Integrity Legal - Law Firm in Bangkok | Bangkok Lawyer | Legal Services Thailand Back to
Integrity Legal

Legal Services & Resources 

Up to date legal information pertaining to Thai, American, & International Law.

Contact us: +66 2-266 3698

info@integrity-legal.com

ResourcesVisa & Immigration LawThailand Immigration LawCan I Get a Work Permit on a Thai Special Tourist Visa?

Can I Get a Work Permit on a Thai Special Tourist Visa?

Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Special Tourist Visas. We are especially discussing these in the context of Work Permits in Thailand. 

I have had a lot of inquiries a lot of comments on our channel; a lot of just general emails regarding special tourist visas and I am trying to answer as many questions on this as I can.

So, the topic of this video is Work Permits in the context of a Special Tourist Visa. Under any circumstances, work authorization and tourism status do not go together. You can't get a Work Permit on a Tourist Visa. You can work from a Business Visa you can get a Work Permit on an O Visa. The Smart Visa which is sort of a new invention it is possible to be work authorized under that although the regime is different. Things like BOIs are also work authorized if you get your Work Permit sorted out.

But long story short with this I am going to go ahead and read an excerpt from the Special Tourist Visa section on the Thai Embassy website in Washington DC. Quoting directly: “If the STV, that is Special Tourist Visa, holder breeches the entry condition, for example, if he or she engages in work related activities, the stay permit will be revoked and he or she will be prohibited from entering Thailand in the future”.

So the penalties for trying to work on a Special Tourist Visa are rather severe and for this reason it is a good idea if you are looking to come into Thailand to do business to look at first of all perhaps a Business Visa or in lieu of that possibly a Visa which meets with your circumstances that could be converted to a Business Visa if you find employment in Thailand.

It should be noted and we made another video contemporaneously with this one, Special Tourist Visas are specifically and affirmatively precluded from changing status. You cannot convert status in Thailand on a Special Tourist Visa according to the Embassy’s own website. For this reason those looking to work in Thailand probably want to look to a Visa other than the Special Tourist Visa.