Thailand Work Visa for Indians: 2026 Routes and Requirements

Below are the routes, the 2026 fees, what your Thai employer must send, and how the e-Visa works from India, as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. For tourist entry and the visa exemption, see our Thailand visa guide for Indians.

Which Thai visa lets an Indian work in Thailand?

The Royal Thai Embassy lists the Non-immigrant B category for people who want to conduct business, be employed, do an internship or attend a conference. Within it, the main options for employment are:

• Non-immigrant B (Employment): for a job with a Thai company qualified to employ foreigners. VFS Kolkata also lists a separate B (Teacher) category.
• Non-immigrant IB: for working with a company promoted by Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI).
• Other non-immigrant categories: F for working with a special agency, and O for working with an NGO or public charity organisation.

The visa alone is not permission to work. The Thailand Digital Arrival Card notice states that foreigners are not allowed to work unless granted a Work Permit. The 30-day visa exemption for Indian ordinary passport holders, in effect from 15 September 2026, covers tourism and short-term business engagements only.

How much does a Thailand work visa cost from India?

New fees took effect at the Royal Thai Embassy and all Royal Thai Consulates-General in India on 27 April 2026.

Visa fees are non-refundable in all circumstances, including when an e-Visa application is withdrawn. The Embassy's older non-immigrant checklists still show demand-draft fees of Rs 5,000 and Rs 12,000; those predate the April 2026 rates, so ignore them.

What must your Thai employer send you?

The Embassy's checklist for Non-immigrant B (Employment), dated 25 February 2021, puts most of the paperwork on the employer:

• The original WP.3 (Thor Tor 3) from Thailand's Department of Employment, or, for a BOI-promoted company, the BOI visa approval letter (in Thai).
• An original invitation letter on company letterhead from a company qualified to employ foreigners, signed, with the signer's ID or passport copy.
• An employment contract signed by employer and employee, stating position, salary and duration.
• The company's business licence, and its business registration with shareholder list issued within 6 months.
• Income and business tax statements (Por Ngor Dor 50, Por Por 30), VAT registration (Por Por 20), the past year's financial statement and a company brochure.

From your side, the checklist asks for a passport valid for 6+ months with two blank pages, a signed application form, two colour photos, a letter of recommendation from your previous employer, evidence of work experience or education, a confirmed inbound ticket and accommodation evidence such as a hotel reservation or rental agreement in your name. If you have worked in Thailand before, add a copy of the old work permit and the personal income tax statement (Por Ngor Dor 91).

How do you file the Thai e-Visa from India?

Since 1 January 2025, every Thai visa for applicants in India is applied for online at thaievisa.go.th. You can apply yourself or through processing companies such as VFS Global, BLS International or DU Digital, or a travel agent.

1. Create an account at thaievisa.go.th. One account can file up to 10 applications at a time.
2. Choose the Non-immigrant B or IB category and upload your passport bio page and a colour photo taken within the last 6 months (JPG/JPEG, up to 3 MB; the Embassy's common-mistakes note specifies 630 x 810 pixels on a plain white background).
3. Upload proof of your current location in India, such as a house agreement, Aadhaar card or monthly electricity bill. Thai visas are issued only to applicants physically present in India throughout the process.
4. Enter your given name and surname exactly as in your passport and leave the middle-name field blank.
5. Pay as your mission requires. The Embassy in New Delhi accepts no cash: pay by bank transfer or UPI to its DBS Bank account, or by cash deposit at a DBS branch, then email the slip and Payment Info Summary to thaievisa.del@gmail.com.
6. Track the status by logging in. The Embassy states processing takes approximately 14 working days from receipt of the visa fee payment.
7. Print the e-Visa when it arrives by email. Airlines and Thai immigration do not accept copies on phones.

Which Thai mission handles your application?

You apply to the mission covering the place where you are located in India.

VFS Global put application acceptance at its Bengaluru Thailand centre on hold from 6 August 2026 until further notice.

Are there other routes for skilled or remote professionals?

• Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa: a 10-year visa run by the BOI, with groups for Work-from-Thailand Professionals and Highly-Skilled Professionals. Both generally need average personal income of USD 80,000 a year over the past two years (USD 40,000-80,000 with a qualifying master's degree), plus health insurance of at least USD 50,000 or one of the BOI's listed alternatives. The Embassy fee is INR 140,000, and the BOI gives a qualification result within 20 working days of complete documents.
• Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): a 5-year multiple-entry visa with up to 180 days per entry, for digital nomads, remote workers and freelancers among others. The fee is INR 30,000.
• SMART Visa: charged at INR 30,000 per year of validity.

Mistakes to avoid on a Thai work visa file

• Entering on the visa exemption and planning to sort out work later; the exemption does not cover employment.
• Leaving the country during the e-Visa process; you must be physically in India throughout.
• Applying to the wrong mission for your location.
• Showing the e-Visa on your phone at check-in instead of a printout.
• Forgetting the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card, which foreigners must submit 3 days before arrival.

Your checklist asks for a confirmed inbound ticket and accommodation evidence. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares verifiable flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work in Thailand on the 30-day visa exemption?

No. The visa exemption for Indian ordinary passport holders covers tourism and short-term business engagements only. Employment needs a Non-immigrant B or IB visa, and foreigners may not work without a Thai Work Permit.

Do I have to use VFS for a Thailand work visa?

No. All Thai visas from India are applied for online at thaievisa.go.th. You can apply yourself or through processing companies such as VFS Global, BLS International or DU Digital, or through a travel agent.

Is the Thai visa fee refunded if my application is refused or withdrawn?

No. The Embassy states that visa fees are non-refundable in all circumstances, including when an e-Visa application is withdrawn.

Can my spouse come with me on a Thai work visa?

A spouse or child applies for a Non-immigrant O (family member/dependant) visa. The Embassy checklist asks for an invitation from your employer, copies of your work permit and passport (both valid at least 90 days), a marriage or birth certificate in English and a letter confirming the relationship from the Indian Embassy or an Indian authority.