What is the process and requirements for obtaining a 10-year LTR visa in Thailand as a Wealthy Pensioner?

Dec 29, 2022
2 years ago
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
My husband and I just received our 10 year LTR visas today at the BOI, in the Wealthy Pensioner category. We chose to have him as the primary and me as a dependant, assuming it make things easier with the paperwork (although in the end that made very little difference).

As it’s a new visa, there is still very little talk about it in this group so I’m happy to answer any questions. Here are a few thoughts based on our personal experience:

- it took 5 weeks from start to stamp

- we did not go through an agent and we don’t feel that would have been necessary at all

- the BOI website was extremely user friendly

- there are way less documents to produce compared to the Non-OA which made this much easier for us (we had started the Non-OA process and felt quite frustrated by it for a variety of reasons - it’s not that the Non-OA or the Non-O are difficult per say, but that some of the requirements didn’t suit our particular situation, or required multiple complicated steps to obtain in our circumstance)

- you can call the BOI to ask questions or get an update and they always pick up… always! They were incredibly pleasant to work with and treated us like VIPs. It did not feel like we were communicating with bureaucracy at all.

- that said, you will need to call the BOI to get the file moving at times… for example, my status as a dependant indicated “approved” yet I wasn’t receiving any emails indicating next steps; we called and within 20 minutes, we received an email and were rolling again

- unlike other visas requests, there is no fee to be paid until all is approved and you are minutes away from receiving the stamp in your passport (so no stress of being rejected and wasting money)

- the fact that there is no reporting makes this an amazing visa to have (exiting and reentering the country once a year counts as your reporting)

- we needed to show health insurance but unlike the non-OA, it doesn’t have to be a Thai insurance company. We used IMG Global.

All in all, a fairly stress free process! I’m happy to answer any questions. 😁
34,588
views
346
likes
1177
all likes
448
replies
9
images
81
users
TLDR : Answer Summary
This post shares a personal experience regarding the process of obtaining a 10-year Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa in Thailand under the Wealthy Pensioner category. The user highlights the advantages of this visa, such as minimal documentation required compared to other visa types (like Non-OA), and that it took about five weeks to receive approval. Important points include no upfront payments until the final approval stage, the ease of communication with BOI representatives, and favorable treatment regarding health insurance, which can be obtained from international providers, not just Thai companies. The discussions also cover income requirements, taxation considerations, and a variety of related questions and clarifications from the community.
OA RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
  • Go to the OA Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
  • For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
  • Explore recent discussions by using the OA Retirement Visa tag in the search box at the top of the page.
  • Join the Thai Visa Advice Facebook Group to ask your questions, and get advice from others.
Alex **********
Hey Natalie and group! I had a few specific questions. Aside from your tax returns, did any of you show one year of bank statements to comply with 100K minimum in the bank instead of providing proof of health insurance? If so, did you cross out your statement account number or didn’t care about disclosing that? Also, if you did submit proof of health insurance, does Thailand require it to be the health insurance that you will use in their country, or only proof of the current insurance that you’re on in your country with a minimum of 50K inpatient? Thanks
Todd *********
@Alex *********
I didn’t show any tax returns as they have no need to understand the bigger picture. You just need to show that you have the income which I did with pension and bank statements. To meet the insurance requirement I simply showed 12 consecutive banking statements with the minimum. Did not cross out the number.
Alex **********
@Todd ********
Thanks! That makes things much easier. I’m just getting started on this board. Has there been any consensus for finding good comprehensive insurance once you arrived to Thailand? From the few friends I have on LTR I’ve heard a mixed bag.
Todd *********
@Alex *********
no problem finding insurance in Thailand. There are small offices everywhere but they are sellers for large global insurers like Allianz or AXA. They already have insurance policies in place to comply with LTR requirements. Just tell them you have the visa. Or are applying for it
Alex **********
@Todd ********
Excellent, thank you
Lucia *********
Hi Natalie, Thank you for the information. my 1st question is, I believe they require proof of residency? Are they looking for a rental agreement for your stay in Thailand prior to being approved? I hate to get into a rental agreement for a year only to find out I maybe rejected. 2nd question, do you know if there is a penalty or a time limit on how long you can be out of the country (Thailand) during a year, for example, if I wanted to visit and stay in another country for say 6 months, would that be a problem?
Giovanni ****************
I just got my LTR today. The whole process, after an initial misunderstanding on how to handle the dependent visa, took less than 3 weeks overall. BOI LTR office very helpful. I felt like a VIP… 😊can’t say the same for the “regular” retirement visa at the Division 1 office 😳
Giovanni ****************
Hello Natalie I am at the stage you described as : - that said, you will need to call the BOI to get the file moving at times… for example, my status as a dependant indicated “approved” yet I wasn’t receiving any emails indicating next steps; we called and within 20 minutes, we received an email and were rolling again. ===================== What did you do exactly? My wife/dependant is showing: CONSIDERATION BY AGENCIES, while mine: APPOINTMENT (already have an appointment for me). I don't understand what I am supposed to do for my dependant. Can you pls shed some light on this subject?
GL ******
Hi just got my LTR WP and wondering how the benefits of the program has been 8 mths on. Thx
Michael ********
I have a few years before retiring but like others on this thread, I am hoping to get this visa in place upon retirement and am a little confused how to show passive retirement income at the time of retirement.

My job will provide a nice pension and I have rental income. With those alone I will easily meet the 80K requirement to be a considered a « wealthy pensioner » for purposes of this visa.

When I retire, I will be given a statement showing my monthly pension income. Will that be sufficient to show passive income to qualify? (I will have previous tax returns showing my rental and dividend income)
Todd *********
@Michael *******
yes. Should be no problem
Andrew *********
Your comments are very helpful
Ettie *********
Hi
@Natalie *******
,

I hope you are fully enjoying Thailand! 🌞✨

Finally figured out how to add me as a dependent under my husband’s LTR. 😅

I have one more question 🙏🏻

Did you have to authenticate your French Marriage Certificate in a Canadian Embassy, before translation and notary in English in Chang Mai?
Todd *********
@Ettie ********
good question. And
@Natalie *******
- what did they require of you for documentation to prove the marriage? Only a marriage certificate?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
no, I just sent it to translation here in Thailand, and then sent both copies. No « authentification » with the embassy.
Todd *********
@Natalie *******
thx very much
Ettie *********
I hope you are fully enjoying Thailand! 🌞✨

Did you have to authenticate your French Marriage Certificate, before translation and notary in English?
Bob *******
@Ettie ********
I am British
Bob *******
No worries
Ettie *********
@Bob ******
oops! Wrong spot, I was trying to ask
@Natalie *******
🙏🏻
Ettie *********
Greatly appreciate your post and sharing your experience! 🙂 We also filed under my husband's name for WFTP Visa. It's been about 4+ weeks and still waiting on a response. I'm a little confused what they mean by dependent on the application. Are we also considered dependents, since it's files under the husband's name? Usually that's for kids, how did you guys fill out that section. Or just left it blank?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ettie ********
hi! Yes, I fell under “dependant” 🤷‍♀️, just like kids would.
Ettie *********
@Natalie *******
Thank you so much for your reply! 😊 I had a sneaking suspicion that would be the case.

On your online application, did your name show up under the “Personal Dependent”section? We are still under review, so I’m worried that my name is not showing up, that section is just blank like the above photo. 🤷🏼‍♀️
James *********
Hi Natalie, just found this marathon post. Thanks for sharing your experience. I have just submitted application for LTR visa under foreign worker category. Process to get all documents took 6 weeks. I am told BOI will take 20 days to determine if I qualify. My income on tax return was mix of salary plus dividends, which I hope is fine? I did not consider flying out during the application vetting period as if I do not qualify it would be a painful flight home. Did you know you were going to be successful in advance or did you have a Plan B if LTR visa was rejected?

I keep thinking of ways they may reject my application... eg, I am not a direct employee but have 3 service agreements with guaranteed income, but when I asked about this they said If i had some sort of contract its possible i qualify if they meet requirements of public listing and/or annual revenues. Still, never know
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@James ********
totally understand, we had a plan B, which was just to enjoy the time we had in Thailand (45 days + 30 extension) and then leave. I have to admit the worker category sounds a bit more complicated than the pensioner category. Best of luck to you! I hope it work out!!!
James *********
@Natalie *******
thanks. Called BOI just now. My application is still to go through initial screening. Once that's done in a few days, I have to wait 20 business days, with extra for public holidays (3 for Songrkan in April and 2 bank holidays in early May).

BOI were polite but firm. Big queues, have to wait. Nothing I can do to quicken application process. I have began application right into a busy period, compounded by Songkran. Could take 5-6 weeks from now to find out my fate. Its already been 6 weeks. Painful. At the end of this, I could have spent 3 months and end up back to square one.
Glenn ***********
This is great information. Thank you. I have been looking into the non-OA, but I think I may qualify for LTR and this seems so much better. Did you get the stamp at the embassy in your home country or do all the paperwork in advance and then get the stamp in Thailand? If the latter, did you enter as visa exempt or on a tourist visa, and would it matter?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Glenn **********
we applied from abroad, then arrived in Thailand a week and a half on a visa exempt and completed the process from here. Yes, if you qualify for the LTR, then I think it’s a smoother process.
Glenn ***********
@Natalie *******
Thank you.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
I should add that the process was completed in less than 30 days of our arrival into Thailand, but had we needed to, we could have added an extension to our visa exemption. We didn’t need to but it would have been easy to obtain.
Rajeev ********
80k in income….What to do when you’ve recently retired and your past tax returns show earned income (W2) and not passive or retirement income. Do they accept future dividend income if you can show the brokerage printouts projecting dividends income for next 12 months totaling 80k or more?
Todd *********
@Rajeev *******
show your tax returns from year preceding. It if you are going to have a cut in income in retirement, do it now!
Rajeev ********
@Todd ********
Not sure I follow that. My income in retirement will be higher than the 80K passive income needed for LTR Retiree option. However, that income will not start showing in my tax returns until I file 1099-R in 2024 return. Moreover BOI seems to be looking back 2 years of returns. If BOI will take the projected dividend income from my Schwab statement, then I'm all set, and if not, unfortunately I'll have to go for OA visa route and once I have the 2 year passive income recorded in my returns, I can apply for LTR wealthy pensioner visa. I can go for the wealthy global citizen now however, I don't wish to block $500K in Thai bonds/investments.
Todd *********
@Rajeev *******
Yes, true. They will not accept 'projected' income. There are many ways of demonstrating the two years past income (pension statement, investment statements, rental income, tax returns, etc) and as long as you show $80k for the 2 years, you are good to go and process is very quick and painless. And yes, you are right, the global citizen does require the in country investment.
Rajeev ********
@Todd ********
good to know, thanks for the added information!
Dave *********
I noticed you use IMG Global for your insurance. Ive done them before for short trips. Which policy did u get and how does it seem to be working out for u? Any suggestions or hints?
Trang ******
Hi there, congrats on your visa.

My husband and I are wondering if you had the requirements to thailand travel within 3 months of the visa issuance ? Any info would be so helpful and appreciated
Trang ******
Thank you I will contact them 🙂
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Trang *****
good luck!
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Trang *****
hi! Not sure what you mean? We applied two weeks before entering Thailand, and then finished the process while here in Bangkok.
Trang ******
@Natalie *******
oh, I see. We are outside of thailand. So once our LTR is issued do we have to go to Thailand within a specific time frame. Or can we leave anytime after it’s issued.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Trang *****
oh, I’m so sorry I’m not sure. You can contact the BOI on their website and they will tell you. There is no specific requirement for how long one must stay in Thailand every year with the LTR so I’m not sure if they care when you enter the country after you’ve received your visa from an embassy. Sorry I couldn’t be of further help.
Gina ********
@Nigel *****
- this is what I saw in regard to our conversation last night.
Erik *******
Hi. I might qualify as you for the wealthy pensioner category. But there is not a lot of infos regarding the nature of the incomes needed (80k USD a year)… Can stocks investment incomes be part of it ? And if it can, what kind : dividends, capital gains ?

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Erik ******
all of it counts. We provided our income tax return that includes all of that. 😁
Alan ******
@Natalie *******
Congratulations on your approval for the LTR Visa. Quick couple of questions: If using tax returns for proof of income, is the 80k based on gross income or adjusted income after deductions and exemptions? Also, can one person use the income of joint tax returns if married?
Erik *******
@Natalie *******
Thanks 👍🏼
Bonnie *******
How much did you pay? Normal retirement visa is 1900 Baht a year.
Jo **********
@Bonnie ******
the cost is 50,000 for 10 years. But the advantages are big no need to renew every year and only yearly reporting
Todd *********
LTR costs
*****
baht for 10 years. But it’s unlimited entries. Normal retirement visa entries cost 3800 baht per year. And you get FastTrack at all thai airports. And no more 90 day check ins. LTR visa is a FANTASTIC deal for anyone who can qualify
Jo **********
@Todd ********
yes I did it based on working remotely it’s fantastic
Bonnie *******
@Todd ********
When I leave Thailand it costs only 1000 baht. I have had a retirement Visa here for 8 years now. 1900 a year, no agent EVER needed.
*********************************************************
Todd *********
@Bonnie ******
so if you leave 3 times per year, it costs the same as LTR. And you get to stand in line at the airport, you have to go to your bank every year to update your info, you have to lineup at immigration annually, you have to do 90 day check ins.

You are definitely getting ripped off
Bonnie *******
Bonnie *******
@Todd ********
I don't know where you do your check ins, but did you know that if you do not do your checkins the fine is only 2000 baht at years end? I do check in, but no lines, ever. The bank is easy, too. Do you work for an immigration service agent or something? I can stop talking.
Todd *********
@Bonnie ******
LTR holders don’t do any 90 day check ins.

I haven’t worked for anyone in a decade. Do you own a calculator? Because this is not hard to figure out at all…

5000 is less than 5700. And all the perks. And none of the hassle every year.
Bonnie *******
@Todd ********
Where are you getting 5000 from? I pay 1900 baht, or 66.00 a year...so do most people.
Todd *********
@Bonnie ******
go back and read. It’s all here. If you can’t figure out that LTR is clearly the way to go, nobody cares. Good luck
Bonnie *******
@Todd ********
If I wanted to leave more often I would buy the unlimited option, it is still not 80,000 in the bank and 10,000 baht per year, is it??
Todd *********
@Bonnie ******
you don’t need anything in the bank for LTR. And it’s 5000/year. Less than the 5700 you pay. And you get NONE of the perks. Even though you pay more. Doesn’t make any sense
Bonnie *******
@Todd ********
To each his own. I pay 66,00 per year, where is the 5700 coming from? What perks, saving money is a big perk. 10 years at 66.00 per year is only 660. USD. I pay less than 700 for TEN years, and, it is the normal way to do it, easy, and without agents....never had any problems.
Todd *********
@Bonnie ******
how many times a year do you leave? Only once per year??
Bonnie *******
@Todd ********
Sometimes not even that, I live in
@Thai****
. Why would I want to leave? And, when I do, it is only 1000 baht. Paying more makes no sense. But then, you can get unlimited exit visas by paying the 3800 a year I suppose.
Jo **********
@Bonnie ******
why, to travel for pleasure or work as I do
Todd *********
@Bonnie ******
correct 1900 + 3800 = 5700 baht/year. 700 more expensive than LTR, with all the wasted time and none of the perks
Bonnie *******
@Todd ********
Where is your 3800 coming from? I don't pay anything but 1900 yearly...if I leave, 1000 more. Works fine for me, and everyone I know...if you want to spend more..go ahead.
Todd *********
Todd *********
@Bonnie ******
read back this thread. You are paying more and getting less. This is not hard at all. If you wilfully wish to remain ignorant of this, so be it
Bonnie *******
@Todd ********
660 usd for 10 years is paying more? I don't understand your math.
Todd *********
@Bonnie ******
you pay 1900 baht. Plus 3800 annually for unlimited entries. Agreed?

You understand that is 5700 baht per year correct?

And you understand that LTR is 50,000 baht one time and good for ten years?

So 5000 baht/per year.

Can we agree that 5700 baht is more than 5000 baht?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
I’m totally with you ! 😉
Todd *********
@Natalie *******
it seemed simple when I started explaining lol!
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
people get very defensive about “their” visa, don’t they!
Todd *********
@Natalie *******
sure do! Whether it makes any sense or not 😂
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
it’s like debating/arguing with someone on the far right/left where they will never say “Good point!”. 😉
Todd *********
@Bonnie ******
why?! I didn’t realize some people hate travel lol. So leaving once, you save 2100 baht per year. But you waste your time in line at airports, making 90 day reports, updating your banking and going to immigration EVERY year. That values your own time at $0.
Raymundo *********
Really helpful insights - thank you for sharing, and good luck with your new adventures!
Steven *********
Thank you so much for sharing this. It will make my retirement time in Thailand much easier.
Andre ******
Did they request a no criminal record certificate from you ?
Andre ******
Thank you very much! I am preparing documents to submit now . Congrats to u and Good luck to me too
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Andre *****
yes, good luck! Feel free to DM if you have any other questions.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Andre *****
no . One was needed for the non-OA, but not for the LTR. That said, it was written that they could ask for one.
Tom *********
Can you use existing property that one has purchased and owned for 10 years instead of bringing more $$ into the country to quality for the "investment in Thailand" part ??
Brandon ************
@Tom ********
you'd probably need to ask the BOI. I doubt anyone here could answer that, especially since this thread is about using the income method.
Tom *********
Sheryl *********
Thank you for your informative post. Set back for us today as they are now requiring a notarised copy of our Portuguese tax return translated to English. Frustrating as we had moved to under consideration stage.

Did you already have insurance in place? I ask because we don't want to arrange it for Thailand until we are certain that we are approved. Wondered if that is acceptable.
Alex *******
@Sheryl ********
With "notarized" you mean a notarization of the translation or a notarization of the copy of the tax return, please?
Sheryl *********
@Alex ******
notarised translation
Frank-Steven ***********
@Sheryl ********
Yes. The insurance part can be postponed until the rest is evaluated as sufficient to qualify. Unfortunately other things are requested at random - e.g. notarized translation of tax returns requested only to later be informed that the unrelated work contract does not meet qualifications.
Sheryl *********
@Frank-Steven **********
OK. We've just had a request for the tax return translation. Seems to be dragging on a bit now.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Sheryl ********
we also had to have our wedding certificate translated to English (it was in French). Did they ask for it to be notarized? Ours had to be from a certified translator, that was it. We used a translation service in Chiang Mai to get it done and it was fairly inexpensive (then again, there is not much info in a marriage certificate compared to a tax return).
Paul *******
So you had to show evidence of US$1 million in assets + proof of US$
*****
annual income + US$
*****
0 in Thai government bonds? That's a very high bar to meet. Would be much easier to immigrate to the US. Just US$
*****
0 invested into a US business providing employment for several US citizens is enough.
Paul *******
@Chris ***************
Who said I want to apply for this glorified Thailand Elite Style visa? Thats why I'm asking questions, to ascertain what it's all about. It does seem bizarre to me they would be nitpicking your source of income when it comes from abroad.

It's a different story at immigration inside the country as we all know.
Chris *****
Retirement funds from abroad is immigration, but this is BOI, i think they do care with this - investment or rental income tax return fine, wage slip not. You can get a work permit on the LTR I believe, but it's unabashedly for rich people, I have read they're strict on these terms. No harm in trying your luck though, i think BOI will let you know quickly and clearly, and please please let me know if you're successful!
Paul *******
@Chris ***************
Do they really care as long as it's coming in from abroad? That's the main thing.
Chris *****
Paul the income has to be passive, it can't be salary, for the pensioner ltr.
Paul *******
I read the website and they wrote you have to meet all those requirements together. Are you saying only one of them is sufficient?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Paul *******
@Natalie *******
How do they determine your income? Pay slips? Deposits into your bank account? How nitpicky are they? Immigration is a nightmare so I can't imagine them not scrutinizing your statements like they do when folks get an annual retirement or marriage extension.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Paul ******
they ask for “personal income” or min 80kUS. We gave them a copy of last year’s tax return. That worked for us. There might be other ways to demonstrate income but in our case, that was the simplest and clearest.
Paul *******
@Natalie *******
Surprised it would be that easy. Expect things to get much more difficult in the years to come as immigration always like to make things as difficult as possible for us foreigners.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Paul ******
I suppose that is true of all immigration departments around the world. The backlog at Immigration Canada is years long! I’ll take Thai immigration anyway in comparison.
Paul *******
@Natalie *******
You're lucky. The rest of us have horror stories about Thai immigration. It's much easier in neighboring countries.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Paul ******
you’re definitely confusing the various categories here. We applied and received the LTR pensioner visa.
Ray *******
@Natalie *******
what did you do about the health insurance requirement
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ray ******
we provided proof of health insurance good for one year. We went with IMG Global. We were already insured with them since we’ve been travelling since September 2021 so it wasn’t an inconvenience or anything.
Ray *******
@Paul ******
you might be confusing the "wealthy global citizen" requirement with the "wealthy pensioner" category; Foreign retirees (wealthy pensioners) – - category 2 having personal income of not less than US$80,000 per year.
********************************************************************************************************************
*******
/thailand-introduces-new-10-year-long-term-resident-visa-for-foreigners/#:~:text=Work%2Dfrom%2DThailand%20professionals%20%E2%80%93,within%20the%20past%20three%20years.
Eric ********
What is accepted as proof of 80K income? Could I send a bank receipt of shares I sold worth 80K USD? Thanks! For the record those sales do not show in a tax statement in Germany as they are taxed at source.
Eric ********
I have recurring sales of shares in every year in multiples of the needed amount. So it is not clearly defined, thanks, that is what I feared.
Alex *******
Eric Privat i specifically asked boi, via email, if capital gains from sporadic sale of stocks can be counted and the answer was yes. tax return showing capital gains is all they need.
Eric ********
You will never get a straight answer from them, my experience... Thanks.
Eric ********
I like to know before I apply :-)
Seema ********
@Eric *******
My experience so far has been very positive with them. We are still evaluating this visa as we are not 50 yet and cannot apply. But we had a call with them and they explained all requirements. We specifically asked them what they will consider as "proof of steady income" as we do not have "Pension" but will have to show income from other sources (Rentals, Dividends, interest). From my understanding, following is their preference of docs required:

1. Income tax returns for last 2 years. In those returns, they will deduct the salary component to determine other returns (rental income, dividends for example)

2. Bank statements which shows the recurring income (valid for dividend, interest etc)

3. lease and rental contracts and/or any corporate private equity agreement

4. any combination of above

I doubt they will consider one time sale of shares as steady income simply because it is one-time.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Eric *******
well, apply and send in your document and you will get a straight answer for sure. This happened to us a few times during the process and they told us exactly what they wanted.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Eric *******
the requirements are very loosely worded so it’s my impression that there would be different ways of getting to the $
*****
USD. In our case, our T1 General (Canada) was all we required as it fits neatly under the category of “personal income”. But there are probably many more ways to prove that. You can always call them and ask (they beauty of this visa!!!) or apply and see what they say. There is no fee to pay just for applying after all.
Brandon ************
@Eric *******
it needs to be a steady income over at least 2 years so I'm not sure they would accept that, but you can always email them and ask.
Tom *********
@Brandon ***********
whats their email address pls ive had no response to previous ones
Brandon ************
I always used
*************
Yvette ***********
Any indication yet of what happens if you meet the 80k annual income when you apply - but you don’t 5years later at renewal time? 😬
Brandon ************
@Yvette **********
I agree with what Natalie said. Basically it turns into you paid 50,000 for 5 years instead of 10. Still not a bad deal honestly considering the benefits of LTR with the multi entry included, 1 year reports instead of 90 days, fast track at the airport, and no worries for 5 years about how you'll stay in the country.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Yvette **********
if you can’t meet the financial requirements in 5 years, I think it’s safe to assume that you wouldn’t be able to renew. But if you know that ahead of time, you could organize yourself so that you are ready to apply for a different type of retirement visa.
Bob *******
I am moving to Thailand soon would it be better to do this visa instead of a non O visa
Bonnie *******
@Bob ******
NO! The average person pays 1900 baht a year...if you leave the country and come back it costs another 1000 Baht. The only way this is good is if you LIKE to over spend...I do not.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Bonnie ******
wow, you sure love your non-O, don’t you? 😂
Bonnie *******
@Natalie *******
Yes, I don't understand anyone using an agent.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Bonnie ******
who said anything about using an agent? We didn’t use an agent for the LTR.
Bob *******
Thank you
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Bob ******
sure! Do let me know if you have any questions. The non-O comes in at a slightly cheaper price, but in our particular circumstances, was way more hassle. You should compare the requirements for both, as well their pros and cons, and see what works best for you. For example, the LTR may cost more but includes multiple entries. As a family who loves to travel, that was important to us.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Bob ******
it could be, if you are over 50 and meet the $80kUS personal income requirement.
London *****
@Natalie *******
Hi. Is there a capital alternative to $80k US Income? And does investment income qualify? Finally, is there a requirement to keep/send in Thailand?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@London ****
hi! Yes, investment income counts. That’s exclusively what we used for the $80 000 USD. And no, there is no requirement to keep or send money in Thailand . No need for a Thai bank account either. We were not comfortable with the idea of keeping money in a Thai bank account for any length of time (we would rather have it working for us in our investment accounts) so this visa was the best for us in our particular situation. Others prefer the non-O as they don’t mind the renewals and the 90 day check-ins. We didn’t mind paying a bit more to avoid all of that. 😁
Bonnie *******
@London ****
You only need $28,000 USD in a Thai bank account then pay 60 per year. I have no idea why anyone would go with this pricing, UNLESS they like to pay more for nothing.
London *****
Bonnie Frank$28k in USD or $28k worth of Thai Baht?
Bonnie *******
@London ****
28 k USD or 800,000 Thai baht. or alternativly if you can prove an income of 65,000 Baht per month or 2, 200 USD
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@London ****
I believe Bonnie is talking about the non-O visa as there is no requirement to put money in a Thai account for the LTR.
John-Paul ******
Ah yes.... money talks loudly here....5555
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
I LOVE that picture!!! Fantastic!

We’ve been on the road as a family since September 2021 with no end in sight. Kids wanted to try school in Thailand so why no? here we are in Bangkok. We’ll test it until June and then see! Best decision we ever made! 😁
Paul *******
But you need to leave every year? That's a bummer.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Paul ******
nope, no need to leave if that’s a bummer to you - you would then do your reporting at immigration yearly. We plan on leaving at least once a year so works out perfectly for us.
Bonnie *******
@Natalie *******
Provided that financials are in order, it would be 1900 baht for the yearly extension, 1000 baht more IIRC for a single re-entry permit ( if needed ). It's just a matter of getting all the paperwork correct. Your choice, I don't throw away money.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Bonnie ******
neither do we! Glad the non-O is working well for you. To each their own then.
John-Paul ******
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John-Paul *****
it breaks down to $200US a year. A pretty good deal actually!
Bonnie *******
@Natalie *******
That is 10x the normal price.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Bonnie ******
sorry? Not sure what you mean… normal price of what? There are certainly slightly cheaper visas available, depending on your circumstances. We didn’t mind paying a bit more to avoid yearly renewals and 90 day check ins. We love to travel so the included multiple entries are a huge perk for us. The fast track service is certainly not necessary but an added bonus for us, something we know we will enjoy. We came close to doing the non-O but the money that must be left in a Thai bank account displeased us… we prefer to keep our money in our investment accounts. All in all, this visa was perfect for our circumstances and was quick and painless. The money paid upfront means we can enjoy Thailand for the next 5x2 years. Glad you found the right visa for you! 😁
Bonnie *******
@Natalie *******
The normal price is on all the official Thai Government immigration information, and it is 1900 baht a year. The checkins are no big deal and you can leave those off for a 2000 baht fine. The money in the bank is less than a million baht.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Bonnie ******
yep, I know all of this. Glad it works nicely for you! 😁. The LTR was better for us! 👍
John-Paul ******
Oh okay everyone. This shouldn't be piss on me week. It is my opinion. If you are happy to play the throw money at it then enjoy... be happy and be well. I have been here for 12 years... almost 13 now... never had an issue and never felt that a change was or is needed.
Todd *********
@Natalie *******
even better $145 USD/year
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
true, even better! My brain was calculating in Canadian! 😅
Todd *********
@Natalie *******
haha, me too in 🇨🇦 Had to calculate. I glanced at your number and thought, that seems high 😂
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
I’m not understanding why people in this group get so defensive about their choice of visa. Nothing wrong with the Non-O or the Non-OA… we had looked at both but struggled to make our situation fit the requirements (we don’t have a pension per way, only dividends from investments). It wasn’t impossible but it was requiring some hair pulling. So when we heard about the LTR, we had to laugh as it fit us perfectly! It was so simple for us. But I find some people’s reaction odd… I’m not getting the debate… 🤷‍♀️
Todd *********
@Natalie *******
I agree. And IF the LTR fits for someone, it’s the gold standard for visa in Thailand considering cost, ease of application and level of convenience.

The visa issue is sensitive for many whom either struggle to keep up/meet requirements or find the process annoying. O/A retirement using the 65k monthly way is very easy. And using an agent also very easy. But LTR pays for itself in 3-4 years versus agent fees.

Indonesia and Malaysia have both recently raised the qualification standard in their respective nations and it’s forcing some once-comfortable retirees out. LTR is a break through in Thailand, but the standards (especially other categories) seem unnecessarily high…

PS we seem to share some CF experience… 🙂
John-Paul ******
@Todd ********
break through? Based upon what or are we to simply throw money at it and see. The other requirements are the real issue.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John-Paul *****
I think you are confusing it with a different LTR visa. What I applied for and received is the “Wealthy Pensioner” category. See requirements above 👆
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Todd *********
@John-Paul *****
throw money? You need to go back and re-read the costs and requirements. Clearly this is not something you are understanding yet.

If you have the income, this is the cheapest unlimited entry visa ever offered in Thailand
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
Ah do we? A long time ago for me, during university. Changing of the guard on parliament hill for three years, plus infantry reservist. 😁
Todd *********
@Natalie *******
ah ok!! Very nice. I was a long CF career, but those days are long gone now 🙂
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
and just enjoying retired life now? I ended up as a public servant for a couple of decades. Now travelling the world with the kiddos and couldn’t be happier!
Todd *********
@Natalie *******
well done indeed! I retired ten years ago and travelling full time since then. Left Canada for good in 2013. Fully nomadic until Covid slowed down the pace and led to the Thailand base decision, but it’s unreal for travel. We are on the stunning islands of Cambodia now. And feeling like this about it 😂
John-Paul ******
@Natalie *******
yes... vs 3500 Thai Bht per year or around $600 through an agent. But again if one has the funds required then not too terrible.
Todd *********
@John-Paul *****
‘not too terrible’? Either your calculator is broken, or you are not understanding the actual costs
John-Paul ******
@Todd ********
referring to their calculations... actually I think that a LTV is silly due to the actual costs and deposits .
Todd *********
@John-Paul *****
you think 5k annually for 10 year unlimited visa is silly… 😂😂

And 5400 for the annual visits to bank and immigration is better?? + 90 day reporting… Cmon man.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John-Paul *****
the lack of hassle is what especially appealed to us. We’ll see immigration again in 5 years!
Selina *******
Is there a minimum age since it’s a retirement visa?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Selina ******
but a younger spouse (and kids) can come in as dependants
Selina *******
@Natalie *******
what is required to show spouse?
Todd *********
@Selina ******
marriage certificate.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Ajay *********
Congratulations 🎉🎊🎈I am on retirement visa bcz my wife is working here as teacher for last 14 years and is on work permit by school. Can I get this 10 year visa

What are the requirements

Can m
John-Paul ******
@Ajay ********
lots of money is required... to hand over. But if you have it to relinquish and can afford the expense.... an LT Visa is an option. Though why would you accept the financial expense for 10 year when a yearly Non O retirement cost is around what 3000 Bht with a multi entry escapes me. But sure if it works for you... then go for it. Also check out the other choice... an Elite Visa.
Todd *********
@John-Paul *****
actually incorrect. The Non-O visa cost is 1900 baht. Plus 3500 baht for multiple entry. That’s 5400 baht/annually for ALL the hassle that accompanies that visa.

LTR is 5000 baht per year, includes FastTrack airport entry/exit, no 90 day reporting (likely no reporting at all) and multiple entry.

Pretty simple stuff to comprehend here
John-Paul ******
John-Paul ******
How about the other requirements. We are not just talking about the 50k Bht or the 50k health insurance. But the 80k US annual for 2 years and the 1 miion in assets not to mention the 500k US in investments in Thai markets.

You have the capital... good on you. Have fun and enjoy the time. I simply feel that the funds required to put up and file are better used... given that a savings of around 75US (by your own numbers) just is well... who cares and comes with no reporting... getting met at the airport and everything handled for you. But again.... good for you. Whatever works for you I say.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
John-Paul
**********************
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John-Paul *****
here is the website info :
John-Paul ******
@Natalie *******
thank you.... ?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John-Paul *****
sorry, I’m not following you… there is no “500k investments in thai markets required”. Perhaps you are thinking of the Wealthy Global Citizen category? That’s not what I applied for. I’m talking about the Wealthy Pensioner category.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John-Paul *****
i disagree about the cost. The LTR comes out to $200 US a year, with no reporting required if you had planned on exiting the country at least once a year. Your non-O comes out to 30 000BHT for ten years… pretty close to the same price if you ask me, and a hell of a lot more hassle. But in the end, aren’t we lucky to be presented with multiple options in order to apply for the one that suits us best? The Non-O didn’t work for us at all… but the LTR was perfect and painless!
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Actually, correcting myself… the LTR comes does to $145USD per year. Even better!!!
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Ajay
**********************
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ajay ********
their website is back up now so you will find all the info here and see which one can apply to you.
WLd *****
How much it's cost
Frank-Steven ***********
@WLd ****
50k THB at time of LTR being issued. Good for 10 years.
Yvette ***********
Great post, thanks for the info. When in the “planning to retire phase” I’m Wondering when is the best time to apply - can you apply in advance but not “activate” the visa until you need it?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Yvette **********
sort of… you can go through the application process and once approved, you will have 60 days to visit the BOI One Stop Centre in Bangkok, or your Thai embassy in order to have your passport stamped. After that, there is no requirement to stay any length of time in Thailand, or limit of time to enter Thailand .
Tosh *****************
Great info thanks , did you do this visa from within Thailand
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tosh ****************
we started the process three weeks before entering Thailand, and then finished it here. This way, we didn’t need an extension.
Brandon ************
@Natalie *******
@Tosh ****************
it's a much better option because the embassies are charging ludicrous prices for the visa. The price the US embassy was charging in November came out to almost 70,000 baht. I saw Cambodia charging even more. Much better to get it in Thailand so you know it's 50,000 baht.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
wow, I had no clue! Good to know!
Tosh *****************
Patsy ********
That’s fab information . Thought the picture was Us ! Chick poo 😘
Rebecca ****************
@Patsy *******
it will be us in the not too distant future!!! 🥰
Belinda ********
Oh wow brilliant I am definitely going to look into this
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Belinda *******
wonderful, good luck! 😁
Belinda ********
@Natalie *******
. I may be in touch for advice!!!!
Dipayan *******
Congratulations and best wishes for your life in Thailand. My dream is to live there long term, especially krabi.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Dipayan ******
oh, Krabi is so beautiful!!!
Tulip ********
ps its not a long term retirement visa, its a 5 yr visa that is renewable every 5 years.
Todd *********
@Tulip *******
ps it’s a 10 year residency visa. You get stamped in for 10 years. Must renew your qualifications after 5 years
Jeffrey *********
@Tulip *******
That depends on your definition of "long term", but yeah, it's not permanent, which it really should be for a retirement visa (who wants to move again at age 75 or 80?). It's also not even renewable every five years; at this point, you get five years to start, and then can activate the second half of the "ten year" visa at the end of that time. What happens after that? We won't really know until 2032...
Giovanni ****************
@Jeffrey ********
Direct experience with Malaysia MM2H visa. After 5 year they completely changed the rules and I... simply left for Thailand...
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Jeffrey ********
or whether the LTR will even exist in 2032! 🤷‍♀️. At the rate of new visa creations, we might be looking at something completely different by then!
Jeffrey *********
Borja *********
very nice your post but plz can you give some info about the cost of that LTR visa after the 80k usd incoming??
Todd *********
@Borja ********
the cost is 50,000 baht at LTR office. No credit card accepted. If you pick your LTR up at an embassy abroad, cost will depend on currency conversion.
Borja *********
thanks brandon thukettle, sure in the web site must be that info , i just was missing it here directly from someone just did it anyway ,sometime the web site difficult find infio,...
Brandon ************
@Borja ********
LTR Visa costs 50,000 baht. Just go look at the official website
Ant****
Hi
@Natalie *******
thank you for sharing all this so important info! Extremely appreciated! The question from my side is that since you need to show $80K income (per year) getting from abroad in Thailand, that means you have to be taxed for this amount and pay tax per year in Thailand for $80K? Thank you
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ant****
no. You do not pay taxes in Thailand on foreign income. You pay taxes as you normally do, probably in your home country.
Eric ********
@Natalie *******
If you live in Thailand and do no longer live in your old country you do not have to pay taxes in your old country on investment income for example, with the exception being the USA as they tax on citizenship above 110K USA a year.
John **********
@Eric *******
that depends on whether you generate money in that country. For example if you have investment in that country you would be subject to CGT if applicable, if you take money from a pension in that country you would be subject to income tax, if you receive dividends from an investment in that country you would be subject to income tax
Todd *********
@Eric *******
unfortunately, that is untrue. Your residency elsewhere does not preclude paying tax on investment income. Every country has different rules, but you are not getting off that easily. Sadly
Eric ********
@Todd ********
If you do not longer live in your country and have no abode your tax status ends in your home country with very few exceptions i.e. the US and Eritrea. Most countries have a 183 day rule so if you do not stay longer then 183 days you are off the hook in most countries. So no capital gains tax, withholding tax on dividends is a different matter. Which country are you refering to that taxes you without being present in the country?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Eric *******
that is indeed our next step in this journey! 😉
Giovanni ****************
@Natalie *******
and as far as I know, you don’t need to transfer to Thailand any specific amount of funds and surely not US$80k per year.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Giovanni ***************
there is absolutely no need to transfer any amount of money to Thailand. You also do not need any Thai bank account.
Giovanni ****************
@Natalie *******
thank you for confirming my thought.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Ant****
@Natalie *******
thank you!
Ant****
@Natalie *******
thank you!
Eric ********
Did you need to show a Health insurance for ten years?
Eric ********
Ok thx but I guess you need to show at least a year longer when you re-enter in order to get a years stay. At least that is what is needed for OA Visa. Thanks!
Brandon ************
@Eric *******
when I re-entered recently they had to call 2 levels of supervisor over to figure out what was in my passport. The ground staff still have no idea about the LTR. They didn't ask to see my insurance but I'm not sure if that's because it's not required on entry or they just don't know to ask yet. But it's possible you'd only need a year at initial application and another year at the 5 year re-check.
Todd *********
@Eric *******
you don’t actually need an insurance policy at all for LTR. You just need to show $100k USD in a bank account
Eric ********
@Todd ********
Where do you get this information from? On the website it is clearly stated that you need health insurance for LTR. -Health insurance with at least USD 50,000 coverage or social security benefits insuring treatment in Thailand or at least USD 100,000 deposit. For my OA Visa on reentry I also had to show health insurance for the period I wanted to be stamped in i.e. a full year.
Todd *********
@Eric *******
you just answered your own question. LTR requires 50k coverage OR USD $100k in a bank account somewhere. For LTR, you can show the $100k in your bank and no need for health insurance
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Eric *******
no. For a year only (actually, it might have been for only 10 months but I showed for an entire year).
Lopsee **********
Pm sent
Tulip ********
Its actually much more complicated than it appears. A lot depends on where the money comes from. If you have a mix of sources its much more complicated than having a single source. If you were savvy enough to split your income between a couple, say 75k each, how would either of you qualify? If you are a retired wealthy pensioner and have gifted certain things to nullify inheritance tax, maybe you would then be below the thresh hold. What if you let kids live rent free in some properties rather than letting them commercially and supporting them that way? The system of LTR will suit some and elite visa others, with dependants it gets worse. What is needed is a real desire from Thailand to support the immigration of wealthy pensioners, rather then flirting with the idea and then putting up too many barriers. On another simple point. they like everything certified from your home country. That will suit some and not others. I do not necessarily wants to detail my sources of income and get it certified in a home country. Elite allows that confidentiality.
Chris ****
@Tulip *******
I didn’t mind.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tulip *******
we needed nothing certified from Canada. As for the income, we produced our tax return.
Paul ********
@Natalie *******
Great info! Thanks for taking the time to post this. My wife and I are also over 50 Canadians living off our investments (no actual "pension"). Currently I do a non-o with a letter from the Canadian consulate confirming that my monthly income is over 65K THB via my tax return and my wife just uses our wedding certificate to come as a trailing spouse (no proof of $ required for her). This works great as we can leave all our $ in Canada. This LTR does look interesting though. Did you actually have to move $ into Thailand for it (other than the 50K THB fee) or could you just show your funds back in Canada? The LTR website appears to be down at the moment.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Paul *******
you can try to show investment accounts.

Worse case they will ask you to present something else. In our case, they were very specific with what they wanted to see. As there is no fee to pay until the end, there is no harm in trying.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Paul *******
it sounds like you are in a very similar situation to us. The LTR process requested that we produce my husband’s NOA + T1 General from last year. This did not have to be certified in any way. There was also no need to move any money at all into Thailand, and we didn’t have to show any money in our bank accounts. We did have to show health insurance valid for a year. We had that with IMG Global. Aside from our marriage certificate, I didn’t have to show anything else (as the dependant spouse).

Odd that their website is down…
Joie ********
@Natalie *******
is this process only for people of a certain age? Can someone in early 40s do it too?
Chris *****
@Joie *******
50 or over only, although there is a 'wealthy individual' category too with no age limit (but additional reqs).
Joie ********
@Chris ***************
thanks for the information:)
Paul ********
@Natalie *******
Thanks. The 90 day reporting website was down for ages so it does happen here. The big downside for us with the LTR is that we only pay ourselves what we need to live on and it's nowhere near $120K CAD/$80K USD. I'll take a look at their website once it comes back online to see if there's a way to make it work for us. If only they'd allow us to show investment account and/or HISA funds.
Chris ****
A lot of stuff going on in SEA about HNI, wealthy individuals, etc. And some seem (Indonesia) to be shutting down traditionally known retirement visas. For me that's an interesting reason to go LTR now rather than wait for a rush to the door like what's happening in Bali at the moment. I foresee the LTR becoming more utilized and the interactive becoming more robust over the coming years. But the Elite is so convenient if I don't get the LTR I'll do a 20.
Terry ********
I’m surprised that IMG is still in business. I had them before and their computer systems were hacked or crashed or something. Bottom line is they lost all my file data and I had to find other insurance.
Anup **********
Hello, and thanks for sharing your experience! Did you have to show 500k USD in investments in Thailand? Did you own property or other investments before applying for LTR visa? Thanks!
Paul *******
The only property most foreigners can own in Thailand is a condo. Land ownership is prohibited.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Anup *********
there is no need to have 500USF investments in Thailand. Our financial criteria to meet was $
*****
USD annual income. We do not own any property or investments in Thailand.
Anup **********
@Natalie *******
Oh wow, ok. According to
*******************************************************************************
Must have at least 1 million USD in assets + Must have an investment of at least USD 500,000 in Thai government bonds, foreign direct investment or Thai property. You were able to receive this visa with proof of $80k/year income for 2 years alone, correct? I am under 50 years of age, not sure if I qualify as a retiree, but you might not know much about the other option "High-income Foreign Individuals"?
Chris ****
@Anup *********
there are more than one set of requirements for ltr.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Anup *********
Ah, I see. So we applied in the Wealthy Pensioner category as my husband is 54 (you need to be at least 50). We provided our tax return for the last year only, which included dividends and capital gains. BOI looked at what we reported as income, as long as it was over the 80k mark. The source didn’t matter. I don’t know enough about the other categories to speak intelligently about them I’m afraid… wouldn’t want to mislead you.
Chris ****
@Natalie *******
I’ll be frank. This is very helpful!
Anup **********
@Tea **********
**********************
hasn't been accessible, so I haven't been able to read about LTR. Is there another official website which explains this visa better?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Anup *********
seems to be up and running now. Try it again! 😁
Anup **********
@Natalie *******
Thank you :)
Anup **********
@Natalie *******
Thank you so much for a detailed response. You are helping so many people by sharing your experience. Cheers!
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Anup *********
glad to help. Contrary to what a lot of people say at times in this group, this is not an easy process. It may seem simple after the fact, but it is actually quite confusing while you are going through it. For some, certain documents are quite easy to obtain, for others those same documents are impossible. Anyway, just happy some of my experience can help others, especially since this is such a new visa.
Anup **********
@Natalie *******
**********************
is not accessible since last couple of days. Is that the only official website which explains LTR visa requirements?
Chris ****
@Natalie *******
did they differentiate? I heard capital gains are not accepted. So even if you make 500K if more than 420K is capital gains it's not okay?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tea **********
no differentiation. It’s based on the total income.
Nan *********
And you also got the work permit eith this LTR? And no more 90 days report with the LTR? BTW,Do you already have the work permit before ltr application ?
Todd *********
@Nan ********
no 90 day reporting with LTR. There is annual reporting, but it hits reset each time you exit and re-enter
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Nan ********
we did not apply for the work permit as we are both retired, but it was an option.
Chris *****
@Natalie *******
thank you very much indeed for this post. Sometimes a human explanation of a process is worth a million legalistic web pages and fb posts! So kind of you to respond to everyone.

Could I just clarify this comment? When you say "work permit was an option", do you mean someone with the Wealthy Pensioner visa could also get a work permit? Or are you referring to one of the other LTR visas, eg, 'highly skilled professionals'?

Congratulations!
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Chris ***************
and yes, also for the wealthy pensioner category .
Chris *****
@Natalie *******
thank you so much this is revelationary and really useful, I had no idea!
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Chris ***************
yes, that’s correct. There was an option to obtain a work permit/permission to work on Thailand. I can’t tell you much about it as we didn’t apply for it (and their website is still down for maintenance) but that is one of the perks of this visa.
Wanda ****************
May I ask if insurance has minimum coverage or my personal health insurance is ok? 🙏🙏
Jeffrey *********
@Wanda ***************
Minimum inpatient coverage of 50k USD is required.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Jeffrey ********
yea, thank you! I couldn’t remember! 😁
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Wanda ***************
yes, there was a minimum coverage requirement but can’t remember off the top of my head. The website will tell you.
**********************
Lisa ****
Is your stay permit for 5 years or 10 years? My friend got this visa in the Work from Thailand category and got a 10 year visa stamp, but only stay permit for 5 years, which will be extended for another 5 years if he still fulfill the requirements by that time.
Aye **************
@Lisa ***
Clumsy fingers, sorry! x
Lisa ****
@Aye *************
hehe no problem. 😊
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Lisa ***
yes, that’s exactly right. My stamp is for 5 years, renewable for another 5. My husband’s is actually for only 3.5 years as his passport expires in 3.5 years. When he get a new passport, he can get a new stamp for the remaining time, + renew for another 5 years.
Lisa ****
@Natalie *******
so in theory if your income should drop below 80k before the extension time, then you won't get the next 5 years right?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Lisa ***
yes, that is my understanding as well. It’s essentially having to apply all over again, although they said it would be a bit streamlined. Of course, since we’re so early in the LTR visa program, the renewing process hasn’t been created yet. Somehow, I have a feeling it will not be much different from what we just did, but with no payment.
Lisa ****
@Natalie *******
makes sense. Thank you. 😊
Nan *********
@Lisa ***
yes,to proof that your status are the same to previous 5 years.
Till ******
@Lisa ***
Exactly
Justine *********
I love the picture you posted,
@Natalie *******
. Congratulations, what a way to start the New Year!
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Justine ********
thanks so much Justine!! ❤️
William *********
boi stands for ?
Lisa ****
@William ********
Board of investment.
William *********
@Lisa ***
thanx
Keef ********
Thanks for sharing - yes the BOI team is excellent - I had a similar Smart Visa from the same team that also didn't require 90 day reporting but different requirements. Truly if you can work with the BOI team things go much smoother.
Giovanni ****************
@Keef *******
I agree. I am applying for LTR visa in 2023. I sent them a mail for some clarifications. Got a detailed answer the next day
Keef ********
@Giovanni ***************
and best of luck to you on that application!
David *********
Thankyou for sharing the experience , is it 80 k US each ? I'm probably right on the cusp income wise , but I'd be interested in this visa , are there other options ?

Thanks again ..
Chris *****
@David ********
the way I read the post and responses, Natalie is a trailing spouse, so only her husband.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Chris ***************
yes, that’s correct. My husband’s income on last year’s tax return was higher so we went with him as primary, and I came in as a dependant. We only had to provide our wedding certificate for me.
David *********
@Natalie *******
so I can apply online when inside. Thailand ? Or must you be outside ?

80 k US income , and your husband get both in , it's pretty good ..
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@David ********
you can apply from within or from outside, as you wish. Once approved, you will be asked whether you want to receive your passport stamp in Bangkok, or at your nearest Thai embassy.
David *********
@Natalie *******
Oh , that's very good , thankyou Natalie .
Eri ************
How soon did it take to stamp after you got approval?

We have a plan for overseas trip.
Jeffrey *********
@Eri ***********
As
@Natalie *******
said, the longest part is waiting for your qualifications (income and insurance) to be approved - in my case it took about 10 weeks. After that, everything was super quick: I got the "Qualification Endorsement" email on a Friday, uploaded my passport copies, got the "approval" email Monday morning, made an appointment for the next day, and had the visa before noon on Tuesday. Every appointment slot on every day was wide open for booking, and the process at the One Stop Center took under 90 minutes, almost all of which was spent relaxing on a sofa while the BoI people ran around and did all the work with immigration - I only had to pose for photos and pay the fee.
Eri ************
@Jeffrey ********
Many thanks😊 Good to know.
Chris ****
@Eri ***********
due to demand it's going to be a bit longer in 2023.
Eri ************
@Tea **********
thanks.

Regarding to BOI website, supposed to receive assessment result in 2 weeks, if aproved, make an appointment and go to BOI office to process.

Do they hold a passport for a few days or stamp on the same day?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Eri ***********
they will not hold your passport. You will receive your stamp on your appointment day. It will take about 1.5 hours at the BOI office from start to finish.
Eri ************
@Natalie *******
that's what I wanted to know. Many thanks😊
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Eri ***********
from the time you apply, it will take 5 weeks at minimum. There is a lot of back and forth required. At some point, you will be told that the BOI has approved your application, but that Immigration must now approve it. A few days later, you will get a message from Immigration asking for a copy of your passport. After this, you will receive another email saying you are approved and that you can proceed with filling out a few more questions on their website (entry day into Thailand, address in Thailand, etc). About a day later, you will be prompted to book an appointment with the BOI. At this point, you know you are finally at the end. 😁. Lots of appointment dates were available, as early as the following day.
Chris ****
@Eri ***********
I’m in process so don’t know. Just only that more recent applications are taking longer due to uptick in demand. So far BOI has been extremely responsive. So i think normal and will be fine. Can always call to ask.
Eri ************
@Tea **********
many thanks😊 and good luck to you!
Eri ************
Thank you for posting. Very usual as my husband and I are now getting documents gather for LTR😊
Srini ******
Thanks for the useful information
Gary ****
Do you need insurance for every year it runs or just for the first year?
Brandon ************
@Gary ********
you have to "re-qualify" after 5 years, which means you need to do the entire process again, except you don't have to pay that time. So you'll at least need insurance again for that year.

I think you'll be fine without insurance for the 4 years before that as you don't need to do anything again with immigration until then, but at some point they might start checking insurance when you enter the country. I entered on my LTR last week and they had to call 2 levels of supervisor over because the regular officers didn't know how to handle an LTR, and they didn't ask about insurance. So it's either not required upon entry or they just don't know to check it yet.
Giovanni ****************
@Brandon ***********
I would not stay in Thailand without and insurance regardless the type of visa I am in…
Gary ****
@Brandon ***********
thank you for the detailed reply
Kal *********
Comparing this to the "" elite visa "" ?

Which maybe a better deal ...
Todd *********
@Kal ********
100% LTR. They both function the same way really. But LTR is 50k baht, Elite is 500k - 2M
Incognia **********
@Kal ********
i think if i am rich that much i wouldnt care 600K Baht or 1million baht.Elite is better i think.We are talking about 80K usd income.If i have 80K usd income why i care
*****
usd elite visa payment?
Nivant ******
2) LTR need to buy insurance, factor in that cost and future inflation

3) LTR gives 5 yr visa upon first approval, need to prove eligibility again for renewal, factor in personal financial situation/ adjustments, may or may not generate 80k/year for whatever reason

4) If someone is making 80k/year, cost of Elite hardly matters compared to financial flexibility, no burden of declaring actual income to Govt, potential tax liabilities...

5) Bottomline, no point being penny wise dollar fool..
Todd *********
@Nivant *********
quite a bit of what you have written here is inaccurate. Bit of a waste of your time. Much as Elite is a waste of money for no apparent reason if one has the income. What is the actual cost right now for Elite for 10 and 20 years?
Nivant ******
1) 90 day reporting is hardly any hassle, it can be done online after first time reporting.
Todd *********
@Nivant *********
1) 90 day reporting. Would you rather do it every 3 months, or just not bother? Yes - me too. Win one for LTR.

2) LTR has no insurance requirement, you can simply show $100k in the bank. Easy.

3) LTR gives you a 10 year stamp. Full stop. There will be some requirement to re-qualify at 5 years. Maybe. But the promise is that it will not be onerous.

4) for people with $80k in perpetual income, $18k for Elite vs $1500k is a bit of a no brainer. Nobody got that income level by being stupid with money
Giovanni ****************
@Stelar ******
what a useless comment… do you have Elite visa or are you suggesting others to waste their hard earned money? Why throw out of the window $18k when you can get the same thing for $3k?

But I think you already answered my question… “if I am rich”
Incognia **********
@Giovanni ***************
can u ask yourself are u rich?If u are.Then do the best and the easiest.Have a good night.80K income is super rich for me.It is depends on what u think about 80K income.
Incognia **********
@Giovanni ***************
Another thing they are talking about Elite visa 90Days reporting.Pay maximum 5000baht fine and no need to care 90days reporting.
Nivant ******
@Giovanni ***************
Yes i applied for 20yr Elite visa and got it last month, there is nothing to brag here about being rich or poor, im neither, just a simple math and common sense, factor in financial flexibility and future uncertainities vs locking in fixed cost for 20 yrs and we are talking about wealthy retirees here who are potentially savvy investors.. If i had over 80k/year income, would look at bigger picture and keep the flexibility of moving income generating portfolio to something else, if need be, rather than worrying about 90day reporting... LTR is the most redundant half-baked visa solution (except work permit category which again is already there under failed Smart visa category)
Todd *********
@Nivant *********
LTR gives you basically everything Elite has at a fraction of the price.
Giovanni ****************
@Todd ********
exactly. I am going for it
Giovanni ****************
@Nivant *********
I lived in 4 continents and moved in 12 different houses. Never stayed in the same place more than 5 years. Buying an expensive 20 years visa is definitely not for me. I barely moved to Thailand and I am already thinking about the next place. It is not just a matter of money…
Todd *********
@Giovanni ***************
anybody pre-planning 20 years in the same country is likely wasting their $
Nivant ******
@Todd ********
Fair enough though depends on individual circumstances, someone planning to make Thailand a long term base and wanting max security/certainity at today's cost would see Elite as bargain. LTR guarantees max 5 yrs and then requalify again, no financial flexibility, future requirement could change and go higher, yearly retirement visa (O types) min deposit requirement could go higher, min insurance requirement could go higher and so on, factor in opportunity cost of all those items plus hassle, today's cost of roughly USD 1500 for Elite with zero string attached would look no-brainer and i would assume someone making 100k plus a year is possibly a smart investor investing/moving millions around would prefer financial flexibility over just 25% of one year income for 20yr visa.. Anyway, end of the day to each its own. :-)
Nivant ******
@Giovanni ***************
Fair enough, boils down to individual circumstances, for someone planning long term in Thailand can go for Elite 5+15 (Upgrade) for prudence, point being LTR hardly gives any real benefit compared to onerous requirement it puts in..
Lisa ****
@Giovanni ***************
the LTR visa actually only cost 50k baht so $1,500 so it's less than 10% the price of the elite visa for double the time. And no 90 day reporting. 😊
Giovanni ****************
@Lisa ***
oh yeah I was actually calculating for me and my wife. I think the Elite visa is a total nonsense
Lisa ****
@Giovanni ***************
yeah for anyone who qualify for the LTR it's much better. Just not having to do 90 day reporting is a huge benefit.
Kal *********
morr benefits with elite visa ...
Lisa ****
@Kal ********
what benefits do you get with elite visa that you don't get with LTR visa? The LTR visa is much cheaper and you don't have to do 90 day reporting, elite visa holder still have to do 90 day reporting.
Nivant ******
@Lisa ***
Or rather what benefits you get with LTR that you dont get with Elite (If you keep head down and do your own thing)?
Lisa ****
@Nivant *********
your comment doesn't make any sense. The main benefit of the LTR visa is that you get 10 year visa for less than 10% of the price of the 5 year elite visa. And with LTR visa you don't have to do 90 day reporting but elita visa have to do.
Jheck *********
@Jerry ********
might be interested
Mitch ******
Hi Natalie, I am about to retire next week and was going to come and do the Retirement O visa. This seems like it may be a better idea. Can you tell me what doocumentation was needed for proof of income?
Mitch ******
Thank you, that was very helpful.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Mitch *********
hi! We provided initially our notice of assessment from our last two income tax returns . They came back to us asking for a copy of the last T1 General (we are Canadians). That was it . I’m sure there are other ways to show proof of income however. By the way, we initiated this entire process a couple of weeks before arriving to Thailand. We the finished it off here. So you could think of doing the same.
กิน *******************
Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉
Edward ******
Any bank statement, proof of funds or any other documents related to Money. How much have to show?

Thanks.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Edward *****
we provided our notice of assessment / income tax return. You might be able to provide different documents to show income but that is what we did.
Kristen *********
@Natalie *******
This post is very helpful, thank you. Did you need to show pension/passive income back 12 months or 24 months? I read in various places that it was 2 years back, but the BOI said 12 months - but he didn't look sure.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Kristen ********
when we applied, we sent the last two Notice of Assessments from the Canada Revenue Agency. I believe only one would have sufficed but since we readily had two, we sent two. They then wrote back to us asking us to send in last years T1 (if you’re not Canadian, it’s essentially our summary income tax from last year). That was it and there was nothing further to show in terms of financials.
Kristen *********
@Natalie *******
Thank you so much, that helps. We are just retiring so our past income has been salary. We had hoped to show how we plan to structure our finances to meet the requirements going forward or to start our pension, but the BOI said that if we can't show the track record, we won't qualify. Now we are thinking about a different visa type for the first year and creating that track record. Good to know that only one year is needed.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Kristen ********
luckily, there are indeed a few different retirement visas available. The Non-OA might work well for you if you are still out of country. That one was tougher for us because we didn’t have a fixed salary/pension but it might be best for you, with the possibility of switching to the LTR in the future if we hat makes sense to you.
Kristen *********
@Natalie *******
Thank you. I didn't see that requirement for the Non-OA, i will look more closely. I would love a one and done - the bank account, health insurance, reporting etc. is frustrating and seems risky. But, it seems our only option right now. Thanks again and enjoy!
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Kristen ********
well if you’re applying outside of Thailand, you don’t need a bank account for the non-OA. You need proof of finances (steady income is best here but not the only way), criminal record check, insurance and a medical letter. Look into it! It might work better for your individual circumstances! 😁. Good luck!!!
Edward ******
Jasmine *********
Hi how much money do u need to qualify as a wealthy pensioner for this visa ?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Jasmine ********
You need to show an income of $80000 US. If you don’t have that, there are also other ways of proving income. You’ll find the info here:
**********************
*****
US. If you don’t have that, there are also other ways of proving income. You’ll find the info here: https://ltr.boi.go.th/
Stefan ************
@Natalie *******
thank you for all the information. Can you say what BOI stands for? This link here unfortunately doesn’t work.
Sarah *******
@Natalie *******
per person or per couple?
Jasmine *********
Josh **********
How much money do you need at least in your bank for that visa?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Josh *********
nothing in your bank. You need to prove at least $800 000 US income.
Boglárka ********
@Natalie *******
not 80 000?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Boglárka *******
oops, yes, one too many zero. $
*****
will do. 😂.
Keef ********
@Boglárka *******
they mean 80k USD/annum.
Boglárka ********
@Keef *******
not the same😅🤣👍
Frank-Steven ***********
Happy for you. And yes, the LTR is a good step into the right direction. It consists of 4 subcategories + dependant. You picked probably the "easiest" category to fulfill the requirements (Wealthy Pensioner Category). Yet pensioners (everybody aged 50+) had it quite easy to remain long-term in Thailand before already. So for this category, you chose to spend the money on the LTR mainly for some extra perks and less bureaucratic hassle with immigration (extensions and reporting) - and nothing wrong with that. The other categories are more demanding and unfortunately screwed up in the (excessive) details. Especially the LTR Work Remotely from Thailand Category is almost a complete fail, as it limits applicants to those working directly for publicly listed, big blue ship companies (no matter how much more money they make, even owning their own long track record businesses). Anyways, enjoy your next 10 years in Thailand.
Brett *****
if you are in any of the “Wealthy” categories is ฿40k a year (or less) for a LTR qualifying insurance policy really going to kill you or “alienate tens or hundreds of thousands of potential applicants” ? I doubt it. Are you going to have overlapping policies ? Perhaps. But many Thai policies have exemptions/limits for US coverage and so when in the US use your US group coverage and when in Thailand (and likely outside your US group policy “network”) have the peace of mind you will be covered. Just my two cents.
Jeffrey *********
@Brett ****
Would throwing away 40k baht on a completely unnecessary Thai insurance policy "kill me"? No, of course not. But why would I want to throw away money when I am already insured? A Thai policy certainly wouldn't give me any additional "peace of mind", because my US policy fully covers me in Thailand, with all providers considered to be "in network". That's not just in theory - my policy has covered all of my medical expenses here, including multiple surgeries, for decades.

As I wrote to Todd above, people who already have close ties to Thailand and want a way to stay here will buy that unnecessary extra policy as a cost of doing business. The ones with no Thai associations, though - the ones BoI really wants to attract in large numbers - will be less forgiving, and may just choose a different country instead. Just my opinion.
Frank-Steven ***********
@Brett ****
I think you may have tagged the wrong guy. I am covered by health insurance globally, just fine. In Europe, this seems to be easier and cheaper to obtain compared to the US. My main issue with the LTR is that (for the Work Remotely from Thailand category) it excludes many sources and constellations of income, even if they are way beyond their set threshold of 80k USD / year.
Brett *****
Edited fix; sorry.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Ludwig **********
what do you mean exactly? In my case, my husband is the primary LTR visa holder, and I, as his spouse, come in as a dependant. This simplified the paperwork as I only had to show a marriage certificate (make sure it is in English or you have a certified English translation).
Ludwig ***********
@Natalie *******
thanks, I get it 😊
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Frank-Steven **********
yes, I’ve heard it’s much more complicated for the other categories of the LTR. I have a feeling most of the visas issued so far are in the wealthy pensioner category. For us, it certainly it was an easy straight forward process. The other retirement visas unfortunately were not as they didn’t fit our circumstances (our income is not derived from a pension, making things more complicated; we were on the road travelling making it impossible to obtain some documents from our home country; we couldn’t get the insurance form signed off by our health insurance company and had to change companies which we really didn’t want to do for personal reasons etc, I could go on). But you’re right, in the end, there probably are too many retirement categories. 🤷‍♀️
Frank-Steven ***********
@Natalie *******
You assume correctly, the vast majority of the (way fewer than hoped for) LTR applications are from "Wealthy Pensioners". Overall, so far they really missed the goals they set out for with this new visa due to overregulation and requirements not matching many of the desired target groups realities. But I am happy it worked out for your needs. Also, yes, the team at the BOI is much nicer to deal with than some other institutions.
Jeffrey *********
@Frank-Steven **********
Even the WP category suffers from the "requirements not matching...desired target group realities" problem, though to a much lesser extent. The issue that I and many other US applicants faced is that we had comprehensive health insurance as part of our retirement, but it's in the form of group insurance - the norm in the US - that BoI either doesn't understand or is somehow barred from accepting.

They never explain what they don't like about it, but instead just keep sending the "please provide medical insurance" boilerplate again and again, even after all the insurance details have been provided. This type of insurance typically has unlimited coverage and is valid for life, and yet they just won't allow it. With that kind of restriction, many US retirees won't even bother applying.
Todd *********
@Jeffrey ********
you don’t need the insurance. You need $100k in the bank. Let’s assume that everyone with $80k income over 50 has $100k in the bank somewhere
Jeffrey *********
@Todd ********
We can certainly assume that, but that doesn't make it true 😂 So yes, if you happen to have had 100k in the bank for a year anyway - as was true in my case - then the insurance is irrelevant. But if you don't have that much in cash, and they don't accept either your perfectly valid insurance or your investment accounts instead, that is very frustrating, and would be enough to put off many people.

The great majority of current applicants seem to be people who already live in Thailand or regularly travel here, and just want a more convenient visa. The folks the government really wants to attract, though, are those who would not have thought of living in Thailand otherwise, but are attracted by the LTR. That group will be much less willing to jump through hoops than current Thai residents like me.
Todd *********
@Jeffrey ********
nothing is 100% in this world… however my basis for that point is extremely strong. If the applicant does not happen to meet that requirement, they have made some errors. And BTW, they accepted an investment account in my case. Ask the wrong questions, and get the wrong answers.

There are many greater reasons for living in Thailand other than this new visa. If someone wishes an easier process for long term residency Mexico, Philippines, Cambodia all have really superb programmes.

If ‘hoop jumping’ isn’t their thing, they have easy options with Elite and agents. VERY easy then. But LTR was very simple in my case. Prove income. Prove assets for insurance = get visa in a few weeks
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Jeffrey ********
wow, that is weird. What I provided was the “visa letter” that was generated automatically by my insurance company. They BOI asked for a copy of the benefits policy itself. That was it. I’m curious as to what would be wrong with a group insurance policy, if it lists what they ask for (which is minimal… if I recall, they only ask that it covers
*****
USD… nothing else was specified). Super bizarre… 🤔
Jeffrey *********
@Natalie *******
I think there may be a few issues. One, there usually isn't a policy number, just a member number. Two, there usually isn't a number listed for coverage - mine just said "no dollar limit". Three, there's no start or end date specified, as the policy just continues until you either die, change to another provider, or drop out of the program (which almost no one does, since being uninsured in the US is setting yourself up for bankruptcy).

What they are expecting, and are very comfortable with, is an individual, one year policy with a specific coverage limit and ending date. That fact that such a policy is usually grossly inferior to the government or corporate sponsored group polices doesn't matter at all.

They could easily assign someone to research this kind of coverage by reading online and talking to the US embassy - I spent most of my career as a visa officer, and that's what we would have done in a similar situation - but for whatever reason it seems they prefer just to reject it out of hand, even though doing so may alienate tens or hundreds of thousands of potential applicants.
Ludwig ***********
@Frank-Steven **********
is there a “marriage” category?
Frank-Steven ***********
@Ludwig **********
Not directly. But if one is married to someone qualifying / holding the LTR - one gets an LTR as well as a dependant.
Jeffrey *********
@Ludwig **********
For LTR? No, there isn't.
Todd *********
@Frank-Steven **********
Spend what extra money on LTR? It averages out to 5k annually for unlimited entries and includes FastTrack and no reporting. It's a bit of a no brainer for anyone over 50 with adequate income. And very simple to apply and substantiate. The Work remotely version is, and likely will remain problematic without revision, but Wealthy Global Citizen is just as easy with adequate resources.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
that’s true! $200CDN a year is actually a pretty good deal!
Alan *******
@Natalie *******
A good deal. RIP the ROI on $500k invested properly lol
Todd *********
@Alan ******
she is talking about LTR Wealthy Pemsioner. No $500k investment in Thailand required. Try to keep up
Frank-Steven ***********
@Todd ********
You are right. It is a financially good deal and well worth the little extra money compared to Non-O with all its hassles. And yes, we agree the Work Remotely from Thailand needs a revision, badly. Where my view seems to differ is the Wealthy Global Citizen category, as it requires not only wealth - which would be ok - but also a substantial (500k USD) invenstment in (limited categories / assets classes) in Thailand. I am not prepared to put that much money in a country that is notoriously unreliable in laws and regulations that change so frequently. Just a personal preference.
Todd *********
@Frank-Steven **********
Agreed, Non-O for 1900 baht plus multiple entry for 3500 (?) baht means that getting the LTR is actually cheaper as well as reducing the likelihood of inflation to those costs. Not even accounting for the annual drudgery, bank and immigration visits, plus 90 reporting. Totally agree that revisions are needed for Work Remotely in order for it to become viable and attract the people they hope to attract. And yes, you are right about the investment component. I can understand anyone's reticence to put 500k in the country. Fair points all around
Frank-Steven ***********
@Todd ********
They could not bring themselves to allowing LTR holders to buy at least 1 (small) rai of Land for personal use. Also, still not possible (if not a US citizen) to fully / or in majority own and control a Thai limited company. Both might have lured people into actually investing those 500k in Thailand.
Todd *********
Just a small aside, you didn't actually need to show health insurance, you could have simply shown $100k USD in a bank account. That also meets their parameters. Enjoy!
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
yes, absolutely, good point. We did actually start off by showing money in an account but as it was an investment account, it didn’t work. It had to be cash. So we opted to go the health insurance route, which we already had but simply needed to extend for a year.
Jeffrey *********
@Natalie *******
The question of using investment accounts in lieu of insurance is an odd one. I know several people who were allowed to use them, and others (including you) who were told very specifically that they couldn't. I'm not sure what's behind that lack of consistency - or why, for that matter, 800k USD (for example) of liquid assets isn't thought of as equivalent to 100k USD in cash.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Jeffrey ********
I guess you need to show that you have that sort of money readily available if your medical needs require it.
Jeffrey *********
@Natalie *******
Right. I happened to have had enough cash in the bank, but the problem I see is that they don't understand that listed stocks can be turned into cash almost instantly, so there's really very little difference between equities and cash. (The kind of person who would refuse to sell assets to pay for medical treatment would probably also refuse to use their savings...!)

If they really want to attract wealthy individuals in larger numbers, they should realize that, and adjust their policy. But it's their decision, even if I happen to think it's not a particularly wise one.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Jeffrey ********
yep, you’re right. I our case, I didn’t fight it or argue it with them as we already had the insurance they required. I just needed to extend it, something I would have done anyways in time.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Jeffrey ********
if it’s liquid it should work. Our investment account held stocks. Their response back said that it must be “cash”.
Todd *********
@Natalie *******
I can't recall exactly exactly what i used, although I'm not sure the 'cash' requirement was stated. Thought it may have been from my TFSA. But either way, insurance or cash is viable as long as you have the documentation.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
And again, the good think about the BOI is that back and forth clarifying what they needed exactly. That was well appreciated!
Todd *********
@Natalie *******
Yes, totally agree, BOI was very communicative and easy to deal with
Che ********
Thank you, I'm in the early stages of deciding which visa to apply for. Your post is most informative.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Che *******
Happy to hear this. There are quite a few visa options out there so it’s not always easy to pick the one that’s right for our particular circumstances. This one worked well for us as we already possesses all the required documents, and there was no need to open a thai bank account.
Tatiana ********
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tatiana *******
Happy to do so! I think it’s a great visa if your income allows it, and since it’s so new, not many have heard about it.
Gary **********
Thank you for sharing this information. I had heard about it and mostly it seemed impractical for me and my wife who are already here on a O-A from US. But what you have shared is very very interesting. Could you please give the phone number and any other details about who to contact? Thanks again and all the best!
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Gary *********
You will find all the info here. Their website is great and the application process is quite simple. There is also nothing to worry about - if you send in the wrong document, they will email you indicating how to rectify it. It means a lot of back and forth but we felt they were really working with us on this, not against us.
Rebecca ****************
@Patsy *******
this is good to know about. Counting down the tears. 🙏
Mike *******
Thank you Natalie, this is very informative. 🖖
Linz ************
@Natalie *******
May I ask, how much did this cost, might be a good alternative for myself and my wife to consider, Thanks for sharing
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Linz ***********
it’s 50 000TB per person. Not cheap but when you figure it last for 10 years, and avoids all of this 90 day reporting, it’s definitely worth it. Oh, and you get to use Fast Track service at the airports, which is certainly useful if you come in and out quite a bit.
Ned *******
@Natalie *******
Great post thanks, but 90 day reporting now is no big deal, 5 mins online ,job done. Plus I use fast track at the airport as over 70 !! There are some advantages to old age, but thats about it !!!
Maria **********************
@Natalie *******
We applied and understood it as the dependent don´t have to pay 50.000 bath for the visa. We are waiting for our visas. Did you have to visit BOI in Bangkok for the visa stamp or could you get it in any immigration office if you are in Thailand ?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Maria *********************
the dependant definitely has to pay
*****
TB. I just paid it in cash yesterday so I am sure about that. Right now, if you are in Thailand you can only get it done at the BOI in Bangkok.
Gordon *******
@Natalie *******
Is that 50, 000b

or 500, 000b
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Gordon ******
*****
TB (about $2000 CDN)
Gordon *******
@Natalie *******
Thanks Natalie
Linz ************
@Natalie *******
Mmmm, need to have $80,000usd annual income 😳

My pension will be giving me a decent income but not to that level
Justine *********
@Linz ***********
If you have other passive income (non wages) such as rental income, dividends, social security, savings account withdrawals, annuity….those will count towards pension income.
Tulip ********
@Justine ********
I am not sure they do. The rules are interpreted very strictly. By pension income, they mean pension income, several of the things you list I do not think would count. There are confirmations of that online from Thai officials.
Alex *******
@Tulip *******
this is not correct. for LTR wealthy pensioner any passive, unearned income (pension, dividends, interest, capital gains, rental) are accepted. this is clearly stated on boi’s website in the LTR-P section
Todd *********
@Tulip *******
that’s actually incorrect. They mean income, not only pension income. The money can be derived from pension, but any passive income counts also. Your tax return can be the key
Tulip ********
@Todd ********
since when does a tax return reflect your income. If you are salaried and always have been fine. I would hate to think the tax I pay reflects my income. I would be starving. That's naive in the extreme. Just buy Thai elite and have done. Maybe Canadians are a law abiding bunch.
Alex *******
@Tulip *******
your reply has no root in facts. tax return obviously contain information about your taxable income, part of which can be passive, thus can be used to qualify for LTR-P. boi also accepts bank/brokerage statements documenting passive income in tax exempt accounts, which typically does not show up in tax returns.
Tulip ********
@Alex ******
rather than keep saying what it said why not just prove you have done it, or are you an agent touting for business?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tulip *******
we have done it exactly as Alex Jiang states above. We do not have pensions at all, only investments derived income. I can assure you I am not an agent! Just a 50 year old Canadian happy to spend the next 10 years in beautiful Thailand. 😁. Good luck with your choice of visa. Luckily, there are quite a few to choose from, especially if you are over 50. Hopefully one suits your particular circumstances. The LTR suited ours, while the Elite and non-OA did not/ were more complicated, for us.
Alex *******
@Tulip *******
i’m simply stating facts and sharing best available information with those who are interested. it does seem with every topic you comment on, you try to dissuade people from applying. i wonder why
Todd *********
@Tulip *******
it appears you did not give this much thought.

Whether your tax return reflects your income or not is irrelevant.
@Natalie *******
was just showing you a possibility. If you have the income, you have to prove it. It makes no difference if you make $800k or 80k - you only need to show $80k. Bank statements, dividends, interest, rental income, whatever.

‘Naive in the extreme’ lol. If you think you are indefinitely going to avoid paying tax on your real income in today’s world, that… is extremely naive. Why would you throw 18k of your money away on something you can buy for $1500k? Easy, peasy. Took me 20 mins for the application online, 16 working days for approval and a visit to their nice offices in downtown BKK. No need to waste thousands of USD on Elite.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tulip *******
wow, I am not sure why you are responding like this. If the Elite visa is right for you, by all means go that route. My husband and I do not have pensions at all, only dividend derived income, and we were able to use last year’s tax return to prove the $
*****
personal income. So clearly this works and what
@Todd ********
says is accurate. Maybe Canadians are a law abiding bunch. Not sure that makes us naïve…
Alex *******
@Natalie *******
Did they also accept capital gains or this was not an issue for you?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Alex ******
we provided our tax return from last year, showing our income. That income was made up of dividends and capital gains.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tulip *******
use your income tax return from last year. It is not pension income but personal income that they are looking for. We do not have a pension yet we still received the visa on the strength of our income tax return.
Justine *********
@Tulip *******
I could be wrong, but I didn’t see that confirmation on line you are referring to.
Linz ************
@Natalie *******
wow, we are even more interested now, Thank You
Richard *********
Are you taxed in Thailand?

Capital gains, Social Security, USA income from rental properties?
Todd *********
@Richard ********
LTR holders won’t be taxed in Thailand for income outside the country
Ludwig ***********
@Richard ********
your taxation status is not determined by your visa but by any taxation agreement between your country and Thailand.
Todd *********
@Ludwig **********
see Jeffrey’s response.
Jeffrey *********
@Ludwig **********
That's true in general, but there is also a specific clause in the law/regulation creating the LTR that formally exempts the foreign income of LTR holders from Thai tax.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Richard ********
no, you are taxed in your home country on all foreign income; as Canadians, we could also declare ourselves non-residents of Canada at this point in time.
Sophie *********
Interesting, was the financial income requirement per couple, or individual? Did they all to see evidence of regular income?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Sophie ********
It was per individual and we showed my husband’s notice of assessment from last year’s tax return. I came in as his dependant and therefore only had to show our wedding certificate. If I had applied for the LTR on my own, I would also have had to showy financial income.
Donna *******
@Nat****
hi and congrats. Did you need a letter of employment or current payslip or just last years NOA?
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Donna ******
we are both retired so would not have been able to provide that. We sent in the NOA, and we’re asked for our last T1 General. I should add that only my husband has to provide this, as I came in as his dependant.
Bri *****
Thanks for posting and good luck to you both, I ended up going for the 20 year Elite easy access but I did consider this 🙏👍
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Bri ****
ah yes, we considered that one as well but the when the LTR visa came out, we knew it was just the right fit for us.
Terary **********
Thanks for posting
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Terary *********
my pleasure! 😁
Brandon ************
Really great report and I agree with a lot of your points, especially the not paying until you're minutes away from getting your visa so you feel more secure.

I also had the same experience of having to call to get things moving, but they work really hard to help once you do call.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
they worked incredibly hard! We we’re getting emails from them extremely late at night!
Jeffrey *********
@Natalie *******
You seem to have had a great experience, which was quite different from mine and that of other people I know. The only emails I ever received from them were a request for documents, which came only after I had called them (after 22 workdays with no communication of any kind), and which conflicted with what I had been told on the phone a few minutes earlier - and then the final "qualification endorsement" and "approved, make an appointment" messages. For the rest of the 47 workdays that my case took, they maintained radio silence 🤐
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Jeffrey ********
I do mention above in my post that I had to call them on several occasions to ask for a status update, after not hearing from them. As soon as I would do that, the file would start moving again. I was impressed that they picked up the phone, answered my questions, and moved things along. I was comparing it with other visa application processes (such as the Non-OA where I couldn’t get anyone to speak to me on the phone, return my messages or respond by email). To me, the LTR process was fantastic in comparison.
Jeffrey *********
@Natalie *******
I totally agree that the BoI folks were always polite and pleasant, but neither I nor my friends had the luck with phoning them that you did. The one time I called, it took 8 tries over two days before I reached anyone, and that seems pretty typical of what most other people have experienced. The other problem, that you seem to have avoided, is that while the staff answering the phone are friendly, their information isn't always correct, since they're not the ones making decisions. Several people I know were told every time they called that "your case should be approved next week" - and no, those cases weren't approved the next week! So it's great to be able to talk with someone, but the talks aren't always fruitful.
Natalie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Jeffrey ********
all my calls with them were in the last two weeks. Perhaps that have become more efficient and knowledgeable over time? To be fair, the answer we normally got what “I will pass your question on”, which would trigger an email within a few hours. The email would then request more information, or show some type of approval, leading us to the next phase. There were indeed multiple “approval” phases. Just when you thought you were done, a new phase would begin. But still, for a bureaucracy, I’ll take it! Way more effective that calling a Canadian government department (and I worked for the Canadian government for 18 years 😂).
Thai Visa Advice and Everything Else
... members · 60% approval rate
The Thai Visa Advice And Everything Else group allows for a broad range of discussions on life in Thailand, beyond just visa inquiries.
Join the Group
Thai Visa Advice and Everything Else
View the Conversation
Thai Visa Advice and Everything Else