How to stay in Thailand long term: the eight legal routes compared

Since 15 September 2026, visitors from 60 countries and territories get a visa-exempt stay of up to 30 days. Before that, many passports got 60 days. The change came in Ministry of Interior notices published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026. Mauritius and Seychelles get 15 days.

Thirty days is a holiday, not a life. If you want months or years, you need one of the eight routes below. Each has its own test, so start with who you are, not with the visa name.

Embassy fees are charged in local currency and can differ from the THB base figures. Every value links to its official source on the rule page.

Work down this list and stop at the first line that fits.

1. You are married to a Thai and live together: the marriage visa. It needs half the money of retirement and has no age limit.
2. A Thai company is hiring you: the work visa. Your employer does most of the paperwork.
3. You earn USD 80,000+ a year, or have USD 1 million in assets: check the LTR first. It is cheap per year and gives tax relief.
4. You are 50+ and can show 800,000 THB or 65,000 THB a month: the retirement visa, or the O-A if you prefer to apply from home. See Non-O vs O-A.
5. You work remotely for foreign clients and can show 500,000 THB: the DTV.
6. You want to train in Muay Thai or another soft-power activity: the DTV soft-power category.
7. You genuinely want to study Thai or attend a university: the education visa. See DTV vs ED visa.
8. None of the above, but you can pay: Thailand Privilege. Compare it in LTR vs Privilege vs DTV.

Prefer to answer a few questions? The visa checker applies the current rules to your answers and tells you which routes you meet.

For most remote workers it is the DTV. You need 500,000 THB in savings, proof of remote work for a foreign employer or clients, and a clean criminal record. Since 31 August 2026 you must apply at the Thai mission covering your country of nationality or permanent residence.

If your income is at least USD 80,000 a year from a large overseas employer, the LTR Work-from-Thailand Professional category gives 10 years, yearly reporting and an exemption on foreign income brought into Thailand.

No visa lets you work for Thai clients or employers without a work permit.

If you are 50 or older, you have four options:

• Retirement (Non-O): 800,000 THB in a Thai bank, 65,000 THB a month, or a combination. Renew every year at immigration for 1,900 THB. Read the 800,000 THB bank rules before you move money.
• O-A: the same money test, applied for at home, plus health insurance of USD 100,000 and police and medical certificates.
• LTR Wealthy Pensioner: USD 80,000 a year of pension or passive income, or USD 40,000 with USD 250,000 invested in Thailand.
• Thailand Privilege: no money test, but a large upfront fee.

Whatever route you choose, three admin tasks come with it:

• 90-day reports: if you stay 90 days in a row, you report your address. LTR holders report yearly instead.
• TM30: your landlord or hotel must notify immigration where you live. Extensions can be refused without it.
• Re-entry permit: if you are on an extension of stay and leave Thailand, buy one first or the extension ends. Bangkok Immigration charges 1,000 THB for one trip and 3,800 THB for multiple trips.

If you use an agent, check them first. Our guide to Thai visa agent scams covers the red flags. Rules change often, so the change log lists every update with its date and source.