Page 96 - Introduction to Investment Laws in Thailand

combines and replaces the 2008 Working of Aliens Act and the 2016
Emergency Decree concerning rules on bringing foreigners to work with
employers in Thailand.

The new legal framework maintains the principle of prohibition of
foreign workers from employment in certain occupations as well as the
requirement of work permit (Section 7 and 8 of the 2017 Emergency
Decree). Nonetheless, the list of occupations prohibited for foreigners is
under revision. Awaiting the final ministerial regulation to be adopted, the
modification regarding occupations prohibited for foreigners has been
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announced in June 2019 . Labourer work will be removed from the list
of prohibited occupation and will be unconditionally authorized for
foreigners who have entered Thailand in accordance with Thai
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immigration law .
Table 6: Thailand’s new list of prohibited occupations for foreigners as

unofficially announced in June 2019.
Category No. Jobs list
of jobs
1 Jobs open to foreigners 1 - Labourer work
who have entered Thailand
in accordance with Thai
immigration law
2 Jobs which can be 8 - Agriculture, animal
authorized, only as far as husbandry, forestry, or
necessary, on the fishery
conditions of - Bricklaying, carpentry, or
- labour shortage other construction work
- absence of impact on - Mat weaving
Thais’ job opportunity - Knifemaking
- as employee only - Shoemaking
- Hat making

129 Foreign Workers Administration Office, "Discussion on prohibited
occupations for foreigners (แรงงาน ! หารือหน่วยงานที่เกี่ยวข้อง ก าหนดงานที่ห้ามคนต่างด้าวท า)"
(online), 22 June 2018
130 Usanee Aimsiranun and Saidatul Nadia Abd Aziz, Malaysia’s and
Thailand’s Management of Low-Skilled Migration and Sustainable
Development Goals, 2019

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