Thailand business visa (Non-B): costs, types and the 10 million THB route
The Non-Immigrant B is the visa behind almost every legal foreign job in Thailand, and step one of a fixed sequence that ends with a work permit and a 1-year extension.
The short answer: the Thailand business visa, officially the Non-Immigrant B, is the visa for working for a Thai company, doing business or investing in Thailand. You will see it called both the business visa and the employment visa; they are the same Non-B category. It comes as a single entry (2,000 THB, valid 3 months, one stay of up to 90 days) or a multiple entry (5,000 THB, valid 1 year, 90 days per entry). Once you are in the country and employed, it extends to a full year without leaving, for 1,900 THB.
- 2,000 THB single entry, 90-day stay
- 5,000 THB multiple entry, 1 year
- 1,900 THB extension to a full year
- 10,000,000 THB investment route, no job needed
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The Non-B is also step one of a fixed sequence: visa, then work permit, then 1-year extension. It is the prerequisite for a work permit, not a substitute for one. This guide covers the visa itself, plus the separate 10 million THB investment route for people who would rather fund a business than run one.
Thailand business visa fees and key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Single entry Non-B | 2,000 THB, valid 3 months, stay up to 90 days |
| Multiple entry Non-B | 5,000 THB, valid 1 year, 90 days per entry |
| Extension of stay to 1 year | 1,900 THB at Immigration |
| Extension window | the last 30 days of your 90-day stay |
| Sponsoring company ratio | 2,000,000 THB paid-up capital plus 4 Thai employees per foreigner |
| Investment route | 10,000,000 THB transferred into Thailand |
Those visa fees are the baseline; embassies charge in local currency, so expect small variations. London, for example, lists £60 single and £150 multiple. The multiple entry runs one year. Ignore older articles offering 2 and 3-year business visas; no embassy fee schedule we could verify lists them.
Embassies do not publish a standard processing time for the Non-B either, and it varies by post. Apply well before your start date, not the week you fly.
The four Non-B flavours
B (business and employment). The standard category, and the one almost everyone gets. It covers taking a job with a Thai employer and conducting business in Thailand. If a Thai company has offered you work, this is your visa.
B-A (business approved). A variant arranged from the Thai side. The company you will invest in or do business with applies to the Immigration Bureau in Thailand on your behalf, and the approval is waiting when you apply at the embassy. Rarely used, but useful when the Thai partner wants to drive the process.
IB (investment through the BOI). For people employed on investment projects promoted by the Board of Investment. The BOI company handles the paperwork, and BOI status smooths the work permit stage as well.
B (teaching). For teachers at Thai schools. Same visa mechanics, but with education-side paperwork on top, so schools usually steer new hires through it.
Requirements and documents
Your side of the application is the easy half: passport, photos, the application form and proof of funds where the embassy asks for it. The hard half belongs to the employer, and it is nearly always the bottleneck.
The Thai company must supply an invitation letter plus its corporate pack: the company registration certificate, the shareholder list, corporate income tax returns (Por Ngor Dor 50 or the half-year Por Ngor Dor 30), the VAT certificate (Por Por 20) and recent financial statements. A missing tax filing holds up the visa just as surely as a missing passport.
The process runs like this:
- The employer prepares the invitation letter and corporate pack
- You apply at a Thai embassy or consulate, or through the Thai e-visa system
With your personal documents and the company’s.
- You enter Thailand within the visa’s validity
You are admitted for 90 days.
- Your employer files the work permit application
- You extend your stay to 1 year at Immigration
With the permit in hand.
If your employer has done this before, the pack exists already and the visa is routine. If you are the company’s first foreign hire, start chasing the corporate documents before anything else.
Extending to a year
The 90-day stay converts to a 1-year extension of stay at Immigration, for a fee of 1,900 THB. Apply within the last 30 days of your 90-day stay; earlier applications are turned away, later ones mean an overstay.
The extension is granted on the strength of your employment, so the company’s file matters again: the same corporate documents, plus your work permit. The sponsoring company also has to meet Immigration’s ratio of 2,000,000 THB in paid-up capital and 4 Thai employees for each foreigner it sponsors. That ratio is why a freshly registered one-person company cannot immediately sponsor its founder, and why the answer to “can my own company sponsor me” is yes, once it genuinely employs Thai staff.
The extension is tied to the job. If you resign or lose the position, the extension lapses with it, and the visa must be cancelled properly rather than abandoned. Our visa services page covers cancellation and the timing.
The 10 million THB investment visa
There is a second, quieter route for people who want to live in Thailand on the strength of capital rather than a job. Under Immigration Bureau Order 327/2557, a foreigner who transfers at least 10,000,000 THB into Thailand can be granted a 1-year extension of stay based on investment, renewable each year the investment is held.
The money must sit in one, or a combination, of:
- a condominium purchase of at least 10,000,000 THB
- a lease of a condominium of at least 3 years, worth at least 10,000,000 THB
- a fixed deposit of at least 10,000,000 THB with a majority Thai-owned bank
- Thai government or state enterprise bonds of at least 10,000,000 THB
Immigration will want evidence of the inbound transfer and of the investment itself, such as the ownership documents and, for property, the Department of Lands paperwork from the transfer. The criteria also make provision for dependants of long-stay categories, so spouses and children can generally apply alongside; treat the family side as case by case rather than automatic.
For anyone under 50 with capital, this is the closest thing to the retirement visa‘s bank-deposit route. It buys residence, not the right to work: employment still needs a work permit and a qualifying employer.
Meetings, remote work and the nearest alternatives
Not every business trip needs a Thailand business visa. Under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ visa exemption rules in force since 15 July 2024, the 60-day visa-exempt entry explicitly covers business engagements, and urgent or ad-hoc work. Sixteen listed types of necessary, urgent or ad-hoc work, conferences and machinery inspection among them, may be performed for up to 15 days, provided you notify the Labour Office or the airport registrar within 1 working day of starting. Meetings, negotiations and site visits sit comfortably inside a normal entry.
The other boundary is remote work. If your clients and employer are outside Thailand, the Destination Thailand Visa is built for exactly that and needs no Thai sponsor. The moment you take Thai clients or a Thai employer, you are back to the Non-B and a work permit. That single question, who pays you, is the cleanest way to pick between the two.
Coming to start a business
If your plan is to found the company rather than join one, the visa is the smaller half of the project. Most foreign-run businesses use a Thai limited company. For activities restricted under the Foreign Business Act, which cover most service businesses, foreign shareholding is capped at 49%, with Thai shareholders holding the majority; BOI promotion is the main route to full foreign ownership for qualifying activities. And the obligations start early: once annual turnover passes 1,800,000 THB, VAT registration is required.
Company formation, licensing and shareholding structures are a legal project in their own right, and we keep the full detail in one place. Start with our guide to registering a company in Thailand, then come back here for the visa that sits on top of it. The usual order for founders: register the company, build it to the capital and staffing ratio, then have it sponsor your Non-B extension and work permit.
Visa, work permit and company setup, handled together. One team, one sequence, no gaps between the three. Talk to our visa team
What to do next
If you have a Thai job offer, put the sequence in motion: employer’s corporate pack first, then the Non-B application, then the work permit, then the extension inside your last 30 days. If you are founding the company, start with the company registration guide and come back to the visa once the structure exists. Investors with 10,000,000 THB ready to move can skip the employer entirely and go straight to the investment route.
Thailand business visa FAQ
Is a business visa the same as a work permit?
No, and the confusion causes real problems. The Non-B visa lets you enter and stay in Thailand for business or employment. The work permit, issued by the Department of Employment after you arrive, is what makes working legal. You need both, in that order: visa first, then permit, then the 1-year extension.
How much does a Thailand business visa cost?
The baseline fees are 2,000 THB for a single entry and 5,000 THB for a 1-year multiple entry, charged in local currency by the embassy. Extending your stay to a year in Thailand costs a further 1,900 THB at Immigration.
Can I attend meetings in Thailand without a business visa?
Yes. The visa exemption rules in force since 15 July 2024 explicitly allow business engagements on a visa-exempt entry, and up to 15 days of listed urgent or ad-hoc work if you notify the Labour Office or airport registrar within 1 working day. Anything longer, or any actual employment, needs the Non-B.
How do I extend a Non-B visa to a year?
Apply at Immigration within the last 30 days of your 90-day stay, with your work permit, your employer's corporate documents and 1,900 THB. The company must meet the 2,000,000 THB paid-up capital and 4 Thai employees ratio for each foreigner it sponsors.
Can my own company sponsor my visa?
Yes. Immigration applies the same test to your company as to any employer: 2,000,000 THB in paid-up capital and 4 Thai employees per sponsored foreigner. A brand-new company usually needs time to reach that ratio before it can sponsor its founder.
What is the 10 million THB investment visa?
A 1-year extension of stay for foreigners who transfer at least 10,000,000 THB into Thailand and hold it in condominium property or a long condominium lease, a fixed deposit with a majority Thai-owned bank, government or state enterprise bonds, or a combination. It renews annually while the investment is held, and dependants can generally apply alongside.
Should freelancers get a Non-B or a DTV?
Follow the money. If your clients or employer are outside Thailand, the DTV covers remote work with no Thai sponsor needed. If you work for Thai clients or a Thai company, you need the Non-B and a work permit. Thai-sourced income on a DTV is not a grey area, it is working illegally.
What happens if I change or lose my job?
The extension of stay is tied to your employment, so it lapses when the job ends. The visa and work permit must be cancelled properly, and your next employer starts a fresh sponsorship. Leaving a dead visa uncancelled creates overstay problems that follow you into the next application.