Moving to Thailand

What Visas are Available for Thailand?

It’s not easy to decide since the variety of available visas is diverse and changes regularly. Here, I detail the advantages and disadvantages of each visa.

The Digital Nomad Visa for Thailand: DTV

Finally, the DTV visa has arrived. It’s the visa for remote workers. A big thank you to Thailand for making this visa. You can forget about the Thai Elite visa. For 100 times less cost, you have the DTV visa.

Other Visas to Come to Thailand

Infos + Requirements	Pros/Cons
A Thai Company + Work Permit Requirements: Setup company: Open 20k THB = 500€, Government 6500 THB=160€ Initial investment: 2 million THB = 50k€ Minimum 4 employees (4 Thai to 1 foreigner) Minimum wage 350 THB/day Need a Thai associate 51% company belongs to Thai associate Accounting/tax declaration: 12k/month + 12k = 3.6k€ Work permit: 15k THB = 370€ Govt fees 3k THB = 75€ Virtual office cost Corporate Income tax: 20% Personal income tax: from 5% to 35%, bracket 30% hit at 50k€	Pros: Right to work with proper work permit Cons: Heavy structuring + yearly cost ❗ Using a proxy/nominee in not legal. face imprisonment: for a maximum term of three years and a fine ranging from THB 100,000 to THB 1,000,000, or both. Tax
Long-Term Resident (LTR) Requirements: Wealthy global citizens At least USD $1 million in assets. A minimum of USD $80,000/year of personal income for the past 2 years. Direct investments of at least USD $500,000 in Thai government bonds, foreign direct investment, or Thai property/real estate. Wealthy pensioners (aged 50 years and older) Personal income of at least USD $80,000 per year at the time of application. Personal income of no less than USD $40,000 per year and investments of at least USD $250,000 in Thai government bonds, foreign direct investment, or Thai property Work-from-Thailand professionals (including digital nomads) having personal income of at least US$80,000 per year in the past two years, work experience of not less than five years, and be working in a legally registered company which has income of not less than US$150 million within the past three years. Highly skilled professionals having personal income of not less than US$80,000 per year in the past two years, are skilful in the target industry, and have not less than five years of work experience.	Pros: 10-year validity Tax residency Report to immigration once a year instead of every 90 days Visa not too expensive 50kTHB = 1260€ Cons: Difficult to match the criteria 17% Flat Tax Rate: lower than normal but still more than 0
Buy a Work Permit from a Payroll Company Requirements: Price: commission for each payslip	Pros: Tax residency No structure to setup Cons: Fake contract No actual work for your employer Not everything declared in Thailand No proof of work Fees to pay to the payroll company
Thai Elite Requirements: 5 to 20 years Minimum 900k THB = 25k€	Pros: Easy to apply Suitable if you receive dividends without working Cons: No work permit, no right to work Price
Retirement Visa Requirements: Over 50 years Valid 5 years Price: 10k THB = 250€	Pros: Cheap Eligible to tax residency Cons: No right to work
Tourism Visa Requirements: Price: Cheap Duration: 1 month + 1 month extension	Pros: None Cons: No tax residency No multi-entry visa
Student Visa Requirements: Price: 2k THB = 65€ Duration: 9 months + 6 months extension	Pros: None Cons: No tax residency No multi-entry visa No right to work Need to attend courses