Thailand LTR Wealthy Pensioner

The Wealthy Pensioner category of Thailand's Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa is for retirees aged 50 or older who live on a pension or other passive income. The Board of Investment (BOI) endorses applicants, and the visa is valid for 10 years, granted as two stays of 5 years.

It is one of four LTR categories. The others are Wealthy Global Citizen, Work-from-Thailand Professional and Highly Skilled Professional, each with its own rules on the BOI LTR site.

• Age: 50 or older
• Passive income: at least $80,000 a year, or at least $40,000 a year plus an investment of $250,000
• Health cover: insurance of at least $50,000, Thai social security benefits or a bank deposit
• Visa fee: THB 50,000 per person
• Family can join: Yes, spouse and children under 20, up to four dependents

BOI lists a digital work permit among general LTR privileges, but it doesn't confirm work rights for Wealthy Pensioners. This category is built on passive income, not work in Thailand.

BOI sets these conditions for the main applicant:

• Age: 50 or older at the time of application.
• Income: passive income of at least $80,000 a year at the time of application. Pension, rental income, realized capital gains, dividends and interest count; earned income and salaries don't.
• Lower-income route: passive income of at least $40,000 a year but below $80,000, plus an investment of $250,000 in the applicant's name. It can be in Thai government bonds with at least five years to maturity, direct investment in a Thai company or Thai property, alone or combined.
• Health cover: health insurance covering at least $50,000, Thai social security benefits, or at least $100,000 kept in a bank account in the applicant's name for 12 months or more.

Each dependent needs the same cover or a deposit of at least $25,000 held for 12 months.

BOI states that every condition must be kept for the life of the visa, including investments, bank balances and insurance.

Applicants upload evidence for each condition to BOI's online system:

• Passport, showing an age of 50 or older
• Proof of passive income, such as pension, dividend or interest statements
• Investment records, for applicants using the lower-income route
• A health insurance policy covering at least $50,000, proof of Thai social security benefits, or bank statements showing the $100,000 deposit
• For dependents, proof of the relationship and of their cover or deposit

BOI can ask for more documents during review, and processing takes longer when it does. Thai missions and the Bangkok service center use their own forms when the visa is issued.

• Visa fee: THB 50,000 per person for the multiple-entry visa collected in Thailand. BOI says the fee may vary when the visa is collected at a mission abroad or through e-Visa.
• Dependents: each pays the same fee.
• Second stay period: no further visa fee.
• Other costs: insurance premiums, or the deposit that replaces them, and document costs come on top.

The passive income and investment thresholds aren't fees. They are conditions the applicant proves and keeps.

Where to apply: Online through the BOI LTR system (visa.boi.go.th) or the VFS portal (ltr.vfsevisa.com); after endorsement the visa is collected at the One Stop Service Center in Bangkok or a Thai embassy or consulate.

1. Apply online for BOI's qualification endorsement.
2. BOI screens the file and the agencies endorse the qualification. The two stages take 20 days in BOI's published timeline, counting working days only.
3. Collect the visa while the endorsement letter is valid, at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad or the One Stop Service Center in Bangkok; the collection window is set out in BOI's timeline.
4. Pay the visa fee when the visa is issued.

BOI's FAQ says the application and its processing are free.

• Visa validity: 10 years
• First stay permission: 5 years
• Renewal: After the first five years the holder reconfirms eligibility to be granted the remaining five years; no further visa fee is charged. Holders report once a year instead of every 90 days.

BOI also lists fast-track service at international airports and exemption from the re-entry permit among LTR privileges.

BOI doesn't say what happens after year 10, and no official source links the LTR to permanent residence.

Royal Decree No. 743 (2022) exempts Wealthy Pensioner LTR holders from personal income tax on income from work, business or assets abroad earned in a prior tax year and brought into Thailand.

The decree covers income from work, business or property abroad only. Income from work or business in Thailand is taxed under the normal rules.

Thailand's general rules still decide who is a tax resident: a person present for 180 days or more in a calendar year is one, under the Revenue Code. For residents without an exemption, foreign income brought into Thailand has been taxable since Jan. 1, 2024.

Holders with income that doesn't fit the decree neatly, such as a mix of foreign and Thai income, should check its treatment with the Revenue Department.