Long Term Visa Options - Overview

There are a number of options available to foreigns looking to make a longer duration move to Thailand, retire, or just spend a few years living in the kingdom.

Here are the 3 main visa options for many to consider:

Thailand Investment Visa

One great options for anyone looking to purchase property in Thailand and stay longer than the 30, 60 or 90 day short stay visa option is the Thai Investment Visa.

This allows anyone who invests a minimum cash amount of 10M THB into Thailand in one, or a mixture of the three options below:

1. Purchase a freehold or leasehold condo with the minimum value of 10THB in cash (approximately 315,000 USD) - Buyers must have the intention to keep the property for a minimum of 3 years or more.
2. A deposit payment into a Thai government backed or Thai state enterprise bonds.
3. A deposit payment into a Thai Bank account in the form of fixed-term deposit.

As long as you deposit at least 10M in any of the 3 above methods or a mixture of them all then.

Great thing is that there is no age limit on this visa type and it is a 1 year renewable visa.

We would strongly recommend doing your full due diligence beforehand, especially if you are looking to invest in property and apply for Thailand Investment Visa.

Many people pay for the services provided by an immigration lawyer to ensure they have all the necessary paperwork and documentation required.

Thailand Elite Visa 

This is a government backed initiative to help anyone who wants to stay in Thailand from 1 year all the way to 20 years and it comes in the form of the Thailand Elite Visa.

They already have over 30,000 paying members who are continually renewing their packages to continue their long-term stay in Thailand.

The first and entry level package starts from only 500K THB (just under 16K USD) which will allow you entry and residence for a period of 5 years anywhere in Thailand. 

The next packages - goes up to 10 year which typically costs around 800,000 THB.

The final option is a 20 years visa which starts from 1,000,000 payment upfront - working out at only 50,000 thb per year.

There are also options in add family members that are quite affordable depending on the duration you plan to stay.

There are also some perks and extra privileges such as express entry and exit at the international airports and limousine services available on selected short and long-haul. Higher-level packages also include spa treatments, activities and other added benefits.

Payment is required upfront and anyone over the age of 20 is eligible.

Retirement Visa

One of the most well known types of visa is the retirement visa which is extendable on a yearly basis. This is only applicable to individuals over the age of 50 who pass specific criminal, health and back-ground checks. 

There are some requirements in terms of proving you have enough funds to support yourself in Thailand during your stay. This will be in the form of either a regular monthly income of over 65,000 THB or a lump-sum savings of 800K amount. 

Typically, you are required to produce proof from the bank deposit of 800,000 has been in there for a period of 2 months and for the monthly income you will need a letter from your embassy in Thailand confirming your monthly income.