LTR vs Elite visa vs DTV: cost, tax, work and family

LTR fee: 50,000 THB; issued in Thailand, up to 10 years
Privilege Gold: 900,000 THB; 5 years, no income test
DTV fee: 10,000 THB; 5 years, 500,000 THB shown
LTR reporting: Yearly; instead of every 90 days

LTR vs Elite visa vs DTV at a glance

	LTR (Long-Term Resident)	Thailand Privilege (Elite)	DTV
Who runs it	Board of Investment (BOI), then Immigration	Thailand Privilege Card Co., a state enterprise	Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then Immigration
How you qualify	Income, assets or a qualifying job, by category	Pay the membership fee and pass a background check	Show 500,000 THB plus remote work or a soft-power activity
Length	10 years (5 + 5 after a re-check)	5 to 20 years by tier	5 years, 180 days per entry
Stay per entry	5-year permission to stay	Up to 1 year per entry	180 days, extendable once by 180 days
Address reporting	Once a year (TM.95)	Every 90 days, the operator can file	Every 90 days if you stay 90+ days in a row
Work	Depends on category (see below)	Not a work visa	Remote work for foreign employers or clients only
Tax relief	Yes, by category	None	None
Health insurance	USD 50,000, or an alternative	Not a membership condition	Not a DTV condition

Every figure links to its source on the LTR, Thailand Privilege and DTV rule pages.

What does each cost over 5 and 10 years?

Government and membership fees only. Insurance, translations, agent fees and travel are not included.

Route	5 years	10 years	Notes
LTR	50,000 THB	50,000 THB plus any renewal cost	Fee for a visa issued at immigration in Thailand. Embassy fees can be higher. We could not confirm a separate fee for the 5-year renewal.
Privilege Bronze	650,000 THB	Not offered as 10 years	Agents report Bronze was a time-limited tier ending 30 September or 31 December 2026. Confirm it is still on sale.
Privilege Gold	900,000 THB	1,800,000 THB if bought twice at today's price	Future prices are not guaranteed.
Privilege Platinum	Not sold as 5 years	1,500,000 THB	One payment for 10 years.
DTV	About 19,500 THB	About 39,000 THB	10,000 THB visa plus one 1,900 THB extension a year. A second DTV after 5 years is an assumption, not a guarantee.

The DTV's 500,000 THB is not spent. You only have to show it. The LTR's financial tests are also proofs, not payments, except the Wealthy Global Citizen route, which needs USD 500,000 invested in Thailand.

Can you work on an LTR, Elite or DTV visa?

LTR Highly Skilled Professional: yes, for your Thai employer, with a digital work permit.
LTR Work-from-Thailand Professional: you may work remotely for your qualifying overseas employer. You do not get a Thai work permit for local work.
LTR Wealthy Global Citizen and Wealthy Pensioner: we could not confirm from BOI sources whether these categories can get a work permit. Ask the BOI before you plan to work.
Thailand Privilege: not a work visa. Working would need a separate visa and work permit.
DTV: remote work for foreign employers or foreign clients is its purpose. Work for Thai employers or the Thai market is not allowed.

Which visa is best for tax: LTR or Elite?

The LTR is the only one of the three with tax rules of its own, under Royal Decree No. 743:

Wealthy Global Citizen, Wealthy Pensioner and Work-from-Thailand Professional: foreign-sourced income from employment, business or property abroad, brought into Thailand, is exempt from Thai personal income tax.
Highly Skilled Professional: Thai employment income can be taxed at a flat 17%, instead of the progressive scale that rises to 35%. This category does not get the foreign-income exemption.

Thailand Privilege and the DTV give no tax status. Normal rules apply. If you spend 180 days or more in Thailand in a calendar year, you are a Thai tax resident. Foreign income earned from 1 January 2024 and brought into Thailand can then be taxable.

This is general information, not tax advice. Read our Thailand tax guide for long-stay foreigners and speak to a Thai tax adviser about your own case.

Do I need to do 90-day reports on the LTR?

No. LTR holders who stay in Thailand for a year without leaving file a one-year report (TM.95) instead of the 90-day report. The BOI says it is filed at the One Stop Service Center, in person or by someone you authorise. Leaving and re-entering resets the date.

Thailand Privilege members and DTV holders file the normal 90-day report. Privilege's own site says its liaison service can file it for members.

All three still need a TM30 residence notice from your landlord or hotel.

Can I bring my family on an LTR, Elite or DTV?

LTR: a spouse and children under 20 can join as dependants. A 2025 plan to remove the cap on dependants and add parents was not confirmed as in force as of August 2026.
DTV: a spouse and children under 20 can apply as dependants under the MFA rules. Embassies differ on whether they ask for extra funds per person.
Thailand Privilege: each person needs a membership. The operator sells family options, but published add-on prices conflict, so ask the operator directly.

LTR vs Elite visa: which should you choose?

Choose the LTR if you clear a category test: for example USD 80,000 a year of income, USD 80,000 of pension income for pensioners aged 50+, or USD 1 million in assets with USD 500,000 invested. It is the cheapest per year and the only one with tax relief.

Choose Thailand Privilege if you do not meet any income test, or want no paperwork beyond a background check, and are happy to pay upfront.

Choose the DTV if you work remotely for foreign clients, can show 500,000 THB, and do not need a stay longer than 180 days plus one extension per entry.

Not sure which you qualify for? Run the visa checker or see how to stay in Thailand long term.

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Questions people ask

Is the LTR visa cheaper than the Thailand Elite visa?

Yes, by a wide margin. The LTR fee is 50,000 THB for a visa issued in Thailand, while Privilege Gold costs 900,000 THB for 5 years. The catch is that the LTR needs you to pass an income, asset or job test.

Does the Thailand Privilege visa give any tax benefits?

No. Membership gives no special tax status. If you spend 180 days or more in Thailand in a year, the normal tax residency and remittance rules apply.

Who gets the LTR 17% flat tax rate?

Only Highly Skilled Professionals, on income from employment with a qualifying Thai employer. The other three LTR categories get an exemption on foreign income brought into Thailand instead.

Do LTR holders need to report every 90 days?

No. LTR holders file a yearly report on form TM.95 if they stay a full year without leaving. Thailand Privilege and DTV holders still file the 90-day report.

Can I switch from a DTV to an LTR later?

Yes, if you meet an LTR category. You apply for BOI endorsement on the LTR portal, then get the visa at an embassy or at immigration in Thailand. The DTV does not count towards any LTR test.

Sources

Published 4 Nov 2026 · Last checked 4 Nov 2026 · Pending expert review

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LTR vs Elite (Thailand Privilege) vs DTV: which long-stay visa fits if you have money?