Thailand: New Long-Term Resident Visa for Remote Workers and ‘High Potential’ Foreign Nationals

• The 10-year LTR visa is available to four categories of foreign nationals and their dependents:
  • Wealthy global citizens – individuals holding at least USD 1,000,000 in assets, a personal income of a minimum of USD 80,000 per year in the past two years and who have invested at least USD 500,000 in Thai government bonds, foreign direct investment, or Thai property;
  • Wealthy pensioners – Retirees aged 50 years old and above who have an annual pension or stable income of at least USD 80,000 per year or at least USD 40,000 per year and who have invested at least USD 250,000 in Thai government bonds, foreign direct investment, or Thai property;
  • Remote workers - Those working for well-established overseas companies (public company on a stock exchange or private company in operation for at least three years with combined revenue of at least USD 150,000,000 in the last three years) with a personal income of at least USD 80,000 per year in the past two years or at least USD 40,000 in the past two years and with a Master’s Degree or above or who own intellectual property or receive series A funding; and
  • Highly-Skilled Professionals – Professionals or experts in targeted industries working for business entities or higher education institutes or research centers or specialized training institutions in Thailand or Thai government agencies.
• Each LTR visa holder is eligible to sponsor up to four dependents, which can include spouses and children under 20 years of age.
• Applicants must have health insurance with at least USD 50,000 coverage or social security benefits insuring treatment in Thailand or at least a USD 100,000 deposit.

• Eligible foreign nationals, including certain remote workers, benefit from a new long-term visa option that allows them to perform work for their overseas employer remotely in Thailand, which was previously not possible.
• Holders of the LTR visa benefit from several a 10-year visa validity; an exemption from obtaining a re-entry permit when traveling to and from Thailand; fast-track service at international airports in Thailand; and eligibility to obtain a digital work permit.

The Thai government has eased several immigration requirements for the LTR visa, including the removal of the four Thai national to one foreign national employment ratio that is required for employers in Thailand and changing the 90-day reporting requirement to a one-year report.

• Employers benefit from the removal of the four to one (Thai to foreign national) ratio and can hire from a larger pool of foreign talent as a result, if their employees qualify for the LTR.
• Foreign nationals working in Thailand benefit from the easing of the 90-day report requirement, where they are currently required to notify the government every 90 days of foreign nationals working in Thailand. The LTR visa holder will only need to notify the government once every year.