There it is in black on white on the list: shop attendant. Does this mean as a non Thai I'm not supposed to be standing behind the counter of whatever small retail shop I might happen to buy, own, co-own, manage, invest in or whatever the case may be?

A foreigner would not be issued a Work Permit in Thailand to be, among the prohibited occupations listed, a shop attendant. Simply being physically located behind a counter in a store doesn’t mean that your job designation is that of shop attendant. If you are issued a Work Permit to manage a business you may do all work related to performing that job so long as the task(s) fall within the objectives that were listed under the Work Permit. You are not allowed to perform tasks that fall outside the scope of the duties for which the Work Permit was issued (i.e. a restaurant manager would not be allowed to work as a cook unless it was one of the listed objectives on his work permit). Standing at the counter and meeting customers falls within the scope of duties that a manager is allowed to perform.*

Do you have any questions about getting a Visa for travel/business/retiring/investing in Thailand? Please “ask the visa expert” from Sunbelt Asia here: Thaivisa.com - Ask the Visa Expert from Sunbelt Asia

This information has been provided by Sunbelt Asia Co., Ltd. Sunbelt Asia has been the main sponsor of Thaivisa.com since 2002.

You can contact Sunbelt Asia at (66)2-642-0213 or email us here. Please visit our website for more information on doing business, working, investing, travelling, owning real estate, or starting your own business in Thailand at www.sunbeltasiagroup.com. We are located at 1 Ratchadaphisek Rd., Floor 26, Bangkok, Thailand 10400 and can easily be reached by public transportation.

*This does not constitute legal advice or serve as a substitute for direct legal consultation with a licensed attorney. The information is provided for educational purposes only and it may not account for the specific facts and laws that may be applicable to each individual’s situation. Also, there may be changes in the law that may affect your specific case so the answers provided here should not be considered to be applicable your personal situation.

Legal information is not the same as legal advice, which is the application of law by a licensed attorney to an individual's specific circumstances. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend that you consult a lawyer if you want legal advice specific to the facts surrounding your case. This information does not take the place of discussions with a licensed lawyer and it does not create an attorney-client relationship between readers of the information and Sunbelt Asia, Co. Ltd. or any of its employees.

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