Thailand Visa for Foreigners

Thailand offers a range of long-term visa categories. Picking the right one upfront saves time and money and reduces future rejection risk: Non-Immigrant B (Non-B) for workers; Non-O for Thai-family members and 50+ retirees; ED for students; O-A/O-X for retirees meeting financial criteria; LTR — the new 10-year visa for professionals and high earners; Smart Visa for tech/startups; Thailand Privilege Card for those wanting one-time-payment long-stay convenience.

We provide a free eligibility assessment at first contact, evaluating 7 factors: purpose of stay (work, family, retirement, investment), planned duration, income/assets, age, family status (Thai spouse or not), other citizenships, and prior Thai visa history — then recommend the 1–2 best-fit options.

Non-B is for foreign workers in Thailand. The Thai sponsoring company must have minimum THB 2M registered capital and employ 4 Thais per 1 foreigner (BOI-promoted companies enjoy relaxed ratios). The company issues an invitation and employment letter — BOI categories can lower both capital and Thai-staff requirements.

Process: 1) Company prepares docs (DBD certificate, shareholder/employee lists via social security, P.N.D. 50/51, office photos). 2) Apply for Non-B at a Thai embassy abroad — usually in the applicant's home country, with Laos and Vietnam being popular hubs (close and fast). 3) Enter Thailand on a 90-day Non-B. 4) Within 30 days, apply for Work Permit at the Department of Employment. 5) Use Non-B + WP to extend to a 1-year visa at Immigration — repeat annually.

Estimated cost: government fees THB 6,000–9,000 + our service THB 25,000–40,000 depending on company readiness. Higher when we must build the company-side documentation from scratch.

Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa launched September 2022 grants 10-year stay (5+5). Four categories: 1) Wealthy Global Citizen ($1M assets, $80K income, $500K Thai investment); 2) Wealthy Pensioner (age 50+, $80K pension); 3) Work-from-Thailand Professional ($80K income at a large foreign company); 4) Highly-Skilled Professional (in target industries with $80K income).

Key benefits: 90-day report becomes 1-year report; unlimited free Re-Entry Permit; digital Work Permit free (for categories 3 and 4); 17% flat income tax for Highly-Skilled; free Fast Track at Suvarnabhumi. Our team has handled 200+ LTR cases since launch — we know every pitfall by category.

Caution: BOI (the LTR adjudicator) scrutinizes financial evidence — especially Wealthy Pensioner and Wealthy Global Citizen. Bank statements (6–12 months, bank-certified), latest tax returns, or government-issued pension statements are required. Self-generated evidence (e.g. cash deposits) is not accepted.

Non-O has multiple sub-purposes: 1) Thai-spouse; 2) Thai-child support; 3) Thai-parent support; 4) retiree 50+. Each has its own financial test — spouse: THB 400,000 in a Thai bank for 2 months prior, or THB 40,000/month income. Retiree: THB 800,000 in a Thai bank for 2 months, or THB 65,000/month income.

Tip: open a Thai bank account and start depositing from your first Non-O — most Thai banks require an existing Non-O before opening. We can open accounts at partner banks (Bangkok Bank, Krungsri, KBank) within 2–3 hours.

Every foreigner staying continuously over 90 days must report to Immigration every 90 days. Three channels: in-person, registered mail, or online e-Notification (most convenient but the system is unreliable). Forgetting = THB 2,000 fine + a soft blacklist note (cumulative).

A Re-Entry Permit is required whenever you leave Thailand and want to keep the same visa — leaving without one VOIDS the visa instantly. Single Re-Entry THB 1,000; Multiple THB 3,800 — Multiple is worth it if you travel 4+ times/year. LTR and Elite include free Multiple Re-Entry.

Other common breaches: not filing TM.30 address change, not updating workplace, working outside Work Permit scope — fines are high and visa cancellation is possible. We offer monthly compliance monitoring for LTR/long-stay clients at THB 3,000/month.