Thailand Visa & Immigration Services
Setting up or running a business in Thailand almost always comes with a visa question attached, for the owner, the executive, remote staff, or family relocating alongside them. DeeMED handles the full range of business-relevant visa categories: Non-Immigrant B, LTR, SMART, BOI-endorsed fast-track visas, the DTV for remote workers and pre-commitment scouting, and Non-O family and dependent visas.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Which Visa Fits Your Situation
Non-Immigrant B Visa
The standard entry point for a foreign owner or employee of a Thai company, paired with a separate work permit. Right for someone taking an active role in a Thai-registered business without BOI promotion.
LTR Visa
A 10-year residency path for investors, executives, and highly-skilled professionals, now the correct route for what used to be the SMART Investor and Executive categories before their 2025 discontinuation.
SMART Visa
As of 2025, only the SMART-S startup category and its SMART-O dependent visa remain active. If you were about to apply as an investor or executive, this isn't your visa anymore, see why and where to go instead.
BOI-Endorsed Visa & Fast-Track Work Permits
A BOI promotion certificate unlocks visa and work permit processing through OSOS, exemption from the standard 4:1 Thai-to-foreign-employee ratio, and a pilot mobile visa service for eligible companies.
DTV (Destination Thailand Visa)
A 5-year multiple-entry visa for remote workers employed by foreign companies, freelancers, and entrepreneurs scouting the market before committing capital, not a path to running an active Thai company.
Non-O Family & Dependent Visas
Marriage-to-a-Thai-national and guardian-of-a-Thai-studying-child visa paths for the spouses and children of business owners and executives relocating to Thailand.
Start With What You're Actually Doing in Thailand
The right category depends less on nationality or budget than on what role you'll actually play here. Actively running or working inside a standard Thai company points to a Non-B visa. Investing capital, holding an executive role, or bringing recognized professional skills without day-to-day operating duties points to LTR. Founding a BOI-certified startup points to SMART-S. Joining a company that already holds BOI promotion points to the BOI-endorsed route. Scouting the market, working remotely for a foreign employer, or testing the waters before committing capital points to the DTV. Getting this starting categorization wrong is the single most common reason a visa application stalls, not a documentation problem, but an application built around the wrong premise from the outset.
Non-B vs. LTR vs. SMART vs. BOI-Endorsed: A Quick Comparison
| Visa | Best for | Duration | Visa Fee | Financial Threshold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Immigrant B | Employee or owner of a standard (non-BOI) Thai company | 1 year, renewable | 2,000-5,000 THB | 2M THB registered capital per foreign employee |
| LTR | Investors, executives, and highly-skilled professionals meeting income/asset thresholds | 10 years (5-year tranches) | 50,000 THB | USD 50,000-500,000+ depending on category |
| SMART (S) | BOI-certified startup founders and equity holders | Up to 4 years | 10,000 THB/year | 600,000 THB deposit |
| BOI-Endorsed | Staff of a BOI-promoted company, any nationality | Tied to BOI promotion period | 2,000-5,000 THB | None directly, but employer must meet BOI's 70% Thai-staffing ratio and executive salary floor (BOI Notification Por. 8/2568) |
| DTV | Remote workers, freelancers, and pre-commitment scouting | 5 years (180 days per entry) | 10,000-14,000 THB | 500,000 THB bank balance |
Choosing the wrong visa category costs time you don't get back, an LTR application built around the wrong asset threshold, a SMART application filed for a category that no longer exists, a Non-B structured without the work permit it depends on. Talk to us before you file, so the visa route matches both your immigration status and the company structure that supports it.
