brianinbangkok]

Thailand has a ethnic Indian community but they are Thai nationals , you sure they are importing people from India ?

Chances are if the staff that looks like they are from India speak Thai they are actually Thai Citizens !

[Chang_paarp]

You are allowed 1 work permit for every 2MB registered capital, so take your needed number and multiply by 2M. The registered capital can the working funds of the business, its assets and an amount for intelectual property. Speak to a good advisor. The number of Thai employees is not the criteria.

The nanny may come under a different area, Sunbelt has claimed success for domestic workers getting work permits. If you use the search facility it will bring up some results. There will be a bit to sort through as is was a few months ago.

After re-reading are you needing visas or work permits? 2 serperate things dealing with different departments and different requirements. I would suggest a deep and meaningfull discussion with with some people who do this on a regular basis, Sunbelt Asia a long time sponsor of this forum is the usual recomendation. Just look for the yellow adverts.

[luisparis]

You are allowed 1 work permit for every 2MB registered capital, so take your needed number and multiply by 2M. The registered capital can the working funds of the business, its assets and an amount for intelectual property. Speak to a good advisor. The number of Thai employees is not the criteria.

The nanny may come under a different area, Sunbelt has claimed success for domestic workers getting work permits. If you use the search facility it will bring up some results. There will be a bit to sort through as is was a few months ago.

After re-reading are you needing visas or work permits? 2 serperate things dealing with different departments and different requirements. I would suggest a deep and meaningfull discussion with with some people who do this on a regular basis, Sunbelt Asia a long time sponsor of this forum is the usual recomendation. Just look for the yellow adverts.

Thanks for the advice, i've read already a few recommendations to Sunbelt Asia and will prolly meet them during next BKK trip along one of thai lawyers companies in our industry use. if it's the way you say, the capital bit might solve most of our problems - as the wife would be better off with a work permit, although she could live on with a dependant visa.

Brian,

yes I'm sure those people are indian nationals. Besides I don't know how you could mix up thai chinese and thai indians !?!

Edited June 4, 2007 by luisparis

[Cyberstar]

One of the things Sunbelt will tell you is that neither you nor those Indians need to employ any Thais as long as we're only talking work permits. That requirement doesn't enter the equation until we start talking one year extensions based on non-imm "B" visas.

[monty]

The workpermits themselves are the easy part. The Labour Department are in my experience pretty reasonable.

Extensions of stay based on working in the Kingdom on the other hand are becoming a terrible hassle!

They recently started requiring following:

. A photocopy of the employing company's Affidavit and Shareholders' List certified as a true copy of the original by the Ministry of Commerce.

. A photocopy of the employing company's most recent Annual Financial Statements certified as a true copy of the original by the auditor who audited it. This needs to show gross sales of at least the amount of a full years salary of the foreigners holding a workpermit. All the foreigners, even if only one is applying for the extension!!!

. A photocopy of the employing company's most recent Personal Income Tax Return (PND1) with the Revenue Department's receipt plus a photocopy of the applicant's most recent Annual Personal Income Tax Return (PND91) (if they have one) certifi! ed as a tr ue copy of the original by the Revenue Department.

. A photocopy of the employing company's most recent Social Security Fund monthly return certified as a true copy of the original by the Social Security Fund Office.

Photographic evidence is now required to support the Initial Application to extend a Non-Immigrant Visa Category 'B'.

With effect from Wednesday, 16 May 07, Thai Immigration requires the first application to extend a non-immigrant visa category 'B' to be supported by photographs of every employee in the employing company and each photograph is to be taken showing the employee at their place of work (e.g. sitting at their desk or working at their piece of machinery or sitting behind the steering wheel of the company vehicle, etc.).

So count on doing 90 day visa runs followed by extending the validity of the workpermits every time, unless the company you are working is already in operation with substantial sales in the last year. One European workpermit holder's extension will require 720,000 Baht of gross sales on the auditet statements...

[smartecosse]

which is why I am now back on a non b rather than a 2nd 12mth ectension

didnt feel the need to jump thru so many extra hoops for the sake of 4 trips out the country in the coming year - good excuse for a holiday

[luisparis]

So count on doing 90 day visa runs followed by extending the validity of the workpermits every time, unless the company you are working is already in operation with substantial sales in the last year. One European workpermit holder's extension will require 720,000 Baht of gross sales on the auditet statements...

Yes, i've read in this forum about the picture issue, it seems very weird. We'll be a wholesaling company though so no matter how little we invoice, it shouldn't be difficult to reach that 720 000TBH per work permit . But this would obviously be after the first audited year.

I'll be flying all over the place and my wife should do her share as well, does it mean it would be easier going through the 90days visa run option?

BTW I've noticed you write 'one european work permit " is that better if we mean chinese? As I'mll actually be the only european, all the others are chinese