Thailand work visa for Indians: the INR 7,000 Non-immigrant B, the THB 3,100 work permit, the THB 50,000 salary rule and the SMART, LTR and DTV alternatives

Key facts

• Government fee: Non-B INR 7,000 single entry (INR 13,500 one-year multiple; INR 30,000 three-year); work permit THB 100 + THB 3,000 for one year
• Processing: e-Visa about 10 working days; work permit 7 to 15 working days after arrival
• Salary threshold: THB 50,000 a month for Indian nationals at the one-year extension (THB 35,000 for teachers)
• Employer rule: THB 2 million paid-up capital and 4 Thai employees per foreigner; BOI firms exempt
• Extension: THB 1,900 for a one-year extension of stay; multiple re-entry permit THB 3,800
• Premium tiers: SMART visa INR 30,000 a year (no permit); LTR 10 years INR 140,000; DTV INR 30,000 (remote work only)
• Dependants: Spouse and children under 20 on Non-O, extended with the main applicant
• Verified: 29 October 2026 against the New Delhi embassy fee table, BOI and the Ministry of Labour

Overview

A Thailand work visa for an Indian professional has 2 parts: a Non-immigrant B visa issued in India through thaievisa.go.th, INR 7,000 for a single entry with 90 days of stay or INR 13,500 for a one-year multiple entry, and a work permit from the Ministry of Labour obtained after arrival for THB 100 plus THB 3,000 for one year. The employer must hold THB 2 million of paid-up capital and employ four Thai nationals for each foreigner, and the Immigration Bureau expects Indian employees to earn at least THB 50,000 a month before it extends the stay to one year for THB 1,900. Executives, specialists and investors can avoid the permit on a SMART visa (INR 30,000 a year) or the 10-year Long-Term Resident visa (INR 140,000), and remote workers for foreign companies use the Destination Thailand Visa (INR 30,000) instead.

The compact version with the price card and checklist is on the Thailand work visa route page. This article compares the four routes on one page and explains the capital, ratio and salary tests that decide most Indian files.

Which Thailand work visa fits an Indian professional?

Most Indian hires, from IT consultants in Bangkok to engineers in the Eastern Economic Corridor and teachers in international schools, use the Non-B and work permit. The job must not be on the list of 40 occupations reserved for Thai nationals, which covers manual labour, hairdressing, Thai massage, tour guiding and most clerical and front-desk work; BOI-promoted companies, regional operating headquarters and international schools are exempt from the capital and ratio rules.

How do the capital, ratio and salary tests work?

The Department of Employment grants a work permit when the employer shows THB 2 million of fully paid-up registered capital for each foreign employee (THB 1 million if the foreigner is married to a Thai national) and four Thai employees registered for social security per work permit. The Immigration Bureau then applies its own test when the 90-day Non-B stay is extended to a year: a salary of at least THB 50,000 a month for nationals of India, with THB 35,000 accepted for teachers at licensed schools, shown with the employment contract, payslips and personal income tax filings once the job has started. Companies that cannot meet the ratio use a BOI promotion, and employees whose salary is below the threshold are left doing 90-day renewals or border runs, which the Bureau now limits.

What does it cost, and who pays?

Thailand has no skills levy, and foreign employees pay social security at 5 per cent of salary capped at THB 750 a month and personal income tax at 5 to 35 per cent, with treaty relief for India. Vistolane charges the INR 7,000 or INR 13,500 visa fee at the official rate and shows the permit and extension fees separately on the Thailand destination page; employers see every file in Vistolane for business.

How does the application run?

• Employer documents: company affidavit (under six months old), list of shareholders, VAT registration, financial statements, social security records for four Thai staff, the employment contract and an invitation letter stating position and salary.
• Apply on thaievisa.go.th for the Non-immigrant B with the employer's file, your degree, CV and three months of statements; pay INR 7,000; the embassy or consulate decides in about 10 working days.
• Enter Thailand on the Non-B (90 days) with the TDAC filed; the employer lodges the work permit (form WP1) with the Department of Employment or, for BOI companies, the One Stop Service Centre; 7 to 15 working days, same day at the OSSC.
• Collect the work permit, register for social security and a tax ID, and open a Thai bank account.
• Before day 90, apply at the Immigration Bureau for a one-year extension of stay (THB 1,900) with the permit, contract, payslips and company documents; buy a multiple re-entry permit (THB 3,800) before any trip abroad.

How long does it take from India?

Plan six to eight weeks from signed offer to first working day. Workers already in Thailand on an exempt entry cannot start work until the Non-B and permit exist, and in most cases must leave to collect the Non-B at a Thai mission.

Changing jobs, family and settlement

The work permit names the employer, position and workplace; a new employer means a new permit and, usually, a new Non-B or a change of sponsor at immigration within the current extension. Spouses and children under 20 join on Non-immigrant O visas extended alongside the worker, as the Thailand family visa guide explains. Each foreigner files a 90-day address report, and the yearly extension depends on tax filings and the employer's continued compliance.

Permanent residence opens after three consecutive years of one-year extensions on the same status with THB 80,000 a month of income (THB 30,000 if married to a Thai) and tax filings, under an annual quota of 100 per nationality; SMART and LTR holders have lighter reporting but the same PR path. Indians comparing Asian hubs can weigh the Singapore Employment Pass guide and the Malaysia Employment Pass guide.

Why are Thailand work visas and permits refused, and what fixes each reason?

Employer fails the capital or ratio test. Less than THB 2 million per foreigner or fewer than four Thai staff. Increase paid-up capital, register the Thai staff for social security or use a BOI promotion.

Reserved occupation. A role described as clerical, sales assistant or manual. Describe the real skilled duties and title in the contract and invitation letter.

Salary below THB 50,000. Extension refused and the worker left on 90-day stays. Raise the contract to the threshold before the first extension.

Degree and experience not matching. A job in engineering with a degree in an unrelated field and no experience letters. Attach experience letters and professional certificates that match the position.

Worked before the permit. Fine, revocation and a re-entry ban. Attend only onboarding until the permit is in hand.

How Vistolane handles it

Work routes on Vistolane go to a licence-checked immigration partner in Bangkok who prepares the employer's file, files the Non-B e-Visa and lodges the work permit and extension; the government fees are charged as listed. Employers start from Vistolane for business; workers start with the free eligibility check or the Thailand work visa route page. Remote workers who do not need a Thai employer should read the Destination Thailand Visa guide.

Questions, answered