Three documents govern a foreigner's working life in Thailand: the Immigration Bureau's criteria for extending a stay, the Ministry of Labour's list of occupations closed to foreigners, and the Foreigners' Working Management decree that defines work and sets the penalties. The Baht quotes each one with its date, in the order a reader meets them.
1. The income test by nationality
The one-year extension of stay for business or employment reasons (clause 2.1 of the order), applied for at Immigration once the work permit is held. The work permit itself, issued by the Ministry of Labour, states no income floor. The order's word is income, not salary, evidenced by the employer's withholding-tax returns (PND.1) naming the applicant for the latest three months and the applicant's own tax return where one exists. The employer must also show paid-up capital of at least 2 million baht, audited accounts, and four permanent Thai employees for each foreigner.
| Minimum monthly income | Nationalities |
|---|---|
| 50,000 THB | United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Greece, Malta, Australia, Canada, Japan, United States |
| 45,000 THB | South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong |
| 35,000 THB | China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Israel, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Russia, South Africa |
| 25,000 THB | Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Egypt, Morocco |
Exemptions and special cases: Companies in the 18 target industries and certified start-ups: a flat 50,000 baht a month whatever the nationality, with lighter capital and staffing rules (clause 2.1 (b)). Representative offices, regional offices and branches of foreign companies: exempt from the capital and audited-accounts rules and allowed one Thai employee per foreigner, but not exempt from the income table (clause 2.1 (a)(6)). Employees of BOI-promoted companies and government bodies: the order states no income figure; the sponsoring agency's letter governs (clauses 2.2 and 2.3). The BOI applies its own pay floors under Notification Por. 8/2568. Teachers and education staff (clauses 2.6 and 2.7): no income figure is stated in the order; the school's letter states the position, salary and contract length, and the Teachers' Council licence or waiver is required.
2. Occupations closed to foreigners
The Ministry of Labour's current notification lists 40 occupations in 4 groups:
- Strictly prohibited (27): Closed to foreigners outright, in all areas of the Kingdom (Clause 2). Also closed: any occupation that another law reserves for Thai nationals. Examples: Wood carving, Driving motor vehicles, driving a non-mechanically propelled carrier or driving a domestic mechanically propelled carrier, except for piloting international aircraft or forklift driving, Auction, Cutting or polishing diamond or precious stones.
- Allowed only under an international agreement (3): Prohibited unless the foreigner works under an international agreement or obligation that binds Thailand, with the professional council's certification where the item says so (Clause 3). Examples: Controlling, auditing, performing or providing accounting services, except for the following occupations: (A) Occasional internal audit work; (B) Work under international agreements or obligations to which Thailand is bound, for which the Professional Association provides a certificate of qualifications, Civil engineer work concerning counselling, project planning, design and calculation, construction supervision or manufacturing, inspection, administration work to organize the system, research and test, except those who are registered as a professional engineer under the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) as well as other international agreements related to cross-border engineering services, or licensee of the controlled engineering profession in the field of civil engineering under the Engineering law., Professional architectural work concerning project study, design, construction management and supervision, inspection or consulting, except for professional architects and architects regulated under the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for architectural services as well as other international agreements on cross-border architectural services from the Architect Council of Thailand or licensee of controlled architecture profession under the Architect law..
- Skilled or semi-skilled work allowed only for an employer (8): Prohibited as self-employment; a foreigner may do this skilled or semi-skilled work only when working for an employer (Clause 4). Examples: Agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry or fishery, Bricklaying, carpentry, or construction works, Mattress or quilt blanket making, Knife making.
- Allowed only with an employer and entry under a government MoU (2): Prohibited unless the foreigner has an employer and entered Thailand under a memorandum between the Thai government and their own (Clause 5): in practice the channel for Cambodian, Lao and Myanmar workers. Examples: Labour, Shop front sellers.
Full list, conditions and penalties: occupations closed to foreigners in Thailand.
3. The money test for each visa
| Route | Money test | Work allowed | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extension of stay based on employment (Non-Immigrant B) | Monthly income by nationality: 50,000, 45,000, 35,000 or 25,000 baht; employer with 2 million baht paid-up capital and four Thai staff per foreigner | Yes, with a work permit | 23 Jan 2025 |
| Non-Immigrant B visa (applied for abroad) | Financial evidence of at least 30,000 baht (about £700) plus the Ministry of Labour's WP3 approval letter | Yes once the work permit is issued | 9 Sep 2026 |
| LTR visa: Work-from-Thailand Professional | Personal income of at least USD 80,000 a year averaged over the past two years (USD 40,000 with a master's degree), employed by a listed company or a private company with USD 50 million revenue over three years | Remote work for the overseas employer only; no Thai work permit is issued for this category | read 28 Oct 2026 |
| LTR visa: Highly-Skilled Professional | Personal income of at least USD 80,000 a year averaged over two years (USD 40,000 with a master's degree in science or technology); government employees exempt | Yes, with a digital work permit at 3,000 baht a year | read 28 Oct 2026 |
| LTR visa: Wealthy Pensioner | Passive income of at least USD 80,000 a year (USD 40,000 plus a USD 250,000 investment in Thailand); earned income and salaries do not count | No | read 28 Oct 2026 |
| LTR visa: Wealthy Global Citizen | Global assets of at least USD 1 million and an investment in Thailand of at least USD 500,000, both held before applying | Only with permission to work, via the digital work permit | read 28 Oct 2026 |
| SMART visa: Talent | Income of at least 100,000 baht a month (50,000 for start-up experts or endorsed retired experts), with a contract of at least a year left | Yes, in the endorsed business, without a separate work permit | read 28 Oct 2026 |
| SMART visa: Executive | Income of at least 200,000 baht a month, a degree, ten years' experience and a senior management post | Yes, in the endorsed business | read 28 Oct 2026 |
| SMART visa: Investor | Direct investment of at least 20 million baht in a technology business, or 5 million baht in an endorsed start-up or incubator | Yes, in the invested business | read 28 Oct 2026 |
| SMART visa: Startup | A deposit of at least 600,000 baht held for three months, plus 180,000 baht per accompanying family member, and at least 25% of a certified Thai start-up or a directorship | Yes, in the start-up | read 28 Oct 2026 |
| Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) | Financial evidence of at least £12,000 (500,000 baht); no minimum holding period is stated on the London embassy page | Remote work or freelancing for clients abroad ("workcation"); no official page The Baht could read says whether a DTV holder may work for a Thai employer | 8 Sep 2026 |
| Extension of stay as the spouse of a Thai national | Average income of 40,000 baht a month over the year, or 400,000 baht on deposit in a Thai bank for the previous two months, or income and deposit together of 400,000 baht | Only with a work permit | 23 Jan 2025 |
| Extension of stay for retirement (age 50 and over) | Income of at least 65,000 baht a month, or 800,000 baht in a Thai bank held two months before and three months after the application (then not below 400,000), or income and deposit together of 800,000 baht | No | 23 Jan 2025 |
| Thailand Privilege (Elite) membership | Membership fee from 650,000 baht (Bronze, five years) to 900,000 (Gold), 1.5 million (Platinum), 2.5 million (Diamond) and 5 million baht (Reserve, by invitation) | No, unless under the Flexible Plus programme with a USD 1 million investment, per the company's own page | read 28 Oct 2026 |
| Employee of a BOI-promoted company | No figure in the Immigration order; the BOI's own floors under Notification Por. 8/2568 are 150,000 baht a month for executives, 75,000 for managers and engineers (50,000 with a relevant degree), 50,000 for operational staff and 35,000 for BPO operators | Yes, through the BOI's single window | 1 Oct 2025 for new promotions, 1 Jan 2026 for existing ones |
| Teachers and education staff | No income figure is stated in the Immigration order; the school's letter must state the position, salary and contract length | Yes, with a work permit and a Teachers' Council licence or waiver | 23 Jan 2025 |
Details, fees and sources: visa income requirements for Thailand.
4. Who is hiring, and what they pay
The Baht reads the careers pages of the international schools and private hospitals in its datasets: 181 current vacancies from 29 employers, and what 3 schools state about teacher pay.