Guide to Thailand's new long-term resident visa from 1 Sep 2022

The visa will be offered to four categories of foreigners and their dependants. Here's a list of who qualifies for this visa, and the application processes you can follow.

Thailand is introducing its new "Long-term Resident (LTR)" visa scheme for "high-potential" foreigners on 1 September 2022. This visa will "provide a range of tax and non-tax benefits to enhance the country’s attractiveness as a regional hub for living and doing business for 'high-potential’ foreigners,' the Board of Investment Thailand said.

The visa will apply to four categories of foreigners:

1. Wealthy global citizens: Individuals holding at least US$1mn in assets.
2. Wealthy pensioners: Retirees aged 50 years and older who have an annual pension or stable income.
3. Work-from-Thailand professionals: Remote workers working for well-established overseas companies.
4. Highly-skilled professionals: Professionals or experts in targeted industries, working for business entities, higher education institutes, research centres, or specialised training institutions in Thailand or Thai government agencies.

Dependants, i.e. spouses and children under 20 years old of LTR visa holders (maximum of four dependants in total per one LTR visa holder) will also qualify for the same visas.

Under this LTR scheme, there will be various privileges for these visa holders, including:

1. 10 years renewable visa;
2. Exemption from the "four Thais to one foreigner" employment requirement ratio;
3. Fast track service at international airports in Thailand;
4. Extension of the 90-day report to a one-year report, and exemption from re-entry permit requirements;
5. Permission to work in Thailand (Digital Work permit);
6. 17% personal income tax for high-skilled professionals, and
7. Immigration and work permit facilitation services at the One Stop Service Center for Visa and Work Permit.

The full qualifications and criteria for foreigners vary per category. 

Wealthy global citizens

• Wealth status and investment
  • Minimum of US$1mn in assets
  • Minimum personal income of US$80,000/year in the past two years
  • Investment of at least US$500,000 in Thai government bonds, foreign direct investment, or Thai property
• Health insurance
  • Health insurance of at least US$50,000 coverage or social security benefits insuring treatment in Thailand, or at least US$100,000 deposit.

Wealthy pensioners

• Wealth status and investment
  • Personal income of at least US$80,000/year at the time of application
  • In case of personal income below US$80,000/year but no less than US$40,000/year. applicants must invest at least US$250,000 in Thai government bonds, foreign direct investment or Thai property
• Health insurance
  • Health insurance of at least US$50,000 coverage or social security benefits insuring treatment in Thailand, or at least US$100,000 deposit.

Work-from-Thailand Professional

• Personal income
  • Personal income of a minimum of US$80,000/year in the past two years
  • In case of personal income below US$80,000/year, but no less than US$40, 000/year in the past two years, applicants must have a Master's degree or above, own intellectual property, or receive Series A funding.
• Current employer
  • A public company on a stock exchange or; a private company in operation for at least three years with combined revenue of at least US$150mn in the last three years.
• Experience 
  • At least five years of work experience in the relevant fields of the current employment over the past 10 years.
• Health insurance
  • Health insurance of at least US$50,000 coverage or social security benefits insuring treatment in Thailand, or at least US$100,000 deposit.

Highly-skilled professional

• Personal income:
  • Personal income of a minimum of US$80,000/year in the past two years
  • In case of personal income below US$80,000/year, but no less than USD$40,000/year in the past two years or before retirement, applicants must have a Master's degree or above in science and technology, or special expertise relevant to the job assignment in Thailand.
  • No minimum personal income for professionals working for Thai government agencies.
• Current employer:
  • A business in any targeted industries
  • A higher education institution, research institution, specialised training institution, or Thai government agency.
• Experience:
  • At least five years of work experience in the targeted industries except for applicants with a PhD or above in the relevant fields of the targeted industries, or applicants working for Thai government agencies.
• Health insurance:
  • Health insurance of at least US$50,000 coverage or social security benefits insuring treatment in Thailand, or at least US$100,000 deposit.

How to apply

1. Register and submit an online application for qualification endorsement for LTR visa and supporting documents.
2. Within 20 working days after the completed documents are received, applicants will be notified of the results.
3. Qualified applicants may then proceed with applying for LTR visa issuance at the Royal Thai Embassies/the Royal Thai Consulate-General overseas, or immigration offices in Thailand, within 60 days from the issuance date of the endorsement letter. The processing fee for the 10-year-visa with multiple entries is THB50,000 per person, down from the previous THB100,000.
4. Applicants who work in Thailand may collect digital work permits at the Department of Employment at the One Stop Service Centre for Visa and Work Permit, Chamchuri Square Building, Bangkok, or provincial labour offices. The processing fee is THB3,000 per year to maintain a digital work permit.

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