Co.director and work permit

[llso]

If I am a part owner and director of a co. in Thailand am I required to have a work permit?

[Guest IT Manager]

This is a vaguely discomfitting area.

If the "business" is a bar and you stand behind it, no. You can't stand behind it. If you do, you are in breach of a set of skills/trades which are not open to foreigners. If it is a building company, and you get dirty and hit nails, same same.

If it's a software company where you direct a team, (train them is what it's called), yes, you should have a work permit.

PM me with specifics and location and I will try and locate someone for you to contact.

Regards

######

::

[Indo-Siam]

The direct answer to your question is "no".  You can be both a shareholder and a director without having a work permit.  You do not even have to be located in Thailand.

What is significant is that within Thailand, in most cases, you cannot exercise legally binding signature authority as a director unless you have a non-immigrant visa and work permit.

Being a director is not sufficient to qualify you for a work permit.  In most cases, in order for you to be eligible for a work permit, your company will need to have 2 million baht registered capital (it is supposed to be paid-in, but this is not being strictly enforced lately) and four Thai employees per work permit, and you will need to be receiving a salary at a level that pays at least 18,000 baht in annual personal income taxes.  You will also need to be here on a non-immigrant entry permit, and have qualifying DOCUMENTED educational or work-experience-based credentials.

I am citing the letter of the requirements - in practice, there are some variations in how things are enforced and interpretted.

Good luck!

Steve

Indo-Siam

www.indo-siam.com

[llso]

I would like to thank both ###### and Indo-Siam for very timely and informative replies.

I am planning to get the WP but need someone to act as director now.

Thanks Again,

LL