My legal company who are to arrange my WP believe (and I also!) that the labour office are looking for the WP applicant to be earning a minimum salary based on nationality and immigration's extension of stay guidlines. Also that the Co. must be employing min 4 Thai nationals.

I read on Sunbelt Asia's website the snippet:

• If you do not have a company to employ/sponsor you for the work permit, you can form your own Thai company and obtain the required permit.

• You do not need to employ any Thai nationals or be paid the minimum salary for your nationality to obtain a work permit.

Can anyone comment on this for me?

Thanks.

You have to make a distimction between the rules that apply to getting a WP and the rules that apply for getting one year extensions of stay. I'm not 100% on the requirement for having a minimum number of Thais employed (too lazy to look it up right now), but the income requirement is for sure only an immigration regulation, not a labour department regulation.

That is why some people stay in Thailand on multiple entry non-B, they get the WP from labour but don't meet the immigration rules which are stricter.

Four Thai employees are required for each foreign employee.

There is no minimum salary for getting a work permit. Only to get an extension at immigration. For you I think it will be 50,000 per month.

I have no comment on what is posted on the website.

Based on my experience you require 4 Thai employees and minimum salary of 50,000/month if you are from ASEAN countries and 55,000/month for others.

From police order.

1. European countries (except Russia), Australia continent, Canada, Japan, and U.S.A. Baht 50,000/month

2. South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong Baht 45,000/month

3. Asian countries (except Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam), South America continent, Countries in Eastern Europe, Countries in Central America, Mexico, Turkey, Russia and South Africa Baht 35,000/month

4. African countries (except South Africa), Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam Baht 25,000/month

Labor department Chonburi demands 4 employees to issue a WP.

You need to be able to show the social fund contributions of those employees for the last 3 months when applying.

They are not difficult on salaries, however if you have a managerial function, 30,000 Baht is about the lowest you can get away with.

If you plan to get an extension based on employment, you will have to set your salary at 50,000 Baht or higher. This is an immigration requirement, not a labor department requirement.

To get the extension, a lot more requirements have to be met by the employing company, they have to be in business for a full tax year and in that tax year they have to show enough revenue to prove that they are able to afford a foreign employee. Exact amounts/requirements seem to differ between immigration offices.

When going the extension way, your employees have to be real life, not just some paper persons on who you pay the taxes. Immigration can and probably will check them out (you have to supply pics of them at their workplace when applying for your extension). If on the check you (or the company) are found to be not in order employee wise, immigration can cancel your extension on the spot and you'll have to leave Thailand same day. Have seen it happen!

For a new company it may take 2 years to get an extension of stay now. See 2.1 of police order and

guide lines for 2.1.

police_order_2008.pdf guide_lines.pdf