@Thai *****************************

The matter of the fact is, that 99% of (high income) people that actually can and want wo work remotely, do so either on a freelance basis for several clients or by running their own small or medium size company offering their services. The requirements here asking for a current (direct) employer being either a public company or a USD 150 million revenue company excludes almost everybody. Yes, during COVID times even the big old traditional companies sent their people into home office to work remotely. BUT, and that is a big BUT, many already call their staff back into office. And also, while those employees were permitted to work remotely, they were only permitted to do so from their home, thus the phrase "home office". Big, old school, traditional companies will almost never allow their direct employees to work remotely from a different country (for tax, insurance and what not other reasons). So, to conclude, it is and remains an utter failure on the side of who ever invented this new visa in Thailand to try to dictate what kind of work relationships applicants in the remote work from Thailand category should be in and what kind of companies they get paid from. Unfortunately a very common occurrence in Thailand to contradict good ideas with unsuitable overregulation that eventually render the whole thing inert.

@Maxim **********

Yes, some old people (sorry, Wealthy Pensioners), who already had it easy to stay long time before. For Work from Thailand Professionals and Wealthy Global Citizens, the conditions are not suitable for their respective target group. Guess the uniforms did not know that.

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

Maybe Indonesia (Bali) and other destinations currently working on remote working visa will lead the way, and then Thailand will follow in a few years with LTR 2.0, when they finally get it (or actually co-create criteria with people who get it). We will see.

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

The big traditional companies, if they still offer “home office” at all, don’t even allow their employees to work from outside their respective countries. The criteria here are a total mismatch and shows once again, that some Thai uniforms invent wishful things here, they don’t know anything about.

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

If they want steady income, all they should ask for, check and enforce is steady income, then. But this way, they exclude the vast majority of remote workers, like highly skilled developers and such, mostly working for high venture capital funded startups and the like.

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

And on the following page there they detail again that “current employer” needs to be either. I am hoping I wrong - but experience tells me, they are going to make this visa once again applicable to nobody in the end.

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

Even in the document linked in this post, the requirements say that the “current employer” needs to be either a or b. Employer suggest a work contract. A relationship with that company as an employee. So even if people have regular freelance clients amongst that sort of companies, I doubt it will suffice. I wonder what documents they will require for evaluation anyways. I guess we will see.

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

If only that were true. If only proving sufficient income and experience alone would be sufficient. But the details circulated everywhere regarding the LTR suggest that remote workers must have a work contract with a “well established company abroad”, which they define as either a) a publicly (stock exchange) listed company or b) a company with at least 150m USD annual revenue over the recent 3 years. That excludes the absolute vast majority of remote worker that otherwise would easily meet the income and experience requirement.

This visa is an utter joke and a big, big disappointment. A failed opportunity, once again. It will not attract even "remotely" the amount of people desired - maybe with the exception of retirees (who already had it easy coming to Thailand before, by the way). All the other LTR categories have been messed up and made inapplicable or unattractive in the details. I mean come on! A "digital nomad" remote worker visa, where remote workers may only work with a fixed work contract with publicly listed companies? Not that 99% of those high income nomads work on freelance basis with multiple companies, mostly startup-businesses with high venture capital funding. Give me a break, guys! Who makes shit like this up all the time? Why not include and ask people that actually belong to desired target group for once, when defining new visa criteria? What a mess! Or take the "Wealthy Global Citizen": Sure, I'd be willing to come as a millionaire. But NOT if you force me to invest half a million into some government bond or what not! Trust me on this: millionaires like to choose where (in the world) and into what assets we invest money! And why bother at all? Be happy about every new millionaire citizen, irrespective of where he or she invests their money - as long as they spend well on their life in Thailand. And why make different criteria for wealthy people below the age of 50 and wealthy pensioners again (the latter not being forced into certain investments)? And final word on investments: As long as I cannot even 100% own a Thai Limited company, but being forced in sharing it with two Thai nationals with me being reduced to a minority shareholder in my own company: Dream on about attracting millions from abroad. Man! What a mess. Always! #RantOver

@Stéfan *******

No your TAX-ID, but that of the landlord renting you a place. But here comes the fun fact: 90% of Thai citizens don't have a TAX-Id, as they are below the income threshold of requiring one. Another indicator that the STV was solely made for friends of the ruling class and their luxury resorts.