What actually happens if a work permit application is refused?
It depends which refusal you get. If immigration refuses the extension of stay, you must leave Thailand within 7 days of the date your permission ended; if the Department of Employment refuses the work permit, you can correct the file and apply again, or challenge the decision, but you cannot do the job until a permit is actually issued.
Last reviewed 2 November 2026
People say "my work permit was refused" about two different decisions by two different agencies. The consequences are not the same, and the first thing to establish is which document was refused.
If immigration refuses the extension of stay
While the application is still being considered, clause 3 lets you stay on the appointment dates the officer stamps, but not more than 30 days in total from the end of your existing permission. So the realistic worst case is that a refusal arrives near the end of that window and the 7 days are all you have left.
If the Department of Employment refuses the work permit
Most refusals are about the file rather than the person: the company does not meet the criteria, a document is missing or out of date, the salary is below the band for your nationality, or the job is one reserved for Thai nationals. Those are corrected and refiled.
One refusal ground is about you. Under the 2018 amendment an applicant must not have been penalised for working without a permit, or outside its scope, in the last two years, unless special approval is given. If that applies to you, say so to the firm before it files.
You can also challenge the decision. Under Thai administrative law generally, an appeal against an administrative order goes first to the authority that issued it, and is usually due within 15 days of receiving the order, with the Administrative Court after that; some laws set their own deadlines. We could not read the appeal provision of the foreign workers decree itself, so treat 15 days as the date to act by and have the firm confirm the route in writing.
Money already paid
Embassy visa fees are not refunded on a refusal; the embassy checklists say so. We could not confirm whether the work permit fees are refunded. Agent fees depend on the contract, which is why it is worth asking at quote stage what a firm charges, and refunds, if the application fails.
The order to do things in
- Get the refusal in writing and identify which agency issued it and on what ground.
- If it is the extension, work out your departure date from the 7 day rule today.
- If it is the permit, decide within days whether to correct and refile or to appeal.
- Do not start the job until a permit is in hand.
- Check whether your family’s stay is affected; it usually is.
Agent fees are on the cost page. For firms to look at why your file failed and quote on fixing it, request three quotes.
Related questions
- Visa and work permit: why are they two documents from two agencies?
- Can I get a work permit before my company is trading?
- Changing employer: what happens to your work permit?
Sources
- Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568 of 23 January 2025: clauses 3 and 4 on pending and refused extensions (signed copy linked from the Phetchaburi Immigration official site, Thai)
- Tilleke & Gibbins: 2018 amendments, refusal after a penalty and fines for working without a permit (PDF)
- Tilleke & Gibbins: challenging administrative orders in Thailand, appeal deadlines (January 2026)
- Royal Ordinance concerning the Management of Employment of Foreign Workers B.E. 2560, as amended (ILO NATLEX, English)
- Royal Thai Consulate-General, Penang: visa checklist stating fees are not refunded (PDF)
This is general information about how a filing works, not accounting or tax advice for your company. Confirm anything that matters against the official notice or with your accountant. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.