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The Long Term Resident Visa or LTR visa in Thailand was created in 2022. This is the Thailand’s Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa. This was done to attract high net-worth people to Thailand. This was launched just after Covid which devastated economies globally. What they were wanting to attract was high net-worth individuals, processionals and investors.
During the first two years the system revealed problems and limitations. Lets see what the problems where with the LTR visa. Firstly the eligibility requirements as well as the industry definitions. Likewise there was the high income thresholds which left people on the sidelines who could not meet these thresholds. So in January 2025 the Board of Investment (BOI) and Thai government changed the rules.See the changes to the Thailand’s Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa in 2025.
The BOI Announcement No. Por. 3/2568. This was to expand access and simplify the qualification criteria. Likewise you will note that these changes took effect on 4 February 2025 and it has reshaped how the LTR Visa works in practice. Likewise also called the Thailand 10 year visa.
This article provides insight into the LTR Visa’s structure. See that thee 2025 updates change, and what they mean for you. This if you are an investors, professionals, families, and immigration lawyers in Thailand.
The LTR Visa in Thailand offers a 10-year renewable residence. First you will get a 5-year visa which will be extended to another 5-year visa with numerous privileges This is similar to the Thailand Elite Visa in Thailand. The visa is split into 5 year visas:
There are four categories in the LTR visa under which applicants can qualify under the Thailand’s Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa:
Wealthy Global Citizens – This is person with significant assets or investment capital.
Wealthy Pensioners – The retirees who have a stable passive income or pensions.
Work-from-Thailand Professionals – Likewise remote workers employed by foreign firms.
Highly Skilled Professionals – These specialists in targeted industries or research sectors.
Each of these groups have always faced stringent conditions. These limited accessibility mainly for younger professionals as well as for small business owners. The 2025 revisions of the Thailand’s Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa directly address these barriers.
In January 2025, the changes were made to making the LTR Visa more inclusive. Likewise more responsive to the global mobility trends. The new rules removes some of the experience requirements. Likewise it also broadens the eligible industries, and relaxes the income tests as well.
Removal of the 5-year professional experience : The Thai government removed the 5 year experience requirement for those applying under the skilled and remote-work categories.
Lowering of employer-revenue threshold : This is for foreign firms sponsoring remote professionals.
Removal of annual income requirements : This was removed from the Wealthy Global Citizen category.
Expansion of eligible industries : The expanded the eligible industries for Highly Skilled Professionals.
Broader dependent definitions: These include parents and family members.
Streamlined application and new fee structure, effective October 2025.
Each of these updates reflects Thailand’s strategy to strengthen competitiveness in the regional visa market, especially against Singapore, Malaysia, and the UAE.
Old Requirements (2022-2024):
You must be employed by a public or private company. Likewise listed on a stock exchange or a company with at least USD 150 million annual revenue for the past three years.
You would need to have five years’ professional experience in a relevant field.
You must have a minimum income of USD 80,000 per year (or USD 40,000 if holding a master’s degree).
New Rules (Effective February 2025):
Now the the employer revenue threshold has been lowered from USD 150 million to USD 50 million. This is a huge lowering of revenue which allows smaller companies to enter the market.
The five-year experience requirement has been removed entirely. This mainly as it removes younger people.
The income requirements remain similar. However the income requirements is now more flexible than before. This change allows for individuals working in smaller international companies.
Workers for wholly-owned subsidiaries of multinational companies now qualify. This even if the subsidiary itself does not meet the visa revenue threshold.
Impact:
This small change opens the door to thousands of digital professionals. This includes startup founders and independent contractors. Those individuals who previously failed to qualify for the LTR visa. Thailand has come to see that the modern remote workforce is diverse, and that wealth creation is not confined to large corporations.
Old Requirements:
Must have at least five years of relevant experience in a “targeted industry” designated by the BOI.
Limited target sectors: biotechnology, automotive, digital, smart electronics, aviation, and medical technology.
Minimum income of USD 80,000 annually (USD 40,000 for STEM postgraduates).
New Rules (2025):
Five-year work experience requirement abolished.
Target industries expanded to include:
Impact:
Thailand’s new economic agenda prioritizes sustainability, resilience, and education. Including these sectors signals a policy shift from manufacturing-driven growth toward knowledge-based development. The removal of the 5-year rule is especially valuable for younger experts, researchers, and academics.
Old Requirements:
You had to have a minimum annual income of USD 80,000 for the last two years.
You had to have USD 1 million in global assets for the visa.
Likewise USD 500,000 investment in Thailand. This can be in government bonds, real estate or in Forward Direct Investment.
New Rules (2025):
They have removed the Income requirement for this visa.
Likewise applicants must now show stable assets and investment in Thailand, emphasizing capital rather than salary.
They have taken the USD 500,000 investment threshold which remains. They have now included a wider range of instruments. This can be in sustainability bonds or startup equity. These are the chnage in rules for the Thailand’s Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa.
Impact:
This change has connected that wealth can exist without regular income. This is particularly among retirees and entrepreneurs. Likewise It also aligns with Thailand’s LTR scheme with global “golden visa” programs. This emphasizes investment and net worth over income documentation. See more on the Thailand’s Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa below.
The category on wealthy pensioners was not really affect by the 2025 changes. This visa remain popular with those who are retired. There are small-administrative changes.
Old Rules:
The old rules stated that dependents are limited to your spouse and up to four children under 20. This is more in line with the Thailand Elite visa.
New Rules (Pending Ministerial Regulation):
Your dependents can now include your parents and other legal dependents.
In principle there is no fixed numerical cap
Note that the dependents applications can now be filed concurrently with the main applicant rather than sequentially. The new rules of the Thailand’s Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa is much better.
Impact:
Unlike other visas, this reform makes Thailand’s LTR Visa truly family-centric. This is also responding to expat families’ concerns. Likewise the previous structure separated households. This now also helps attract multigenerational investors, especially from East Asia.
The application process remains under the BOI’s “One Stop Service Center for Visa and Work Permit” (OSS). However we have seen that since 1 October 2025, the government will implement the following:
There will be a document-verification fee separate from the visa fee itself.
There is also an optional premium-processing tier for faster approval.
Lastly the continued use of digital work-permit issuance via the BOI’s platform.
They have made these changes mainly to improve efficiency, addressing applicant frustration about unpredictable processing times during the visa’s early years. These are the changes for the Thailand’s Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa in 2025.
The 2025 changes are not isolated. They still form part of Thailand’s post-pandemic economic-recovery plan. This was originally designed ti bring investment into Thailand. This with high value immigration and innovation.
Enhance competitiveness There are a number of visa schemes in Asia. Some of them are aimed at a different audience. There is the Malaysia’s DE Rantau, Singapore’s Tech.Pass. Some of them are aimed at retired people while other are for tech personal and are far more expensive than Thailand.
Boost domestic investment The idea is to get foreigners to invest in Thailand and spend money while living here.
Attract global talent To encourage investment in science, education, sustainability, as well as in technology.
Support Thailand 4.0 There is the long-term economic model promoting innovation and digital transformation.
The Board of Investment in Thailand oversees eligibility and approval of the applicant making the application.
The Immigration Bureau handles visa stamping and renewal.In other words they take care of the visa itself.
The Revenue Department applies the special 17% personal income-tax rate for qualifying experts.They take care of the taxes and tax enforcement for the applicant.
The simplification of Long Term resident LTR program rules aligns with Thailand’s commitment under its Digital Economy Masterplan and ASEAN mobility frameworks.
For Foreign Applicants
The changes to the rules in January 2025 allowed applicant who did not have enough experience or the company was to small, now could apply for the visa.
Multinational and regional companies can now sponsor a wider range of employees, particularly those in newly included sectors..
Practitioners should update internal checklists, fee estimates, and marketing materials.
For the Thai Economy
If implemented effectively, the reforms will attract high-value human capital and sustainable investment.
While the 2025 changes may be significant for smaller companies and younger applicants.
Pending Sub-regulations
There is the employer-revenue definitions have not been formally publishes by the Minister of the Interior.
Implementation Consistency
Immigration offices outside dont have standardized instructions issued.
Overlap with SMART Visa
Some overlap remains between the LTR and SMART Visa programs, though sources suggest the SMART Visa will eventually be consolidated under the LTR framework.
Monitoring of Compliance
Authorities are expected to issue clearer post-approval compliance rules — for example, how “continuous investment” or “employment maintenance” will be assessed during renewal.
Nevertheless, the government has signaled that further fine-tuning may occur in 2026 once the impact of these reforms is measured.
With Thailand’s LTR changes in 2025 makes the LTR visa the most liberal long-stay programs in ASEAN. For comparison:
Malaysia’s DE Rantau This targets digital nomads but it is a one-year renewable visa.
Singapore’s Tech.Pass This however demands higher salary as well as experience.
Indonesia’s Second Home Visa This focuses on retirees rather than professionals.
By contrast, Thailand’s LTR program balances flexibility with investment security, This positions the country as a middle-ground destination for both entrepreneurs and families seeking semi-permanent residence.
