Many foreigners entering Thailand have specialized skills, especially in sports, such as like track and field and other new sports played around the world. Thailand’s national athletes or coaches may need extra help in training athletes to compete at an international level. Therefore, it is necessary to have foreign coaches. Foreigners may apply for a visa or a change of visa type in order to work as a sports coach by following the steps below.  

The applicant must submit and prepare the documents as follows: 

1. Form TM.86, for a foreigner who has a tourist visa or transit visa and wishes to apply for a change of visa type from tourist visa to non-immigrant visa, or Form TM.87, for a foreigner who entered the Kingdom of Thailand without a visa but is allowed to stay in the Kingdom for a period of 30 to 90 days and wishes to apply for a non-immigrant visa;

2. Copy of passport (personal information page, last entry stamp, visa sticker and extension stamp (if any)), and departure card (Form TM.6); 

3. One 4x6 cm photograph or one 2-inch size photograph;

4. Application fee of 2,000 baht. 

         In addition, the applicant must prepare a letter from the Sports Authority of Thailand or the government office concerned requesting a visa or visa status alteration (“Attention: Immigration Commissioner”), as well as a copy of the licenses for establishing the association, and a copy of the association’s recent meeting minutes.

         Documents shall be submitted more than 15 days before expiration of the current visa (if applicant is already in Thailand) or visa status alteration; the new visa will be good for 90 days. Foreigners who have overstayed their current visa are not allowed to submit an application for this type of visa. 

Things you should know:

1. The applicant must appear in person every time;

2. The applicant must show the notification of residence in accordance with Section 38 and must present the accommodation notification. 

3. The applicant must sign every page to certify the applicant’s documents. 

4. The association’s authorized signatory must sign to certify all documents and have the documents stamped with the association’s official seal.

Source: Immigration Division 1
Tel: +66 2141 9889