By Act of Parliament all foreigners must obtain a work permit before commencing employment in Thailand. Exceptions are made for persons who have submitted an application in relation to Investment Support Act. A period of 30 days is allowed for submission of application.
Persons with a Temporary Resident Visa can request a work permit and the law permits those persons to work whilst the request is in progress.
Thailand workforce's education
| Level of Education | Unit : Million | Unit : % |
| No education | 1.4 | 3.54% |
| Less than Elementary (<6 year) | 12 | 30.38% |
| Elementary Grade6 | 8.7 | 22.04% |
| Lower Secondary Grade9 | 5.8 | 14.68% |
| Upper Secondary Grade12 | 5.5 | 13.92% |
| Higher Level | 6.1 | 15.44% |
| Total | 39.5 | 100.00% |
Source: National Statistical Office, December 2010
