Getting a visa is the first and most important part of working remotely in Thailand.
As long as you’re qualified, it’s not difficult to do.
This guide will show you the main visa options that let you stay in Thailand longterm and work remotely.
First Things First
The visas listed here aren’t all the visas available in Thailand. We’ve only chosen the visa options that are commonly available to remote workers.
To explore other visa options, read this article.
Thailand has a specific visa for remote workers and digital nomads who work for overseas employers or clients, called the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV). Requirements can vary by embassy, but the main requirements normally include:
- you need financial proof of THB500,000
- you need to show proof of remote work, such as an employment contract, employment certificate, freelance work, or professional portfolio, depending on your DTV category.
If you are a new digital nomad and unable to show your remote work portfolio, you can still get the DTV visa through other eligible activities, such as learning Muay Thai. You can see our recommended courses from this exclusive article.
You can read our DTV visa guide to find out more.
Alternative Option
Another visa for working in Thailand is a non-immigrant B visa. It’s known as either a business visa or a working visa.
You can only get the visa with the help of a company in Thailand.
So, to get this visa, you need to follow one of these conditions:
- create a Thai company and issue yourself a visa
- get hired by a company in Thailand
- your company from abroad sends you to work in Thailand with the help of Thai companies
If you can’t get the non-immigrant B visa, you can get a tourist visa or an education visa.
These visas let you stay in Thailand for a period of time. But note that they are not work visas and do not authorize you to work in Thailand.
Let’s take a look at all the visa options available for working remotely in Thailand.
Your Company Sends You to Work in Thailand
You can get a non-immigrant B visa if your company sends you to work in Thailand.
The main condition is that you need to have a company in Thailand to give you supporting documents along with the documents your company gives you.
Here’s a list of documents you usually need.
From your company:
- a letter of your employment stating your name, position, purpose, and date of visit to Thailand
From a company in Thailand:
- an invitation letter to you
- a copy of the company registration
- a copy of the shareholder list
- a copy of the latest balance sheet
- a copy of VAT registration
Your company in Thailand is going to send you a full list of documents again.
Please note that your business visa is going to be different than other business visas.
A non-immigrant B visa normally gives an initial stay of up to 90 days. Extensions, work permit requirements, and the total length of stay depend on your case and the supporting company.
Also, requirements can vary between Thai embassies and consulates. You should contact the embassy you plan to get a visa with and ask them specific details, including required documents, whether you need a work permit, and how long you will be able to stay in Thailand.
Register a Company in Thailand
If you want to use your own Thai company to support your visa and work permit, you normally need registered capital of THB2 million per foreign work permit, although lower capital can apply in some cases and BOI-promoted companies may have different rules.
It’s the most complicated option. But if you go this route, it can make future visa and work permit renewals more straightforward as long as your company stays compliant.
Doing so would also mean you can expand your business and generate more income for yourself.
The registered capital and paid-up capital requirements should be checked with an accountant or lawyer, because they depend on your company structure and work permit route.
To register a company in Thailand, you should explore an option with Thailand’s Board of Investment, or BOI.
Doing so lets you:
- own 100% of your company—no Thai shareholders, if your promoted project qualifies
- get exemption from paying corporate taxes for up to 13 years, depending on your promoted activity
- more easily issue a visa for you, your employees, and expat partners
To qualify for BOI promotion your company must do business in a BOI-approved activity.
Software, digital services, and e-commerce platforms may qualify, depending on the activity and current BOI conditions.
To get promotion by the BOI, the very first thing you should do is call the BOI headquarters at (+66)2-553-8111 or send them an email to [email protected] and tell them that you want to get the investment promotion.
They can speak English, are supportive, and are willing to help expats open companies in Thailand.
As long as your company meets the requirements, the BOI tells you everything you need to get the BOI promotion.
It’s entirely possible to get the promotion by yourself without the help of any legal services. But the whole process takes at least a few months to complete.
Read our BOI article to find out more information if you want to go this route.
ATA
ATA is a company in Thailand that can help eligible freelance software developers, programmers, or freelancers in ecommerce fields with a visa and work permit.
ATA hires you as their employee through their Thailand Board of Investment promotion.
To get hired by ATA, you need to:
- work in the software or ecommerce industry
- have your own clients
After ATA hires you, they charge a service fee and may require a minimum salary level. Confirm the current fee and salary requirements with ATA directly.
In return, ATA gives you:
- a business visa and work permit
- access to work in their offices in Bangkok
- help with setting up your life in Thailand
This option isn’t only available for freelancers, but also for companies who want to relocate their employees to Thailand but don’t want to deal with applying for Thai visas.
Get a Job
If all things don’t work, just get a job in Thailand. It can make you eligible for a work visa and a work permit.
The key part is that you need to find a job that doesn’t regularly require you to be in an office all the time and take 40 hours a week.
This kind of job still exists. But you can’t find it through the regular job marketplace.
Instead, you could find it posted by startups. Being a startup, they are much more flexible than other companies.
It’s possible to negotiate with them not to work full-time or be in the office all the time.
These startups also regularly look for skillful programmers and software developers.
To find them, look on niche websites like Wellfound and Getlinks.
In addition, these startups tend to actively join networking events. There, you have a chance to meet the company owners directly and possibly land jobs over a handshake, not an interview.
A good place to look for networking events is on Eventbrite.com and meetup.com.
However, it takes time to find a job like this. You may need to explore other visa options, such as multi-entry tourist visa or education visa first, to allow yourself to live in Thailand.
Then, you can start looking for a job when you’re here.
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