Thailand BOI Visa and Work Permit

BOI PROMOTION AND WHAT IT UNLOCKS The Thailand Board of Investment promotes certain industries (digital technology, automotive, biotech, aerospace, food processing, smart electronics, and others) by granting tax incentives and immigration benefits to companies operating in those sectors. For immigration purposes, BOI promotion gives the company and its eligible foreign staff access to: ONE STOP SERVICE (OSS) The BOI One Stop Centre at ChamChuri Square, Bangkok (and in some BOI zones such as the Eastern Economic Corridor) processes both the Non-B visa extension and the work permit at one counter on the same visit — typically within 1–3 working days. This compares to 5–14 days at the standard Immigration office + Department of Employment queue. For senior roles (Smart E, Smart T categories), same-day processing is often possible. THE 4:1 RATIO EXEMPTION Standard Thai work permit rules require 4 Thai employees per 1 foreign work permit. BOI-promoted companies can request an exemption to this ratio, allowing smaller BOI companies to employ proportionally more foreign staff than the standard limit permits. BOI SMART VISA PATHWAY Foreign technical experts (Smart T) and investors (Smart I) at BOI-promoted companies may qualify for the Smart Visa — a 4-year multiple-entry visa with bundled work authorisation. This replaces the need for a separate Non-B visa + work permit renewal each year. See the Smart Visa service page for full eligibility thresholds. BOI NON-B + WORK PERMIT (STANDARD) For staff who do not meet Smart Visa thresholds, the standard Non-B + work permit route still benefits from the OSS fast track. Documents are the same as a standard work permit application — the BOI company number and promotion certificate are added to the package to unlock the OSS counter. PROCESS FOR BOI COMPANIES 1. Company provides a BOI letter and promotion certificate to the employee and to Visa Centre. 2. We prepare the employee's Non-B extension documents + work permit renewal package. 3. Submit at the OSS counter, ChamChuri Square. 4. Collect the endorsed work permit and immigration stamp — typically same day or within 3 business days. HOW VISA CENTRE HELPS We coordinate the annual Non-B + work permit renewal cycle for BOI companies with multiple foreign employees, track expiry dates, and handle OSS submissions. For Smart Visa applications within BOI-promoted companies, we prepare the BOI endorsement + BOI One Stop Service application package. General guidance only. BOI promotion criteria, OSS procedures, and Smart Visa thresholds verified against BOI guidance as of June 2025 (boi.go.th). No outcome guaranteed. Independent assistance agency; not affiliated with any government body.