What are the benefits and challenges of obtaining the 10-year LTR Work Remote Visa in Thailand?

@Jo *********

they recheck you still qualify right ?

@Claudio ****

did you use an agent or just did it yourself ?

@Marc ********

I did it by myself, no need for an agency

@Justine ********

tks🙏

@Jo *********

Thank you for helping me to clarify. There’s no fee to apply for LTR. After you are approved, then there is a fee of 50,000 THB to get the visa. Actually my husband just got his visa outside Thailand and paid $1,600 USD to the Thai Embassy in USA.

@Justine ********

So TM30 won't have different requirements for different visas, it's going to be the same regardless of the visa.

The unfortunate thing is that this is one of the things that is 100% dependent on your immigration office, and you would need to ask them their policy. You should actually ask them every year because we've had reports of offices changing their policy as well.

There are 3 different policies that an office might have. I'll list them from most common to least common:

1) You must file a TM30 any time you enter the country from abroad, then if you travel domestically but return to that same address you already reported, you don't need to report again.

2) You must file a TM30 any time you spend the night away from your address and return, for both international and domestic travel.

3) After you have filed a TM30 for your permanent address, you don't need to file again as long as you return to that same address, even if you leave the country and return.

The complication in all of this is that the new 90 day report website seems to be rejecting people if their most recent TM30 does not match the address they are reporting on the TM47. So if that happens you might have to file another TM30 for your permanent address regardless of your local office's policy if you want to use the website, but if you want to file in person then you can follow their policy.

@Brandon ***********

This is good to know. Thank you for the detail. I can see this could be a headache for those that do 90 days check-ins. For those with LTR visas, how will immigration ever “catch up” with verifying your address. For example, you traveled abroad and reset your one year clock. Immigration at airport does not check address right? Don’t they only check passport and visa. So LTR never has to do a one year report with the immigration office in person. If this international travel repeats every year, when will you ever have an address problem with immigration after reporting TM30 the first time? Very new and just curious how the process does/will work.

@Justine ********

you'll probably need a TM30 to get your 2nd 5 years. Also you need a TM30 to get a residence certificate from immigration if you want to apply for a Thai drivers license. But during the 5 years if you're leaving often then you'll likely not ever have to worry about it.

@Brandon ***********

I should also mention that in my conversation with BOI, the five year check-in is with BOI, not immigration. At this five year check-in, BOI just wants to verify if any changes to financials/health insurance to meet or not meet requirements. There was no requirement to meet with immigration. The e-visa we already received stated 10 year visa.

@Justine ********

you'll still have to go to immigration to get the stamp, same as the first time. I provided a TM30 to the BOI before I got my LTR. I don't know if it was required but they accepted it.

@Brandon ***********

ok, you guys are just bowing my mind this morning! 😂. I have never even heard of the TM30 requirement. The BOI never said anything to us so I am very confused. Can I just assume then that as we plan on leaving the country multiple times every year, that we don’t need to worry about the TM30? We are already not living at the same address as we were when we applied and received the LTR visa in January.

Interestingly, we just went to Malaysia this weekend and returned last night through Don Muang. Passport control took a while with our passports. We had the impression that this might have been the first time he had come across the LTR visa. He finally stamped us in and told us to report in 90 days. When we told him it was in one year, he admitted he didn’t know the requirements. Oh: we had our two kids with us who do NOT have the LTR visa and there was no issue with them being in the Diplomatic line with us.

@Natalie *******

The BOI wouldn't know ANYTHING about TM30. They have no reason to know about. Technically the TM30 is the responsibility of the property owner or landlord, but the foreigner is the one who gets in trouble if it's not done when you need it. But realistically for LTR it's very rare that you'll need to worry about it until there are a specific set of circumstances. Then if that happens you can just ask about it here again for a way to fix it.

@Brandon ***********

ok, sounds good to me! 😁

@Jo *********

stamped here in Thailand

@Jo *********

It's not applicable to you because you didn't need to use immigration, and that's the ONLY time your TM30 will ever be checked and you can get in trouble. Even just a simple tourist extension doesn't require TM30 at many offices, but it does at some.

@Jo *********

you probably will still never need to worry about the TM30 if your travel pattern remains the same.

The next time you'll need one is when you go to get your 2nd half of your LTR.

Or if you decide you want to get a driver's license in Chiang Mai you'll need to get a TM30 to get your residence certificate for the driver's licence application.

@Robert ***********

I got it directly from BOI when I received my LTR visa in Bangkok.

I suppose it's same for all LTR visa types. For "working from Thailand" going abroad resets the clock for sure.

@Robert ***********

Thé simple fact that it's a multi entry visa implements that it resets the clock every time you come back to the country (within the one year period).

I figure it says that cause as the visa IS already multi entry, you're exempt from purchasing an additional multi entry permit.

Anyway, you have ABSOLUTELY no worries to hold concerning this matter as TWO of the "privileges" this visa is promoted on are CLEARLY the fact that THE 90 DAY REPORT IS EXTENDED TO 1 YEAR and THAT THE VISA IS MULTI ENTRY.

So there's no ambiguity there.

@Jo *********

Thx much.

@Justine ********

thank you. That's how it should work because that's how the 90 day report works. But I think until September next year we won't know how it ACTUALLY works until someone has experience with it. Unfortunately it might even come down to different offices interpreting it differently. I'll try to do a report online at 1 year and see what happens even though I've left once already, just to see what happens.

@Brandon ***********

Yes, please share. This will be very helpful to many. Thank you

@Chana *******

I found the Elite Visa is more more expensive than to travel to different places and staying for a couple of weeks (visa runs). I consider the Elite Visa but prefer visit different places.

@Terary *********

problem is one day youll hit an officer that says youve done this 4 times in a row or 4 years in a row, go back home and be refused

@Marc ********

some day, maybe.. So far they haven't.

@Terary *********

I read, write and speak Thai and want to stay permanently. I wish they would offer something that was similar but offered an option to pay taxes, since they would make much more in the long run on that option. I deeply support the Kingdom and the Thai people and would love to contribute more.

@Jo *********

What are the possible options?

@Jo *********

I disagree.

1) you only do 90 days reporting when you stay more than 90 days in the Kingdom. And when you do, it takes 1 minute online : super easy and you don’t even have to show up at immigration anymore.

2) once you have paid, there is absolutely no paperwork to show or produce : no health insurance paperwork , no income paperwork, no translated tax return paperwork, no proof of employment etc…

3) Plus I do like the no hassle transfers to and from airports for both international and domestic flights + free lounge access + fast track

@Jo *********

I read somewhere here that you get only 5 years at first. Then you have to go through all the paperwork process again to get the remaining 5 years .

@Jo *********

Does the company not have to be a public traded company ?

@Jo *********

Certainly not "publicly" -- that's why it is a Private Company.

@Jo *********

Interesting.

@Jo *********

good to know for renewal!

@Brook *******

I have the LTR visa.

@Jo *********

in CM, if you don’t change addresses you don’t need to report a change of address when going in and out of the country.

@Jo *********

yes, it includes unlimited entries. No requirements for registering before you go.

@Jo *********

I’m not sure what you’re asking. I had to to pickup visa in Bangkok (in early Oct). They approved me in their promised 20 days. I also wrote an executive summary to help explain my financial situation which was complicated. I was impressed by the agent who understood. My first checkin will be Oct 23

@Dawn *********

, and the date of reporting resets if you leave the country. So..... if you leave the country once a year you may never have to do another report (assuming you don't change address).

@Nigel *******

I believe the reporting date stays the same for the LTR visa. I asked that question at the immigration office when they gave me the visa…

@Dawn *********

, I asked the specific question when I got my LTR visa at Chamchuri Square. They told me it resets.

@Nigel *******

well that’s funny because it was one of the selling points of the 10 year visa.

@Jo *********

no if your address is the same as is already registered in the system.

Yes, if you change address from what was previously registered. This goes for any visa. In August, I came in on a 30 tourist visa and checked with immigration.

@Dawn *********

that is not the case at every office.

@Nick ***********

that is always true! 😂

@Nick ***********

it is for Bangkok and CM says they will take Bangkoks lead on what ever is stamped in the visa because they don’t have the authority … so we shall see

He is correct. No 90 day report. Annual check in at immigration.

@Brandon ***********

No Thais go to the computerised side now on right hand side fast track is on the left

@Michael *******

hmm when I entered in November the lines were the same. But then when I entered last month they had everyone separating and fast track was on the far right (but it was 2am)

@Brandon ***********

i came back two weeks ago. But they do have two arrival places