Thailand Non-Immigrant B Visa (Work Visa)
Updated 2026-07-05
The Non-Immigrant B is Thailand’s work visa: it lets you enter for 90 days to take up employment, after which your employer sponsors a work permit and a one-year extension of stay. Your company files a WP3 pre-approval before you apply, and it must generally hold 2 million THB in registered capital and employ four Thai staff per foreign hire. All-in costs typically run $200-800.
At a glance
| Purpose | Employment with a Thai company, business setup, or teaching |
|---|---|
| Initial stay | 90 days, converted to a 1-year extension after the work permit |
| Employer requirements | 2M THB registered capital and 4 Thai employees per foreigner (exceptions apply, e.g. BOI) |
| Visa processing | 5-20 days for the visa itself |
| Typical all-in cost | $200-800 including visa, work permit, and extension fees |
| Work rights | Yes, for the sponsoring employer, once the work permit is issued |
| 90-day reporting | Required |
| Last verified | 2026-07-05 |
What the Non-B is and who needs it
The Non-Immigrant B is the visa behind every legal foreign employee in Thailand. If a Thai company pays you, teaches through you, or is founded by you, this is your category. The visa itself only authorizes entry and stay; the right to actually work comes from a separate work permit issued after you arrive.
That two-document structure confuses newcomers constantly. The Non-B without a work permit does not allow you to start working, and a work permit cannot exist without an underlying Non-B status. The two documents are linked to one specific employer, one role, and in principle one workplace, which shapes everything about how job changes work later.
The sequence: offer to visa to permit to extension
The process runs in a fixed order, and skipping steps is not possible. It starts in Thailand, not at the embassy: your employer files form WP3 with the Labor Department, requesting pre-approval to employ you. Only with that approval letter do you apply for the Non-B at a Thai embassy abroad, which is issued with a 90-day validity.
You enter Thailand on the 90-day Non-B, and your employer completes the work permit application at the Labor Department, presenting your degree, their company documents, and the WP3 approval. With the work permit issued, you apply at immigration for a one-year extension of stay before the initial 90 days run out. From then on, permit and extension renew together annually.
- Step 1: signed job offer from a qualifying Thai employer
- Step 2: employer files WP3 pre-approval with the Labor Department
- Step 3: you apply for the Non-B at a Thai embassy, 90-day initial visa
- Step 4: work permit issued in Thailand after arrival
- Step 5: one-year extension of stay at immigration, renewed annually
Requirements for you and your employer
On your side, the anchor documents are your degree certificates, sometimes with legalization, plus your passport, photos, CV, and any professional licenses the role requires. Teachers need a teaching license or an official waiver. Immigration and the Labor Department both check that your qualifications plausibly match the position being sponsored.
The heavier requirements sit with the employer, and they are the reason small companies sometimes cannot hire foreigners: 2 million THB (about $55,000) in registered capital per foreign employee, and four Thai employees on payroll per foreigner. The company also submits its registration papers, shareholder list, financial statements, and tax filings with the application.
Exceptions exist. BOI-promoted companies are exempt from the standard ratios and process work permits through a streamlined one-stop service center. Representative offices and some treaty-based structures have their own rules. If your employer is BOI-promoted, expect the whole experience to be noticeably faster and less document-heavy.
Costs and processing times
The Non-B visa itself processes in 5 to 20 days at the embassy, on top of the time the WP3 pre-approval takes in Bangkok beforehand. The in-country steps, work permit and extension, each add their own government fees and queue time. Plan the full pipeline in months, not weeks, especially around Thai holiday periods.
All-in government costs typically land between $200 and $800: the visa fee, the work permit fee scaled by duration, the extension of stay fee, and re-entry permits if you travel. Employer-side costs, document legalization, and any agent fees come on top. Most established employers handle and often pay for the process; clarify who pays what before signing.
Living on a Non-B: reporting, travel, changing jobs
Once on a one-year extension, you file 90-day address reports like every long-stay foreigner, and you must buy a re-entry permit before any international trip, or the extension is voided the moment you leave. Annual renewal repeats the document package: the company re-proves its standing, you re-prove the role, and both permit and extension roll forward.
The visa is tied to your employer, and that is the trade-off to understand before you rely on it. Resigning or being let go starts a short clock on your right to stay: the work permit is cancelled, and with it the basis of your extension. Changing jobs means a new work permit and usually a fresh visa process with the new sponsor, so line the paperwork up before you hand in notice.
Special cases: owners, teachers, BOI companies
Business owners use the Non-B to run their own Thai company. The company must genuinely meet the capital and Thai-staff requirements, and you must draw a salary that supports the extension; a shelf company with no activity will fail renewal scrutiny. Structuring this properly at incorporation saves a painful restructuring later.
Teachers are the other large Non-B population. Schools sponsor the visa, but the Teachers Council license or waiver is your responsibility to maintain, and lapses are a common cause of failed renewals. BOI-promoted employers, finally, are the best-case scenario: one-stop processing, relaxed ratios, and timelines measured in days rather than weeks. If you are comparing offers, an employer’s BOI status is worth real money in avoided friction.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I work in Thailand on just a Non-B visa?
No. The Non-B authorizes your entry and stay for the purpose of employment, but you may only start working once the work permit is issued in Thailand. Working between arrival and permit issuance is illegal, and it exposes both you and your employer to fines. The gap is usually a few weeks if the employer has prepared the documents.
What does my employer need to sponsor a Non-B visa?
The standard bar is 2 million THB in registered capital per foreign employee and four Thai employees per foreigner, plus clean company registration, financial statements, and tax filings. BOI-promoted companies are exempt from the ratios and use a streamlined one-stop process. If a company cannot show these fundamentals, the work permit will fail regardless of your qualifications.
Do I need a university degree for a Thai work visa?
In most cases, yes: degree certificates are a core document for the work permit, and the authorities check that your education matches the sponsored role. Some positions rely on professional experience or licenses instead, and teachers need a teaching license or waiver on top. Have degrees legalized and translated where required before starting the process.
What happens to my visa if I quit or lose my job?
Your work permit is cancelled and the one-year extension tied to it collapses, leaving you a short window to depart or change status. Do not resign before your next employer’s paperwork is in motion: a new WP3, work permit, and usually a fresh visa are needed. Handled in the right order, you can transition without leaving Thailand; handled late, you are looking at a border run and restart.
How long does the whole Non-B process take?
The visa itself takes 5 to 20 days at the embassy, but the full pipeline is longer: WP3 pre-approval in Thailand first, then the visa, then the work permit after arrival, then the one-year extension. From signed offer to settled one-year status, two to three months is a realistic budget for a standard employer, less for BOI companies with one-stop processing.
Can I set up my own company and sponsor myself?
Yes, this is a common route for business owners, but the company must be real: 2 million THB registered capital, four Thai employees, actual operations, and a salary to you that immigration accepts at extension time. Expect the first renewal to be scrutinized. Many founders run the first year with professional accounting support specifically to keep the visa file clean.
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Last verified 2026-07-05. Immigration rules change — we update these pages as official announcements land, and our Thailand visa news tracks changes daily. This page is general information, not legal advice.