How difficult and how long to get a work permit from a family Limited Thai Company?

[creative1000]

I have a Non-O visa based on Thai marriage. We have a registered Thai Limited Company (3 years old now) that has barely been used, but paid taxes (on $0 revenue) yearly to keep it alive. 
 

When we officially open our business to the public how difficult to get a work permit? Weird, I can’t find a lot information on this (but theres a ton of info on having a 3rd party company issue me a work permit ????‍♂️).

 

From what I remember, I will have to hire 4 Thais full time along with submit corporate documents? Is the paperwork submitted include paid employee social security taxes ie do employees have to have been employed for many months, with numerous tax payments to govt, before being used for the work permit paperwork? Or the same day I hire 4 Thais, I can use their contract as proof?

How long is this whole process? Will they send an officer to verify my business location /employees like immigration does with marriage extensions? If an employee leaves the company, and I hire a new employee, does the work permit have to be updated constantly?

 

If anyone has found a checklist or blog that outlines this process that might also be helpful thank you in advance

[patong1234]

hi, if company paused "not open"  pay only yearly audit (30k) , no taxes.                         b  married to thai, only 2 employees ( pay social, not actually needed to employ them..) , work permit done in a couple of weeks , if staff quit, no problem for work permit, just get new staff...  they can come and check your office address, but rarely...  best to use a "lawyer/accountant office"  to know all infos , some might take care of the paperwork for you

[TravelerEastWest]

I have done this with a bit of help - the paperwork is not hard but best left to the pros until you have gone through it at least once.

 

Depending on your location you can normally get a two year permit and yes they may come out to visit you. although not always.

 

So have your office with company name put up.

 

Only two employees needed since you have a Thai wife.

[OneMoreFarang]

You, or someone who manages the company, has to be very careful when a farang is employed.

Because then Thai authorities will likely look at lots of details which they previously ignored.

 

One of those issues is how many Thais are employed. I know a case where a company had 3 farang work permits and at least Thai employees. All was fine until on one of those yearly visa renewals the officer noticed that for the last 12 months there was one month with just 11 Thai employees. One person quit and another was hired two months later. Result: No extension of the visa. That made it necessary that at least one of the farangs had to visit an embassy outside of Thailand and apply for a new visa. Time, money, lots of paperwork... 

[foreverlomsak]

Go see the local Labor Department to get advice, as they issue Work Permits not the Company. They will be able to tell you precisely what documentation is required from the Company, from Financial status to no of employees.

[juehoe]

58 minutes ago, patong1234 said:

hi, if company paused "not open"  pay only yearly audit (30k) , no taxes.                         b  married to thai, only 2 employees ( pay social, not actually needed to employ them..) , work permit done in a couple of weeks , if staff quit, no problem for work permit, just get new staff...  they can come and check your office address, but rarely...  best to use a "lawyer/accountant office"  to know all infos , some might take care of the paperwork for you

Here in Hua Hin (Prachuap Khiri Khan) they check if your staff is really working or the company is only fake. Last year they mad an about 1 hour long interview with me and my staff about our business and each job. And they told my staff to report working foreigners who may work without a work permit. So be careful. 

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, foreverlomsak said:

Go see the local Labor Department to get advice, as they issue Work Permits not the Company. They will be able to tell you precisely what documentation is required from the Company, from Financial status to no of employees.

If it's easy to get to the miinistry office at Din Daeng, there's a 'complaints' office on the ground floor. Can't miss it, big signage.

 

They're goood for advice on all such subjects not just handling complaints and plenty of good english spoken. They don't bite.

[TravelerEastWest]

Local labor departments can be different - don't fool around by cheating - not worth it. You can actually hire two staff and pay them their salaries.

 

[scorecard]

On 8/16/2022 at 9:48 PM, TravelerEastWest said:

Local labor departments can be different - don't fool around by cheating - not worth it. You can actually hire two staff and pay them their salaries.

 

Go see the local Labor Department to get advice, as they issue Work Permits not the Company. They will be able to tell you precisely what documentation is required from the Company, from Financial status to no of employees.

Expand  

If it's easy to get to the miinistry office at Din Daeng, there's a 'complaints' office on the ground floor. Can't miss it, big signage.

 

From above "...what documentation is required from the Company,  "

 

The 'documents' required are the basic every day start up and ongoing documents. Don't let anybody tell you that the documents are very complex and you need a lawyer to do this. Totally not true.

[TravelerEastWest]

14 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Go see the local Labor Department to get advice, as they issue Work Permits not the Company. They will be able to tell you precisely what documentation is required from the Company, from Financial status to no of employees.

Expand  

If it's easy to get to the miinistry office at Din Daeng, there's a 'complaints' office on the ground floor. Can't miss it, big signage.

 

From above "...what documentation is required from the Company,  "

 

The 'documents' required are the basic every day start up and ongoing documents. Don't let anybody tell you that the documents are very complex and you need a lawyer to do this. Totally not true.

You don't need a lawyer agreed.

 

But the amount of paperwork takes time and you want all to go smoothly - have local CPA do it for you (not expensive at all)  has worked well for me especially during COVID times . They came to my office and did everything they then filed everything and saved me a trip to the labor department and waiting incline very much worth their fee,

 

If you don't mind trips to the local labor department and enjoy doing paperwork and are on a tight budget then do it yourself - as I recall the forms were in Thai...

[scorecard]

10 minutes ago, TravelerEastWest said:

You don't need a lawyer agreed.

 

But the amount of paperwork takes time and you want all to go smoothly - have local CPA do it for you (not expensive at all)  has worked well for me especially during COVID times . They came to my office and did everything they then filed everything and saved me a trip to the labor department and waiting incline very much worth their fee,

 

If you don't mind trips to the local labor department and enjoy doing paperwork and are on a tight budget then do it yourself - as I recall the forms were in Thai...

Application form for Work Permit is available in both Thai and English language.

[TravelerEastWest]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

Application form for Work Permit is available in both Thai and English language.

Being in English is helpful but still lots of forms and waiting in line - I wouldn't do it unless you have lots of extra time and don't mind this sort of paperwork...

[BritTim]

17 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

Being in English is helpful but still lots of forms and waiting in line - I wouldn't do it unless you have lots of extra time and don't mind this sort of paperwork...

If really busy, delegating the process to someone else makes sense. However, there are benefits to doing it yourself, and gaining knowledge of what is involved. Usually, labour offices are more helpful than almost any other sector of Thai officialdom, and are foreigner friendly. They will make time to help and explain everything you do not understand.

[TravelerEastWest]

3 hours ago, BritTim said:

If really busy, delegating the process to someone else makes sense. However, there are benefits to doing it yourself, and gaining knowledge of what is involved. Usually, labour offices are more helpful than almost any other sector of Thai officialdom, and are foreigner friendly. They will make time to help and explain everything you do not understand.

Agreed that the labor departments are reasonably friendly.

 

I had a labor department staff person years ago tell me that the process was easy and encouraged me to try myself.

[Wongkitlo]

On 8/16/2022 at 5:52 PM, juehoe said:

Here in Hua Hin (Prachuap Khiri Khan) they check if your staff is really working or the company is only fake. Last year they mad an about 1 hour long interview with me and my staff about our business and each job. And they told my staff to report working foreigners who may work without a work permit. So be careful. 

Is that for a company owned by your Thai wife. I thought if it was they would not be so persistent. 

[Wongkitlo]

On 8/16/2022 at 4:50 PM, patong1234 said:

hi, if company paused "not open"  pay only yearly audit (30k) , no taxes.                         b  married to thai, only 2 employees ( pay social, not actually needed to employ them..) , work permit done in a couple of weeks , if staff quit, no problem for work permit, just get new staff...  they can come and check your office address, but rarely...  best to use a "lawyer/accountant office"  to know all infos , some might take care of the paperwork for you

Hi. When you say 30,000b per year for audit would that be a payment each month(2500b) to your accountant or a government fee. 

[DrJoy]

4 minutes ago, Wongkitlo said:

payment each month(2500b) to your accountant

Your answer

[Wongkitlo]

10 hours ago, DrJoy said:

Your answer

Thanks. That is really helpful.