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HomeBusiness LawWork Permit Lawyers
How We Help
Work Permit Lawyers
in Thailand
What we do for our clients when you instruct Lawyers for Expats Thailand to handle your work permit — assessment, application and the renewal cycle, start to finish.
How We Help
What happens, step by step
Four steps, one point of contact throughout.
1
We Assess Your Situation First
We look at your visa status, employer qualification, business structure and intended role before recommending anything. Applications that cannot succeed are not submitted.
2
We Prepare Every Document
Personal documents, employer documents and the full employer qualification pack — assembled correctly for the DOE requirements in the province where you will work.
3
We Submit and Attend on Your Behalf
We submit the application to the Department of Employment and attend for follow-up and collection. For Bangkok applications this is the One Stop Service Centre at Chamchuri Square.
4
We Coordinate the Renewal Calendar
Your work permit and Non-Immigrant B visa must be renewed in alignment. We track both and initiate the renewal process before either lapses — not when you notice they are about to expire.
Q
How much of this can be done remotely, before I arrive in Thailand?
Application preparation can begin before you arrive. We will tell you exactly what can be done remotely and what requires your physical presence. For most employed expats the critical first step is the correct Non-Immigrant visa, which must be in place before the work permit application can be submitted.
What We Do For Our Clients
The work behind "we handle it"
"We handle your work permit" covers a lot of ground. Here is the actual scope of what our team does on your file.
Employer Eligibility Assessment
Before any application begins, we confirm whether the employing company meets the DOE requirements: paid-up capital of at least 2,000,000 THB per foreign employee and a minimum 4:1 Thai employee ratio for standard companies. Where the company does not yet qualify, we advise on the steps to compliance before you spend anything on an application that will be refused.
Q
What if my company does not yet meet the employer requirements?
We tell you before we apply, not after. If the company has not reached the required paid-up capital or Thai employee ratio, a work permit application will be refused. Where appropriate, we handle company formation and the work permit application as a single coordinated instruction so the requirements are built in from the start.
Document Preparation
Full personal and employer document pack prepared to DOE specification: passport copies, photographs, medical certificate from a Thai-registered doctor, educational credentials, company registration certificate, shareholder list, VAT registration, financial statements and the WP.3 employer notification form.
DOE Submission and Liaison
We submit to the Department of Employment office with jurisdiction in your province of work and handle all follow-up queries. Bangkok applications are processed through the One Stop Service Centre at Chamchuri Square.
Q
Will I deal with the Department of Employment directly?
No. We prepare and submit on your behalf. Bangkok applications are processed through the One Stop Service Centre for Visas and Work Permits at Chamchuri Square. We handle the filing, any follow-up queries and collection — you sign what needs signing.
Visa Coordination
A work permit and Non-Immigrant B visa must be valid simultaneously and renewed in alignment. We coordinate both documents at the same appointment wherever possible.
Q
Do you handle the visa and the work permit together?
Yes, wherever possible. For most employed expats the Non-Immigrant B visa extension and work permit renewal are processed at the same appointment. We coordinate both so neither document lapses while the other is being renewed.
BOI Fast-Track Where Available
If your employer holds BOI promotion, work permits are processed through the BOI One Stop Service Centre — no 4:1 Thai employee ratio requirement, no 2,000,000 THB capital per foreign employee, and significantly faster processing. We identify and use this route wherever it applies.
Renewal Management
We track your work permit and visa expiry dates across each renewal cycle and initiate the process with enough lead time that nothing lapses. You are not left to monitor this yourself.
Our Commitment To You
What you can hold us to
No Advice That Puts You at Risk
Working without a valid work permit is a criminal offence under the Foreigners' Working Management Emergency Decree B.E. 2560. We will not suggest structures designed to avoid the permit requirement, and we will not tell you enforcement is low and you will probably be fine.
Q
What if I am already working without a valid permit?
Contact us. The consequences of continued non-compliance increase the longer it continues. In most situations there are structured remediation steps available. We will not tell you that enforcement is low and you will probably be fine.
Honest Assessment Before You Apply
If the employing company does not meet the requirements, or if your current visa status makes an application impossible at this stage, we tell you before you pay. We do not submit applications we do not believe will succeed.
Coordinated with Your Company Formation
The most common failure we see is a Thai company registered without the capital or Thai employee numbers required to sponsor a foreign work permit. If you are setting up a company and need a work permit within it, we handle both as a single instruction so the requirements are designed in from the start, not discovered afterward.
One Contact Throughout
The same lawyer handles your initial application, your renewal cycle and any amendments — for role changes, employer transfers or province changes. You are not handed to a renewals team after the first application.
Q
Will the same lawyer handle my case from start to finish?
Yes. You have one point of contact throughout the initial application, the renewal cycle and any amendments — for role changes, employer changes or province transfers. You are not passed to a different team for renewals.
Who You'll Work With
Real people, not a case number
Kanokpich Ukritdutsadee (Lawyer Pook)
Managing Director & Lead Barrister
Leads the legal team handling your work permit application — responsible for the employer eligibility assessment, the structuring advice and the DOE relationship throughout.
Brian Ramsden
General Manager of Foreign Affairs
Your point of contact throughout — the bridge between you and the legal team, making sure you understand each step, what is needed from you and what we are doing on your behalf.
Q
Will the same lawyer handle my case from start to finish?
Yes. You have one point of contact throughout the initial application, the renewal cycle and any amendments — for role changes, employer changes or province transfers. You are not passed to a different team for renewals.
Related Resources
Work permits and business law
Work permits and company formation are closely linked — the employer requirements that allow a work permit must be planned at registration, not retrofitted after.
Work Permit Guide
→Employer qualification, 4:1 ratio, paid-up capital, document checklist, DOE process and reserved professions explained.
Company Formation Lawyers
→Registration, DBD liaison, employer requirements and ongoing compliance
Business Visa — Reference Guide
→Non-Immigrant B visa requirements and how the visa and work permit work together.
Business Law
→All business services — company formation, banking, BOI and more
Lawyers for Expats Thailand, 2026. The content of this page is general legal information and does not constitute legal advice for any specific matter. Please contact us for advice on your individual circumstances.