About Sangha
A practice built around documents that move slowly and matter considerably.
We work within the Thai work permit and employment visa system with the patience it demands — preparing applications carefully rather than quickly.
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How Sangha came to be
Sangha was established in Bangkok after its founder spent several years working within the employment and immigration department of a larger regional firm, observing that smaller companies and individual foreign hires rarely received the same level of careful attention as large institutional clients. The bureaucratic steps were the same; the time invested in explaining them was not.
The practice was formed specifically to address that gap — to work with a small number of matters at once, to prepare each file thoroughly, and to keep the client informed at each stage rather than only at the beginning and end. The name Sangha refers to a community of practitioners, and the word felt appropriate for work that is fundamentally about people navigating a system together.
Since 2018, the practice has assisted individuals arriving for senior roles, companies establishing their first Bangkok office, founders pursuing the SMART visa pathway, and long-term residents managing the 90-day reporting cycle that often catches experienced expats off guard. Each situation is different in its particulars; the care brought to each is consistent.
Our Mission
To prepare work permit and visa applications with the precision they require, and to explain the process to the person whose name is on the documents — plainly, without unnecessary complexity, and without shortcuts.
Our Values
- Accuracy over speed. A permit filed with complete documentation moves faster in the long run than one returned for correction.
- Clear communication. Government correspondence is explained in plain English at each stage.
- Defined scope. Engagements are agreed in writing before work begins, so there are no ambiguities about what is included.
- Continuity. The person who takes your brief is the person who prepares your documents.
The Practice
Who does the work
Sangha operates as a small practice, which keeps the work personal and the file count manageable.
Arisa Thongchai
Principal Practitioner
Over twelve years working within Thai employment and immigration law, with particular experience in BOI-sector permit applications and SMART visa eligibility assessments.
Kanya Rungsri
Documentation Coordinator
Manages correspondence with the Department of Employment and Immigration Bureau, prepares the Thai-language submissions, and coordinates with employer HR contacts throughout the filing process.
Pattarapol Wongsiri
Client Relations & Compliance
Handles initial client briefings, prepares the written 90-day and TM30 compliance summaries, and manages renewal calendars for permit holders on an ongoing basis.
Standards
How we handle each matter
The permit system has little tolerance for incomplete submissions. These are the standards we apply to every file we prepare.
Document pre-review
Every set of documents is reviewed against the current official checklist before submission. We check for translation requirements, notarisation, and certification status — not after a rejection, but before.
Confidential handling
Passport copies, corporate documents, and financial records are stored securely, shared only with the relevant government departments, and destroyed when the matter concludes.
Regulatory monitoring
Thai immigration and employment law changes without announcement. We follow Department of Employment circulars and Immigration Bureau notices so that any shift in requirements reaches us before it reaches our clients.
Written engagement terms
Every matter begins with a written scope of engagement confirming what is covered, what is not, and what the fixed fee is. Changes to scope are agreed in writing before additional work proceeds.
Deadline management
Work permit and visa renewals are tracked from the date of issue. Clients receive reminders at 90, 60, and 30 days before expiry. 90-day reporting dates are maintained in the same system.
Progress reporting
After each interaction with a government department, a brief update is sent to the client. The update confirms what stage the file is at and what, if anything, is required from the client's side.
Practice Context
Work permits in Thailand — the landscape in brief
Thailand's work permit system operates on the premise that every foreigner working in the country holds a valid permit specifying their employer, their role, and the location where the work is performed. The Department of Employment enforces this through a combination of employer obligations and employee responsibilities — both parties carry legal duties.
The permit itself is a physical document, issued after the employer's file has passed the staffing ratio test and the employee's qualifications have been assessed. BOI-promoted companies follow a separate track through the One Stop Service Centre, which consolidates several steps and typically runs faster. SMART visa holders benefit from integrated work authorisation — the work permit requirement is absorbed into the visa itself for qualifying holders.
Alongside the permit, most foreign workers in Thailand hold a Non-Immigrant B visa, which authorises their continued stay for employment purposes. The two documents share expiry logic — a permit cannot outlast the visa it is paired with — but they are renewed through different processes at different departments. Getting both aligned, and keeping them aligned through role changes and travel, is where coordination matters most.
The 90-day reporting obligation sits alongside both of these instruments. It is an administrative duty rather than a visa condition, but the consequences of missing the deadline accumulate and eventually create difficulty at renewal. Sangha maintains reporting calendars for clients who prefer to delegate that scheduling, and provides the written summary for those who prefer to handle it themselves with a clear record to follow.
Speak with the practice directly
Whether your situation is straightforward or involves multiple visa categories, a brief written enquiry is the most efficient starting point. We read and respond to all submissions within one working day.
Send an Enquiry