Employment

The relationship between employees and employers is primarily governed by the Labour Protection Act and the Civil and Commercial Code, sections 575 to 586, and a number of other statutory provisions.

Further information on working in Thailand can be found in the country information provided by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO.

Foreign nationals need a valid work visa to work in Thailand. The Thai Ministry of Labour only issues work visas to foreign nationals who have a qualification that is in high demand in Thailand. The prospective employer must also provide proof to the immigration authorities that no Thai nationals are available for the job. Finding a well-paid job in Thailand is difficult.

It can take several months for a work visa application to be approved or denied. You are not allowed to work while your application is being processed. Violations can result in severe penalties. Foreign nationals who have a job offer and have entered Thailand with a 'non-immigrant B visa' issued by the Thai embassy or consulate can ask their prospective employer to apply for a work visa on their behalf.

Once you are in Thailand, you will need to obtain a work visa from the Royal Thai Immigration Bureau and have it affixed to your passport. The Immigration Bureau is also responsible for visa extensions and renewals. Immigration offices can be found in all larger towns and cities.

The Thai labour market is practically closed to foreigners. International recruitment firms therefore do not have offices in the country. The small number of recruitment firms in the country specialise in placing Thai citizens. This means that finding a job in Thailand is not easy. Most Swiss companies with offices in Thailand recruit their staff through their head office. The Swiss–Thai Chamber of Commerce publishes job advertisements and job applications. Internet search engines are useful for finding job vacancies.

The ENIC-NARIC networks website contains a wealth of useful information on the recognition of academic and professional qualifications, including the addresses of national information centres (e.g. Swiss ENIC).