US$1m in assets and US$500,000 in qualifying Thai investment.
Thailand · Long-Term Resident
Four LTR routes. One must fit your life.
The LTR visa can support a longer stay. Wealth, retirement, overseas work and skilled employment follow different BOI tests. Start with the category you can evidence, then plan for its five-year reassessment.
THE ROUTE AT A GLANCE
The category determines the rights.
Four BOI profiles with distinct thresholds. The comparison below shows what you must evidence now and at the five-year review.
Age 50 or older; US$80,000 passive income, or US$40,000 plus US$250,000 invested.
Personal income and a qualifying overseas employer.
Income, a relevant degree or exception, and an eligible target field or role.
LTR / CATEGORY COMPARISON
Four routes. Four different evidence tests.
BOI thresholds set the first screen. They do not guarantee approval, work permission or a particular tax outcome.
01
Wealthy Global Citizen
Assets + an existing Thai investment
Eligibility
At least US$1m in personal assets, which may include at least US$500,000 already invested before applying in qualifying Thai government bonds, direct company investment or property. No personal income minimum under BOI's 2025 revision.
Decision consequenceOnly makes sense if the specific investment stands on its own. Ownership, value and continued holding face later review.
02
Wealthy Pensioner
Retirement + passive income
Eligibility
Age 50 or older and retired. At least US$80,000 yearly passive income; alternatively at least US$40,000 plus US$250,000 already invested in qualifying Thai assets. Salary does not count toward this income test.
Decision consequenceDocumented passive receipts are decisive. BOI does not automatically count withdrawals of capital principal as income.
03
Work-from-Thailand Professional
Overseas employment + employer test
Eligibility
Average annual income of at least US$80,000 over the last two years; alternatively US$40,000 plus a master's degree, intellectual property or at least US$1m Series A funding. Employer: listed, or private with at least three years' operation and US$50m combined revenue over three years; certain wholly owned subsidiaries may use parent figures.
Decision consequenceFor qualifying remote work for the overseas employer. BOI says this category receives no Thai Digital Work Permit for local employment.
04
Highly Skilled Professional
Skilled role + targeted field
Eligibility
Average annual income of at least US$80,000 over the last two years; alternatively US$40,000 plus a science/technology master's degree or accepted expertise. The contract and role must fit a BOI targeted industry or named expertise area; certain public-agency roles have an income exception.
Decision consequenceAn eligible role can support a Digital Work Permit through a separate process. The 17% tax rate may apply to qualifying employment income, not automatically to all income.
All four categories
Health cover of at least US$50,000 in Thailand with at least ten months remaining, qualifying Thai social security, or US$100,000 held on deposit for twelve months per main applicant. Dependants need their own evidence, or US$25,000 each under the deposit route.
Process and rights
BOI states around 20 working days to review a complete application. Endorsement lasts 60 days; for issuance at TIESC Bangkok, the appointment and visa collection must occur before it expires. BOI certification is free; issuance at TIESC is currently THB 50,000 per person. Initial stay is up to five years, followed by reassessment. A Digital Work Permit depends on category and a separate application.
Checked 3 October 2026. BOI's 2025 rule also names parents and other dependants, while its operational FAQ still concentrates on spouses and children under 20. Obtain written agency confirmation before relying on the expanded categories.
01 / STARTING POINTS
What could this route make possible for you?
A residence right is valuable when its effect fits your life, family or business purpose.
Capital with a purpose
Consider a Thai investment only if it fits your capital plan and qualifies before application.
Retirement that works
Assess passive income, cover, healthcare and the daily life you intend to lead.
Work in the right category
Keep overseas employment distinct from a skilled role with a Thai employer.
02 / LEGAL EFFECT
What the status grants. And what remains separate.
Residence, work, family and tax are not compressed into one promise.
LEGAL INSTRUMENT
Thailand · Long-Term Resident
BOI certifies eligibility; Immigration initially grants up to five years of LTR stay. A further five years require fresh BOI review. This is not permanent residence.
03 / BASIS AND CAPITALAll four categories have further, distinct requirements. These figures are neither a single price nor a ten-year guarantee.
What qualifies for this route.
US$1m / 500,000
Global Citizen: minimum assets and already qualifying Thai investment.
Age 50
Minimum for Wealthy Pensioner; passive income and possibly investment also required.
5 + 5 years
Initial stay and potential second period after fresh BOI review.
04 / LIFE BEHIND THE PERMIT
Residence alone does not settle daily life.
Who may join you, what you may do locally and how tax is affected are three distinct questions.
01 / LIFE AND RIGHTS
Family: each person needs their own route.
BOI's 2025 rule names lawful spouses, parents, children under 20 and other legal dependants. Its operational FAQ still concentrates on spouses and children under 20.
- For each person: a separate application, proof of relationship and health cover of at least US$50,000 in Thailand; alternatively eligible social security or an additional US$25,000 held on deposit for twelve months.
- BOI's FAQ expressly does not treat unmarried partners as spouses. Get written BOI and Immigration confirmation for parents and other dependants in the actual case before committing to a move or school.
02 / LIFE AND RIGHTS
Work: the LTR category controls the permit.
Work-from-Thailand is designed for documented remote work for a qualifying overseas employer. BOI excludes this category from the Thai Digital Work Permit.
- BOI says Global Citizen, Pensioner and Highly Skilled holders may apply for a Digital Work Permit where the actual activity and employer evidence qualify. The visa alone does not issue a permit.
- A Highly Skilled role must remain in a target industry or expertise area. Notify BOI at least one month before ending the existing contract when changing employer; if the new employer does not qualify, LTR status may end.
03 / LIFE AND RIGHTS
Tax: three categories and a narrow 17% rule.
Royal Decree 743 conditionally exempts specified foreign employment, business or property income brought into Thailand for Global Citizen, Pensioner and Work-from-Thailand holders.
- Highly Skilled instead may have a 17% withholding rate for qualifying employment income in an eligible activity. It is not a blanket rate for every income stream or every LTR holder.
- Review source of income, tax year, remittances, residence elsewhere and filings separately. If the conditions fail in a tax year, the benefit may be suspended for that year.
05 / MAINTENANCE AND OUTLOOK
Keeping the status is part of the decision.
A sound plan considers admission alongside presence, renewal and the longer outlook.
Presence
A continuous stay over one year triggers the special annual TM.95 address report instead of ordinary 90-day reporting. Re-entry restarts that year; accommodation reporting and entry formalities remain separate.
Renewal and duties
Keep the category, investment, employer or skilled role, and health cover or accepted alternative evidenced. The second five-year period requires fresh eligibility review; BOI recommends preparing 120 to 60 days before expiry.
Later status
LTR is neither permanent residence nor an automatic nationality path. Any later status requires its own procedure.
06 / PROCESS AND COSTS
The next step begins before applying.
Choose the BOI category, verify asset, income, work and cover evidence, apply online for BOI certification, then obtain the visa within the prescribed period from Immigration or a competent Thai mission. BOI does not charge for certification; issuance in Bangkok currently costs THB 50,000 per person, while overseas fees may differ.
Calculate the whole decision.
Where minimum amounts are stated, they are legal eligibility thresholds at the documented source date, not estimates of total cost. We review fees and other costs for the individual case before filing.
- Qualifying investment or economic basis
- Government fees and translations
- Legal and tax review
- Family, insurance and location
- Ongoing duties and renewal
- Potential exit or status change
07 / FIT AND LIMITS
When this route belongs on your shortlist.
A suitable permit serves a specific purpose. Where its rights or duties do not fit, comparison with another route begins.
The deciding question
Which of the four categories can your evidence support now and at the five-year review?
Where this route stops
The BOI's 2025 rules supersede older income, employer-revenue and work-experience tests. Do not infer a guaranteed ten-year stay, expanded dependant rights, work permission or a tax benefit from the programme name.
08 / WHAT NBF EXAMINES
Evidence the category before planning the life.
Get a comparison of the four BOI profiles alongside work, family and tax questions.
Eligibility
Test assets, passive income, employer or skilled role against current BOI rules.
Rights
Separate work, family, cover and tax effect for each category.
Continuity
Plan the five-year review, annual reporting and later status options.
09 / SOURCES AND REVIEW
The basis for the decision stays visible.
Programme brochures can explain routes. Responsible authorities and the current case determine their legal effect and conditions.
EDITORIAL VERSION · 3 OCTOBER 2026Sources and reviewView sources
The stated rules are grounded in the linked sources. Conditions, administrative practice and fit for your case are checked again before an individual recommendation.
BOI's 2025 rules and operational pages checked on 3 October 2026. Implementation of expanded dependant categories remains unclear; English regulations are unofficial translations. Confirm the Thai original and agency practice before an application.
THE NEXT DECISION
Which Thailand LTR category supports your plan?
Test today's evidence and the five-year review before committing capital or moving your base.
