Thailand’s Long-Term Resident Visa Program has undergone several updates for 2025 to improve the application process and make the visa more accessible to both applicants and their immediate family members by reducing eligibility criteria. These updates further cement the LTR Visa as one of, if not the most prized, immigration solutions in Thailand.
This article will cover the current state of the LTR Visa Program and what applicants and holders of the visa can expect this year.
What is Thailand’s LTR Visa Program?
The Long-Term Resident Visa, also known as the LTR Visa, is designed to attract investors, retirees, remote workers, and skilled professionals to Thailand. It grants a 10-year stay in the country and comes with several benefits that make living in Thailand more convenient and profitable. There are five categories for the LTR Visa:
- Wealthy Global Citizens: For foreigners who can invest significantly in Thailand’s economy
- Wealthy Pensioners: For retirees over 50 with high passive income
- Work-From-Home Professionals: For remote workers employed by a sizeable company outside Thailand
- Highly Skilled Professionals: For workers with unique expertise and qualifications employed in targeted industries in Thailand
- Dependents: For immediate dependent family members of primary LTR Visa holders
The Benefits of Thailand’s Long-Term Resident Visa
Holders of the LTR Visa will be able to enjoy the following benefits:
- Expedited immigration processing at international airports in Thailand
- Unlimited re-entries into the country, removing the need for extra permits
- Annual reporting to the immigration office, rather than the standard 90 days
- Cheaper and easier to obtain work permits (for those who qualify)
- Exemption on foreign income tax (for those in the Work-From-Home Professionals category)
- Fixed personal income tax rate of 17% (for those in the Highly Skilled Professionals category)
Many of the LTR Visa’s benefits are exclusive and cannot be found with any other immigration solution in Thailand, even the Thailand Elite Visa.
Updates to the LTR Program for 2025
As mentioned before, the updates that the LTR Program has undergone have made the visa more accessible to the public. These include an easier application process, reduced eligibility requirements for both applicants and their immediate family members, and the relocation of the office responsible for all LTR paperwork to a larger and more modern space for those who need to apply for their work permit.
Easier Application Submission
As of early 2025, the Thailand E-Visa system has been made available at all Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates worldwide. This update allows applicants to submit visa applications, including for the LTR Visa, entirely online through the official E-Visa website.
Because of this, applicants for the LTR Visa can now streamline the application process and remove the need to visit an embassy or consulate several times in person. And since the platform can be globally accessed, applicants can enlist a Thai visa agent to assist them with their visa application, regardless of their location.
Reduced Eligibility Requirements
One of the most notable changes to the LTR Visa in 2025 is the reduced eligibility requirements, which have made the visa more accessible to investors, remote workers, and highly skilled professionals working in Thailand:
- Wealthy Global Citizens: Applicants no longer need to meet a set annual income requirement. Instead, applicants can qualify for this category based on their total wealth and investments in Thailand.
- Work-From-Home Professionals: Applicants previously needed to show that their employer had a revenue of 150 million USD over the past 3 years to be able to sponsor them for the visa. However, with the latest update, this revenue requirement was lowered to 50 million USD, meaning employees of smaller companies can now qualify for this category.
- Highly Skilled Professionals: Applicants no longer need 5 years of work experience in their field to qualify for this category. In addition, the target industries in which they must be employed have expanded, with the government adding new sectors such as disaster and risk management and integrated innovation.
Removed Dependents Limit
Under the previous policy, holders of the LTR Visa were limited to sponsoring up to four immediate family members for Dependent LTR Visas.
However, this restriction was removed in 2025, meaning holders can now bring an unlimited number of immediate family members to Thailand. This includes their spouse, parents, and any unmarried children under 20.
New One Stop Service Center for Visa and Work Permit (OSS) Location
The One Stop Service Center is responsible for handling all documentation related to the LTR Visa, including visa applications and work permit issuance for employment in Thailand. In March, it relocated its office from the Chamchuri Square Building to a larger and more modern space on Rama IV Road.
- Office Name: Thailand Investment And Expats Services Center (TIESC)
- New Address: One Bangkok (Parade Zone, 6th-7th Floor), Rama IV Road, Lumphini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Get Professional Assistance for Your LTR Visa Application
Although the recent updates to the LTR Visa have eased the eligibility criteria, the application process still involves several complicated steps and requires careful attention to detail. Mistakes or delays in your application could disrupt or postpone your plans of beginning a new life in Thailand.
Siam Legal International, a leading law firm and visa consultancy in Thailand with over 20 years of operation, offers professional assistance with the LTR Visa application. Our team of immigration specialists will guide you through every step of the application process as we maximize your chances of approval and assist you with:
- Gathering and preparing all the necessary documents,
- Reviewing the application to ensure that there are no errors, and
- Submitting the application to the correct government agencies on your behalf.
For a streamlined and hassle-free LTR Visa application with the maximum chance of approval, do not hesitate to contact Siam Legal to book a consultation now.
