Under the Thailand Alien Employment act, the following rules apply:
1. Prohibited Jobs for Foreigners In Thailand
These occupations are strictly prohibited with no exceptions:
- Wood carving
- Driving motor vehicles, driving a non-mechanically propelled carrier or driving a domestic mechanically propelled carrier, except for piloting international aircraft or forklift driving
- Auction (holding auctions, or running an auction house)
- Cutting or polishing diamonds or precious stones
- Haircutting, hairdressing or beauty treatment
- Cloth weaving (by hand)
- Mat weaving or utensil making from reeds, rattan, hemp, straw, bamboo, bamboo pellicle, grass, chicken feather, coconut leaf stick, fiber, wire or other materials
- Mulberry paper making (by hand)
- Lacquerware making
- Making Thai musical instruments
- Niello ware making
- Gold ornament, silverware or pink gold making
- Bronze ware making
- Thai doll making
- Alms bowl making
- Silk products making (by hand)
- Buddha image making
- Paper or cloth umbrella making
- Brokerage or agency work, except brokerage or agency working in international trade or investment
- Thai massage
- Cigarette rolling by hand
- Tour guide or sightseeing tour operation
- Peddling
- Manual typesetting of Thai characters
- Silk reeling and twisting (by hand)
- Clerical or secretarial work
- Legal services or services in legal proceedings, except for the following occupations: Performing duties of arbitration. Providing assistance or representation in the arbitral proceedings in the event that the law applicable to the dispute being considered by the arbitrators is not the Thai law
2. Prohibited Jobs with Conditional Exception
These occupations are prohibited but with a condition whereby an international agreement or obligation to which Thailand is bound under law may permit work.
- Controlling, auditing, performing or providing accounting services, except:
- Occasional internal audit work
- Work under international agreements or obligations to which Thailand is bound, which the Professional Association provides a certificate
- Civil engineering concerning counselling, project planning, design and calculation, construction supervision or manufacturing, inspection, administration work to organise the system, research and test, except those who are registered under the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) and other international agreements
- Professional architectural work concerning project study, design, construction management and supervision, inspection or consulting, except for professional architects under the ASEAN MRA for architectural services and other international agreements
3. Skilled & Semi-Skilled Foreign Worker Exceptions
The following is a list of prohibited jobs that allow for an exception for foreigners when working for an employer.
- Agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry or fishery
- Bricklaying, carpentry or construction works
- Mattress or quilt blanket making
- Knife making
- Shoemaking
- Hat making
- Dress making
- Pottery or ceramic ware making
4. Foreign Worker Exceptions Under Treaties
The following are prohibited occupations which a foreigner may work in if 1. they have an employer, 2. they are permitted to enter Thailand by Immigration Law under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Thai government and the foreign government:
- Labour (manual work and menial work that requires physical strength)
- Shop front selling at a wholesale or retail establishment, as well as selling goods at stalls or shops located in markets or by roadsides