On March 6, 2015, the Director-General of the Employment Department issued a notification stating that the following activities are not considered “work” under the Thai Alien Occupation Act, B.E. 2551:

1. Attending a conference, discussion or seminar.
2. Attending an exhibition or trade show.
3. Attending a business visit or business negotiation.
4. Attending an academic lecture.
5. Attending a training course or technical seminar.
6. Purchasing goods at a trade show.
7. Participating in a board of directors’ meeting.

The Office of Foreign Workers issued guidelines covering the first six of these activities in 2013. The Director-General’s notification gives those guidelines legal effect while adding an activity not covered in the earlier guidelines: participating in a board of directors’ meeting.

For more information on the notification, please see our article here. For more information on visas and work permits in general, please see the knowledge section of our website here