Thailand’s Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa programme has approved more than 12,000 foreign nationals since launching four years ago, generating an estimated 43 billion baht in economic value, according to the Board of Investment (BOI).
The Thailand LTR visa was introduced in September 2022 to attract wealthy residents, retirees, remote professionals and highly skilled workers who want to live and, where permitted, work in the country long term.
BOI Secretary-General Narit Therdsteerasukdi said the programme had recorded 12,010 approvals over its first four years. The agency estimated its economic contribution at around 43 billion baht, or more than 3.6 million baht per person.
The figure is a BOI estimate based on visa fees, spending by holders in Thailand, direct investment and tax revenue from highly skilled professionals, rather than a measure of visa fees alone.
Wealthy pensioners make up the largest group, with 4,561 approvals, followed by 3,891 dependants. Highly skilled professionals account for 1,779, while 1,043 approvals went to professionals working from Thailand for overseas employers and 737 to wealthy global citizens.
Americans represent the largest nationality group with more than 2,400 approvals, followed by Japanese nationals with more than 1,300 and British nationals with over 1,000. Japanese applicants have been particularly prominent among highly skilled professionals, according to the BOI.
The agency said longer-term residents also contribute through spending on housing, healthcare, tourism, food, transport and other services, while the professional categories are intended to support Thailand’s efforts to attract workers for industries including semiconductors, advanced electronics, artificial intelligence, robotics, aviation and biotechnology.
The LTR programme provides qualifying applicants with residence of up to 10 years, issued in two five-year periods. Holders report to immigration annually instead of every 90 days, while eligible workers can obtain a digital work permit.
Highly skilled professionals can also qualify for a 17% personal income tax rate on eligible Thai employment income.
Thailand relaxed several eligibility requirements in 2025 in an effort to broaden the programme. Changes included easing requirements for wealthy applicants and Work-from-Thailand professionals as the government sought to attract more international talent and investment.
The BOI has now introduced a new online application system for the Thailand LTR visa, which went live in September. It connects processes involving the Department of Consular Affairs, the Immigration Bureau, the Department of Employment and the Revenue Department.
The system is intended to reduce duplication between agencies and shorten the application process as demand increases. Applicants can submit directly through the BOI’s LTR platform, while qualification checks remain dependent on the requirements of each visa category.
The BOI said it plans to continue developing both its online services and the Thailand Investment and Expat Services Center as competition between countries to attract international investors and skilled workers intensifies.
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