Employment entry with a Thai employer's evidence and a separate work permit; short visitor exemption does not authorise employment.
Route overview
Non-Immigrant B visa for employment plus Thai work permit
Typical timeline / duration: Embassy information commonly issues a single-entry Non-B with 3-month validity and stay up to 90 days; longer stay/work authorisation depends on extension/work permit.
Important notes
Valid passport, visa application/photo, Thai employer's letter and company evidence required by the responsible post.
Obtain labour approval or existing work-permit evidence as the employment checklist requires; a Non-B visa alone is not permission to start work.
The MFA guide last updated in 2022 lists THB20,000 per person / THB40,000 per family for employment as well as business. Current consular checklists may differ; confirm the China-post requirements rather than applying this as a salary threshold.
Longer stay and continued employment require the appropriate immigration extension and work authorisation, not repeated tourist entries.
From 15 September 2026, Chinese ordinary-passport visitors retain bilateral exemption up to 30 days per stay, cumulative 90 in 180; the unilateral 60-day scheme ended. This does not remove the employment visa/work-permit requirements.
China's embassy reminder says work, study and other prior-approved purposes require the appropriate visa before entry. Do not treat visitor admission as permission to start a job while paperwork is pending.
Visa validity, the granted entry stay and work-permit validity are separate. Extensions and category changes require an individual decision.
Preparation checklist
Confirm the employment category and responsible consulate before travel.
Ask the Thai employer for current labour-approval and company documents.
Obtain the post's passport, financial, photo and translation checklist rather than relying on a general visitor rule.
Arrange work permission before the intended employment start date.
Track visa, entry-stamp and work-permit expiry independently and arrange any extension in time.