Work Permit Medical (WP.10) in Patong, Phuket: Same-Day Certificate for Thai Visa and Work Permit
Official Thai Ministry of Labour WP.10 (Tor.Kor.10) medical certificate, issued same day in Patong by a Thai Medical Council-registered, English-speaking doctor.
Clinically reviewed by the Doctor Patong Takecare Clinic medical team.
The WP.10 (Tor.Kor.10) is the official medical certificate required by the Thai Department of Employment for any foreign national applying for or renewing a Thai work permit. It confirms the absence of six prohibited conditions defined under the Royal Decree on the Management of Foreign Workers’ Employment B.E. 2560 (2017): leprosy, active tuberculosis, elephantiasis, drug addiction, habitual alcoholism, and tertiary syphilis. The certificate must be issued on the Ministry of Labour form by a Thai Medical Council-registered physician within 30 days of submission. At Doctor Patong Takecare Clinic we issue the certificate same day, walk-in or WhatsApp ahead, signed, stamped, and with the doctor’s licence number printed so it is accepted by the Department of Employment on first submission.
WhatsApp +66 95 073 5550 | Call +66 81 718 9080 | Find us on Google Maps
Foreign workers, business owners, teachers, dive instructors, and digital professionals living in Phuket all need the same document before a Thai work permit can be issued or renewed: a properly completed WP.10 medical certificate. Many walk-in clinics still hand out a generic stock certificate that the Department of Employment rejects, costing the applicant another trip and another fee. Our clinic in central Patong issues the certificate on the correct Ministry of Labour form, signed by a Thai-licensed physician, in a single visit. We also handle the comprehensive medical required for the O-A long-stay (retirement) visa and embassy-requested medicals for Non-Immigrant categories.
What the WP.10 (Tor.Kor.10) medical certificate is
The WP.10 is a standardised form issued by the Department of Employment under the Ministry of Labour. Under Section 9 of the Royal Decree on the Management of Foreign Workers’ Employment B.E. 2560 and its subsequent amendments, no work permit can be granted to a foreigner who has any of six listed conditions. The form is a single page on which a registered Thai physician declares, after examination, that the applicant does not have any of these conditions. It must carry the doctor’s signature, the clinic stamp, the doctor’s Thai Medical Council licence number, and a date within 30 days of the work permit application or renewal date. Importantly, the WP.10 is different from a general medical certificate used for fit-to-fly, school, dive, or sports purposes. The Department of Employment will reject a generic certificate even if the clinical content is identical.
The six conditions declared absent on WP.10
The first listed condition is leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, which we screen for through a focused skin and peripheral nerve examination looking for the characteristic hypopigmented anaesthetic patches and thickened nerves. The second is active pulmonary tuberculosis: we auscultate the chest, ask about cough lasting more than two weeks, night sweats, and weight loss, and refer for a chest X-ray at a nearby imaging centre if any feature suggests active disease. The third is elephantiasis (lymphatic filariasis), assessed by inspecting the lower limbs, genitalia, and breasts for the gross lymphoedema typical of advanced infection. The fourth is drug addiction, evaluated through history and, where the employer requests it, a urine drug screen. The fifth is habitual alcoholism, assessed through history and, when clinically indicated, liver function tests. The sixth is tertiary syphilis, meaning the late stage with cardiovascular, neurologic, or gummatous organ damage; we use RPR and TPPA serology where requested, and we want to be clear that a positive screening test for treated or latent syphilis is not a bar to a Thai work permit, only the tertiary form is.
What the consultation covers
The appointment takes 15 to 30 minutes. We start with a brief history covering current symptoms, past illnesses, current medications, alcohol intake, any history of drug use, and known family or close-contact tuberculosis. We record vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, temperature, weight), then perform a general inspection, skin examination for signs of leprosy and elephantiasis, chest auscultation for TB, a short mental status check for lucidity and mood, and a brief neurologic screen of gait and peripheral sensation. Depending on what your employer or the Department of Employment officer has requested, we can add urinalysis with drug screen, syphilis serology, and a chest X-ray referral on the same morning. The completed Ministry of Labour form is signed, stamped, and handed to you before you leave.
How the process works at our Patong clinic
Most applicants WhatsApp ahead so we can hold a slot, although walk-ins are accepted throughout the day. Bring your passport and, if your employer has asked for one, a passport-style photograph. No fasting is needed and no special preparation is required. After the consultation the doctor completes the WP.10 form by hand, signs it, applies the clinic stamp and licence number, and hands you the original. If additional tests have been ordered, the certificate is held until those results are reviewed, normally later the same day. We deliver electronic copies via WhatsApp or email on request and store a copy securely in your patient file for the next renewal cycle.
Visa medicals beyond the work permit
Most Non-Immigrant visa categories (B for business, ED for study, O for family, R for religious, M for media) do not require a medical certificate at the application stage inside Thailand, but some Thai embassies overseas do ask for one, and we issue an English-language certificate on request. The O-A long-stay (retirement) visa, issued to applicants aged 50 and over from a Thai consulate abroad, requires a more detailed medical that screens for HIV, syphilis, tuberculosis, leprosy, elephantiasis, and drug addiction, signed within 90 days of the visa application; some consulates additionally request hepatitis B and C results. The newer Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa generally requires proof of medical insurance rather than a medical examination. The table below summarises the three commonest documents we issue.
| Certificate | Who needs it | Validity | Tests included | Additional documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WP.10 (Tor.Kor.10) work permit medical | Any foreigner applying for or renewing a Thai work permit | 30 days from issue | Clinical exam for six prohibited conditions; urine drug screen and syphilis serology if requested | Passport, photograph if employer requests |
| Non-Immigrant visa medical (B, O, ED, R, M) | Applicants whose embassy abroad requests one | Usually 90 days | General fitness exam; tests on embassy checklist | Passport, embassy checklist |
| O-A long-stay (retirement) visa medical | Applicants aged 50 plus applying from a Thai consulate abroad | 90 days from issue | HIV, syphilis (RPR/TPPA), TB clearance, leprosy, elephantiasis, drug addiction; hepatitis B and C for some consulates | Passport, consulate form, medical insurance proof |
Red flag: common reasons WP.10 certificates are rejected
The Department of Employment routinely rejects work permit applications when the medical certificate is on the wrong form (a generic certificate instead of the Ministry of Labour WP.10), when it is more than 30 days old at submission, when the issuing doctor is not registered with the Thai Medical Council, when the doctor’s Thai licence number is missing, when the clinic stamp or signature is absent, or when the date is illegible. Our certificates carry every required element printed and stamped so the first submission is accepted.
See a doctor before your work permit deadline if
You have an unresolved cough lasting more than two weeks, unexplained weight loss, fevers or night sweats, or a recent close contact with anyone diagnosed with tuberculosis. Speak to us privately before the work permit visit if you are living with HIV, have a history of treated syphilis or hepatitis, or are in active treatment for substance use; we will advise on documentation and timing so the work permit medical is not jeopardised.
Clinical insight: HIV or TB positivity does not automatically disqualify you
Modern Thai practice and Thai Medical Council ethics treat HIV status as confidential health information and do not require disclosure to employers. The WP.10 lists tertiary syphilis, not HIV, among the six conditions, and treated or latent syphilis is not a bar to a work permit. Active tuberculosis is a disqualifier only while infectious; once treated and cleared by sputum and imaging, you are eligible. If a screening test we run is positive, we counsel you privately, arrange treatment or referral to the appropriate Thai service, and never release results to your employer without your written consent.
How to prepare for your appointment
Bring your passport and one passport-style photograph if your employer or HR officer has asked for one. No fasting, no medication changes, and no special preparation are needed. If you wear contact lenses or have any visible scars from old intravenous drug use that you are worried about, mention this when you book so we can plan the consultation calmly. Bringing a copy of last year’s WP.10 helps if this is a renewal.
Summary
A Thai work permit cannot be issued without a valid WP.10 medical certificate, and the document only works if it is on the official Ministry of Labour form, dated within 30 days, signed by a Thai Medical Council-registered doctor, and stamped with the clinic and licence number. Doctor Patong Takecare Clinic issues this document same day in central Patong, in English, with the option of adding syphilis serology, drug screening, and chest X-ray referral on the same morning. We also handle the comprehensive O-A retirement visa medical and embassy-requested certificates for other Non-Immigrant categories.
“Our job on a work permit medical is to get you a document the Department of Employment accepts the first time, on the right form, with every signature, stamp, and licence number in place, and to do it without making you take a day off work.” Doctor Patong Takecare Clinic medical team.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a chest X-ray for the WP.10?
Not routinely. A chest X-ray is added only when the history or examination raises a question about active tuberculosis: a cough lasting more than two weeks, recent unexplained weight loss, night sweats, or known TB contact. We refer to a nearby imaging centre and review the film the same day so your certificate is not delayed.
Is the consultation and any testing confidential?
Yes. Under the Thai Medical Council Code of Ethics and the clinic’s own privacy policy, your consultation, any test results, and your medical history are released only to you. The WP.10 certificate states the absence of the six listed conditions; it does not disclose individual test values. We do not communicate with your employer without your written consent.
How long is the certificate valid?
The WP.10 must be dated within 30 days of the work permit application or renewal date submitted to the Department of Employment. Other certificates have their own windows: most O-A retirement visa medicals are valid for 90 days, and embassy-requested Non-Immigrant medicals usually for 90 days as well.
What if I have HIV, hepatitis, or treated tuberculosis?
HIV is not one of the six prohibited conditions on the WP.10 and does not disqualify you from a Thai work permit. Chronic hepatitis B or C is also not on the list. Previously treated tuberculosis is acceptable once you are non-infectious. The conditions that genuinely block a work permit are active TB, leprosy, elephantiasis, current substance dependence, and tertiary (late, organ-damaging) syphilis. We will counsel you privately and document what is appropriate for the form.
Can my employer see my test results?
No, not without your written consent. The WP.10 form your employer receives states only that the listed conditions are absent. Underlying laboratory values, urine drug screen numbers, or serology results stay in your confidential clinical record and are released only to you or, with your authorisation, to a treating doctor.
What if I have tattoos or old scars from previous drug use?
Tattoos are not a clinical concern and have no bearing on the certificate. Old needle marks are also not, by themselves, a reason for refusal. The form addresses current drug addiction, not past use, so a stable applicant with historical use and no current dependence is eligible. If you are worried, tell us at the start of the appointment so we can document the history fairly and confidentially.
Sources
Thai Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour (doe.go.th). Royal Decree on the Management of Foreign Workers’ Employment B.E. 2560 (2017) and amendments. Thai Medical Council Code of Ethics. Ministry of Public Health, Thailand. World Health Organization tuberculosis guidance (who.int). CDC pre-employment HIV guidance (cdc.gov).
WhatsApp +66 95 073 5550 | Call +66 81 718 9080 | Find us on Google Maps
WP.10, Tor.Kor.10, Thai work permit medical certificate, Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour Thailand, Royal Decree on the Management of Foreign Workers’ Employment B.E. 2560, Non-Immigrant B visa, O-A long-stay retirement visa, LTR visa, Thai Medical Council, tuberculosis screening, leprosy, elephantiasis, tertiary syphilis, RPR, TPPA, urine drug screen, chest X-ray, Patong, Phuket