Thailand · Residency by investment

Long-Term Resident Visa — Wealthy Global Citizen

Open Last verified July 2026

Open and materially improved. BOI Announcement No. Por. 3/2568 of 4 February 2025 removed the previous USD 80,000 annual income requirement for this category. Qualification is now based purely on assets, plus the Thailand investment.

The LTR is the only instrument in Thailand that solves the remittance problem. Royal Decree No. 743 exempts Wealthy Global Citizen, Wealthy Pensioner and Work-from-Thailand LTR holders from Thai tax on foreign income remitted to Thailand. That is the exact exposure that Por. 161/2566 created for everyone else. A Thai-resident family without an LTR pays up to 35% on remittances. The same family with one pays nothing. That single fact outweighs every other consideration.

Qualifying routes

$1M

Global assets plus Thailand investment

You need at least USD 1m in total assets. Of that, at least USD 500,000 must be invested in Thailand. That can go into Thai government bonds with 5+ years remaining maturity, Thai company shares, SET-listed shares, or Thai property.

The facts

Minimum investment: $1M
Total landed cost: Plan on USD 500,000 committed to Thailand, plus a THB 50,000 visa fee (about USD 1,400) per person. Legal fees typically run USD 3–10k.
Route type: Residency by investment
Timeline: 2–5 months (You get a BOI qualification endorsement first, then the visa is issued. It is generally faster than most RBI programmes.)
Physical presence: There is no minimum stay required to maintain the LTR. But spending 180+ days in Thailand makes you a Thai tax resident, and that is when the Royal Decree 743 exemption becomes relevant.
Family: SpouseUp to three children under 20 qualify. Dependants beyond that require separate arrangements
Permanent residency: There is no direct route. Thai permanent residency is a separate, quota-limited process that requires three consecutive years of extensions.
Citizenship: For most people, there is no realistic route. Thai naturalisation requires PR plus five years, Thai language ability, and is heavily discretionary.
Language test: Thai language is required for naturalisation. That includes singing the national and royal anthems.
Dual citizenship: Permitted
Requirements: At least USD 1,000,000 in total assets, shown through investment portfolios with licensed institutions, regulated bank deposits, or overseas property backed by a title deed and land-register extractAt least USD 500,000 invested in Thai government bonds with 5+ years remaining maturity, Thai company shares, SET-listed shares or Thai propertyHealth insurance with at least USD 50,000 coverage, or Thai social security, or a USD 100,000 bank deposit held for 12+ monthsThere has been no minimum annual income requirement since BOI Announcement Por. 3/2568 of 4 February 2025.

What can go wrong

The USD 500,000 Thailand investment must be maintained. Thai government bonds are the conservative choice. Thai property comes with foreign-ownership restrictions, including no freehold land and 49% condominium quotas, plus thin resale liquidity.
The BOI expressly excludes cryptocurrencies, tokens, gold futures, amulets, works of art, designer items, watches and jewellery from the USD 1m asset test. Crypto-heavy balance sheets do not qualify.
Royal Decree 743 covers foreign income only. Thai-source income is taxed normally at up to 35%. That includes rent from your Thai condo and salary earned under a digital work permit.
The exemption is a Royal Decree, which a future government can amend. It carries more weight than a departmental instruction, but it is not written into the constitution.
The visa runs for 10 years but is issued as 5+5. The second five years requires that you still meet the criteria. If your assets fall below USD 1m at renewal, that is a real risk.
Thailand's political environment is volatile. The House was dissolved ahead of a February 2026 general election, and that is exactly why the tax amendment stalled. Policy continuity is not guaranteed.
The Highly-Skilled Professional LTR category gets a 17% flat rate, but it is not covered by the Royal Decree 743 foreign income exemption. Choosing the wrong LTR category is an expensive mistake.

Sources (2)

Path to permanent residence and citizenship

Permanent residency. There is no direct route. Thai permanent residency is a separate, quota-limited process that requires three consecutive years of extensions.

Citizenship. For most people, there is no realistic route. Thai naturalisation requires PR plus five years, Thai language ability, and is heavily discretionary.

Language test. Thai language is required for naturalisation. That includes singing the national and royal anthems.

Dual citizenship. Permitted

Frequently asked

How long until citizenship through the Long-Term Resident Visa — Wealthy Global Citizen?

For most people, there is no realistic route. Thai naturalisation requires PR plus five years, Thai language ability, and is heavily discretionary. A language requirement applies: thai language is required for naturalisation. That includes singing the national and royal anthems.

What does the Long-Term Resident Visa — Wealthy Global Citizen cost?

The minimum qualifying investment is $1M. Plan on USD 500,000 committed to Thailand, plus a THB 50,000 visa fee (about USD 1,400) per person. Legal fees typically run USD 3–10k.

How much time must I spend in Thailand?

There is no minimum stay required to maintain the LTR. But spending 180+ days in Thailand makes you a Thai tax resident, and that is when the Royal Decree 743 exemption becomes relevant.

Who can I include in the application?

Spouse; Up to three children under 20 qualify. Dependants beyond that require separate arrangements.