Occupations Prohibited or Conditionally Open to Foreigners

The Ministry of Labour issues notifications listing work prohibited to foreigners, split between absolute prohibitions and work permitted only under conditions — for example only under an international agreement or only in a supervisory capacity. Check the current notification via doe.go.th before finalising a job title.

Tour guiding is reserved for Thai nationals under the Ministry of Labour notification in force, so it cannot be stated as the position on a foreigner's work permit. Businesses needing foreign staff in tourism should design roles in management, marketing or coordination that do not overlap with reserved work.

Make it specific and consistent with the company's registered objectives and the work actually performed — state the function and scope rather than a broad term such as 'Manager', which is frequently sent back for amendment. The role must also fall outside the prohibited-work list.

OSOS puts BOI, Immigration and Department of Employment officers under one roof, so position approval, visa and work permit issuance can complete in a single working day once documents are in order and the position is approved in e-Expert. The bottleneck is usually not the service centre but the e-Expert position approval, which requires degrees and experience letters matching the job title. Have those legalised and translated before you file.

Yes. Ministry of Labour notifications list occupations absolutely prohibited to foreigners and others permitted only under conditions or only with an employer, subject to exceptions under international agreements. Compare your intended job title against the current annex before drafting the employment contract — vague job titles are a frequent cause of amendment requests.