Multiple changes have been approved by the Thailand cabinet that will make 2025 the perfect year for you to secure an LTR Visa Thailand (Long-Term Resident Visa). These amendments make the LTR Visa simpler and easier to qualify for. Skilled working professionals, investors, and high-income earning foreign nationals can acquire this visa.
This article will examine the various changes that will be implemented this year and how they will make it easier than ever for you to acquire one of Thailand’s most flexible visas and benefit from the exclusive family, employment, and tax privileges it provides.
What is the LTR Visa?
The LTR Visa is a long-term visa allowing you to stay for up to 10 years in Thailand. It boasts numerous benefits to facilitate settling long-term in the country such as tax exemptions and special work permit privileges. You can apply for the visa through one of four different streams, with each one intended for a particular background and having unique eligibility criteria:
- Wealthy Global Citizens: for high-income earners and wealthy foreigners with at least $1 million in assets.
- Wealthy Pensioners: for retirees over the age of 50 with passive income or a pension.
- Work-From-Thailand Professionals: for remote workers employed at a company outside Thailand.
- Highly-Skilled Professionals: for highly qualified workers working in targeted industries in Thailand.
The LTR Visa is one of the most prized in Thailand for its flexibility and financial perks, but so far, it has been notoriously difficult to qualify for. The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) has made several changes to improve the visa’s eligibility requirements and streamline the application process to increase the flow of skilled and affluent expats into Thailand.
Reduction in Minimum Income Requirements for the LTR Visa
Previously, to qualify for an LTR Visa, you needed to satisfy annual income requirements. The source of income and how much you needed to earn varied depending on the stream. However, the Thai government is amending these requirements to boost foreign investment in the country.
No Minimum Income Requirement for Wealthy Global Citizens
As long as you meet the minimum financial and investment requirements, you’re eligible for the Wealthy Global Citizens stream regardless of your annual income. Before, you needed a yearly income of at least $80,000 maintained for the past 2 years. Removing this requirement makes qualifying for this category easier, as all you need is a significant investment in Thailand to meet the financial requirements.
Reduced Income Requirement for Companies Sponsoring Remote Workers
To work remotely under the Work-From-Thailand Professionals stream, you must be sponsored for it by the company you’re working for. However, the old rules stated that the company could not sponsor you unless they met an annual revenue requirement of at least $150 million maintained over the past 3 years.
The government has reduced this requirement to $50 million instead, expanding the amount of companies eligible to sponsor remote workers. So now, even if your company isn’t a massive 9-figure company, you can still qualify for the LTR Visa and live and work remotely in Thailand.
Easier to Qualify as a Highly Skilled Professional
The LTR Visa is known for its high entry requirements, which is why the Thai government is trying to make amendments to encourage more foreigners to apply, particularly those who can add significant value to Thai companies with rare expertise. With the new updates, it will be easier for you to qualify under the Highly-Skilled Professionals category.
More Sectors Qualify for LTR Visa Applicants
If you’re applying through the Highly-Skilled Professionals stream, you must be employed in a target industry. These are sectors with a strong focus on science, technology, and other industries that are important for driving economic growth in Thailand. To increase the number of applicants, the government has made this stream available to new sectors such as disaster and risk management and integrated innovation.
No More 5-Year Experience Requirement
The Thai government has removed the 5-year work experience requirement to qualify for the Highly-Skilled Professionals category. This is especially beneficial if you’re new to a targeted industry or recently switched to one from a different field, as it makes it easier to apply through the stream without needing several years of work experience.
Dependent Family Member Limit Removed
As an LTR holder, you can bring family members to the country on dependent LTR visas. Any family members you include must come from your immediate family, which includes your spouse, parents, and any unmarried children under the age of 20. This feature is also getting improved to increase the appeal of the LTR visa.
No Limit on How Many Parents and Other Legal Dependents Can Accompany the Primary Holder
Before the new rules, LTR visa holders were limited to bringing only 4 family members on the same visa. But with these new changes, you can bring as many legal dependents to Thailand as you want, provided they are from your immediate family. As dependent visa holders, your children, parents, or spouse can reap the same benefits of the LTR Visa without restrictions.
Contact Siam Legal for Professional Assistance
To secure an LTR Visa quickly and smoothly, reach out to Siam Legal for assistance with your application. As a full-service law firm and visa consultancy operating for over 20 years in Thailand, our LTR Visa consultants have the skills and experience to help you acquire your visa as swiftly as possible with zero complications.
Our dedicated LTR Visa team will help you determine your eligibility and help you source and prepare all the required documentation. We will then review your application and handle its submission on your behalf, so you can plan your new more profitable life in Thailand without any worries.
Contact Siam Legal today to enjoy a long and comfortable life in Thailand free of any immigration concerns.
