Thailand – Update on Long-Term Resident Visa

The Thai government has announced a significant update to the criteria and conditions regarding its Long-Term Resident (“LTR”) Visa. These changes aim to attract high-value investors, skilled professionals, global talent and their families.^1,2

The new criteria include more relaxed criteria in respect of income and work experience and an expanded definition of family dependents. This should help make the LTR Visa more accessible to experts, investors, executives, and their families. 

These changes are designed to enhance Thailand's position as a global hub for investment and high-potential talent.

The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) has updated the qualifications, criteria and conditions of the LTR Visa.³  The main updates are as follows:

1. Wealthy global citizens – Removal of the income requirement

• Previous criteria: Applicants needed to demonstrate an annual personal income of at least US$80,000 for two consecutive years.
• New criteria: No personal income requirement
• This change has been made to prioritize stable long-term investments in Thailand of no less than US$500,000, by applicants holding combined worldwide assets, including investments in Thailand, of US$1 million or more.

2. Highly-skilled professionals – Removal of the work experience requirements and expansion of the scope of target industries

• Previous criteria: Having work experience for a company in the target industries or holding a position in the targeted areas of expertise
• New criteria: No work experience requirement, and the inclusion of academic professors in higher education and vocational education institutions across all fields in the targeted industries

3. Work-from-Thailand professionals – Removal of the work experience requirements and relaxation of the employer revenue requirements

• Previous criteria:

-  Having at least five years of work experience, in fields relevant to the applicant’s current employment, over the past 10 years

-  Overseas employers had to be a public company listed on a stock exchange, or a private company with at least three years of operation, and combined revenues of at least US$150 million in the last three years.

• New criteria:

-  Overseas employers’ last three years’ revenue criteria lowered to US$50 million

-  Eligible overseas employers now include wholly-owned subsidiaries (for whom the parent company may be referenced to fulfil the financial criteria).

-  No work experience requirement

4. Dependents (family members) - Expanded dependent rights for LTR Visa holders

• Previous criteria: Dependents must be legitimate spouse, or child under 20 years old, of LTR Visa holder, up to a maximum of four dependents.
• New criteria: Eligibility for dependents expanded to include parents and all legal dependents, with no limit on the number of dependents
• The new criteria on the expansion of dependent rights will take effect upon a later announcement by the Ministry of Interior.

5. Wealthy pensioners – Original criteria remain unchanged

• Over 50 years old in age, with a passive income of at least US$80,000 per year, or at least US$40,000 per year plus an investment in Thailand of at least US$250,000

Insurance requirements for all LTR Visa categories (original criteria remain unchanged)

• Health insurance coverage in Thailand of at least US$50,000 for no less than 10 months; or
• Social security in Thailand; or
• Savings deposit maintained in a bank account of at least US$100,000 in said bank account for the applicant, and at least US$25,000 for each dependent

The changes to the criteria for the dependents of the LTR Visa holders will take effect upon an official announcement by the Ministry of Interior on the expansion of dependents' rights. Should interested parties have any questions about the new criteria around conditions and eligibility, they may wish to consult with their usual immigration counsel or a member of the immigration team with KPMG in Thailand (see the contact us section).

We, KPMG in Thailand, continuously monitor changes to the LTR Visa program and will provide further updates once further information is available.

¹ Summary of the Cabinet meeting as of 13 January 2025 - Thailand’s Cabinet approved updates to the Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa program, https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/92332 (See No.14 เรื่องข้อเสนอการปรับปรุงมาตรการกระตุ้นเศรษฐกิจและการลงทุนโดยการดึงดูดชาวต่างชาติที่มีศักยภาพสูงสู่ประเทศไทย).

²  “บีโอไอปรับเกณฑ์ LTR Visa ดึงต่างชาติเข้าไทย ยกระดับสู่ศูนย์กลาง Talent ระดับโลก,"  (“Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) adjusts the Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa’s criteria to attract foreigners to Thailand and facilitate it to become a world-class talent center,” at (in Thai):  https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/92378 ).

³  ประกาศสำนักงานคณะกรรมการส่งเสริมการลงทุน, ที่ ป. ๓ / ๒๕๖๘ เรื่อง คุณสมบัติ หลักเกณฑ์และเงื่อนไขสำหรับการตรวจลงตรา ประเภทคนอยู่ชั่วคราวเป็นกรณีพิเศษ ตามมาตรการกระตุ้นเศรษฐกิจและการลงทุน โดยการดึงดูดชาวต่างชาติที่มีศักยภาพสูงสู่ประเทศไทย

(“Announcement of the Office of the Board of Investment No. Por 3/2568: Qualifications, Criteria, and Conditions for Long Term Resident Visa under Measure to Stimulate Economy and Investment by Attracting High-potential Alien Persons to Thailand, at (in Thai): “Announcement of the Office of the Board of Investment No. Por 3/2568”.)