Visa guide
Choosing your Thai visa before you move
Thailand has more than a dozen visa types, and the one you arrive on decides how long you can stay, whether you can work and how often you report to immigration. Sort it before you book the flight; changing category after you land is slower and not always possible.
Step 1: Start from why you're coming
Your reasonVisa to look at
Employed by a company in ThailandNon-Immigrant B + work permit (employer sponsors)
Senior executive, high earner or wealthy investorLTR visa, up to 10 years
Remote worker or freelancer for overseas clientsDTV (5 years, 180 days per entry) or LTR if you meet the income bar
Buying a home worth ฿3 million+Property long-stay visa
Retiring, aged 50+Non-Immigrant O, O-A (1 year) or O-X (up to 10 years)
Joining a spouse or parentNon-Immigrant O (family) or dependant of the main visa holder
StudyingNon-Immigrant ED
Long stay with no work, age or income testThailand Privilege membership (paid)
Visiting first to look aroundVisa exemption (30 days) or Tourist visa (60 days)
Step 2: Check the conditions that rule you in or out
- Work: only work-based visas (Non-B with a work permit, LTR) let you work for a Thai employer. DTV and retirement visas do not.
- Money: most long-stay visas need proof of funds or income, often held for several months before you apply.
- Age: retirement visas start at 50.
- Health insurance: required for retirement O-A and O-X and for LTR, with minimum cover levels.
- Family: check which visas let your spouse and children come as dependants, and whether your marriage certificate is recognised.
Step 3: Prepare documents early
- Passport valid for at least six months, better 18 months or more.
- Bank statements covering the months the visa asks for, in your name.
- Employment letter or contract, and for remote work, proof of your employer or clients.
- Marriage and birth certificates for dependants, often legalised and translated.
- Police clearance and medical certificate for some visas, such as the O-A retirement visa.
- Health insurance certificate showing the cover amounts the visa requires.
Step 4: Apply, then land
- Apply online through Thailand's official e-Visa system for your country, or through the BOI portal for LTR.
- Receive the visa before you travel; processing ranges from a few working days to several weeks.
- File the TDAC within 72 hours before arrival.
- After you arrive: your landlord files TM30, and you handle 90-day reports (or annual reports on LTR).
Avoid planning to live on repeated visa-free entries. Since 15 September 2026 each stay is 30 days plus one 30-day extension, and repeated "visa runs" draw questions at the border.
Guides to each visa
- LTR visa: 10 years for wealthy citizens, pensioners, remote professionals and skilled professionals.
- ฿3 million property visa: a yearly long stay linked to a home you own.
- DTV, Non-B, retirement and Thailand Privilege: guides coming soon.
Moving to Bangkok
Visa sorted? Let's find the home.
Tell us your arrival date and where you'll work. We'll line up viewings for your first week and point you to a visa specialist if you need one.
General information, not immigration or legal advice. Visa rules change often; confirm with the Thai embassy, BOI or a licensed lawyer.