Inside the clinic, the Chiropractor’s Professional Blue Permit should be displayed prominently in the clinic where it is easy to see. The permit should not be kept in a back office where the public can not readily see it upon entering the clinic. The Professional Blue Permit will Have the Chiropractors name, description of the profession (Chiropractor in Thai letters), permit number and a stamp of authenticity. Above is a sample of a Chiropractic Permit.

It is illegal to perform Chiropractic in venues other than a licensed clinic such as a spa or fitness center. We hear reports occasionally of Chiropractors working in spas or health resorts, particularly in the tourist areas such as Koh Samui, Krabi, Phuket, Hua Hin, and Chiang Mai. Unlike spas, health resorts and fitness centers, licensed clinics undergo inspections to assure the quality of services provided. Chiropractors working in these non-medical facilities are working illegally. They pose a risk to the public because they have not been properly screened or assessed for professional competence. The last thing we want is to have some Chiropractor lose his license in another country for professional misconduct and then come here to Thailand to further endanger the public. There have also been cases in the past when people with no formal Chiropractic training at all have promoted themselves as Chiropractors in Thailand.

Another tactic that has been used by some unlicensed Chiropractors in Thailand, is to practice without taking the examination and simply attempt to call what they are doing something other than Chiropractic, such as practicing as a “Musculoskeletal Specialist”, or a “Manual Therapist”, or a Thai Massage therapist, or any other kind of massage therapist. Some unlicensed Chiropractors in Thailand have taken Thai Massage courses in places like Wat Po with the idea of using such a certificate to treat patients. This is still illegal. For a Chiropractor to treat patients in any way in Thailand, a Chiropractic Permit, not a certificate of completion of a Thai Massage course, must be obtained by the Ministry of Public Health.

In Addition to Meeting the Requirements Listed Above, All foreign Chiropractors must also Obtain a Work Permit to practice legally in Thailand. To obtain a Work Permit, the company that owns the clinic must apply for the Work Permit through the Ministry of Labor, Department of Employment, on behalf of the foreign Chiropractor. The company must add 2 million baht of capital to the company bank account for each work permit obtained. The company must also employ 4 full time Thai employees for each foreigner the company gets a Work Permit for.  In other words, if the company hires 1 foreign Chiropractor, they must add 2 million baht to the company account and hire 4 full time Thai staff. If the company hires 2 foreign Chiropractors, they must to add 4 million baht of capital to the company account and hire 8 full time Thai staff.

To apply for the Work Permit, the company must bring the foreign Chiropractor to the Ministry of Labor to apply in person. If the Ministry of Labor approves the application for a Work Permit, a Blue Book that looks similar to a passport is issued to the foreigner. The Blue Book is intended to be held in the possession of the foreigner and not held by the company. The foreigner should have the Work Permit in his or her possession while working. It is a serious offense for a foreigner to work in Thailand without a Work Permit. If a foreign Chiropractor is arrested for working illegally without a Work Permit, they will be disqualified from taking the Chiropractic Examination in Thailand (see above requirement for not being convicted of a crime that would cause harm to the reputation of the Commission of the Practice of the Art of Healing).