Business Visa & Work Permit in Thailand (Non-B): The 2026 Complete Guide

If you want to be legally employed in Thailand, or run your own Thai company, the Non-Immigrant B visa (“Non-B”) paired with a work permit is the route that makes it possible. It is also the route most commonly misunderstood, because it involves two separate documents that must be obtained together. This guide explains how the Non-B and the work permit work in 2026, who they suit, and the steps that keep an application clean.

What the Non-B is

The Non-B is the business category of Thailand’s non-immigrant visa system. On its own, it permits you to enter Thailand for work or business purposes. Paired with a Thai work permit, it allows you to be employed by, or to operate, a Thai company.

It is typically issued for 90 days initially, then extended to one year once you are in Thailand and your employment or company is established. After that, it is renewed annually for as long as your role and company continue to qualify. The Non-B is built for people tied to a Thai legal entity, whether as an employee, a founder, or a director.

The visa and the work permit are two different things

This is the single most common point of confusion, so it is worth being precise.

• The Non-B visa is issued by immigration and governs your right to stay in Thailand for business purposes.
• The work permit is issued by the Ministry of Labour and governs your right to work in a specific role for a specific company.

You need both. A Non-B visa alone does not let you work, and a work permit cannot exist without the underlying visa. They must stay aligned: if your employment ends, the work permit is cancelled, and your permission to stay is affected. Treat them as a matched pair from day one and most of the process becomes much clearer.

Who the Non-B is for

The Non-B suits three broad groups:

• Professionals employed by a Thai company who need to live and work in Thailand legally.
• Founders setting up their own Thai business who will employ themselves through that entity.
• Investors and directors who hold a formal role in a Thai company.

If you simply want to live in Thailand while earning from abroad, the Non-B is usually not the right tool, a long-stay visa such as the DTV may suit you better. The Non-B is specifically for working with, or running, a Thai company.

Two routes: an existing employer or your own company

There are two practical paths to a Non-B and work permit, and the documentation differs accordingly.

Route 1, Joining an existing Thai employer

An established Thai company sponsors your visa and work permit. The company provides most of the corporate paperwork, registration, financials, and tax records, and you supply your personal documents and an employment contract. This is generally the more straightforward route, because the company already meets the legal conditions for hiring foreigners.

Route 2, Setting up your own Thai entity

You register a Thai company first, then sponsor your own Non-B and work permit through it. This gives you full control, but it adds a company-formation step, and your new entity must independently satisfy the capital and Thai-staff requirements before it can support a foreign work permit. It is popular with founders, but benefits most from careful sequencing.

What you need

Requirements vary by route and case, but the core documents are consistent:

• An employment contract (Route 1) or company registration documents (Route 2).
• Company financial and tax documents showing the entity is genuine and active.
• Your qualifications and CV, evidencing that you are suited to the role.
• A valid passport and photographs, with passport validity well clear of your intended stay.

A clean, internally consistent set of documents is what moves an application smoothly. Mismatches between the contract, company records, and your personal paperwork are a frequent cause of delay.

Company obligations (in general)

Thai companies that hire foreigners must meet conditions designed to protect the local labour market. As a general principle:

• The company must hold a sufficient level of registered capital.
• It must employ a number of Thai staff per foreign work permit.

The exact figures depend on the company’s circumstances and current regulations, so we keep this general. What matters is the principle: a Thai entity sponsoring a foreigner has to be a real, adequately capitalised business with genuine Thai employment. On Route 2, plan your company structure with these obligations in mind from the start.

Fees and renewals

Gateway Siam’s indicative service fee for the Non-B and work permit starts from 32,900 THB.

• Company-setup support (Route 2) is charged separately.
• Government fees for the visa and work permit are separate again, paid to the relevant authorities.

The visa and permit are then renewed annually, with each renewal confirming that your role and the company still qualify. Building this into your yearly planning avoids last-minute pressure.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating the visa and work permit as one document, and discovering too late that one is missing.
• Letting employment lapse without realising it cancels the work permit and affects your stay.
• Under-capitalising a new company on Route 2, so it cannot legally support a foreign permit.
• Inconsistent paperwork between the contract, company records, and personal documents.

A simple checklist before you apply

• Confirm which route applies to you: existing employer or your own entity.
• Gather your employment contract or company registration documents.
• Assemble company financial and tax records.
• Prepare your CV, qualifications, valid passport, and photographs.
• For Route 2, confirm the company meets capital and Thai-staff requirements before applying.

A note on currency: immigration and labour rules in Thailand change, and cases vary. The figures and conditions here are indicative for 2026, always confirm the current requirements for your situation before you commit.

How Gateway Siam helps

At Gateway Siam, we guide UK and Chinese applicants through the Non-B and work permit as the single, coordinated process it really is. We help you choose the right route, prepare consistent corporate and personal documentation, and, for founders, structure a Thai entity that meets the capital and staffing conditions from the outset, then keep your visa and permit aligned through each annual renewal. If you are considering employment or a company in Thailand, we can give you an honest assessment of the most suitable route before you commit.