The previous cabinet approved (May 2007) a new Alien Employment Bill which must replace the 1978 Alien Employment Act. The main change will be that foreigners will be only allowed to work in permitted occupations. Currently foreigners are not allowed to work in prohibited occupations.
The draft is not resubmitted yet and is subject to changes by the Council of State and the NLA, and until the regulations specifying the allowed occupations are issued the present rules will continue to apply.
Prohibited occupations and minimum salary requirement
Under Thai Law foreigners are prohibited to engage in any of the following occupations.
- Manual work
- Work in agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry or fishery excluding specialized work in each particular branch or farm supervision
- Bricklaying, carpentry or other construction works
- Wood carving
- Driving mechanically propelled carried or driving non-mechanically-propelled vehicle, excluding international aircraft piloting
- Shop attendance
- Auction
- Supervising, auditing or giving service in accountancy excluding internal auditing on occasions
- Cutting or polishing jewelry
- Haircutting, hairdressing or beauty treatment
- Cloth weaving by hand
- Weaving of mate or making products from reeds, rattan, hemp, straw or bamboo pellicle
- Making of Sa paper by hand
- Lacquer ware making
- Making of Thai musical instrument
- Niello ware making
- Making of products from gold, silver or gold-copper alloy
- Bronze ware making
- Making of Thai dolls
- Making of mattress or quilt blanket
- Alms bowls casting
- Making of silk products by hand
- Casting of Buddha images
- Knife making
- Making of paper of cloth umbrella
- Shoemaking
- Hat Making
- Brokerage or agency excluding brokerage or agency in international trade business
- Engineering work in civil engineering branch concerning designing and calculation, organization, research, planning, testing, construction supervision or advising excluding specialized work
- Architectural work concerning designing, drawing of plan, estimating, construction directing or advising
- Garments making
- Pottery or ceramic ware making
- Cigarette making by hand
- Guide or conducting sightseeing tours
- Street Vending
- Type setting of Thai characters by hand
- Drawing and twisting silk-thread by hand
- Office or secretarial work
- Legal or lawsuit services
Source: Alien Occupational Control Division, Department of Employment Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.
From the 10 th of July 2004 , foreigners applying for non-immigrant visa extensions for employment in Thailand will have to meet an increased minimum monthly salary requirement by nationality and amount. It should be noted that this regulation applies to employees in the corporate sector (profit-making business), for others professions like teachers other rules apply.
Minimum Salary requirements
Canada, Japan, United States: 60,000 THB
Europe (incl. UK) Australia: 50,000 THB
Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan: 45,000 THB
China, India, Indonesia, Middle East, Philippines: 35,000 THB
Africa, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam: 25,000 THB
Persons working for newspapers in Thailand: 20,000 THB
