LTR Visa for Investors & Executives in Thailand
The Long-Term Resident visa is Thailand's 10-year residency path for investors, executives, and highly-skilled professionals, and the correct destination for what used to be the SMART Investor and Executive categories. DeeMED manages the eligibility assessment and application process through to visa issuance.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Four categories
The LTR visa itself was created by the Notification of the Ministry of Interior, Re: Approval for Some Categories of Foreigners to Reside in Thailand on a Special Case Basis under the Economic and Investment Stimulus Measures to Attract High Potential Foreigners to Thailand, dated May 25, 2022. The specific category qualifications are set by the Board of Investment, currently under Announcement of the Office of the Board of Investment No. Por. 3/2568, effective February 4, 2025, which replaced the original BOI Notification No. Por 2/2565.
Wealthy Global Citizens
High-net-worth individuals meeting an asset or investment threshold, with no minimum annual income requirement following the February 2025 BOI announcement above.
Wealthy Pensioners
Retirees meeting income and asset requirements, distinct from the standard O-A/O-X retirement visa route.
Work-from-Thailand Professionals
Remote employees of an established foreign company, meeting an income threshold.
Highly-Skilled Professionals
The category that now absorbs what used to be filed as SMART Investor or SMART Executive, for professionals working in a targeted industry for a Thai or foreign employer.
Wealthy Global Citizens: the actual asset thresholds
The Wealthy Global Citizens category requires total assets of at least USD 1 million, with at least USD 500,000 of that specifically invested in Thailand, through government bonds, direct investment, or qualifying property. Thai property counts toward that Thailand-invested portion, including freehold condominiums and leasehold properties with terms of ten years or longer, provided the property is registered in the applicant's own name. Since February 2025, there is no separate minimum annual income requirement for this category, which had previously been the harder threshold for asset-rich applicants with complex or illiquid financial structures to satisfy.
Requirements and fees
Every category requires health insurance coverage of at least USD 50,000, or an alternative minimum bank balance of USD 100,000, as financial security. The visa issuance fee is 50,000 THB per person for the full 10-year term (issued in two 5-year tranches), collected in Thailand; fees collected via e-Visa or at an overseas embassy may run higher. There is no separate BOI endorsement fee for applying directly through the LTR portal. A digital work permit for LTR holders carries its own 3,000 THB annual fee.
Benefits and timeline
LTR holders get a 10-year residency (renewable in 5-year tranches), annual rather than 90-day reporting, multiple re-entry permission built into the visa, and fast-track access to a digital work permit. The application, jointly administered by BOI, the Immigration Bureau, and the Department of Employment, typically takes 4 to 8 weeks from a complete submission.
If you were about to apply for SMART Investor or Executive
Thailand discontinued the SMART Investor, Executive, and Talent categories under BOI Announcements No. 5/2568 and Por. 6/2568, effective February 18, 2025. If your business profile fits what those categories used to cover, LTR's Highly-Skilled Professional or Wealthy Global Citizens category is now the correct route, not a workaround. See our SMART visa page for the full explanation of what changed.
DeeMED handles LTR visa applications end to end: confirming which of the four categories fits your situation, structuring the income/asset documentation each requires, and managing the joint BOI, Immigration Bureau, and Department of Employment application. Talk to us before you assume SMART is still your route, LTR has replaced it for most investor and executive profiles.
