Leaving Your Job in Thailand: What Happens to Your Visa and Work Permit

When your employment ends, your employer must notify the Department of Employment and immigration. Because a work-based extension of stay depends on that job, immigration will usually cancel it and give you a short period to leave or change status. Plan before your last day: a new employer, a change of visa type, or departure are the realistic options.

Written by the Thai Legal & Immigration legal team · Last reviewed 2026-11-03 · Editorial policy

Why the extension ends with the job

A Non-Immigrant B extension granted for employment is tied to the specific employer that supported it. Once that employer reports the termination, the reason for your permission to stay no longer exists. Immigration offices commonly stamp a short permission period, often around seven days, so you can leave or regularise your status. Practice varies by office.

What your employer must do

Notify the Department of Employment of the end of employment within the legal time limit and return or cancel the work permit.
Inform immigration so the related extension of stay can be cancelled.
Provide documents you may need later, such as an employment certificate and tax withholding certificate.

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Your options

Each option depends on timing and documents being ready before the old extension is cancelled.

A new employer files for a new work permit and supports a new extension; gaps between jobs are the main risk.
A change of visa type inside Thailand where your circumstances fit, for example marriage to a Thai national or retirement age and funds.
Applying from abroad, such as a DTV for remote work for clients outside Thailand, if you will not work for a Thai employer. Since 31 August 2026 (00:00 Thailand time), every DTV applicant must provide proof of permanent residence or nationality in the country of the embassy or consulate where they apply, replacing proof of current location, plus a police clearance certificate issued within 6 months of submission. Dependants under 16 may use the main applicant’s certificate. A visitor stay alone does not qualify you to apply at a regional post. Applications submitted before that date follow the old rules.
Departure before the permission period expires, avoiding any overstay.

Common mistakes

Continuing to work for a new company before its work permit is issued, letting the short permission period lapse, and assuming the old employer has filed the cancellation when it has not. Each can lead to fines, refusal of the next application or an overstay record. For Non-BOI Non-B cancellations since mid-July 2026, officers at the Thailand Investment and Expat Services Center ask employers to supply a list of all expatriate employees and copies of their Digital Work Permits as an administrative practice, not a formal published rule.

How we help

We check what your employer has filed, map the dates you are working to, and prepare the new work permit or change of visa type so filings can be made before the old permission ends. We cannot promise a particular outcome; officers decide each case.

Related services

Frequently asked

Can I keep my work permit and work for another company?

No. A Thai work permit is specific to the employer and job. A new employer needs its own permit for you.

How long can I stay after resigning?

It depends on what immigration grants when the extension is cancelled. It is commonly a short period; confirm the date stamped in your passport.

Can I switch to a tourist status and look for work?

You may not work while job hunting, and switching options depend on your nationality and the office. Get advice before the old extension is cancelled.

Sources & references

Department of Employment — checked 2026-11-03
Thai Immigration Bureau — checked 2026-11-03

General information only, not legal advice. Immigration decisions rest with the Thai authorities.