DTV, LTR, or EEC? A Guide to Thailand’s Long-Term Visas for Professionals
Foreign working professionals looking to bring their skills to the Thai economy can choose the standard business visa, but those with special skills and employment situations may want to consider one of three special visas: the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), the Long-Term Resident Visa (LTR), or the Eastern Economic Corridor Visa (EEC). All three of these visas offer professionals the opportunity to reside in Thailand with a Thai long-term visa and legally make a living during their time in the country.
This article will examine each of these long-term visas to determine which one is best suited for which applicant.?
Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)
Also known as Thailand’s “Digital Nomad Visa”, the Destination Thailand Visa provides foreign professionals with a multiple-entry visa that’s valid for 5 years and allows up to 180 days per entry in Thailand. If the applicant desires to prolong their stay, there is the possibility to extend it once per entry for another 180 days, but after this period the holder must leave the country and return to reset the stay limit.
This visa is available to the following individuals:
Visa validity: 5 years
Length of stay (per entry): 180 days
Cost: 10,000 baht (varies by embassy)
*Examples provided by the government include:
Benefits
Compared to the other two visas discussed here, the DTV offers few benefits beyond allowing professionals to work remotely while in Thailand. DTV holders cannot work for a Thai company or acquire a work permit. The primary benefit of this visa is how affordable and easy to acquire it is compared to most long-term Thai visas.
Long-Term Resident Visa (LTR)
The Thai LTR Visa is aimed at professionals and retirees who want to stay in Thailand for an extended period of time. It offers a flexible 10-year visa as well as unique benefits for each of its 4 categories.
The LTR Visa requires applicants to choose 1 of 4 streams when applying based on their plans in Thailand. These streams are:
Visa validity: 10 years
Length of stay (per entry): No limits, so long as the visa is still valid
Cost: 50,000 baht
Family option: Up to 4 dependents can accompany the primary visa holder
Benefits
The LTR Visa provides a variety of standard benefits, as well as benefits unique to some streams, including:
Eastern Economic Corridor Visa (EEC)
The Thai EEC Visa enables experienced workers to add value to the economy in Thailand’s eastern provinces by working in specific industrial regions that the government has committed to developing. This visa allows applicants to secure employment in 1 of the 3 targeted provinces of Chachoengsao, Chonburi, and Rayong.?
Successful applicants will receive a 5-year multiple-entry visa, renewable once up to a total of 10 years. However, the length of stay is also tied to the applicant’s work contract. If the employment contract for instance has a duration of 1-year, the applicant is only allowed to reside in Thailand for 1 year.?
Applicants can apply for the EEC Visa through 4 different categories:
Visa validity: 10 years
Length of stay (per entry): Same as the length of the applicant’s employment contract
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Cost: 20,000 baht (with an annual fee of 10,000 baht)
Benefits
Holders of an EEC Visa are entitled to the following benefits:
Comparing the EEC, DTV, and LTR Visas
All 3 of these visas have differences that make them stand out from the other.?
Cost-Effectiveness
Each visa varies in terms of affordability. While it only requires a one-time payment, the LTR Visa is the most expensive and is a far bigger investment. Not only does it carry a more expensive application fee of 50,000 baht, but applicants also need to meet high income and financial requirements. For instance, if you are applying through the Highly-Skilled Professionals stream, you need to have an income of $80,000 in the past 2 years.?
The DTV and EEC Visas are cheaper compared to the LTR Visa. However, unlike the LTR Visa, both visas involve annual fees. The EEC Visa costs 20,000 baht for 10 years, but holders must pay 10,000 baht each year. The DTV costs only 10,000 baht and 1,900 baht to extend, but applicants need to have at least 500,000 baht in their bank account when applying.?
Bringing Family Members to Thailand
Each of these long-term visa options provides opportunities for the visa holder to bring their family members with them to Thailand. The EEC Visa and LTR Visa both include a “Spouse and Dependents” category, and the DTV allows their spouse and children to acquire the visa.?
Which one is best in this regard depends on the applicant’s intentions. The DTV may be the superior choice if professionals want to bring their family members, if they are their spouses and children, as quickly as possible. But, while only being allowed to bring up to 4 family members, LTR Visa applicants are not limited to who they are allowed to bring. LTR Visa applicants can also bring along their grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and siblings.?
Tax Benefits
In terms of tax benefits, only the LTR and EEC Visas offer any sort of advantage. The DTV does not provide any exemptions or incentives for its holders, who still have to pay standard income tax on their foreign income if they stay at least 180 days out of a calendar year in Thailand.
Each of the EEC Visas provides tax incentives such as a flat income tax rate. But with the LTR Visa, this is only available to those applying through the Highly-Skilled Professionals stream. However, the LTR Visa goes even further and exempts the holder from being taxed on their foreign income if they apply through the Work-from-Thailand stream. This makes the LTR Visa an ideal choice for remote workers worried about Thai taxes.?
Eligibility Requirements
The LTR Visa includes the largest number of requirements for applicants to meet, varying depending on the chosen stream. This includes needing to satisfy financial and income requirements, while also having to fulfill certain investment, employment, or education requirements depending on the stream. They must also continue to maintain these requirements even after being issued the LTR Visa.?
A DTV is geared towards 4 groups and applicants must provide proof that they fall under one of these categories. This includes having to provide their employment contract, proof that they have been enrolled in a Thai Soft-Power activity, or evidence that they have an appointment with a Thai medical center. In addition to this, they also have to fulfill certain age and financial requirements. Despite this, it has fewer conditions to satisfy compared to the LTR Visa.?
EEC Visa applicants must secure employment in one of the 3 provinces located on Thailand’s eastern seaboard and be able to provide their employment contract. It also limits applicants since they can only work in one of these 3 regions. Given its recent proposal, more information on the eligibility requirements will be arriving at a later date, so there is some uncertainty involved.?
Which Long-Term Visa to Choose
All 3 of these long-term visas are viable options for foreigners looking for a long-term stay in Thailand that includes professional employment.
The DTV is the most affordable of these options, and the low barriers to entry make it less stressful to obtain. This is the best fit for those remote workers who will be temporarily visiting Thailand multiple times per year and avoiding the stay limitation.?
The LTR offers more strenuous requirements but makes up for it with its benefits, including tax incentives, the ability to apply for a Thai work permit, and the yearly reporting requirement rather than a 90-day one. This can be a great alternative for already established professionals considering employment with a Thai company in the future, and those putting down roots or considering permanent residency in Thailand.
Foreigners who have secured employment in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor should opt for the EEC visa, as it provides many of the same benefits of the LTR visa but with an easier application.
Get Professional Assistance with Your Long-Term Thai Employment Visa
Whether you are interested in a Destination Thailand Visa, Long-Term Resident Visa, or Eastern Economic Corridor Visa, reach out to Siam Legal International for assistance in applying.?Or, if none of these visas fit your needs, we can advise on and assist with the application of any major Thai visa.
We are a full-service law firm in Thailand with over 20 years of operation guiding foreign nationals to their ideal Thai immigration solution. Our proficiency in the field and extensive experience ensure you can acquire your desired visa as quickly and as seamlessly as possible.?
Our bilingual visa consultants will walk you through your application and liaise with the Thai government to provide you with any status updates and speed up the process. We also review your required documentation thoroughly before the application is submitted to minimize potential delays and complications along the way.?
Contact Siam Legal today for a simple and stress-free journey to working in the Land of Smiles.