Labour Minister, H.E. Police General Adul Sangsingkeo chaired the opening of the One Stop Service: Digital Work Permit Center in Chiang Mai, for foreigners working in organizations that have received BOI status. The center will facilitate the process by reducing steps, filing time, staff and increase transparency, in line with the Thailand 4.0 concept. Permanent Secretary of Labour Mr. Jarin Chakkaphark and the ministry’s senior executives also joined the opening of the center.
After the opening of the One Stop Service: Digital Work Permit Center in Chiang Mai, Pol.Gen. Adul said that the government under leadership of Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha, had formed a 20-year national strategy (2017-2036) with long-term country planning under the Thailand 4.0 policy which focuses on changing the economic and social structure of the country towards stability, prosperity and sustainability using technology, innovation and creativity. It also aims to raise the level of government services to create a link and exchange of information between departments, reduce duplication of documents to be a Smart Thailand in using information and communication technology to provide a one-stop service throughout Thailand all over the world at all times. The Ministry of Labour’s Department of employment worked with the Office of the Board of Investment (BOI) and Immigration Bureau to determine the process of applying for and issuing work permits through the Single Window for Visa and Work Permit system for foreigners working in organizations with BOI support. This is considered an excellent response to the Thailand 4.0 policy, that is, facilitating the submission of work permits, reducing processes, filing time, staff and documents, and also standardization and increased transparency. Foreigners will not need to carry a document or physical card anymore as the work permit will be in digital form on a smartphone which is easy to take. The digital work permit can also be checked by computer systems, difficult to counterfeit and lose. The goal is to provide convenience, speed, transparency, and validation, supported by the BOI. The center is currently open for service in 3 places: 1. One Stop Service Center at Chamchuri Square Building, Bangkok 2. Phuket and 3. Chiang Mai. In Chiang Mai, the Single Window for Visa and Work Permit system was enabled since March 19, 2018.
The Chiang Mai One Stop Service Center is a collaboration between the Chiang Mai Employment Office and the Chiang Mai Immigration Office which officially opened today as the first day. The center is established in the form of a One Stop Service Center, providing services at the Chiang Mai Immigration Office, Airport Road, Suthep, Mueang, Chiang Mai. It offers comprehensive services for foreigners that have been considered by the Board of Investment (BOI), with 2 central units providing services within the center which are 1. The Chiang Mai Immigration Office providing visa-related services and 2. The Chiang Mai Employment Office providing work permit services. When a foreigner applies for permission to work through the Single Window system, the service agency will consider granting authority in the system and report the result by e-mail. When the foreigner is given permission, they will have to make an appointment in the system to show themselves at the Chiang Mai Employment Office to pay the fee, be photographed and provide a digital signature to obtain a username and password to log into in the application named “Thailand Digital Work Permit”, supported by both IOS and Android systems. Once the foreigner has registered, the digital work permit will show on their mobile device. The foreigner must then reveal themselves to apply for a visa at the Chiang Mai Immigration Office.
The Labour Minister added that Chiang Mai now has 555 foreign who have been considered by the BOI, whereby 419 people have entered the Single Window system, leaving 136 people remaining as their original work permit has not expired. The establishment of the Chiang Mai One Stop Service Center is considered a restructuring of government services to provide service users with convenient, fast, economical and modern facilities.
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Division of Public Relations/
Photos by Kantipon Kusmit/
Information by Department of Employment/
14 January 2019/
