The LTR sits at the top of the Thai visa ladder. It runs for ten years, issued as five plus five, and it comes with things long stay foreigners in Pattaya have wanted for decades: no 90 day reporting, a multiple entry permit built in, a digital work permit and, for some categories, a favourable tax position on foreign income.
The catch is that it is genuinely selective. It is granted by the Board of Investment rather than by immigration, the financial and professional thresholds are high, and applications are assessed on documents rather than at a counter. That cuts both ways: it is harder to qualify, but once you do, the decision does not depend on which officer you get.
The four qualifying categories
- Wealthy Global Citizen: substantial assets and income, plus an investment in Thailand.
- Wealthy Pensioner: over 50, with a documented pension or passive income, and health insurance or a deposit in place.
- Work from Thailand Professional: employed by an established foreign company, with income and experience thresholds.
- Highly Skilled Professional: working in a targeted industry for a Thai or foreign entity, with a lower income threshold than the other work category.
LTR or retirement extension, honestly compared
For most retirees in Pattaya, the ordinary retirement extension is cheaper and easier, and we will tell you so. The LTR only wins when the extra benefits are worth the higher threshold to you.
It is worth it if you travel constantly and the 90 day reporting and re-entry permits are a genuine burden, if you want to work legally from Thailand for a foreign employer, or if your income is high enough that the tax treatment matters. It is not worth it simply for prestige.
What we do
- Assess honestly which of the four categories you fit, if any, before you spend anything.
- Structure the financial and professional evidence the way the BOI reads it, which is not how immigration reads a retirement file.
- Handle the insurance or deposit requirement.
- Follow the application through the BOI portal and respond to document requests.
- Handle your endorsement and the digital work permit once approved.
Frequently asked questions
Is the LTR better than the retirement visa?
Only if you use the benefits. The retirement extension is cheaper, the threshold is far lower and for someone who lives quietly in Jomtien and rarely travels it is the better product. The LTR wins for people who travel often, who want to work legally for a foreign employer, or whose income makes the tax position material.
Do I really never do a 90 day report?
The LTR replaces 90 day reporting with an annual report, which is the single benefit our clients mention most. It is a real quality of life difference over ten years.
Can I apply from inside Thailand?
The application is made through the BOI system and can be started from wherever you are. Whether you collect the visa in country or at an embassy depends on your current status, and we will map that for your case.
What happens to my LTR if my income drops?
Qualifying conditions are reviewed, so the visa is not simply granted and forgotten. This is worth planning for before you give up an extension you already hold.
Think you might qualify?
Send us your age, your income sources and whether you work remotely. We will tell you honestly whether the LTR beats a normal extension for you.
Related services
- Visa servicesThai retirement visa in PattayaThe one year extension of stay based on retirement, prepared, filed and renewed for you, without the Jomtien Immigration queue.
- Visa servicesDTV, the Destination Thailand VisaA five year multiple entry visa built for remote workers, freelancers and people coming to Thailand for Muay Thai, Thai cooking or medical treatment.
- Visa servicesThailand Privilege, the former Elite visaA membership visa you buy rather than qualify for, from five to twenty years, with no bank balance to prove and no annual extension to file.
- Visa servicesBusiness visa and work permit in PattayaThe Non-Immigrant B entry, the work permit and the yearly extension, handled as one file instead of three separate problems.