The Complete Guide to Thailand’s Non-B Business Visa: A Comprehensive Resource for Expats

Reviewed by ThaiLawOnline, a licensed Thai law firm practising in Thailand since 2006. Thai lawyer of record: Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., Thai Bar Licence 3149/2556.

Last updated on 21 September 2026

Thailand’s Non-B visa is also known as the Non-Immigrant B visa. It is the main way for foreigners to work or do business in Thailand. This guide gives expats all the information they need about getting, keeping, and renewing this important visa. It covers the online application process through the new e-portal system and long-term compliance requirements.

To check the Non-B against the other work-related routes, use the Thai Visa Finder.

Understanding the Non-B Visa

The Non-Immigrant B visa is designed for foreigners who wish to enter Thailand for business and employment purposes. This visa category encompasses several subcategories including working in Thai companies, conducting business meetings, teaching in educational institutions, and pursuing investment activities. The visa allows a 90-day stay when you enter. This can be extended to one year after you get a work permit.

Key Features of the Non-B Visa:

• Initial validity: 90 days from date of issue
• Entry permission: Up to 90 days per entry
• Extension possibility: Can be extended to 1-year with valid work permit
• Multiple entry options: Available for business purposes

The Revolutionary e-Visa System

Since January 1, 2025, Thailand has started a global e-Visa system. This system is available at all 94 Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates around the world. This digital change has removed the need for in-person embassy visits. Now, applicants can complete the whole process online at www.thaievisa.go.th.

e-Visa Application Process

The online application follows a streamlined six-step process:

1. Visit the Official Portal: Access www.thaievisa.go.th
2. Create an Account: Register using a valid email address
3. Complete the Application: Fill out all required forms and details
4. Upload Documents: Attach all supporting documentation
5. Pay the Fee: Complete payment through the secure online portal
6. Receive e-Visa: Download the approved visa electronically

Processing Time: Standard processing takes 5-10 working days, though incomplete applications may require up to 14 working days.

Comprehensive Application Requirements

Essential Documents for e-Visa Application

The Non-B visa application requires specific documentation that varies depending on the purpose of visit:

Core Requirements:

• Valid passport with minimum 6 months validity
• Completed e-Visa application form
• Recent passport-sized photograph (taken within 6 months)
• Evidence of adequate finances (20,000 THB per person, 40,000 THB per family)

Employment-Specific Documentation

For work-related applications, additional documentation is mandatory:

Employee Documents:

• WP.3 approval letter from the Ministry of Labour
• Job offer letter from the Thai employer
• Employment contract (bilingual Thai-English versions)

Company Documents (Provided by Employer):

• Company registration certificate and business license
• List of shareholders
• Corporate income tax filings and balance sheets
• VAT registration certificate (Por Por 20)
• Company profile and business operation details

Essential documents needed for Thailand Non-B visa application process

Work Permit Requirements and Process

No foreign national can legally work in Thailand without a valid work permit. The prohibition is section 8 of the Emergency Decree on the Management of the Work of Aliens B.E. 2560, as amended in B.E. 2561: an alien may not work without a permit, and may not do work outside what the permit entitles them to do. There is no 90-day grace period in it. The practical deadline is simply that the permit has to be in hand before you start work and before your 90 days of permitted stay run out.

What breaking that rule actually costs, which is the part most guides leave out. Under section 101 the alien is fined 5,000 to 50,000 baht and, once the fine is paid, is sent back out of the Kingdom. Worse for anyone building a career here, section 64/1 then bars that person from being granted a work permit until at least two years have passed since the penalty was served. The employer is not spared either: under section 102 taking on an alien without a permit costs 10,000 to 100,000 baht per alien, and on a repeat offence up to a year in prison or 50,000 to 200,000 baht per alien, or both, plus a three-year ban on employing any foreigner.

Company Eligibility Requirements

Thai companies must meet specific criteria to sponsor foreign workers:

Financial Requirements:

• 2 million THB minimum registered capital per foreign employee
• 4 Thai employees for each foreigner (4:1 ratio), which Immigration applies to the one-year extension of stay rather than the Department of Employment to the work permit (Unless married to a Thai which is half)
• Neither figure scales without limit, but only one of the limits reaches a company: the capital route stops at ten foreigners unless the employer meets one of four tests on tax paid, export earnings, tourist numbers or Thai headcount (Department of Employment Regulation B.E. 2547, clause 5(3)). The regulation does cap a headcount route at three, but that is clause 6, which applies where the employer is a natural person rather than a company, so it does not bite on a company sponsoring a Non-B
• Valid VAT registration
• These are the work-permit tests, and the extension of stay has a separate set of its own. The capital and staffing figures above come from the Department of Employment regulation. Whether immigration will grant the one-year extension is judged against criterion 2.1 of the table annexed to Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568, which is a different list: 2 million baht of paid-up capital, audited financial statements for the last year showing the business is genuinely trading and continuing, and the same one-to-four ratio. Three kinds of business are excused the capital and accounts tests and get a one-to-one ratio instead: an international trading business (representative office), a regional office, and a branch office of a multinational. Meeting one does not guarantee the other, and it is possible to hold a valid work permit and still be refused the extension.
• Demonstrated revenue to cover foreign employee salaries

Work Permit Application Documents

Personal Documentation:

• Medical certificate from approved clinic
• Educational certificates and degrees
• Work experience certificates from previous employers
• Official translations of foreign document

Processing: Work permit applications typically take 7-10 business days to process at the Ministry of Labour.

Visa Extensions: From 90 Days to Long-Term Stay

Initial Extension to One Year

Once a work permit is approved, holders can extend their 90-day Non-B visa to a one-year extension of stay. This extension eliminates the need for border runs and provides stable long-term residence.

The extension is section 35 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522, which lets the Director-General or an authorised officer permit a temporary stay to continue, for not more than one year at a time. The criteria an officer applies are not in the Act. They are in a separate order made under section 35 paragraph 3, and the order changed hands in September 2023. For nine years it was Royal Thai Police Order 327/2557; on 26 September 2023 Royal Thai Police Order 542/2566 repealed it, so that the power would sit with the Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau instead. The order passed to Immigration Bureau Order 242/2566, signed 27 September 2023 and in force from 30 September 2023, which also swept away the old document-list orders 138/2557, 100/2562, 104/2563 and 312/2564. The chain then runs on again: the table that governs applications today is the one annexed to Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568, dated 23 January 2025, and the criteria and figures on this page are read from that annex and its income table. We hold the annex rather than the order’s operative clauses, so we do not say here in what terms 12/2568 displaces 242/2566, only that the table in force is its own. Almost everything written in English about Thai visa extensions still cites 327/2557, which has been repealed since 2023.

Its clause 2 puts both the criteria and the list of supporting documents in a table annexed to the order, which is why the requirements differ so much between one category of applicant and the next: each is a separate row.

Two deadlines in that order that decide what happens if things go wrong, and almost nobody publishes them. Clause 3: while your extension application is still being considered, the officer stamps an appointment to hear the result and you may lawfully remain, for a total of not more than 30 days counted from the day after your permission expired. So the application being slow does not by itself put you on overstay. Clause 4: if you do not meet the criteria, you are notified of the refusal and you must leave within 7 days, again counted from the day after your permission expired. Seven days is the whole of the margin, and it is why an application refused at the counter is an emergency rather than a setback. Both rules survived the change of order intact.

One rule in the new order has no equivalent in the old one, and it is worth knowing. Clause 6: an extension already granted TERMINATES by itself if the stay stops matching the necessity it was granted for, or if you stop meeting the criteria you were judged on, including where those criteria themselves change. A permission is therefore not a year of safety bought in advance; it is conditional throughout. The one written mercy sits in the same clause: where the extension was granted because you are the family of a Thai national, of a permanent resident or of another foreigner, and that person dies, you keep the rest of the period you were given.

Extension Requirements:

• Valid work permit
• Employment certification letter
• TM.7 application form
• 1,900 THB extension fee
• Supporting company documents

Salary Requirements by Nationality

The extension approval depends on meeting a minimum monthly income that varies by nationality. This is not immigration folklore and it is not a rule of thumb: it is Annex Kor, the income table attached to Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568 of 23 January 2025, which criterion 2.1(a)(2) of that order requires a business applicant to meet. The table below is that annex, reproduced.

It has four bands, not six, and two of the exceptions matter more than the bands do. Russia is carved out of the European band and sits in the third at 35,000, and South Africa is carved out of the African band and also sits in the third at 35,000. Those two exclusions are written into the annex itself and are the sort of detail a summarised table silently loses.

An earlier version of this page published six bands taken from secondary sources, and three of its rows were wrong. It put Canadians, Japanese and Americans at 60,000 baht a month when the annex puts them in the same 50,000 band as Europe and Australia; it put India, Malaysia and the Middle East at 45,000 when the annex puts them at 35,000; and it had no way to express the Russia and South Africa carve-outs. Those figures are corrected below against the annex. This is the number a salary negotiation turns on, so it is worth knowing it comes from a table the Bureau publishes rather than from custom.

Band (Annex Kor)	Nationalities	Minimum monthly income
1	Countries of Europe except Russia, and Australia, Canada, Japan, the United States	50,000 THB
2	South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong	45,000 THB
3	Countries of Asia except Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam; and South America, Eastern Europe, Central America, Mexico, Russia and South Africa	35,000 THB
4	Countries of Africa except South Africa, and Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam	25,000 THB

The Critical 90-Day Reporting Requirement

Every foreign national in Thailand for over 90 days must report their address to immigration every 90 days. This requirement is separate from visa extensions and applies to all long-term residents. We have an extensive document on the 90-day report and click here for more information.

Annual Visa Renewal Process

Non-B visa holders must renew their one-year extensions annually before expiry. The renewal process requires updated documentation demonstrating continued employment and legal compliance.

Annual Renewal Requirements

Core Documentation:

• Valid work permit and copies
• Current employment letter with salary details
• Income tax payment receipt (Por Ngor Dor 91)
• Updated company documents (issued within 6 months
• Social Security payment records
• 1,900 THB renewal fee

Application Window: Renewals should be submitted 30-45 days before the current extension expires.

Cost Analysis and Financial Planning

Understanding the complete cost structure helps expats budget effectively for their Thai business visa journey. Costs are divided between employee responsibilities and employer obligations.

Employee Cost Breakdown (First Year)

Mandatory Costs:

• e-Visa application fee: ~2,500 THB ($80 USD)
• Medical certificate: 500-1,000 THB
• Document translations: 2,000-5,000 THB
• Visa extension fee: 1,900 THB
• Annual renewal fee: 1,900 THB

Total Estimated First-Year Costs: 8,800-12,300 THB ($280-390 USD)

Optional Services (all is approximative)

• 90-day reporting via agent: 1,000-4,000 THB per report
• Professional visa assistance: 10,000-30,000 THB
• Express processing services: Additional fees may apply

Employer Responsibilities

• WP.3 application processing
• Work permit issuance fees
• BOI registration costs (if applicable)

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Critical Application Mistakes

Documentation Errors:

• Spelling mistakes in passport details cause automatic rejection
• Incomplete or missing company documents
• Incorrect photograph specifications
• Using wrong passport type selection in e-Visa system

Process-Related Mistakes

Legal Compliance Issues:

• Never start working before receiving a work permit
• Missing 90-day reporting deadlines
• Failing to maintain required bank balance for extensions
• Not keeping proper documentation records

Timeline Mismanagement:

• Applying too close to visa expiry dates
• Underestimating processing times
• Not planning for document translation time

Ongoing Obligations and Compliance

Long-Term Requirements

Annual Obligations:

• Work permit renewal (before expiry)
• Visa extension renewal
• Income tax filing and payment
• Social Security contributions

Quarterly Obligations:

• 90-day address reporting
• Maintaining legal employment status

Record Keeping Best Practices

Essential Documentation to Maintain:

• All visa extension receipts and stamps
• 90-day reporting confirmations
• Work permit copies and renewals
• Tax payment receipts
• Employment contracts and updates

Official Resources and Support

Government Portals and Services

Primary Official Websites:

• Thai e-Visa System: https://www.thaievisa.go.th/
• Immigration Bureau: https://www.immigration.go.th/
• Ministry of Labour: https://www.mol.go.th/
• 90-Day Online Reporting: https://tm47.immigration.go.th/

Emergency Contacts:

• Immigration Hotline: 1178 or 02-572-8500
• Tourist Police: 1155

Regional Immigration Offices

Bangkok: Government Complex Chaengwattana, Building B, 120 Moo 3, Chaengwattana Road, Laksi District

Processing Hours: Most offices operate Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM, 4:30 PM

Conclusion

The Thailand Non-B visa represents a gateway to professional opportunities in one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic economies. The new e-Visa system has made it much easier to apply at first. The process still has many steps and ongoing rules to follow. Success depends on thorough preparation, accurate documentation, and maintaining ongoing legal compliance through work permits, regular reporting, and timely renewals.

The key to a smooth Non-B visa experience is knowing that this is not just a one-time application. It is the start of a long-term relationship with Thai immigration authorities. Expats can build stable careers in Thailand. To do this, they should follow the right steps. They also need to keep accurate records. Staying updated on changes is important too. They can do this while staying fully legal.

If you are thinking about this path, start preparing early. Work with trusted Thai employers who know the sponsorship rules. This will greatly improve your chances of success. Investing in proper visa compliance brings benefits. It provides legal work authorization, long-term residence stability, and allows full participation in Thailand’s business environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Try it yourself first, free

You do not have to book anything to get started. These run in your browser, and you only pay us if you decide you want a lawyer involved.

Last reviewed: 15 September 2026. Read for this review, in Thai: the Immigration Act B.E. 2522, section 35 for the one-year temporary-stay extension; Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568 of 23 January 2025, the instrument in force, whose annexed criteria table and whose Annex Kor income table were read in full from a text copy published by a provincial immigration office, for criterion 2.1 (the visa type, the income requirement, the 2 million baht of paid-up capital, the audited accounts, the one-to-four ratio and the one-to-one exemption for representative, regional and branch offices) and for the four income bands and their Russia and South Africa carve-outs; Immigration Bureau Order 242/2566, signed 27 September 2023 and in force from 30 September 2023, read from a scan of the order itself, for the criteria and documents being placed in its annexed table (clause 2), for the 30-day appointment rule (clause 3), the 7-day departure rule (clause 4) and the termination rule (clause 6), and for its recital recording that Royal Thai Police Order 542/2566 of 26 September 2023 repealed the previous criteria order; and Royal Thai Police Order 327/2557 of 30 June 2014, Gazette volume 131, special part 150 Ngor, page 3, of 8 August 2014, which that repeal ended and which is cited here only as history; and the Emergency Decree on the Management of the Work of Aliens B.E. 2560 as amended by No. 2 B.E. 2561, sections 8, 64/1, 101 and 102, for the prohibition on working without a permit and what it costs the employee and the employer. Corrected later the same day: an earlier version of this review named Police Order 327/2557 as the current source of the extension criteria. It was repealed on 26 September 2023 and the correction is in the text above. Not verified in this review: whether any order later than 12/2568 is in force. A non-official social media post refers to an Order 122/2569, and we could find no official Immigration Bureau source for it, while several provincial immigration offices publish 12/2568 as their standing order. Also not verified: the 1,900 baht extension fee, which is set by ministerial regulation and which we could not locate (the Act’s own fee schedule states 2,000 baht for a section 35 application); the e-Visa portal steps, processing times and the 94 posts figure; the document lists; the cost estimates; and the 2 million baht capital figure, which was added and sourced separately on 14 September to the Department of Employment Regulation B.E. 2547 clause 5 and was not re-opened here. The 4:1 staffing figure was sourced to that same clause on 14 September and that was wrong: clause 5 is the capital route and sets no headcount ratio for a company at all. It is item 2.1(5) of the criteria annexed to Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568 of 23 January 2025, which Immigration applies to the extension of stay, corrected 21 September 2026.