Hiring a Japanese Chef in Thailand: Work Permit, Capital, 4:1 Rule

Thailand has the largest Japanese community in Southeast Asia. Bangkok has more Japanese residents than any city in the world except the Los Angeles area, and Japanese food is everywhere from department store food halls to omakase counters. Bringing in a Japanese chef is routine here, but the rules sit on the company as much as on the chef: paid-up capital, Thai headcount and a minimum salary for Japanese nationals. This guide sets them out as of September 2026.

1. Thailand in numbers

• 72,113 Japanese nationals lived in Thailand on 1 October 2025, the fifth largest Japanese community of any country, up 2.4% on the year. Almost all (69,380) were long term residents rather than permanent residents (MOFA).
• 51,297 of them were in Bangkok, the second largest Japanese community of any city abroad.
• MAFF counted 5,920 Japanese restaurants in Thailand in 2025, up 590 on 2023, the seventh highest total of any country.

The high share of long term residents matters for hiring. Most Japanese in Thailand are there on employment or dependant status tied to a company, not as settled permanent residents, so fewer of them are free to take a kitchen job with you.

2. Can a foreigner work as a cook in Thailand?

Yes. Thailand restricts certain occupations to Thai nationals, and the list was reorganised by the amendment in force from 20 June 2020. JETRO's summary of the current structure:

• 27 occupations prohibited to foreigners, including wood carving, driving, auctioneering, hairdressing, Thai massage, tour guiding, street vending, secretarial work, making Buddha images and several Thai crafts.
• 3 occupations open only to foreigners meeting treaty conditions (accounting, civil engineering, architecture).
• 8 skilled or semi skilled occupations open to foreigners only as employees (for example agriculture, bricklaying and carpentry, garment and shoe making).
• 2 occupations open only to employees who entered under government to government MOUs: unskilled labour and shop assistant.

Cooking is not on any of these lists, so a Japanese chef can be employed with a work permit. The point to watch is the last group. A role written up as general kitchen help looks like unskilled labour, which is restricted to MOU workers. Describe the position as what it is (sushi chef, head chef, kitchen manager) with skilled duties.

3. The company side: capital, ownership and the 4:1 rule

Three company level rules decide whether you can hire a foreign chef at all.

Paid-up capital per foreign worker

For a company without BOI promotion, a work permit generally requires registered paid-up capital of at least THB 2 million per foreign worker. Two Japanese chefs means THB 4 million. The number of work permits is capped at 10 unless the company meets one of several conditions, such as paying at least THB 3 million in income tax the previous year, bringing at least 5,000 foreign tourists a year (tourism businesses) or employing at least 100 Thais.

Four Thai employees per foreigner

For the foreign worker's one year extension of stay, the employer must have at least four Thai employees for each foreigner, under the Thai police notification of 30 June 2014 (in force 29 August 2014). Branches of foreign companies, regional offices and representative offices get a 1:1 ratio instead; an ordinary restaurant company does not.

Minimum salary for Japanese nationals

The same extension rules set a minimum monthly income by nationality. For Japanese nationals it is THB 50,000 a month. The company must also file audited financial statements for the last two years and show that employing the foreigner is necessary.

4. Non-B visa and work permit, in order

1. Non-Immigrant B visa. The chef applies at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad. Typical documents include an invitation letter from the Thai company, a recommendation letter from the Japanese side, CV, passport and photos. Requirements vary slightly by embassy, so check with the Thai embassy in Tokyo or the relevant consulate.
2. Entry. On arrival the chef gets 90 days' permission to stay.
3. Work permit. Apply at the local office of the Ministry of Labour's Department of Employment within the 90 days. Documents include employment and education certificates in English, a health certificate from a Thai doctor, the company's registration documents, shareholder list, social security filings, a description of the role and the proposed salary.
4. Extension of stay. Before the 90 days expire, apply to Immigration to extend to one year from entry. This is where the THB 50,000 salary and the 4:1 ratio are checked.
5. Extend the work permit to match the new permission to stay, and repeat the cycle each year.

Until the work permit is issued, the chef should not work. Plan for the first weeks to be paperwork and orientation, not service.

5. BOI promoted companies

Companies with Board of Investment promotion (and companies in IEAT industrial estates) get an easier path: the paid-up capital rule does not apply, BOI approves foreign positions, and a Single Window system handles visas and work permits online for BOI promoted companies filing in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket. If your company does not hold BOI promotion, none of this applies, and the general rules above are the ones to plan around.

6. A worked example

A Bangkok restaurant company, majority Thai owned, wants two Japanese chefs: a head sushi chef and a second chef. To support both work permits and one year extensions it needs, at minimum:

A new restaurant with a small opening team can easily fail the Thai headcount test before anything else. If you plan to open with Japanese chefs, hire the Thai front and back of house team first.

7. The local pool in Bangkok

With 51,297 Japanese nationals in Bangkok, there are Japanese trained cooks already in the city. Most, though, are there on employment tied to another company or as dependants, and any foreigner working in Thailand needs a work permit for that job. A move from another restaurant means a new work permit under your company, with the same capital, headcount and salary tests.

The other lever is training Thai cooks. Thailand's Japanese dining scene is large enough that experienced Thai sushi cooks exist, and they fall outside every foreign worker rule. Pairing one Japanese head chef with a trained Thai team is the model the 4:1 rule already pushes you towards. See training local staff in Japanese cuisine and, for halal considerations elsewhere in the region, halal Japanese kitchen staffing.

Neighbouring markets: Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore.

General information checked in September 2026 against JETRO's summaries of Thai law and Japanese government statistics, not legal or immigration advice. Thai immigration practice varies between offices. Confirm current requirements with the Department of Employment, Thai Immigration or a Thai lawyer before applying.