Thailand E-Work Permit 2025-2026: Guide for Teachers

On 13 October 2025, Thailand officially replaced the old blue work-permit book with the new fully digital e-Work Permit system (eworkpermit.doe.go.th).

Everything now happens online except one short biometric appointment.

Processing times have dropped from weeks to 3-10 days, you get instant notifications via LINE/email/SMS, and your final permit is a credit-card-sized digital card with a scannable QR code.

If you want to teach English legally in Thailand in 2025-2026, this is the only way.

This guide combines the latest official rules with real-week-by-week experience from Kids English Thailand (KET), a teacher-placement agency in Sukhothai that has already processed dozens of these new permits for teachers nationwide.

Apply Now & Join KET →

🛂 Why the Change Happened (and Why It Matters to Teachers)

Thailand wants more native English speakers in classrooms, but they also want zero fraud.

The old paper system was slow and easy to fake. The new e-Work Permit is:

100% online except one 10-12 minute biometric visit
Linked to government databases and the ThaiID app
Scannable QR code that police, immigration, and schools can verify instantly
Much faster: most teacher applications are approved in 3-7 days

Teach without it → up to 100,000 THB fine, jail, or deportation.

Even if you have a visa, you are still illegal without the digital work permit.

🔑 Key Rule That Has NOT Changed

You can only get a work permit if you hold a Non-Immigrant B visa. The following do NOT work for teaching:

Tourist visa / visa exemption
Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)
Education visa (ED)

👥 Who Can Get a Teaching Work Permit in 2025-2026?

Basic legal requirements (checked automatically by the system):

Age 18+
Valid Non-Immigrant B visa — see our teaching requirements
Bachelor’s degree (any subject) + 120-hour TEFL/TESOL OR teaching licence/experience
Apostilled/legalised police clearance from home country
Thai medical certificate (including chest X-ray, <3 data-preserve-html-node="true" months old)
Formal job offer/contract from a licensed school

Extra notes for teachers:

Government and many private schools still require a Teachers Council of Thailand (TCT) waiver or full licence
Small/private language schools usually accept just the work permit + Non-B
Most schools get an automatic exemption from the 4-Thai : 1-foreigner ratio

🛣️ Step-by-Step: How to Get Your 2025-2026 Digital Work Permit

Step 1 🛂 – Get a Non-Immigrant B Visa (before or after arrival)

Most teachers choose one of these three routes in 2025-2026:

A) From home country (cleanest) Job offer → school sends WP.3 → apply online at thaievisa.go.th or embassy → enter with 90-day Non-B

B) Convert inside Thailand (possible but slow) Enter on visa-exempt/60-day tourist → find job → go to Chaengwattana (Bangkok) with TM.86 → often told to exit and re-enter

C) Visa run to Laos (still the most common in 2025-2026) Fly/bus to Vientiane or Savannakhet → apply for Non-B e-Visa online → 2-15 days processing (faster with reputable agent) → total cost 6,000-15,000 THB round trip — see our DIY visa run guide

Step 2 📱 – Create your e-Work Permit account

Go to https://eworkpermit.doe.go.th Register with email + Thai phone number → download ThaiID app → verify identity (passport scan + live selfie)

Step 3 📄 – Upload your documents (clear PDFs/JPGs <5 data-preserve-html-node="true" MB)

Passport + current Non-B stamp/page
4×6 cm white-background photo
Thai medical certificate
Legalised degree + transcripts
Police clearance (apostilled/legalised)
TEFL certificate
Signed employment contract

Your school uploads their company documents at the same time.

Step 4 ✍️ – Link with your employer & e-sign

School sends you a reference code → enter it → review pre-filled form → e-sign via ThaiID app

Step 5 💳 – Pay & book biometrics

Pay 100 THB application fee online
After provisional approval (usually 1-3 days) pay final 3,010 THB
System gives you an appointment slip for biometrics (the only in-person step)

Biometric appointment (10-12 minutes):

Official photo + 10 fingerprints + sometimes iris scan
Done at permanent centres (every province) or mobile vans in malls
You must go yourself – no proxies

Step 6 ✅ – Receive & save your digital work permit

Immediately after biometrics, the permit is released. Download the PDF or view in ThaiID app. Keep the QR code accessible on your phone at all times.

🔄 Renewal (2026 and beyond)

Start 30-45 days before expiry. Upload new medical + updated contract → pay another 3,010 THB → one more biometric visit → done in <10 data-preserve-html-node="true" days.

💰 Rough Total Costs for a First-Time Teacher (2025-2026)

Non-B visa: 1,900-2,000 THB (embassy) or 2,000 THB (conversion)
Laos visa run (if needed): 6,000-15,000 THB — see DIY guide
Medical check: 600-1,000 THB
Work permit fees: 3,110 THB
Degree legalisation (varies by country): 3,000-12,000 THB
Total: usually 12,000-30,000 THB depending on your situation

🎯 Final Advice from Teachers Who Do This Every Week

Legalise your degree and police check BEFORE you fly – it saves months.
Never start teaching until you have the finished digital permit in your phone.
Use a school or agency that already knows the new system inside-out.

At Kids English Thailand we handle the entire process for our teachers: job placement, document checking, biometric booking, housing in Sukhothai, and full legal compliance. If you want to teach English in Thailand legally and stress-free in 2025-2026, get in touch today.

Safe travels and see you in the classroom!

KET makes legal teaching easy—ready to start? Read more in our visa run guide, side hustles blog, or explore our paid teaching program, volunteer program, and internship program.

Apply Now & Join KET in 2025-2026 →