Can You Work Remotely While Living In Thailand?
More and more people are starting to want to start remote working in Thailand. This allows them to live wherever they want and still have a job. For many, this sounds like the perfect lifestyle. But can it really be done? And if so, how do you go about finding remote work opportunities? In this blog post, we will explore these questions and provide some tips for making the switch to a remote working lifestyle.
Any type of activity carried out on Thai soil needs to be authorized by a work permit. Due to the lack of remote employment opportunities in Thailand, international independent contractors and self-employed individuals are NOT permitted to work there.
Key Takeaways
- Foreigners who wish to work in Thailand must get a work permit.
- It’s also important to note that some areas in Thailand do not have very good internet connections at all, so this is something that needs to be considered before you start working remotely in this country.
- The advantages include the ability to live and work in Thailand for an extended period of time and the elimination of paperwork, immigration reports, and visa runs.
Is working remotely in Thailand a good idea?
While it is undoubtedly enticing to work remotely in Thailand, it is crucial to be aware of the country’s employment and tax rules in order to reduce the likelihood that you may face unexpected tax liabilities and have your remote working experience fall flat.
With very few exceptions, foreigners who wish to work in Thailand must get a work permit.
An individual with a professional work-from-Thailand visa can easily apply for and obtain a digital work permit in order to work for their foreign company in Thailand. The annual processing charge for renewing a digital work permit is 3,000 Baht.
If they are legally married, individuals with work-from-Thailand professional visas may also apply for a long-term resident visa for their spouse. A spouse who wants to work in the Kingdom might apply for a work permit with an LTR visa. The spouse is allowed to work in any field that is open to non-Thai nationals.
Taxation of a professional with a work-from-Thailand visa
When working overseas, you must take into account both Thailand’s and your own country’s tax duties.
With very few exceptions, a foreign remote worker will be subject to personal income tax in Thailand with relation to employment performed in Thailand, regardless of whether such income is received in or outside Thailand and regardless of whether the person is a Thai resident or not.
The personal income tax rates are as follows, ranging from 5 to 35%:
| Taxable Income per year (THB) | Tax Rate (%) |
|---|---|
| 0 to 150,000 | Exempt |
| 150,001 to 300,000 | 5 |
| 300,001 to 500,000 | 10 |
| 500,001 to 750,000 | 15 |
| 750,001 to 1,000,000 | 20 |
| 1,000,001 to 2,000,000 | 25 |
| 2,000,001 to 5,000,000 | 30 |
| Over 5,000,000 | 35 |
The Benefits of working remotely in Thailand
Low cost of living
One of the main benefits of working remotely in Thailand is the low cost of living. Thailand is a very affordable place to live, and many people choose to move there to take advantage of this. The cost of living in Thailand is lower than most other countries in Asia, and it is often much lower than that of Western countries.
Working remotely in Thailand allows you to save money on rent and utilities by renting an apartment or house with other people or sharing space with someone else who works remotely as well. You will also be able to save money on food and transportation by buying groceries at local markets instead of going to a grocery store or restaurant every day.
Great weather
It’s warm and sunny almost all year round, so you can enjoy the outdoors even when you’re working from home. You’ll find that this makes it easier to keep your energy up, even if you have to do something outside of your comfort zone.
Amazing food
Thailand has amazing food. Thai cuisine is one of the most popular in the world, and it’s easy to see why: Thai food is delicious, healthy, and incredibly diverse. You can get a huge range of different types of food from street vendors, restaurants, and even convenience stores. There are also lots of places to eat out that offer Western-style food such as pizza or burgers if you want to try something new but don’t want to venture too far from the comforts of home!
If you want to know about the further benefits of living in Thailand and its perks, check out our article here!
The Disadvantages of working remotely in Thailand
Many people aren’t able to find a job that would enable them to work from home. If you have this opportunity, then you should feel very lucky. This type of arrangement means that your office could be anywhere in the world. Now, while working remotely may sound like a dream come true, it has its own set of disadvantages as well. Let’s take a look at some of these disadvantages:
There is no visa for digital nomads in Thailand
Any type of activity carried out on Thai soil needs to be authorized by a work permit. Due to the lack of remote employment opportunities in Thailand, international independent contractors and self-employed individuals are NOT permitted to work there.
A fast online search will turn up a ton of information about Westerners who have lived in Thailand and have worked remotely or as independent contractors. Even though many people have claimed to have done so successfully, working remotely as a foreigner in Thailand is against the law, thus you are strongly advised against doing the same as you could end up in hot water.
You must therefore be careful because any form of work that is not registered in Thailand is seen as fraudulent and illegal.
List a few other key disadvantages
Working remotely in Thailand has a lot of benefits, but it also has its drawbacks. One of the biggest disadvantages is slow internet depending on location. If you are working remotely in Thailand, you will want to make sure that you have a good internet connection so that you can get your work done efficiently.
It’s also important to note that some areas in Thailand do not have very good internet connections at all, so this is something that needs to be considered before you start working remotely in this country.
The language barrier
Thai is not an easy language to learn. It’s tonal, which means that just changing your tone can change the meaning of a word entirely! If you’re planning on working with Thais on a regular basis, it will be important for you to learn the language—and even then, communication might be difficult at times.
Loneliness
One of the biggest disadvantages of working remotely is loneliness. When you’re working in an office with a bunch of people around you, it’s easier for you to make friends and build relationships with your colleagues. However, when you work remotely, it’s harder for you to interact with other people because there aren’t many opportunities for this kind of interaction when compared with an office environment.
Visas and work permit options for digital nomads and remote workers
If you’re looking to travel and stay in the country for a shorter period of time, opt for a 15-day visa upon arrival. If your plans are more long-term, however, consider arriving between January 10th, 2022, and March 31st, 2023 when 30-day visas are granted.
Thailand provides Visa on Arrival for 18 countries; citizens of these nations may apply directly upon arrival in Thailand. Keep in mind that although these countries are not on the visa waiver list, they can still obtain visas upon entry into the Kingdom.
Thai Tourist Visa
You may be granted a single-entry tourist visa if you plan to stay in Thailand for less than 60 days per trip.
The multiple-entry tourist visa, also known as a vacationer’s visa or an R-1/2, is good for one entry into Thailand within three months of the application date. It has a maximum stay of 60 days and can be extended for an additional 30 days upon payment.
Thai Tourist Visa (single entry and multiple entries)
Immigrants may be granted an extension of up to 30 days at the discretion of immigration officials; however, the total stay cannot exceed 90 days.
It is not clear whether the 15-day extension granted to visa holders will also apply in this instance. That would give a total of 105 days on each visa—if it does, that’s great news!
- In order to leave the country, you must have a confirmed flight.
- Your visa expires automatically after 60 or 90 days, but you can renew it by leaving and reentering the country. Unfortunately, since working is not allowed on this type of visa, we cannot verify if you are completing your assigned work from home.
The Special Tourist Visa, which went into effect October 1, 2020, allows for longer visits in an attempt to bring back tourism following the Covid-19 pandemic.
This visa program was set to terminate on September 30, 2021 however it has recently been extended through September 30, 2022. The visa is only valid for 90 days but may be extendable twice for a total of 270 days as long as it does not surpass September 30, 2022.
Although the Special Tourist Visa has many difficult requirements, if you meet them all, you can stay in the country for up to nine months before needing to renew your visa.
Thai Retirement Visa for those 50 years or older
If you are over 50, one option for you is the non-immigrant O-A visa that can be renewed each year.
The O-X visa is a 5-year nonimmigrant visa that can be renewed every 5 years. Only passport holders from the following countries are eligible for this visa: Japan, Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom (U.K.), Canada, and the United States of America (U.S.). Spouses and kids under the age of 20 may accompany you on this type of visa.
There are income and/or deposit restrictions, as well as health insurance requirements, for both the 1-year and 5-year visas. The complete list of requirements is available at www.thaievisa.go.th/long-stay-visa.
Smart-Visa
The SMART-Visa offered by the Thailand Board of Investments enables digital nomads to obtain a visa and work permit in 13 key industries. You may apply for the SMART Visa if you meet the following criteria:
- Smart T (Talent) is a term used in Thailand to describe science and technology professionals earning over 100,000 Thai Baht per month.
- As a smart investor, I made a 20 million baht investment.
- To qualify for the Smart E visa, you must have a bachelor’s degree or higher and 10 years of professional experience. Your monthly salary also needs to exceed 200,000 Thai Baht.
- Technology sector entrepreneurs who deposit at least 600,000 baht into Smart S (Startup) for three months can create a business within one year with a minimum of 25% ownership.
- The spouses and kids of those with smart visas are typically called Smart O (Others).
Business Visa through Employer of Record Schemes
Employer of Record services exists to make global travel easier for digital nomads. You remain employed by them, and they manage your monthly fee so you have access to all the legal documentation needed for tax residency in Thailand.
In order to ensure you’re paying your local taxes and social security, they will help organize your payroll, healthcare, work permits, and company visas.
The advantages include the ability to live and work in Thailand for an extended period of time and the elimination of paperwork, immigration reports, and visa runs.
The prerequisites are as follows:
- at least 22 years of age
- possess one or more of the following:
- a degree in information technology + two years of relevant job experience
- any degree or certification from a university, campus, or other institution, plus five years of relevant professional experience
- Work in online, tech/digital-related fields such as software design, cryptocurrency, designing, advertising, business growth, commerce, or another similar field.
- own an established clientele or company
- May charge no less than $1,500 USD monthly
- able to dedicate to a 1-3 year agreement
Thai Elite Visa
A Privilege Entry Visa, the Thailand Elite Visa allows travelers to enter Thailand several times for durations of 5, 10, and 20 years. It also includes extra benefits like access to airport lounges and VIP immigration and luggage collection process.
These are the expenses:
- An annual fee of 600,000 Baht is required for a five-year visa.
- A ten-year visa costs one million Thai Baht, including yearly expenses.
- Considering annual fees, a visa that is good for 20 years costs 2,400,000 Baht.
Like many other Thai visas, you will need to go back through customs every 90 days even though you will have gone through a Concierge procedure for this Bangkok resident visa.
If you want to learn more about Thai Elite Visa, you can check out blog post about it here.
Long-Term Residency Visa
The Thailand Board of Investments has created the 10-year Long-Term Residency Visa, which will become operational on September 1. This visa borrows several components from the SMART visa.
Rich foreigners and rich digital nomads are the target audience for the 10-year Thailand LTR visa. The attraction of these excellent long-term residents is anticipated to boost Thailand’s economy. The purpose of the 10-year visa is to draw affluent, long-term travelers from four categories:
Types of LTR Visa
Highly-Skilled Professionals
The LTR visa is for highly skilled and educated individuals who can contribute to Thailand’s economy. The applicant must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or its equivalent.
Work-from-Thailand Professionals aka Digital Nomads
The 10-year LTR visa will likely appeal to fewer digital nomads than more flexible tourism visas.
Wealthy retirees
Thailand is a paradise for retirees and offers Non-Immigrant O-A and O-X visas for older, less well-off pensioners. The advantage here is ten years of mental tranquility and reporting
Find a remote job
Finding a good network of foreign professionals and digital nomads
Finding a good network of foreign professionals and digital nomads is all about building relationships. Here are some tips for getting started:
Look for local meetups and events. You can find these through Meetup, Eventbrite, or even Facebook groups. These are great places to get to know people from your area who share your interests.
Join a Facebook group dedicated to digital nomads or ex-pats in your city. You can search on Facebook or Google to find one that’s active and has lots of members in your area! These groups are great ways to connect with people who may become friends or collaborators down the road.
Get involved in local extra-curricular activities related to what you do professionally. If you’re an engineer, join a local hackathon, if you’re an artist or designer, join an art collective—whatever it is! This will help you meet other people doing similar things as you in your city, which means more opportunities for collaboration later down the road when those connections come in handy!
Leverage LinkedIn
It’s time for a fresh start. You’ve decided it’s time to leave your current job and find something new. But where do you even begin?
If you’ve ever looked for a job, you know the process can be daunting. You’re trying to find a new opportunity that is a good fit for your skills and experience, while also ensuring the company has a good reputation and pays well. And in an already competitive market, it’s hard to stand out from the crowd.
Fortunately, there are many tools available that can help make the job search process easier — including LinkedIn. While it’s not always as effective as other tools or methods, LinkedIn is still a powerful tool that can help you find your dream job — as long as you know how to use it correctly. Here are six tips on how to use LinkedIn to land your next great opportunity:
1) Connect with everyone at every company: It’s easy to get caught up in connecting only with people who have similar jobs or industries in common with you but don’t forget that everyone at every company could potentially be helpful if they see something they like about your background or experience. Make sure you’re reaching out beyond your immediate network!
2) Use the advanced search feature: This is an often overlooked feature of LinkedIn, but it’s an incredibly powerful way to find your next opportunity. You can use advanced search to filter by company, industry, and job function as well as location.
Websites to check for remote job listings
Remote jobs are becoming more and more popular, as more companies are realizing the benefits of having their employees work from home. Working from home not only reduces costs but also improves productivity and employee satisfaction.
Here are some websites that you can use to look for remote job listings:
1. FlexJobs – FlexJobs is a website dedicated to helping people find flexible jobs that allow them to work remotely. You can browse through a large number of flexible job listings, as well as search for specific keywords.
2. Authentic Jobs – Authentic Jobs is another good site for finding remote jobs, as it provides a wide range of opportunities from different companies in different industries.
3. Remote OK – Remote OK is an excellent resource for finding remote jobs that give you access to a large number of flexible positions from different companies across different industries. The advantage of this site over others is that it’s free!
Is Thailand the right remote working location for you?
Many people are looking for the right country to work remotely. There are a lot of different factors that you need to consider and it’s important that you find the right place for you.
The cost of living is low
You can get by on very little money per month compared to other countries where I’ve lived, such as Singapore and Australia. You can easily save 50% or more of your income compared to these places. This means that you have more money to spend on your lifestyle or savings while still enjoying yourself in Thailand!
It’s easy to get around
There are plenty of cheap flights, buses, and trains making it easy to travel around the country. The public transport system here is excellent so it doesn’t matter where you live in Thailand – you can get anywhere quickly and cheaply! It also helps that taxis are cheap too so if there’s no public transport near you then taxis are still affordable too.
Can You Work Remotely While Living In Thailand FAQs
Can digital nomads work in Thailand without a Thai work permit?
As of 2022, Thailand does not currently have a digital nomad visa. Any type of work that is being performed in Thai territory—including online jobs—must be done through a work permit.
Currently, remote work is not an option for foreigners in Thailand.
Can I work as a freelancer in Thailand?
No, is the short answer. Foreigners cannot set up as sole traders or limited companies with one employee (you). You would need to set up a Thai company in order to obtain a work permit—other than through an employer.
Can you work on a tourist visa in Thailand?
Thailand forbids tourists from working there. They must get their visa converted into a Non-Immigrant B Visa if they choose to do so. This type of visa is often given to foreigners so they can conduct business or engage in work in Thailand. Both a 90-day single entry and 1-year multiple entries are available.
How long can you stay in Thailand?
The tourist visa typically provides for a 60-day first stay in the country. At the discretion of an immigration officer, it can be extended once for another 30 days—but no longer than a total of 90 days (within one year).
What’s the difference between digital nomads and remote workers?
Because digital nomads have laptops and other devices with them most of the time, they can work from anywhere as long as there is an Internet connection.
Conclusion
If you’re considering making the move to Thailand, go for it! It’s an amazing country with a lot to offer. However, make sure you do your research first and understand what it takes to live there before making the big decision. And if you need any help along the way, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for the best information about living in Thailand or contact us directly. We’re always happy to help!
