What is the minimum salary for a Thai work permit, by nationality?
There are four bands, not five: 50,000 baht a month for Europe (except Russia), Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States; 45,000 for South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong; 35,000 for the rest of Asia, South America, Eastern Europe, Central America, Mexico, Russia and South Africa; and 25,000 for Africa other than South Africa, and for Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. It is an Immigration requirement for the extension of stay, set out in Annex A to Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568 of 23 January 2025, and the work permit itself states no minimum salary at all.
Last reviewed 21 September 2026
The table, as the order states it
| Nationality | Minimum monthly income |
|---|---|
| Countries in Europe (except Russia) and Australia, Canada, Japan, the United States | 50,000 baht |
| South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong | 45,000 baht |
| Countries in Asia (except Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam), South America, Eastern Europe, Central America, Mexico, Russia, South Africa | 35,000 baht |
| Countries in Africa (except South Africa), Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam | 25,000 baht |
Two wrong versions of this table are still being published
The 2004 table, with 60,000 at the top. It put Canada, Japan and the USA at 60,000, Europe and Australia at 50,000, and China, India, Indonesia, the Middle East and the Philippines at 35,000. It was superseded in 2014 and again in 2025. It is still on the site of at least one large, otherwise reliable firm, on a page dated late 2025.
The five band version, with 10,000 baht for Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. We looked for a 10,000 band in Thai and in English, in both orders and across firm and forum sources, and found it in no source at all. Those four countries are in the 25,000 band. The figure may be a confusion with migrant worker arrangements, which run on a daily minimum wage rather than a monthly band.
It is an immigration rule, not a work permit rule
The figure sits at clause 2.1 A (2) of the order, as a criterion for granting the extension of stay: คนต่างด้าวต้องมีเงินได้ตามตารางเงินได้แนบท้ายคำสั่งนี้. The official Thai government service listing for a work permit under section 59 lists residence status, occupation not prohibited, no disqualifying characteristics and professional licensing where required, and states no minimum salary.
How the figure is proved
The document list in the same clause asks for three months of withholding tax returns showing the names of the employees and of the applicant, with copies of the receipts. The annual personal income tax return is asked for too, but qualified: ถ้ามี, "if any". Annex B, on whether the business is genuinely operating, names the form by number: ภ.ง.ด.1 (PND 1), latest three months.
The routes with different numbers
| Route | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Targeted industries and startups (clause 2.1 B, new in 2025) | 50,000 baht a month flat, regardless of nationality, with registered capital of only 1 million baht and a 1:1 Thai employee ratio. |
| BOI promoted (Announcement Por. 8/2568) | By position, not nationality: 150,000 executive; 75,000 management, engineer, researcher, IT specialist, or 50,000 with a relevant bachelor’s degree; 50,000 operations and R&D; 35,000 and above for IBPO operators. Teachers and pilots have no minimum but need a valid licence. |
| LTR visa | USD annual income tests rather than a baht monthly figure: USD 80,000 average over the past two years, or USD 40,000 with a master’s degree or higher in science or technology for some categories. |
| SMART visa | SMART T: 100,000 baht a month, reduced to 50,000 for experts contracted to a startup or endorsed retired experts. SMART E: 200,000 baht a month. |
| Married to a Thai national (clause 2.18) | A different basis of stay, not a discount on the business extension: average income of not less than 40,000 baht a month, or 400,000 baht on deposit for the past two months. |
The other half of the extension criteria is the four Thai employees rule and the capital figure. If you are comparing agents on price, what firms charge for a Non-B and work permit is on the cost page, and three of them will quote on your nationality and structure.
Related questions
- The four Thai employees rule: when does it actually apply?
- Visa and work permit: why are they two documents from two agencies?
- Changing employer: what happens to your work permit?
Sources
- Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568 of 23 January 2025, Annex A income table (Thai)
- Immigration Bureau Order 327/2557, Annex A, English translation (Royal Thai Embassy, Prague)
- Official Thai government service catalogue: work permit procedure under section 59
- DFDL: new BOI rules on minimum salary of foreigners (Announcement Por. 8/2568)
- BOI: Long Term Resident visa income thresholds
- BOI: SMART Visa T category criteria
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.