The Thailand LTR Visa: Convenient Long-Term Residency for 10 Years

The Thailand Long-Term Resident Visa (known simply as the LTR Visa) is an exceptionally convenient and cost-effective pathway for those wishing to live and work in the Kingdom. Originally designed to enable international professionals to live in the country to generate more value for the Thai economy, it has been expanded to include other categories of expatriates.?

The LTR Visa allows holders to reside in Thailand for up to 10 years for a relatively low price and offers benefits and advantages not available with other long-term Thai visas. To qualify, applicants must meet a set of eligibility requirements, which vary based on the category of LTR Visa the applicants choose. The categories are as follows:?

• Highly Skilled Professionals
• Work-from-Thailand Professionals
• Wealthy Global Citizens
• Wealthy Pensioners

Benefits of the LTR Visa

The LTR Visa offers a multitude of benefits beyond just a long-term stay in Thailand, including but not limited to:?

1. The visa provides 10 years of uninterrupted stay in Thailand with no need for “border runs.”
2. The requirement for reporting to Thai immigration every 90 days is extended to once a year.
3. Renewal is only necessary every 5 years, eliminating the hassles of annual renewal.
4. While the eligibility criteria are extensive for some categories, some criteria are flexible, offering multiple ways to qualify.
5. Holders can travel freely in and out of Thailand without the need for a re-entry permit.
6. Holders get access to fast-track immigration services at Thai international airports.
7. Those in the “Highly-Skilled Professionals” category are exempt from the 4:1 Thai-to-foreigner employment ratio rule, enhancing the applicant’s employability.
8. Workers get access to faster, easier, and cheaper work permits and immigration services at the One Stop Service Center.
9. Highly-Skilled Professionals enjoy a reduced personal income tax rate of just 17%.
10. Any LTR Visa applicant may include up to 4 dependents on their application, eliminating the need for multiple visa solutions for family units living in Thailand.

Thailand LTR Visa Eligibility Requirements

Each category of LTR Visa has unique eligibility requirements but there are some criteria that all applicants must meet, regardless of category. Failure to meet these qualifications or providing inadequate or incorrect proof of these qualifications may lead to delays or a complete rejection of the application.?

These general requirements for all applicants include:?

• Hold a foreign passport valid for at least 6 months from the time of application.
• Health insurance with coverage of at least $50,000, social security benefits covering treatment in Thailand, or a deposit of at least $100,000 (with proof of it being maintained for 12 months through a bank statement summary).
• Report to the BOI (Board of Investment) once residency in Thailand is over 365 consecutive days after receiving the LTR Visa.

Should the applicant wish to add dependents to their LTR Visa, they must provide proof (birth certificates, marriage certificate, or other legal document) that they meet the following criteria:

• Must be a legal spouse or child of the main applicant
• Must have health insurance coverage of at least $25,000
• Must be under 20 years old (for children dependents)

Note that at the time of writing, same-sex marriages are not recognized in Thailand, so spouses of the same sex are not eligible to be included on this visa. However, as of April 2024, the Thai government was on track to fully approve a bill allowing same-sex marriage to be legally recognized.

Once the basic requirements have been met, applicants will need to meet all of the requirements in their chosen category.

Highly Skilled Professionals

• Personal annual income of at least $80,000 over the past 2 years
• Applicants with an annual income of at least $40,000 can still qualify if they possess a master’s degree or higher in a technology or science field or have unique expertise relevant to their job in Thailand.
• No minimum personal income requirement for professionals employed by Thai government agencies.
• Applicant's current employer must be a business in any targeted industry, a higher education institution, a research institution, a specialized training institution, or a Thai government agency.
• Minimum of 5 years of work experience in the targeted industries, unless the applicant holds a PhD or higher in relevant fields or is employed by Thai government agencies.

Work-From-Thailand Professionals

• Personal annual income of at least $80,000 over the last 2 years.
• Applicants with an annual income of at least $40,000 can still qualify if they possess a master’s degree or higher, series A funding, or significant intellectual property.
• The applicant's current employer must be either a public company listed on a stock exchange or a private company that has operated for at least three years with a combined revenue of at least $150 million in the last three years.
• Minimum of 5 years of cumulative work experience in relevant fields of current employment over the past 10 years.

Wealthy Global Citizens

• Minimum of $1 million in assets.
• Personal annual income of at least $80,000 over the last 2 years.
• Minimum investment of $500,000 in Thai government bonds, foreign direct investment, or Thai property.

Wealthy Pensioners

• Must be at least 50 years old at the time of application.
• Must have an annual passive income of $80,000 (excluding employment earnings)
• Applicants with an annual income of at least $40,000 can still qualify if they have invested a minimum of $250,000 in Thai government bonds, foreign direct investments, or property.

Application Process for the LTR Visa

After applicants have ensured they meet all eligibility requirements, they can begin the application process. While somewhat lengthy and complex, this process only needs to be completed once for a 10-year stay, as opposed to every year for other long-term visas.

1. Applicants register and submit an online application for qualification validation for the LTR Visa along with supporting documents.

1. Within 20 working days of receiving the completed documents, Thai immigration or the Thai Embassy depending on where the application is lodged will inform the applicant if they have been approved or not.

1. Qualified applicants may then proceed to apply for the LTR Visa issuance at a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate if residing abroad, or at an immigration office in Thailand if residing locally. This must be done within 60 days from the issuance date of the validation letter. The processing fee is 50,000 THB, though if applying abroad, this fee may vary.

1. Those employed in Thailand can obtain digital work permits from the Department of Employment at the One Stop Service Center for Visa and Work Permit, with a processing fee of 3,000 THB per year to maintain the permit.

A Luxury Alternative to the LTR Visa: the Thailand Elite Visa

Applicants who want a long-term stay in Thailand but are unable to meet the eligibility requirements for this visa can consider the Thailand Elite Visa, available through the Thailand Privilege program. While this is technically a tourist visa and does not allow for a work permit, it provides stays in Thailand from 5 to 20 years, has family visa options, and comes with a vast array of convenient benefits and VIP perks.

The length of visa validity and the amount of benefits delivered are dependent on the level of Thailand Privilege membership the holder applies for, of which there are 4:

• Thailand Privilege Gold
• Thailand Privilege Platinum
• Thailand Privilege Diamond
• Thailand Privilege Reserve

Professional Assistance with Obtaining a Thailand LTR Visa

Obtaining a Thailand LTR Visa can be a difficult endeavor, and there is no guarantee of success, as an application with errors can be delayed or outright rejected. To avoid serious immigration issues and disrupted travel or work schedules, contact Siam Legal for professional assistance with an LTR Visa application.

As a full-service law firm with over 20 years of experience and multiple visa consultant teams on staff, Siam Legal has the knowledge and expertise to make each of our client’s application journeys swift, personalized, and with the maximum chance of approval.