Thailand offers visa-free entry into the Kingdom for 30 days to citizens of 39 countries. Some of those foreigners remain in Thailand for extended periods by making so-called ‘visa runs’ during which they cross at a Thai border crossing then immediately re-enter Thailand for another 30-day visa-free period. To curtail this method of remaining visa-free in Thailand indefinitely, a new regulation will allow such foreigners to re-enter Thailand in this manner twice only. Thereafter, they will not again gain visa-free entry into Thailand until 90 days has elapsed since their departure following the first total of 90 days using the border re-entry extension method.

To avoid foreigners obtaining a 90-day Non-Immigrant Visa Category ‘B’ unless they will be genuine applicants for a Thai Work Permit on arrival in Thailand, Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates General throughout Asian countries will not generally issue a 90-day Non-Immigrant Visa Category ‘B’ to an applicant unless the prospective Thai employing company first obtains an approved Form 3 (Application for Applying for a Work Permit on Behalf of an Alien According to Section 8 (of the Aliens’ Working Act B.E. 2521 (1978)) from the Thai Labour Department. The employing company must also provide the applicant with a letter from the company as well as signed and stamped photocopies of the company’s registration and tax documentation. It is understood that this is an effort to restrict the issue of the Non-Immigrant Visas Category ‘B’ only to those applicants who will be genuine applicants for the Thai Work Permit (WP4).

To extend a Non-Immigrant Visa Category ‘B’, the holder must hold a Thai work permit. The Thai employing company must have registered capital of at least THB 2 million per foreign employee, and their annual financial statement must show that the company’s income is sufficient to pay all company employees plus any additional allowances or fringe benefits the foreign employees might be receiving. As well, the employing company’s annual financial statement must show Shareholders’ Equity of not less than THB 1 million.