Employers and foreign workers in Thailand are being reminded to carefully check the type of work permitted under Thai law, as many still wrongly believe that entering the country legally with a passport and work permit allows foreign nationals to take up any occupation.
In reality, the Ministry of Labour has clear rules in place to protect certain jobs for Thai citizens under the Emergency Decree on Foreigners’ Working Management.
The reserved occupations are now set out in official annexed lists, making it important for both employers and workers to understand what is and is not allowed.
Among the jobs considered higher risk for foreign workers are street vending and peddling goods, including operating hawker stalls, setting up pavement shops, pushing carts, or selling lottery tickets.
Foreign nationals are also prohibited from working as brokers or agents, except in cases involving international trade.
Beauty-related services are another restricted area. This includes hairdressing, hair cutting, perming, styling, nail services, and other similar beauty work.
Thai massage is also reserved, as traditional massage and spa massage are regarded as part of Thai knowledge and cultural wisdom.
Driving certain vehicles is prohibited as well, including taxis, vans, three-wheelers, buses, and other public or commercial vehicles. However, forklift driving inside factories is an exception.
Tour guide work remains reserved for Thai nationals, meaning foreigners are not allowed to act as tour guides or organise tours in Thailand.
Legal work is also restricted, including acting as a lawyer, legal adviser, or providing litigation services, except for some permitted arbitration-related work.
Other reserved occupations include hand-woven cloth work, such as hand-reeling thread, twisting silk, and related traditional fabric work.
Several forms of craftmanship are also protected, including wood carving, silverware, goldware, stone-polished metalware, and Thai doll-making.
Security work is another prohibited field, covering jobs such as guarding premises or providing security protection.
The Ministry of Labour has warned that foreign workers found secretly working in reserved occupations will face legal action, regardless of whether the work is carried out as a full-time job, part-time role, or side income.
Foreign workers who violate the rules may face a fine of THB 5,000 to THB 50,000, deportation from Thailand, and a two-year ban from applying for a new work permit from the date the penalty is imposed.
Employers who allow foreign nationals to work outside the scope of their permitted duties may also face a fine of THB 10,000 to THB 100,000 for each foreign worker involved.
For repeat offences, employers may face up to one year in prison, a fine of THB 50,000 to THB 200,000, or both. They may also be banned from employing foreign workers for three years.
Authorities are therefore urging employers and business operators to ensure that the job listed on a foreign worker’s work permit matches the duties they actually perform. Failing to do so could lead to prosecution, financial penalties, deportation, and the loss of legal working rights in Thailand.
