Work Permit Salary Qualifications

[HarryFlashman]

I have been reading through the reams of information online here about employer's paid up capital etc etc in order for people to be granted work permits for that company, but can anyone clarify whether there is and if so, what is the minimum salary necessary to employ ex-pats in a private sector company?

i.e. In order to be given a work permit the pax needs to be earning above a certain threshold - does anyone have a clue what that threshold is? In this case the pax is British. I have never been able to get a concistent answer.

Thanks

[Tomkagai]

As far as I know there is no minimum specified to get a WP, the issue comes in with the extension of stay, think for a UK citizens its THB 50,000/month..I stand to be corrected on this

[HarryFlashman]

Thanks - can you clarify what you mean by the extension of stay? Been in Thailand for 3yrs now on less than that with WP and extensions have never been an issue.

[Sunbelt Asia]

I have been reading through the reams of information online here about employer's paid up capital etc etc in order for people to be granted work permits for that company, but can anyone clarify whether there is and if so, what is the minimum salary necessary to employ ex-pats in a private sector company?

i.e. In order to be given a work permit the pax needs to be earning above a certain threshold - does anyone have a clue what that threshold is? In this case the pax is British. I have never been able to get a concistent answer.

Thanks

Up to a week ago, no minimum salary for non executive types getting work permits. However the Labor Dept, Ministry of Foreign affairs and Immigrations last week met on this hot topic and the new unofficial level is 35,000 Baht per month. Concern has arisen with many low cost aliens taking jobs away from Thais.

We had applications in that were approved for 10K two weeks ago. Same position and same company last week was told it now had to be at least a salary of 35,000 Baht. When the salary was raised, the application was accepted.

For extension of stay based on business, Immigration has a mininum of 50K salary per month for Brits. The Labor Dept would be 35K.

If you go to Immigration in Thailand to stay based on having a work permit, you are granted an extension of stay based on business.

If you go to a Thai Embassy/Consulate you are not required to have a mininum salary to get isssued a "B" visa.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[Tomkagai]

Thanks - can you clarify what you mean by the extension of stay? Been in Thailand for 3yrs now on less than that with WP and extensions have never been an issue.

All the extension of stay means you dont have to leave the country every 90 days, you just go to nearest immigration report your address and get a new piece of paper and new reporting date put in your passport...takes 5 minutes...

If you dont qualifiy for extension of stay believe you have to do a "visa run" every 90 days...if you havent been reporting your address to immigration every 90 days and are on less than THB 50,000/month...you are not under extension of stay....

[lopburi3]

You can easily be here on an extension of stay and never make address reports - they are only required if you remain in country more than 90 days - if you travel often they would not be required.

Not all nationalities require 50k per month to obtain an extension of stay and there are exceptions even then (teachers for one).

[opalhort]

We had applications in that were approved for 10K two weeks ago. Same position and same company last week was told it now had to be at least a salary of 35,000 Baht. When the salary was raised, the application was accepted.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Does this also apply to 'aliens' with Thai wife (visa based on 'Thai wife', grandfathered on the bank deposit route)?

I had my 10 year old WP extended in April this year without problem (income 25K Baht).

opalhort

[Sunbelt Asia]

We had applications in that were approved for 10K two weeks ago. Same position and same company last week was told it now had to be at least a salary of 35,000 Baht. When the salary was raised, the application was accepted.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Does this also apply to 'aliens' with Thai wife (visa based on 'Thai wife', grandfathered on the bank deposit route)?

I had my 10 year old WP extended in April this year without problem (income 25K Baht).

opalhort

We have had no problem on old work permit applications with a low salary. Only on new applications are requiring the 35K salary in BKK.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[sabaijai]

I have been reading through the reams of information online here about employer's paid up capital etc etc in order for people to be granted work permits for that company, but can anyone clarify whether there is and if so, what is the minimum salary necessary to employ ex-pats in a private sector company?

i.e. In order to be given a work permit the pax needs to be earning above a certain threshold - does anyone have a clue what that threshold is? In this case the pax is British. I have never been able to get a concistent answer.

Thanks

Up to a week ago, no minimum salary for non executive types getting work permits. However the Labor Dept, Ministry of Foreign affairs and Immigrations last week met on this hot topic and the new unofficial level is 35,000 Baht per month. Concern has arisen with many low cost aliens taking jobs away from Thais.

We had applications in that were approved for 10K two weeks ago. Same position and same company last week was told it now had to be at least a salary of 35,000 Baht. When the salary was raised, the application was accepted.

For extension of stay based on business, Immigration has a mininum of 50K salary per month for Brits. The Labor Dept would be 35K.

If you go to Immigration in Thailand to stay based on having a work permit, you are granted an extension of stay based on business.

If you go to a Thai Embassy/Consulate you are not required to have a mininum salary to get isssued a "B" visa.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Is the minimum salary for journalists still 25K?

[ThaiLawOnline]

The lowest I've seen for a private company was 10K.

About 1 month ago, we had problems to make Khon Kaen accept 12K for a British guy, manager.

But it worked after a lot of talk.

We did 2 work permits with NO SALARY, volunteer workers for a foundation about a week ago.

[Sunbelt Asia]

Is the minimum salary for journalists still 25K?

Talking with the Labor Dept in BKK today they will follow the guidelines of the extension of stay based on business. This means Americans regardless of having an extension of stay, will need to get 50,000 Baht per month to obtain a work permit unless they are a teacher or journalist. The 35K is for Filipino’s. Volunteers can still get it with no salary but it must be with a organization that is registered.

Again this is for new work permit applications.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[opalhort]

Do the new requirements also affect new WP applicants who are here on a 'spouse visa' and use combined family income for their extension of stay?

opalhort

[Sunbelt Asia]

Do the new requirements also affect new WP applicants who are here on a 'spouse visa' and use combined family income for their extension of stay?

opalhort

Yes it will follow the nationality requirements of the extension of stay based on business, even though the applicant will not be applying for that extension based on business.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[opalhort]

Yes it will follow the nationality requirements of the extension of stay based on business, even though the applicant will not be applying for that extension based on business.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Which would render the 'combined income' rule meaningless for extension of stay if the 'alien' is earning part of the family income because a WP is required to earn at least part of the family income.

Is this then correct:?

If an 'alien' married to a Thai spouse want to use the 40K family income to obtain a permit to stay extension, it has to be either the Thai spouse to provide the income or the 'alien' has a WP with sufficient salary (which in case of most 'aliens' will be 50K+) ?

opalhort

[lopburi3]

Indeed that sounds like how it 'may' work. But I suspect sanity may prevail and those married to Thai may be exempted when the dust settles (at least I hope so).

[raro]

On the risk getting flamed...it is just fair that the work permit requirement are the same for non-O and non-B. I do not say that I am happy about this development or the conditions as such...

What about the employees, do you also need 4 Thai employees to apply for a WP based on a non-O ?

[lopburi3]

Actually it is not fair, in my mind, as the married person is not being allowed to contribute to family income for one year extension of stay as allowed by Police Order 606/2006 unless exempt. As they obviously have more reason to be working in the country of there spouse do not believe they should be subject to this nationality requirement (indirectly) when using marriage income as source of extension.

[Sunbelt Asia]

What about the employees, do you also need 4 Thai employees to apply for a WP based on a non-O ?

In Bangkok at this time, it is not required to have Thais. However in late Feb to March it was required for new applications to have Thai employees. Other districts are still requiring either 1 or 4 Thai employees per wp while others are like BKk and not requiring Thai employees to grant a work permit.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[Chang_paarp]

So this is still the land of make it up as you go along.

[torrenova]

What about the situation outside Bangkok ? Are the minimum salaries being requested outside the capital or not ?

[Marvo]

So this is still the land of make it up as you go along.

I'm having trouble keeping up with this "how many Thai employees to receive a WP?" business.

Nowhere in the "official" act do I see the absolute requirement for 4 Thai employees if other criteria are met. It's a crazy sittuation where a local director general can make up his own "laws" and then change his mind at the drop of a hat.

I want a WP but am not prepared to unnecessarily shell out 4 salaries. So for me in Jan. a WP was a go-er but I didn't do it, in Feb/March it was a no-go-er and now again it looks like it may be a go-er again. TIT I'd better get me skates on... but hang on a mo' I live outside of Bangkok in Hua Hin, so is it a go-er or not?

Edited June 22, 2008 by Marvo

[Sunbelt Asia]

I'm having trouble keeping up with this "how many Thai employees to receive a WP?" business.

Nowhere in the "official" act do I see the absolute requirement for 4 Thai employees if other criteria are met. It's a crazy sittuation where a local director general can make up his own "laws" and then change his mind at the drop of a hat.

You are correct

I want a WP but am not prepared to unnecessarily shell out 4 salaries. So for me in Jan. a WP was a go-er but I didn't do it, in Feb/March it was a no-go-er and now again it looks like it may be a go-er again. TIT I'd better get me skates on... but hang on a mo' I live outside of Bangkok in Hua Hin, so is it a go-er or not?

As of a week ago, Hua Hin required 4 Thai employees per wp.

What about the situation outside Bangkok ? Are the minimum salaries being requested outside the capital or not ?

Will check with our other offices and let you know.

www.sunbeltasigroup.com

[Sunbelt Asia]

What about the situation outside Bangkok ? Are the minimum salaries being requested outside the capital or not ?

All labor Depts and our offices yesterday said " they now require the applicant to get a mininum monthly salary which depends on their nationality."

www.sunbeltasigroup.com

[raro]

What about the situation outside Bangkok ? Are the minimum salaries being requested outside the capital or not ?

All labor Depts and our offices yesterday said " they now require the applicant to get a mininum monthly salary which depends on their nationality."

www.sunbeltasigroup.com

this refers to non-O, right?

[Marvo]

What about the situation outside Bangkok ? Are the minimum salaries being requested outside the capital or not ?

All labor Depts and our offices yesterday said " they now require the applicant to get a mininum monthly salary which depends on their nationality."

www.sunbeltasigroup.com

And the "minimum" monthly salary is.......?

i.e. Is there a published table as per annual extension of stay based on business, or is it just the arbetary whim of the local Director General?

[2008bangkok]

I went down the one stop labour dept to look at changing from extension of stay based on work to extension of stay based on marrige and all they said was that the 'family' had to have a combined 40k+ to meet the requirements, that can and will be based soley on my earnings as the missus is having a baby in in 3 weeks and cannot work and they said that was fine.

Just out of interest has anybody ever done this from what i can gather i would be cancelling one at the one stop centre then going to immigration and changing to the other... can they turn you down?

[Lite Beer]

I went down the one stop labour dept to look at changing from extension of stay based on work to extension of stay based on marrige and all they said was that the 'family' had to have a combined 40k+ to meet the requirements, that can and will be based soley on my earnings as the missus is having a baby in in 3 weeks and cannot work and they said that was fine.

Just out of interest has anybody ever done this from what i can gather i would be cancelling one at the one stop centre then going to immigration and changing to the other... can they turn you down?

They can if you don't meet the requirements.

You will need tax payment documentation plus a few other things.

They give you a 30 day stamp while they consider your application.

You go back in 30 days and get the remaining 11 months stamp.

[2008bangkok]

I went down the one stop labour dept to look at changing from extension of stay based on work to extension of stay based on marrige and all they said was that the 'family' had to have a combined 40k+ to meet the requirements, that can and will be based soley on my earnings as the missus is having a baby in in 3 weeks and cannot work and they said that was fine.

Just out of interest has anybody ever done this from what i can gather i would be cancelling one at the one stop centre then going to immigration and changing to the other... can they turn you down?

They can if you don't meet the requirements.

You will need tax payment documentation plus a few other things.

They give you a 30 day stamp while they consider your application.

You go back in 30 days and get the remaining 11 months stamp.

Thank you lite beer much appreciated...just finally do they issue only 30 days in all cases?

[monty]

Thank you lite beer much appreciated...just finally do they issue only 30 days in all cases?

For marriage, yes,

Normally immigration officers will come and check out where you live so as to acertain you really are living together as man and wife.

Additionally they might want to talk with some neighbors etc...

This will be done during the first 30 day extension (under consideration actually), and when they find everything satisfactory, they will then issue the remaining 11 months.

Out in the provinces sometimes it takes two 30 day under consideration stamps, since the whole file will have to go back and forth to Bkk for final approval...

[2008bangkok]

Thank you lite beer much appreciated...just finally do they issue only 30 days in all cases?

For marriage, yes,

Normally immigration officers will come and check out where you live so as to acertain you really are living together as man and wife.

Additionally they might want to talk with some neighbors etc...

This will be done during the first 30 day extension (under consideration actually), and when they find everything satisfactory, they will then issue the remaining 11 months.

Out in the provinces sometimes it takes two 30 day under consideration stamps, since the whole file will have to go back and forth to Bkk for final approval...

And thank you to you Monty...so as long as the missus isnt in 1 of very frequent cobs ill be cool..