How to Renew Your Work Permit
Is your work permit up for renewal? Follow our step-by-step guide to renewing your work permit in Thailand.
What is included in a work permit?
Each work permit is assigned its own unique reference number and remains and is held by the provincial Department of Labor. Your photograph, name, date of birth, nationality, address and signature will all be included on the document. Your work permit will also be used as official proof of residence in Thailand, which can help you with anything from car purchases to driver’s license applications.
Based on the information you provided in your application, your position, job description, office location, employer name, and employment period will all be added to the book. The ‘Locality permitted to work (Province)’ section indicates the province in which you are legally permitted to work. If you want to work in other provinces, you’ll need to apply for work permit extensions in those provinces.
On the last page of the work permit, there is a notice with the following 4 rules and penalties: the workbook must be kept at the workplace throughout working hours so that it can be checked by authorities at any time (fine not to exceed 1,xxx baht) and the permit holder must not engage in work that is not specified in the work permit without first obtaining permission from the authorities (prison term of 1 month and fine not to exceed 2,xxx baht). The permit must be renewed before it expires in order to continue working (up to 3 months in prison or a fine of 5,xxx baht).
If a permit holder resigns from their job before the work permit expires, the permit must be returned to the registrar within 7 days of the resignation or else there could be a fine of 1,xxx baht.
Key Points:
- Before you can renew your work permit, you must first renew your duration of stay in Thailand.
- On the last page of the work permit, there is a notice with the following 4 rules and penalties.
- You’ll need the same documentation that you used when you first applied for the permit and for renewal.
What is the process for renewing your work permit and visa?
Before you can renew your work permit, you must first renew your duration of stay in Thailand. You can do this within Thailand or you can do it outside of Thailand and register at a Thai Embassy or Consulate in another country. You must send copies of your work permit, a new recommendation letter from your employer/company, the company’s registration papers and financial/tax reports to the Thai Embassy or consulate.
If you have a long-term stay extension, you must report to the Thai immigration police every 90 days. Holders of non-immigrant multiple entry visas with a one-year validity period can easily cross the border into another country and then return to Thailand to extend their stay.
If you have a Thai work permit but were unable to obtain an extension of stay stamp, you can still apply for a one-year non-immigrant B visa from a Thai embassy.
What documents are needed for the renewal process?
The following documents are needed to renew your work permit: your present work permit, your non-immigrant visa (B Visa or O Visa), a copy of your academic credentials, a copy of your press pass as well as a letter from Thailand’s government, copy of your mission’s letter and the Thai government’s letter, copy of your NGO’s letter and the Thai government’s letter (NGO), copy of your passport, a copy of a map showing your working place, a copy of a medical certificate (blood type and syphilis check) as well as a tax certificate showing that you are registered in Thailand and have paid your personal income tax.
In addition, a copy of the Thai company registration on your work permit, as well as a copy of the business’s VAT Registration form Phor Por 01, a copy of the Thai business licence, and a copy proving that Social Security payments were made, must be submitted with the renewal of your company’s or employer’s work permit.
For any work you do in Thailand, make sure you have a permit that complies with the law.
How to obtain a Thai Visa Extension and Re-entry Permit?
The controlling date on your passport is the extension of the stay stamp, which means that date determines the length of your stay in Thailand. Your work permit and re-entry permit will both be affected by the extension of your stay date. If you leave Thailand without a re-entry permit, both your extension of stay and your work permit will be terminated.
Despite having a Thai work permit and you were unable to obtain an extension of stay stamp, you may still apply for a one-year non-immigrant B visa from a Thai embassy which is valid for one year and allows multiple entries without the need for a re-entry permit. Certain implications can arise from a misunderstanding of the difference between an extension of stay and a re-entry permit.
A visa is a document issued by a Thai embassy or consulate that allows you to enter Thailand. Once you arrive in the Kingdom, an immigration officer can stamp a date on your passport called “extension of stay.” The amount of time you are permitted to stay in Thailand is the extension of stay, which the immigration officer at the border checkpoint stamps upon arrival or the immigration police stamp it after a request for a stay extension.
Changing the Terms of Your Work Permit
If you already have a one-year contract and want to sign a one-year contract with a new employer, you will have your new employer file the necessary paperwork to secure your work permit for the next year. This will require a new contract for the new employment which you will take to the registrar’s office and request that your work permit be extended for a fee of 3,xxx baht under the new employer.
You can have multiple job descriptions on a work permit, as well as two different job descriptions in two different Thai provinces. Your work permit serves as official proof of residence as well as proof of employment status in Thailand. Any job done without a work permit is illegal and can result in fines and jail time.