aublumberg

I concur with your observations. I think the critical hurdle rate for WP type is non-work income (pension, investment income, rental income etc.) and the related documentary evidence. Not made easier by exchange rate swings recently. The insurance coverage and acceptable documentation and remaining (10+ months) run rate appears to be another hurdle. Will be interesting to observe how this pans out over the coming 3 - 6 months ...

Tend to agree with @Misty, I think the staff at BOI are actually applying the requirements checks based on what is documented, I don't think they are necessarily 'picky' but simply following the evidence presented by applicants. Of course there is a learning curve given the program is quite new but it should hopefully now enter a steady state. Since there is no application fee charged, I do think the threshold to apply is very low and a certain segment of applicants "just give it a go and see". This is also evident from a number of online forums.

Was about to post the same article, another sobering stat mentioned: "The LTR visa data confirms the low proportion of highly skilled professionals, with 142 applicants (or 14 per cent) applying for the tech category but just 20 candidates being approved." Just 14% success rate. Would love to know what the rate is for the other three LTR categories.

Correct, no 'floating' end date, it is fixed and doesn't change when you fly in and out upon reentry. The Hong Kong Royal Thai Consulate gave me a visa sticker for LTR-T for 18 Oct 2022 to 17 Oct 2032 for the 5 + 5 = 10 year visa. When I entered Thailand for the first time after obtaining the LTR-T visa sticker on 29 Oct 2022, I got a stamp 'admitted until 27 Oct 2027' i.e. 5 years. Then I flew out again and last weekend returned and got another 'admitted until 27 Oct 2027' so the same end date. I assume they will grant you the first 5 years in full (no 'divide by 2') and then upon qualifying for the second 5 years they may top out at the end date of the original LTR visa, in my case 17 Oct 2032. But who knows. In my case the difference is immaterial.

Yes, for sure they have different case officers specialising on the various four LTR types. They mentioned it when talking to them over the phone. Makes some sense given the qualification requirements for each type differ.

Thank you @Misty yes this helps indeed, missed this. Also on middle of page 6 ข้อ 6 กำรรำยงำนตัวแจ้งที่พักอำศัยทุก 1 ปี คนต่ำงด้ำวที่ได้รับอนุญำตให้อยู่ในรำชอำณำจักร LTR Visa ต้องมำรำยงำนตัว แจ้งที่พักอำศัยเมื่อพ ำนักในรำชอำณำจักรครบทุก 1 ปี นับแต่วันที่ได้รับอนุญำตให้อยู่ในรำชอำณำจักร โดยให้คนต่ำงด้ำวยื่นแบบกำรแจ้งอยู่เกินกว่ำ 1 ปี ของบุคคลต่ำงด้ำวที่ได้รับกำรตรวจลงตรำประเภท คนอยู่ชั่วครำวเป็นกรณีพิเศษ ประเภทผู้พ ำนักระยะยำว (LTR Visa) ตำมแบบ ตม.95 (ผนวก จ).

Thank you @ThailandRyan. Yes if you travel in and out then it resets every time, even for 90 day reporting. Section 76 only talks about the penalty mechanism: “Section 76 : Any alien, alien, who fails to comply with the provisions of Section 37(2),(3),(4)or(5) shall be punished with a fine not exceeding 5,000 Baht and with and additional fine not exceeding 200 Baht for each day which passes until the law is complied with.” Section 37 lists the actual requirements for reporting: “Section 37: An alien having received a temporary entry permit into the Kingdom must comply with the following: […] 5. If the alien stays in the Kingdom longer than ninety days, such alien must notify the competent official at the Immigration Division, in writing, concerning his place of stay, as soon as possible upon expiration of ninety days. The alien is required to do so every ninety days. Where there is an Immigration Office, the alien may notify a competent Immigration Official of that office.” Of course I am not disputing the stapled notice in your passport nor the BOI material. I’m just after the legal details that provide the foundation of the LTR reporting rules.

Does anyone have an answer or consulted legal advice on this topic of 90 day reporting requirement? Of course we have all read it in the BOI brochures but where is it anchored in the law? I wasn’t able to find anything in the LTR website regulatory section.

Yes

For publicly listed companies this would be on their public websites, typically in their annual report under ‘Investor relations’ or similar website section. For private companies they are generally not published and you may want to check with your HR or Finance colleagues whether they can provide you with copies.

Just to share that for leaving the country Fast Track also works fine. The signage has "Smart Visa" and "Long Stay" but the security staff at Suvarnabhumi seems knowledgeable enough to recognise the LTR visa when you say it and it worked fine for me despite only flying premier coach today and not showing my APEC card ... Of course this was an advertised LTR feature all along, just sharing that it work. No need to go one level up for security, just stay on the same level as airline check-in and use Fast Track.

Patience - their pledge is 20 business days, four weeks.

Sure. HKD15,000.

Thanks. Publicly listed in my case, so I just downloaded the annual reports with public auditor signed financial results, no questions asked. Many posts I have seen from applicants working for private companies where either (1) the annual turnover doesn't reach USD150m over the past three years or (2) even if it does they are not able to obtain acceptable audited results as proof. I do think it is being adhered to strictly at this point.

I have a slightly different theory: many of the contributors here have been aware of the program for some time and thought about it and were part of the early wave. Interest has been growing gradually since the program was initially announced last year (?) and when the LTR application process launched there was relatively strong demand immediately. BOI has now worked through that initial spike of ~1,000+ applications in the first 6 - 8 weeks. I may be off here but would estimate that the rate of successful applicants is 20 - 25% only, perhaps less. Why? Well, because the requirements are not trivial and at this stage they are being strictly adhered to and there is not a lot of flexibility. Now we are entering the second phase where reality sets in. Word gets around that the criteria are firm, at the same time the LTR program becomes more widely known beyond the small core group of early adopters. More promotion will happen, word gets out. Banks will start to become aware of it, law firms, accountancies (tax benefits), immigration agencies as well as employers etc. The recent discussion in the news about foreigners being able to buy and own up to one rai land and the LTR visa being a condition of that (quite radical) new concept will bring LTR into the mainstream news quickly. (As a side note, I doubt this program will ever launch.) That will drive a second wave of interest, but currently we're in a demand trough. The third phase is the steady state long-term phase where there is very wide awareness and a steady stream of applications. Just how much volume that phase will see is a big question ... early days. It also depends on whether the entry criteria will be static or lowered to expand the addressable market.

FYI ... TM30 reporting categories cover LTR visa types

Yes, here's the doc. T_0024.PDF

I did this a couple weeks ago as well, not sure what residual info is left on their systems, backups etc. but best one can do I suppose ...

Prominent LTR ad on Suvarnabhumi arrival level … whilst the exit immigration officer wondered about the 5 year permission to stay in my passport ????

And.

No such notice in my case. Only had this single stamp.

Thank you. At this stage l have every intention to continue working for the foreseeable future. Once I stop working then I would no longer comply with the LTR-T conditions and thus also lose the benefits eg tax exemption. I would then switch to a different type e.g. LTR retirement visa or ordinary retirement visa or whatever else may be suitable at the time. So in your particular case you could use the LTR-T until you cease employment and then switch visa type. I assume you considered similar hence applying for LTR-T in the first place? As long as you meet the requirements why not use it?

This triggered a lot of controversy in the local news this week. Potentially a very significant added LTR perk for those interested in it. https://www.nationmultimedia.com/thailand/policies/40021513 Only foreigners qualifying for Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa will be allowed to buy up to 1 rai of land, the government announced on Friday to clarify the confusion.

It’s a one time check at time of LTR application (plus presumably the renewal application after five years). No “maintaining in an account” requirement.

They wanted to see income proof, despite all salary statements and three year income tax declarations having been provided already. I think the BOI staff assigned to the case found it all ok (which it was) but then the manager threw it back due to his confusion around income vs tax, plus currency exchange rates. All part of the learnings when launching a new scheme, all good.