Key Takeaways
- On 13 January B.E. 2568 (2025) the Thai Cabinet approved a major revision of the LTR visa, given effect by Board of Investment Announcement No. Por. 3/2568. The reforms make the visa easier to obtain for several groups.
- The Wealthy Global Citizen category no longer has any personal income requirement. Qualification now rests on USD 1 million in assets and a USD 500,000 investment in Thailand.
- The five-year work-experience requirement is removed for Highly-Skilled Professionals and Work-from-Thailand Professionals; degrees and expertise now suffice.
- For remote workers, the overseas employer's required revenue falls from USD 150 million to USD 50 million, and a listing on any stock exchange now qualifies.
- The visa grants a 10-year stay, annual (not 90-day) reporting, a digital work permit, a flat 17% personal income tax rate for qualifying highly-skilled professionals, and exemption from the four-Thai-to-one-foreigner hiring ratio.
Thailand has quietly made its flagship long-stay visa one of the most accessible in the region. The Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa, introduced in 2022 to attract wealthy and skilled foreigners, was overhauled by Cabinet resolution on 13 January B.E. 2568 (2025) and given legal effect through Board of Investment (BOI) Announcement No. Por. 3/2568. For investors, retirees, remote professionals, and skilled experts who looked at the LTR visa two years ago and found the bar too high, the revised criteria are worth a fresh look. Several of the financial and experience hurdles that previously excluded otherwise well-qualified applicants are now gone.
What the LTR Visa Is
The LTR visa is a 10-year residence visa administered by the BOI in cooperation with the Immigration Bureau and the Department of Employment. It is aimed at four groups of high-potential foreigners: wealthy individuals, retirees, remote workers employed abroad, and highly-skilled professionals working in Thailand's targeted industries. The government has set a target of attracting one million such residents over five years.
What sets the LTR visa apart from the retirement visa, the Privilege (Elite) visa, and the standard business visa is the combination of length, convenience, and tax treatment. Holders are admitted for an initial five years, renewable for a further five, and are released from many of the recurring obligations that make other long-stay routes burdensome.
The Benefits
The visa carries the following privileges, as confirmed on the BOI's official LTR portal:
- A 10-year visa, granted as five years and renewable for five more where the qualifying conditions continue to be met.
- A multiple re-entry permit, with no separate re-entry permit required.
- Annual reporting in place of the usual 90-day report to Immigration.
- A digital work permit for those employed by a Thai entity. This does not apply to remote workers under the Work-from-Thailand category, who have no Thai employer.
- A flat 17% personal income tax rate for qualifying Highly-Skilled Professionals, in place of progressive rates that reach 35%. This benefit rests on Royal Decree No. 743 B.E. 2565 (2022).
- Exemption from the requirement to employ four Thai nationals for every foreign employee.
- Fast-track service at international airports in Thailand.
What Changed in 2025
The revision relaxed three things that had kept qualified applicants out.
First, income. The Wealthy Global Citizen category previously required proof of USD 80,000 in annual personal income over two years. That requirement has been removed entirely. Wealth, not income, now governs this category.
Second, experience. Both the Highly-Skilled Professional and the Work-from-Thailand Professional categories previously required five years of relevant work experience. That requirement is gone. Eligibility now turns on income, qualifications, and the nature of the employer or industry.
Third, employer size. For remote workers, the overseas employer's required revenue fell from USD 150 million to USD 50 million over three years, and employment by a company listed on any stock exchange now qualifies regardless of revenue.
The revision also widened the definition of dependent (parents are now included alongside spouses and children) and recognised same-sex marriages for the dependent category.
The Four Categories and Their Requirements
1. Wealthy Global Citizen. For individuals with substantial assets. The applicant must hold at least USD 1 million in assets, in Thailand or abroad, and must have invested at least USD 500,000 in Thailand before applying. Qualifying investments are Thai government bonds with at least five years remaining to maturity, direct investment in a Thai company, or Thai property, in any combination. There is no personal income requirement.
2. Wealthy Pensioner. For retirees aged 50 or older. The applicant must show at least USD 80,000 a year in passive or unearned income, such as a pension, rent, dividends, or interest. Salary and earned income do not count. An applicant whose passive income is between USD 40,000 and USD 80,000 may still qualify by additionally investing USD 250,000 in Thailand, in the same categories of bonds, company investment, or property.
3. Work-from-Thailand Professional. For remote workers employed by established companies abroad. The applicant must show average personal income of USD 80,000 a year over the past two years, or USD 40,000 if they hold a master's degree or higher, own intellectual property, or have received Series A funding of at least USD 1 million. The overseas employer must be a company listed on a stock exchange, or a private company that has operated for at least three years with combined revenue of at least USD 50 million over those three years, or a qualifying subsidiary of either. No Thai work permit is issued for this category, because the work is performed for a foreign employer.
4. Highly-Skilled Professional. For experts working in Thailand's targeted industries. The applicant must show average personal income of USD 80,000 a year over the past two years, or USD 40,000 if they hold a master's degree or higher in science and technology, or can show relevant expertise. Those employed by Thai government agencies, public universities, or public research institutes are exempt from the income requirement altogether. The applicant must work in one of the BOI's targeted industries, which include automotive, electronics, digital, medical, robotics and automation, aviation and aerospace, biotechnology and food, and other fields requiring special expertise.
Health Insurance: The Same Rule for All
All four categories carry the same health coverage requirement. The applicant must hold health insurance covering at least USD 50,000 of medical expenses in Thailand, or be receiving Thai social security benefits, or maintain a bank deposit of at least USD 100,000 for at least twelve months. Dependents may use the deposit option at USD 25,000 each.
How to Apply, and What It Costs
Applications are submitted online through the BOI's LTR portal at ltr.boi.go.th. There is no BOI fee for the qualification endorsement. The BOI coordinates the review with the Immigration Bureau, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other agencies, and notifies the applicant of the result, normally within 20 working days. Once endorsed, the applicant has 60 days to collect the visa, either at a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate abroad or at the One Stop Service Center in Bangkok. The government fee for the 10-year visa is THB 50,000 per person when collected in Thailand. The digital work permit, where applicable, costs THB 3,000 per year.
A practical note on location: the LTR Visa Unit and One Stop Service now operate from the Thailand Investment and Expat Services Center (TIESC) at One Bangkok, Rama IV Road, which opened in March 2025 and consolidates the former investment and visa service centres.
Who Should Look Again
The reforms reward a fresh assessment. A retiree drawing a pension below USD 80,000 can now combine it with a Thai investment. A founder with a master's degree and a funded start-up can qualify as a remote worker without five years of history. A wealthy individual with strong assets but irregular income, previously excluded, now qualifies on assets alone. A company relocating skilled staff to Thailand can use the visa to sidestep the four-to-one Thai hiring ratio while offering a 17% tax rate.
The one caution worth stressing is continuity. Every condition, including the investment amount, the insurance, and the bank balance, must be maintained throughout the life of the visa. The BOI re-verifies qualifications before the second five-year term. Applicants should structure their finances so that the qualifying assets stay in place, and keep documentary proof current.
How Dej-Udom & Associates Can Help
Dej-Udom & Associates advises individuals and employers on the full LTR process: assessing which category fits, structuring qualifying investments, preparing the endorsement application, and coordinating visa and work permit issuance. We also advise on the tax position, including the 17% rate and the exemption for qualifying overseas income, and on how the LTR visa compares with the retirement, Privilege, and BOI business routes.
The 2025 reforms have turned the LTR visa from a niche option for the very wealthy into a realistic route for a much wider group of investors, retirees, and professionals. For anyone considering a long-term base in Thailand, it now deserves first consideration. We would be glad to assess your eligibility and manage the application.
Disclaimer: This publication is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information herein should not be relied upon as a substitute for specific legal counsel. For advice tailored to your circumstances, please contact Dej-Udom & Associates directly. All figures are drawn from the official Board of Investment LTR portal (ltr.boi.go.th) and BOI Announcement No. Por. 3/2568; requirements may change, and applicants should verify the current criteria before applying.