Thailand Visas

Thailand's immigration system is run by the Immigration Bureau of the Royal Thai Police, with consular issuance handled by Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates abroad. The Board of Investment (BOI) administers the SMART Visa programme; the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa is jointly handled by the Immigration Bureau and BOI; and the Department of Employment under the Ministry of Labour manages all Work Permits separately from visas. Most long-stay foreigners deal with at least three of these institutions every year.

Tourism remains the headline route. As of late 2024, Thailand expanded visa exemption to citizens of 93 countries, granting 60 days on entry — the most generous tourism regime among major Southeast Asian economies. Beyond visa-exempt entry, the Tourist Visa (TR), Visa on Arrival (VOA, 15 days for selected nationalities), Destination Thailand Visa (DTV, introduced 2024 for digital nomads and Thai-soft-power participants), and the Thailand Privilege/Elite visa (premium 5–20 year multi-entry) cover most long-stay tourism scenarios.

For working and living long-term, the main routes are the Non-Immigrant B (employment), Non-Immigrant O (family/marriage/retirement), Non-Immigrant ED (education), Non-Immigrant O-A (retirement, age 50+), and the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa for high-skill or high-income foreigners. The LTR — launched in 2022 — gives 10-year multi-entry residence for wealthy global citizens, retirees, work-from-Thailand professionals, and high-skill workers, with a 17% personal income-tax cap on Thai-sourced income for the wealthy-pensioner category. The guides in this hub focus on the 90-day reporting, re-entry, and TM30 address-registration steps that determine whether long-stay residence runs cleanly.

After arrival, three obligations run in parallel: 90-day reporting at the local Immigration office (online for many categories), TM30 address registration by the property owner within 24 hours of arrival, and — for working roles — Work Permit collection at the Ministry of Labour before any work activity begins. Re-entry permits are required to keep a long-stay visa or extension valid when leaving the country, even briefly. Most long-stay visa holders use a multiple re-entry permit to avoid every-trip filings, and dual nationals must use the same passport for departure and return to avoid breaking their permitted stay.