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Work permit rules
revised
Valid
for 12 months, ready within a week by Penchan
Charoensuthipan
Renewable
work permits will be issued to foreigners for 12 months under a rule
revamp approved by the Labour Ministry. Requests must also be
processed within seven days.
Minister Dej Boonlong said the Employment Department brought in the
changes after complaints about delays in issuing work permits. Where
permits are declined applicants have the right to appeal to the
minister via the department chief or registrars within 30 days.
Petitions must be sent on in 15 days to the Alien Labour Panel which
will send its comments to the minister, who in turn must hand down a
final ruling within 30 days.
"We have a duty to ensure convenience, create incomes and jobs
and bring new technology to the country," said Mr Dej. "Foreigners
can work here on a one-year basis and must have their permits renewed
before they expire. They will pay no more than 1,000 Baht in fees a
year."
To be eligible, foreigners must do one of the following:
- Serve workplaces with registered capital of at least two million
Baht. One foreigner can be hired for every two million baht of capital.
- Serve workplaces which have paid taxes of at least five million Baht
in the past three years. One foreigner can be hired for every five
million Baht in tax.
- Serve export firms which bring in foreign currency of at least three
million Baht per year. One foreigner can be hired for every three
million Baht in income, up to a maximum of three foreigners.
- Serve workplaces which employ no more than five foreign workers,
where the firm observes a ratio of 50 Thai workers for every one
foreigner.
-Pay at least 18,000 Baht in personal income tax in the past year.
Foreigners who have not worked here before must produce documents from
potential employers confirming they will be paid at least 30,000 Baht
if they are single and 45,000 Baht each if they are married.
However, the Employment Department's head is empowered to issue or
renew work permits without taking tax payments into account in
exceptional categories, where the foreigners must be either:
- International trade representatives, who audit product quality,
purchases and market status;
- Advisers in investment, management, technology or internal auditing;
- Tourism workers bringing foreigners to Thailand for tours;
- Working at international financial institutes endorsed by the Bank
of Thailand;
- Working on a temporary basis in entertainment, religious, social
welfare, cultural and sporting businesses which pay taxes to the state;
-Working with local raw materials;
- Working in areas where there is a shortage of Thai labour;
- Are married to Thai citizens with decent jobs.
Foreigners wanting to take urgent jobs in Thailand must contact the
Employment Department for consent.
Bangkok Post, May 31, 2002
© 2000 Trade
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86/1 Sukhumvit Soi 23, Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok
10110, Thailand
Tel.:+66-2-258-4086, 259-1601, Fax: +66-2-259-6217
E-mail: info@thailand-accounting.com
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