Photo: Kenneth Surillo / Pexels
Thailand's Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa has now approved 12,010 foreign nationals in its first four years. The visa launched in September 2022. The Board of Investment (BOI) estimates its economic value at about 43 billion baht, which works out to over 3.6 million baht per approved person. It is a long-stay residency visa, not a tourist visa, so most visitors won't notice any change. It does show that Thailand is encouraging longer-stay residents.
Who has been approved
The BOI figure of 12,010 approvals is credited to BOI Secretary-General Narit Therdsteerasukdi. Wealthy pensioners are the largest group.
| Category | Approvals |
|---|---|
| Wealthy pensioners | 4,561 |
| Dependants | 3,891 |
| Highly skilled professionals | 1,779 |
| Work-from-Thailand professionals (working for overseas employers) | 1,043 |
| Wealthy global citizens | 737 |
By nationality, Americans are the largest group with more than 2,400 approvals. Japanese applicants follow with more than 1,300, and British applicants with over 1,000. Japanese applicants are especially prominent among highly skilled professionals.
What the visa offers
According to the BOI, the visa comes with these benefits:
- Residence of up to 10 years, issued in two 5-year periods.
- Annual immigration reporting instead of every 90 days.
- A digital work permit for eligible workers.
- A 17% personal income tax rate on eligible Thai employment income, for highly skilled professionals who qualify.
Eligibility requirements were relaxed in 2025, including for wealthy applicants and Work-from-Thailand professionals. The professional categories target industries such as semiconductors, advanced electronics, AI, robotics, aviation and biotechnology.
The 43 billion baht figure
This number is a BOI estimate, not visa fees alone. It is based on visa fees, holder spending in Thailand, direct investment, and tax revenue from highly skilled professionals. The BOI also says long-term residents contribute through spending on housing, healthcare, tourism, food and transport.
New online application system
A new BOI online application system went live in September 2026. It links the Department of Consular Affairs, Immigration Bureau, Department of Employment, and Revenue Department. It aims to reduce duplication between agencies and shorten processing.
Applicants submit through the BOI LTR platform. Qualification checks still depend on each category's requirements. The BOI plans to keep developing its online services and the Thailand Investment and Expat Services Center, citing growing competition among countries for investors and skilled workers.
What this means for visitors
There is little direct effect on tourists. The new online system is for LTR applicants only and does not change tourist entry. If you want to stay beyond 30 days, you will need another route. The Thaiger has a related piece, "How to stay in Thailand longer than 30 days in 2026", that covers this. It also has "Frozen UK pensions: why Thailand's British retirees lose out".
Information sourced from The Thaiger.