Thailand Minimum Salary by Nationality (2026): It Is an Immigration Rule, Not a Work Permit Rule

Three separate documents, three separate authorities

Working legally in Thailand means holding three things issued by different offices under different rules. Most rejected renewals come from treating them as one process.

The Non-Immigrant B visa is issued by a Thai embassy or consulate, or through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs e-Visa system. The work permit is issued by the Department of Employment under the Ministry of Labour. The extension of stay is granted by the Immigration Bureau under police criteria for permission to stay.

The nationality salary table belongs to the third document. That is why a foreigner can hold a valid work permit on a lower salary and still be refused an annual extension.

• Visa = permission to enter · work permit = permission to work · extension = permission to remain
• Working without a permit is an offence even with a valid visa
• When employment ends, the permit lapses and the employment-based extension falls with it

The nationality tiers Immigration applies

Grouping follows the nationality in the passport used to file, not where you studied or where the parent company sits. The figures below reflect practice as of August 2026 and should be reconfirmed with the Immigration office handling your area, because the criteria can be revised.

• About THB 50,000 per month: Japan, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Western European countries
• About THB 45,000 per month: South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong
• About THB 35,000 per month: other Asian countries (India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines), Eastern Europe, Russia, Türkiye, Central and South America, Mexico, South Africa
• About THB 25,000 per month: African countries other than South Africa, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam
• The figure must reconcile with the employment certificate and the PND.1 withholding filings the officer inspects

Employer-side conditions checked at the same counter

Passing the salary floor is not enough. Officers review the company's financial statements, social security filings and tax submissions in the same session.

• Generally THB 2 million paid-up registered capital per foreign employee, reduced to THB 1 million where the applicant is legally married to a Thai national
• Four permanent Thai employees per foreign employee, evidenced by the social security contribution list rather than an internal payroll sheet
• Company revenue and tax paid should be plausible for the size of business declared
• BOI-promoted companies work through the Single Window and are not subject to the same 4:1 ratio
• Schools, international organisations and certain foundations operate under their own criteria

Making the paperwork reconcile

The most common cause of an extra-documents request is inconsistency, not a low number. A contract stating THB 60,000 while PND.1 filings show THB 30,000 will stall the file immediately.

• Current employment certificate signed by an authorised director with the company seal
• PND.1 withholding returns for the period requested, with payment receipts
• The applicant's latest PND.91 personal income tax return
• Company affidavit and shareholder list issued within the accepted validity window
• SSO 1-10 contribution filings evidencing Thai headcount
• Foreign degrees or experience letters translated and legalised in the form the receiving office accepts

Routes where the salary table is not decisive

Several pathways bypass the nationality table entirely. Choosing the wrong route at the start costs months.

• LTR Visa (BOI) applies its own income and qualification criteria and carries a digital work permit
• SMART Visa applies programme-specific salary thresholds for targeted industries
• BOI-promoted employers approve positions against the promotion certificate through e-Expert
• Non-O holders married to a Thai national are assessed under a different extension criterion
• The DTV is not a Thai work authorisation and cannot substitute for a work permit with a Thai employer

A renewal timeline that does not create gaps

Two expiry dates must be managed together: the work permit and the permission to stay. Filing them out of order creates a gap that can force a fresh visa application abroad.

• Start collecting company documents at least 45 days before expiry
• Renew the work permit before it lapses, within the window the Department of Employment allows
• File the extension of stay before the permitted-to date, never on the last day
• Obtain a re-entry permit before any departure while a case is pending
• 90-day reporting remains a separate duty that renewal does not reset

Sources to verify before filing

These criteria move with internal orders and local practice, so verify against the authorities rather than forum posts.

• Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour — doe.go.th for work permit matters
• Immigration Bureau — immigration.go.th for extension of stay criteria
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs — mfa.go.th and thaievisa.go.th for visa issuance
• Board of Investment — boi.go.th for promoted companies and LTR
• Social Security Office — sso.go.th for Thai headcount evidence