Immigration
Thailand | Immigration Bureau’s randomly visiting companies if having new expatriate hire | 60 days visa exemption for 93 countries
Summary
1) Immigration Bureau’s randomly visiting companies if having new expatriate hire
The Immigration Bureau at the One Stop Service Center has implemented a new practice for the hiring of new expatriates. An immigration officer will visit the expatriate employee at the company’s office. The officer will contact a designated contact person listed in the visa application either one day in advance or on the same day as the visit.
The purpose of the visit is to verify that the expatriate employee is indeed working at the company and that the company’s address matches the information in the company’s affidavit or registration documents.
This new rule applies during the first year of the expatriate employee’s visa extension and involves random visits.
2) 60 days visa exemption for 93 countries
Starting July 15, 2024, the Thai government announced that travelers from a specified list of countries entering Thailand for tourism or short-term business purposes are exempt from visa requirements and may stay for up to 60 days.
| Topics | Details |
| 1. Purpose of visit | Tourism or short-term business purposes |
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2. Duration of stays |
The initial 60-day stay under this announcement is valid and can be extended for an additional 30 days (at the discretion of the Thai Immigration) with the payment of a government fee, allowing foreigners to reside in Thailand for a total of 90 days. |
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3. Where to apply? |
Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General in your area or https://www.thaievisa.go.th/
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4. List of countries |
· Africa: Mauritius, Morocco, South Africa · Americas: Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay · East/Central Asia: Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam · Europe: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom · Middle East: Bahrain, Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates · Oceania: Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tonga
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5. Other points to note |
1. Foreigners from the 93 countries above are eligible for visa exemption for short-term business activities in Thailand. However, if their activities fall under the 16 categories that require urgent work permits, they must obtain an urgent work permit to work legally in Thailand. 2. The visa exemption for foreigners can later be converted to another type of visa in Thailand, subject to immigration conditions. 3. Thai personal income tax might arise if an individual has a Thai tax filing obligation i.e. derived income from the duties in Thailand which cannot be exempted under the Thai tax law or double tax treaty. An analysis of the expatriate’s case is recommended.
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Contact Us
For further information and support on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Jiraporn Chongkamanont
Partner
Hatairat Topiboonpong
Senior Manager
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