Thailand vs Vietnam

Companies register with the Department of Business Development (DBD); a Thai limited company is common. The Foreign Business Act restricts foreign majority ownership in many sectors, though BOI promotion or the US Treaty of Amity can allow more.

Foreign investors usually set up a limited liability company; registration involves an Investment Registration Certificate and an Enterprise Registration Certificate via the provincial Department of Planning and Investment. Some sectors have foreign-ownership conditions.

Thai banks are supervised by the Bank of Thailand. Foreigners can open accounts, but requirements vary widely by bank and visa type; a work permit or long-stay visa makes it much easier. PromptPay powers local instant payments.

Vietnamese banking is modernising fast with strong mobile and QR payments. Foreigners can open accounts, usually needing a passport and often a work permit or residence card; the State Bank of Vietnam regulates banks.

Thailand attracts foreign investment through the Board of Investment (BOI), which grants incentives and can lift foreign-ownership limits. The Foreign Business Act restricts many services to minority foreign ownership unless BOI-promoted or licensed. Capital and profits repatriate through banks under Bank of Thailand rules; BOI projects enjoy tax holidays.

Vietnam attracts foreign investment through the Foreign Investment Agency (Ministry of Planning and Investment). Most projects need an Investment Registration Certificate (IRC) and then an Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC); some conditional sectors have limits. Incentives include tax holidays and industrial-zone benefits, and profits repatriate through banks.

Thailand's taxes are run by the Revenue Department: personal income tax, corporate tax and VAT. Tax residence (180+ days) affects how foreign income is taxed, and recent rules changed the treatment of remitted foreign income.

Vietnam's taxes are run by the General Department of Taxation: personal income tax, corporate income tax and VAT. Tax residents (183+ days or a permanent residence) are taxed on worldwide income.

Foreigners need a non-immigrant visa plus a work permit to work in Thailand; the Immigration Bureau handles visas and the Department of Employment issues work permits. The LTR (Long-Term Resident) visa suits qualifying professionals and remote workers.

Foreigners generally need a work permit plus a temporary residence card to work in Vietnam; the labour authorities issue work permits, usually via the employer. Some experts and intra-company transferees can be work-permit exempt with confirmation.

International students in Thailand use the Non-Immigrant ED visa, based on acceptance by an accredited educational institution which supplies the supporting documents. Apply via the Thai e-Visa system or a Thai embassy. The part that trips people up is after entry: students extend their stay and report to immigration periodically. The visa is for study, not employment.

Student entry to Vietnam is institution-led: secure admission first, then confirm the correct visa or temporary-residence route with your host university and coordinate documents through it. E-visas can support short entry, but degree study normally needs university sponsorship or institution-specific immigration guidance. One practical check people skip — confirm whether your programme is taught in Vietnamese, English or another language.

Many nationalities enter Thailand for tourism under a visa exemption or visa on arrival for short stays; others apply for a tourist visa, increasingly through the official Thai e-Visa system. All arriving travellers may also need to complete the digital arrival card. Tourist entry does not permit work.

Vietnam's official e-visa is issued by the Immigration Department through the electronic visa system, for a maximum of 90 days, single or multiple entry. Note the portal moved: the old evisa.immigration.gov.vn site states applications shifted to evisa.gov.vn and thithucdientu.gov.vn from 11 November 2024. The e-visa covers entry and stay only — not local employment.

Thailand offers permanent residence under a small annual quota (capped per nationality), open to foreigners who have held consecutive one-year visa extensions for at least 3 years, on work, investment, family or expert grounds. Alternatives for long stays include the Long-Term Resident (LTR) and Thailand Privilege (Elite) visas.

Vietnam’s permanent residence card (thẻ thường trú) is limited, granted mainly to those with special contributions to Vietnam, stateless persons long resident, or the spouse/child/parent of a Vietnamese citizen after several years. Most foreigners instead hold renewable temporary residence cards; permanent residence lets you stay without a visa.

Naturalization in Thailand is points-based and selective: you generally need permanent residence and about 5 years of continuous residence, proof of income and tax, and the ability to speak and sing in Thai (including the national and royal anthems). Applications are decided by the Ministry of the Interior with the Minister's approval.

Naturalization in Vietnam generally requires about 5 years of residence, Vietnamese-language ability, a Vietnamese name, and lawful means of living. Vietnam follows a single-nationality principle, so applicants normally renounce their former nationality (the President may allow exceptions). Applications go through the Ministry of Justice and are granted by the President.

Thai employment under the Labour Protection Act sets province-based daily minimum wages, a maximum work week, at least six days' annual leave after a year, and severance pay that rises with length of service. Social security is compulsory, and disputes go to the Labour Court.

Vietnamese employment under the Labour Code sets region-based minimum wages, a 48-hour week, at least 12 days' annual leave, and compulsory social, health and unemployment insurance. Written contracts are required; termination follows set grounds and notice, and disputes go through conciliation and the People's Court.

Thai trade clears through the Customs Department's e-Customs system and the National Single Window. You register for a paperless customs account, classify goods under the ASEAN Harmonised Tariff for duty, and pay 7% VAT on imports. Controlled goods need agency permits; ASEAN and other free-trade agreements can cut duty.

Vietnamese trade clears through the General Department of Customs using the VNACCS/VCIS electronic system. You classify goods by HS code for import duty plus VAT (usually 10%) and, on some products, special consumption tax. Certain goods need specialized import licences; Vietnam's FTAs (EVFTA, CPTPP, RCEP) cut duty with a certificate of origin.

Thai trademarks are registered with the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP). You search the register, file under Nice classes, and after examination the mark is published for a 60-day opposition period before registration. A Thai trademark lasts 10 years and is renewable; Thailand is a Madrid Protocol member, and DIP also handles patents and designs.

Vietnamese trademarks are registered with the Intellectual Property Office of Viet Nam (IP Viet Nam). Vietnam is first-to-file, so registering early matters. You file under Nice classes; the mark undergoes formality and substantive examination before registration. A Vietnamese trademark lasts 10 years and is renewable; Vietnam is a Madrid Protocol member.

Working in Thailand as a foreigner normally takes two documents from two different places: a non-immigrant visa, and a work permit issued by the Department of Employment. Before either matters, though, there is a prior question — certain occupations are reserved for Thai nationals, so the first thing to establish is whether your occupation is open at all. A third variable is the employer: businesses promoted by the investment board operate under eased conditions, so the same job at two companies can involve different processes.

Vietnam hiring runs mostly through direct employers, private platforms, recruiters and local networks rather than a dominant public job board. The structural point is that the work permit is an employer-side process with a step before it: the company normally has to get its use of foreign labour approved first, and only then files the permit — so a verbal offer from a company that has never done this is not the same as a job you can start. Working remotely for a foreign employer does not by itself create any Vietnamese status.

Thailand's minimum wage combines two things at once: it is a daily rate, and it varies by province — so both the unit and the location have to be right before a figure means anything. It is decided by a tripartite wage committee under the Ministry of Labour, and some skilled occupations have separate, higher minimum standards on top. Pay is quoted gross, with personal income tax and social-security contributions applying, and official figures come from the Ministry of Labour and the National Statistical Office.

Vietnam has regional minimum wages rather than one national private-sector figure — official reporting sets separate monthly minimums for Regions I to IV, so the applicable floor depends on where the work is located. A distinct trap: the public-sector base salary is a separate concept and should not be mixed with the regional private-sector minimums, though the two are often confused. Use official wage rules first, and avoid proprietary salary tables for immigration or compliance decisions.

Thailand offers scholarships to international students through the Thai government and the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA, for students from developing countries), the postgraduate Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), and individual university scholarships (such as at Chulalongkorn and Mahidol). Explore these routes and apply by the deadline.

Vietnam offers scholarships to international students mainly through bilateral government agreements (administered by the Vietnam International Education Department, VIED), which allocate places to partner countries, alongside individual university scholarships. Check whether an agreement covers your country, explore the VIED and university sites, and apply by the deadline.

To study in Thailand you apply to the university, which issues an acceptance letter; you then apply for a Non-Immigrant ED (education) visa at a Thai consulate and, after arrival, report to immigration and extend the stay as needed (with 90-day reporting). Many international programs are in English. Explore the university sites and apply by the deadline.

To study in Vietnam you apply to the university, which sponsors your student visa (DH category); after arrival you obtain a temporary residence card for the duration of your studies. Some programs are in English; many require Vietnamese, and scholarships may include a language year. Explore the university sites and apply by the deadline.

In Thailand foreigners cannot own land, but they can own a condominium unit outright, subject to the building's 49% foreign-ownership quota, with the purchase price remitted from abroad in foreign currency. Land and houses are usually taken on a lease (commonly up to 30 years). Renting is easy; condo purchases are registered at the Land Department with a transfer fee.

In Vietnam, land is owned by the state, so foreigners cannot own land, but they can own apartments (and some houses) with a 50-year ownership certificate (renewable), subject to quotas — broadly up to 30% of units in a condominium building and a capped share in a landed project. You need a valid visa/entry. Renting is common and flexible; ownership is recorded on a 'pink book' certificate.

Thailand splits three ways by status. Thai nationals have universal coverage through the Universal Coverage Scheme and other public schemes. Foreign employees are generally covered by the Social Security system, which includes medical benefits. Everyone else — other foreign residents and visitors — is not covered by the public schemes and relies on private health insurance, which is widely used by expatriates. Note too that some long-stay visas require you to hold health insurance.

Vietnam combines public hospitals, private providers and social health insurance, and foreign workers under eligible labour contracts may contribute to health insurance through payroll — Vietnam Social Security states that foreign employees' compulsory insurance can include an employee health-insurance contribution. Public insurance matters, but many expatriates still hold private cover for provider choice, evacuation and international treatment. Before relying on any plan, check three things: hospital network, direct billing and language support.

Thailand's Social Security system, run by the Social Security Office, gives employees a bundle of five benefits: medical care, maternity, disability, unemployment and old-age pensions — funded by contributions shared with the employer, so the payslip line is your half. Compulsory motor third-party insurance is required for vehicles and is known locally as Por Ror Bor, which is the term you will actually encounter. Insurers are regulated by the Office of Insurance Commission.

Vietnam's planning line runs between compulsory social and health insurance for eligible employees and private policies bought on top. Vietnam Social Security states that foreign workers with qualifying contracts participate in compulsory social insurance unless an exception applies — so the exception clause is worth checking rather than assuming either default. Private cover stays useful for exclusions, waiting periods and gaps, and employers should align insurance records with payroll, tax and work-permit records.