Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing WP3 work pre-authorization or Work Permit documentation.  

I have had a lot of folks ask me “what do these documents look like?” We are going to go ahead and put this up on screen. We have gone ahead and redacted this and that is what it looks like folks. I am just going to put that up there. It is signed. It is signed by a relevant official from the Ministry of Labour. It notes the reason the person is coming; it notes that they are coming for Non-immigrant purposes; it notes the Company name, we have redacted that,; it notes their name and it basically just provides information about the presumptive or perspective work activity and the prospective employer. It essentially certifies that in fact that individual is indeed coming to Thailand in order to undertake work. It is a document that says that they are pre-authorized to work in Thailand. In many ways, it is sort of a contingent Work Permit or a provisional Work Permit and it allows somebody to obtain a B Visa in order to come to Thailand and then file for a WP1; that is the actual Work Permit booklet.  That is the blue book that is on all of our videos these days. We actually put the Work Permit book on the calling card. 

The thing to take away from this video in many cases involving B Visas, a WP3 is an integral component. In fact it may be impossible to obtain a B Visa without this document. I have a feeling that in the future perhaps all B Visa applications are going to require a WP3. Now that is a lot to predict, that is a bold prediction but I think it is definitely possible. I think that Immigration Authorities and folks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are probably reassessing things especially in light of the practical circumstances that have come about in the response to COVID-19 and I think that they probably are saying to themselves "hey it may be a good idea if we just make WP3 mandatory for all B Visas." Whether or not that comes to pass remains to be seen but I could see it happening based on what we are seeing right now with respect to how the overall B Visa process works. 

That stated, the WP3 process can be cumbersome and difficult if one does not have a Company to sponsor them; it can be extremely difficult if not impossible. It may be possible to incorporate a company if you wish to be self-employed in Thailand and start up a small business or even a medium or large business in Thailand and use the corporate structure to thereby gain sponsorship for a WP3. That is going to be circumstantially dependent. 

For those who feel a bit overwhelmed with respect to Thai Business Visas, it may be a good idea to contact a legal professional in order to gain some insight and guidance into how best to proceed.