Visas for Thailand: for a month or for years

Which visa you need depends on the nationality of each traveller, the length of the stay and its purpose. We establish this in the first conversation.

The rules change. Since 15 September 2026, the 60-day visa exemption has been withdrawn. Visa-free stays are now up to 30 days⁠—this applies to passports from the EU, the UK, the US, the Gulf states, China and Russia. Some passports have different terms; we check against yours.

A visa-exempt stay can, as a rule, be extended once, by no more than 30 days⁠—only at an immigration office and at the officer’s discretion. Whether this is possible for your passport, we check before you fly, not in your last week.

Rules checked on 17 October 2026.

• We complete the TDAC arrival card for the whole family, children included: online, no earlier than three days before arrival. On the official website it is free of charge.
• If you decide to stay longer, we prepare the extension documents and go with you to the immigration office.
• If guests are flying with you, each has their own passport and their own entry rules⁠—we check them in advance. Visa exemption applies to tourism only. If security staff or an assistant travel with you, their status on the trip is reviewed separately⁠—with a lawyer, before tickets are bought.
• To drive, you need your national licence and a paper international driving permit (IDP) of the type Thailand accepts for your country⁠—for licences issued in the UK or Russia, for example, the 1968 Convention permit. It is issued before you travel, in the country that issued your licence. More under Transport.

For longer stays, we discuss three programmes. Prices and conditions are checked as of the date of application.

• Thailand Privilege (formerly Thailand Elite)⁠—a paid membership with a visa for 5, 10, 15 or 20 years: from ฿900,000 for five years to ฿5 million for twenty (the top tier is by invitation). Until 31 December 2026, applications are still accepted for Bronze⁠—฿650,000 for five years.
• LTR (Long-Term Resident Visa)⁠—a 10-year visa (5 + 5). The Wealthy Global Citizen category requires assets of at least $1 million and an investment in Thailand of at least $500,000⁠—in government bonds, a company or property. A separate category, Wealthy Pensioner, is for applicants aged 50 and over with passive income of at least $80,000 a year. Two further categories are for professionals working remotely and for specialists in priority industries.
• DTV (Destination Thailand Visa)⁠—a five-year visa with up to 180 days per entry: for remote work, a Muay Thai or Thai cooking course, or extended medical treatment. It requires funds of at least ฿500,000 and, since 31 August 2026, a criminal record certificate and proof of permanent residence as well.

Families apply together. Under the LTR, a spouse and children under 20 receive visas too⁠—no more than four dependants per visa holder; under the DTV, a spouse and children.

If a child will go to school on the island and the family entered visa-free, a Non-Immigrant ED (education) visa is needed. Whether an LTR, DTV or Thailand Privilege visa covers schooling, we check before applying. On schools, see Family & Schools.

Part of the LTR investment can be property in Thailand. In that case, we plan the visa and the purchase of a home together⁠—see Villas & Real Estate.

• 90-day report. Anyone staying in Thailand for more than 90 consecutive days notifies immigration of their address every 90 days. We file within the window around the due date rather than waiting for the last day: more than seven days after it, a fine applies. An authorised representative can file the report. LTR holders report once a year.
• Re-entry. If you are staying on a single-entry visa or an extended stay and leaving briefly, a re-entry permit preserves the remaining days. We arrange it before you leave. LTR holders do not need one.
• TM30. The owner of the accommodation notifies immigration of foreign guests within 24 hours. At a rented villa, we check that the manager has done so; if the house is yours, we remind you and prepare the documents (more under Home & Household).

Decisions on visas and length of stay are made by Thai consulates and the Thai immigration authorities⁠—not by us, and not by any intermediary. We are not a law firm. Refusals, overstays, changes of status⁠—such cases are handled by our partners: immigration lawyers and, for Thailand Privilege, an authorised agent of the programme.

Your manager stays with you throughout: gathering documents, keeping to deadlines and explaining what is happening, in your language.