On 6/26/2025 at 3:42 AM, Pib said:

I was on an OA Visa Marriage extension when I transitioned to an LTR -P Visa.   The LTR immigration office cancelled this OA visa and wrote a couple of lines in my passport with an immigration officer signature saying the OA visa had been cancelled due to issue of the LTR visa.  Then my LTR-P visa/Stay Permit was stamped into my passport. 

 

Yea...don't expect to see something saying/stamped "cancelled"....it could be as simple as a few lines of handwritten Thai with a signature saying one visa was cancelled and replaced by another.   

Exactly as what I experienced as one if the First LTR-P visas granted at BOI back in 2022. Notation was made on the immigration side across the hall from BOI in my passport.

On 6/29/2025 at 6:12 AM, newnative said:

       Just did a quick search on Hipflat and found rental listings for pool villas in Pattaya starting around 25,000 baht a month.  That's pretty reasonable, and just one source checked.   I think a buyer or a renter will be able to find something in his price range as the variety and the amount available is so great here.

     Pattaya has a huge construction boom going on right now with houses.  And, as I said in an earlier post, they are building at all price ranges.  You can buy a non-pool small single family home on a small land plot for less than 3MB.  Plus, plenty of homes to choose from in the 10MB to 50MB range.   If your budget is 150-200MB, Pattaya also has some houses to show you. 

    You are right, though, that prices for similar housing look to be somewhat cheaper in Hua Hin.  Spouse and I like to watch lots of real estate videos when we are exercising and that seems to be the case.  Chiang Mai also seems to be somewhat cheaper, from what we see for sale there on videos.  For us, with a Bangkok getaway condo, we like being able to get to it from here in less than 2 hours, and with an easier drive than Hua Hin's.   

The drive from BKK to Hua Hin is very long 3H plus sometimes 4H so Pattaya is way ahead regarding travel time I agree. So for people who travel regulary from BKK, Pattaya may be the better option. HH is way quieter then Pattaya so better suited for me, especially if you like to ride your bicycle in a quiet countryside instead of fighting for surrival the first 10K in Pattaya.

8 hours ago, stat said:

The drive from BKK to Hua Hin is very long 3H plus sometimes 4H so Pattaya is way ahead regarding travel time I agree. So for people who travel regulary from BKK, Pattaya may be the better option. HH is way quieter then Pattaya so better suited for me, especially if you like to ride your bicycle in a quiet countryside instead of fighting for surrival the first 10K in Pattaya.

     Yes, the easier drive to BKK is a big factor for us, with a BKK condo.  There are lots of quiet parts one can choose as a place to live in Pattaya.  My spouse and I, for example, live in the Lake Mabprachan area outside of the city center.  There's a wonderful paved bike/jogging trail that goes around the lake.  Although we are outside of the city, we can jump on the Motorway and be at Central Festival, Home Pro, Index, Big C, Lotus's, etc. in about 15-20 minutes.   Not bad.

    I feel that is one of the attractions of Pattaya, the wide variety of both housing types and also areas to live; we have sampled a number of both.  We found some fairly quiet areas in town, as well, such as Wong Amat's beachfront, which was near to places we frequented but away enough to be a calmer area for us.  From videos we have watched, it looks like Hua Hin has lots of variety with housing and areas, as well.  

18 hours ago, stat said:

The drive from BKK to Hua Hin is very long 3H plus sometimes 4H so Pattaya is way ahead regarding travel time I agree. So for people who travel regulary from BKK, Pattaya may be the better option. HH is way quieter then Pattaya so better suited for me, especially if you like to ride your bicycle in a quiet countryside instead of fighting for surrival the first 10K in Pattaya.

 

I like Hua Hin.  I also like Pattaya.  I have friends who live in both spots and I visit them on occasion.  I live in Phuket in the far south far away from the tourist madness spots (where I note Phuket is not for everyone), but my living in Phuket does not detract from my liking those two other Thai locations..

 

I believe a great thing about Thailand is there are many different places suitable for those with differing views and requirements. 

 

One thing I like in that regard to the LTR visa is no more 90-day reports. The online reporting never worked for some of us, and I suspect if there are any LTR visa holders who live far from an immigration office, who like me could not get the online to work, that the LTR's 1-year reporting is a big improvement.

I have just received the LTR visa approval letter from the BOI.

 

Total time with BOI : 5 weeks.

1 week to upload additional documents (health certificate and 2024 tax return), 3 weeks to get approved, 1 week to receive the letter.

 

Does anybody know what are the documents needed for the second 5 years period ? And how long the process must be started before the extension ?

 

Thx

52 minutes ago, frankstraube said:

I have just received the LTR visa approval letter from the BOI.

 

Total time with BOI : 5 weeks.

1 week to upload additional documents (health certificate and 2024 tax return), 3 weeks to get approved, 1 week to receive the letter.

 

Does anybody know what are the documents needed for the second 5 years period ? And how long the process must be started before the extension ?

 

Thx

Congrats!!!

 

Regarding docs for the second 5 year period "no one" really knows at this time since BOI has not published anything and no LTR recipient has reached the point of needing to apply for the 2nd 5 year period which will not come about until mid 2027 since the earliest anyone could have received an LTR visa was Sep 2022 when the LTR program began.     But my "guess" is the docs requirement will be basically a repeat of the initial application but without any fee if approved since the initial fee paid covers the entire period of the 10 year LTR visa (i.e., 1st and 2nd 5 year periods).   

 

Congrats again....I know it's a good feeling to have the LTR visa.

 

 

1 hour ago, Pib said:

 

 

Travelling will get much simpler

I guess the officier will stamp "LTR admitted until"...the last day of validity of my passport (because my passport has only 4 years left, less than 5 years) ?  Is it easy to get the first LTR stamp in Phuket, or is it safer to go to BKK first ?

Thanks

1 minute ago, frankstraube said:

 

Travelling will get much simpler

I guess the officier will stamp "LTR admitted until"...the last day of validity of my passport (because my passport has only 4 years left, less than 5 years) ?  Is it easy to get the first LTR stamp in Phuket, or is it safer to go to BKK first ?

Thanks

Yes, I expect the "admitted to" date will match the date of your expiring passport, but once getting the renewed passport and transfering the stamps then you'll get the full 5 years.  But the basic LTR Visa will use a 10 year date...it's just the "admitted to" date stamp can't exceed 5 years if the passport still has at least 5 years left on it.

 

Can't speak to getting the LTR visa insured outside of Bangkok.  I'm not sure you can do that...I thought when getting the LTR stamped "within Thailand" it could only be done at BOI immigration in Bangkok.  I live in Bangkok and got my LTR visa at BOI Immigration.

 

 

46 minutes ago, Pib said:

Yes, I expect the "admitted to" date will match the date of your expiring passport, but once getting the renewed passport and transfering the stamps then you'll get the full 5 years.  But the basic LTR Visa will use a 10 year date...it's just the "admitted to" date stamp can't exceed 5 years if the passport still has at least 5 years left on it.

 

Can't speak to getting the LTR visa insured outside of Bangkok.  I'm not sure you can do that...I thought when getting the LTR stamped "within Thailand" it could only be done at BOI immigration in Bangkok.  I live in Bangkok and got my LTR visa at BOI Immigration.

 

 

The advantage of having an e-Visa is that you don't have to transfer any stamps.
For the first LTR stamp i prefer to have it done at BKK airport before going to Phuket. Not sure if the immigration at Phuket airport is well aware of the LTR visa, even if they surely have a fast track lane. Haven't been there for a long time.
Thanks for your advices.
Cheers 

And so much better than the Elite visa :  no 90 days reporting, tax exemption on oversea income, and of course...no 1,5 Million bahts like for the 10 years Elite!

13 hours ago, frankstraube said:

The advantage of having an e-Visa is that you don't have to transfer any stamps.
For the first LTR stamp i prefer to have it done at BKK airport before going to Phuket. Not sure if the immigration at Phuket airport is well aware of the LTR visa, even if they surely have a fast track lane. Haven't been there for a long time.
Thanks for your advices.
Cheers 

Yes HKT is well aware of LTR visas. We're not country bumpkins down here.

23 hours ago, frankstraube said:

The advantage of having an e-Visa is that you don't have to transfer any stamps.
For the first LTR stamp i prefer to have it done at BKK airport before going to Phuket. Not sure if the immigration at Phuket airport is well aware of the LTR visa, even if they surely have a fast track lane. Haven't been there for a long time.
Thanks for your advices.
Cheers 

 

i don't know anything about getting first LTR visa stamp (for one who applied outside of Thailand). 

 

I live in Phuket and applied for my LTR visa while in Phuket (i was on a type-O visa at the time). After having LTR approved, I went to Bangkok to BoI and the immigration there and had my passport stamped with the Visa. Then I returned to Phuket.

 

Subsequent to then I exited and entered Thailand a number of times using the LTR visa.

 

The first time i exited and entered Thailand (via Phuket) with my LTR visa, there was NO fast track line.  None.  But i was with my Thai wife, so we went over to the Thai line which had no one in line! (in contrast the non-Thai lines at immigration had at least a 45 minute wait, if not longer).  The IO had never seen an LTR visa before, so they called over another Thai IO, who knew how to deal with an LTR stamp that was ALREADY in the visa (according to my Thai wife who was listening to the chat).

 

But it didn't end there. That IO called over some more IOs (from their booths) so they could see what an LTR visa stamp looked like.  They all had a good look at my passport.  That was back in year 2023.

 

Subsequently I have exited and entered a couple of times. There being no fast track on most occasions, I simply went to the practically empty Thai citizen line and I was accepted. On one of those occasions the IO in the Thai line had to call over another IO to confirm how to handle the permission to stay in the passport.

 

I believe the last time I entered (although maybe I am confused with Bangkok) there was a sign indicating fast track (with LTR indicated on the sign) was same line as the Thai line. But I am not certain. My memory is fuzzy. Maybe it was Bangkok and not Phuket.

 

Another important aspect I encountered, was when leaving Phuket, with an LTR, go to the area where Thai people enter the immigration area. One can save up to 45-minutes or more, as opposed to getting in the immigration line (with non-Thai) for exiting Phuket.  I didn't know that, but when I checked in my luggage, the Singapore airline rep, seeing the LTR visa in my passport, told me to go to the Thai line for faster processing.

 

...

 

Again , thou, as noted, i know nothing about the first LTR stamp.  Have you asked BoI if entering Phuket (instead of Bangkok) ok for the 1st time?

 

As far as I know if getting the initial LTR visa stamp "in-Thailand" (I'm not talking the evisa process) I think that can only be done at the BOI immigration office....other immigration offices nor offices at airports in Thailand can not/will not issue the initial LTR Visa stamp. 

 

Now other immigration offices in Thailand will accomplish the 1 year address reporting requirement, but the actual stamping of the "initial LTR visa" into a person's passport (not talking the evisa process) is only done at the BOI immigration office.  

 

Now for a person who gets an LTR visa via the "evisa" process (i.e., outside of Thailand) the electronic evisa approval/doc serves the same purpose as an actual LTR visa stamped into your passport.

 

The one thing I am expecting BOI to check is continuous compliance with health insurance/bank balance.

When I received my LTR-WP visa they were requiring 12-months of health insurance or some other foolishness. 

 

I presented my U.S. Roth IRA with more than $100K in a Pimco bond fund as well as a Pacific Cross health insurance policy expiring a few months.  When my five years is up I will be prepared with both cash equivalent and Thai insurance 

7 minutes ago, mudcat said:

When I received my LTR-WP visa they were requiring 12-months of health insurance or some other foolishness. 

"foolishness", can't remember anything foolish about the LTR process.

 

The only thing that was mildly interesting is that immigration required my wife to sign off the cancellation of my current "Thai wife" extension of stay.

You don't remember the requirement for full year health insurance policy to coincide with the visa? 

 

Pacific Cross would not extend but offered to cancel and apply again.

Correct me if i am wrong, but in case of getting an eVisa from an oversea embassy, the PDF page you get replaces the Visa stamped in the passport.

What i am worried about is getting the correct stamp on arrival showing the "permit to stay until" date.

I would be thankful to learn what exactly is stamped in your passport when you show them the eVisa for the first time at BKK airport.

20 minutes ago, frankstraube said:

Correct me if i am wrong, but in case of getting an eVisa from an oversea embassy, the PDF page you get replaces the Visa stamped in the passport.

What i am worried about is getting the correct stamp on arrival showing the "permit to stay until" date.

I would be thankful to learn what exactly is stamped in your passport when you show them the eVisa for the first time at BKK airport.

I don't understand why you are harping on "first time."

E-visa is e-visa, it will be the exact same EVERY time.  There is absolutely nothing special about the first time.  You will receive an entry stamp until your eligible stay date.  It will either be 5 years from the date the visa is issued, or it will be until the expiration date of your passport, whichever is earlier.  It's your responsibility to check your passport immediately after stepping away from the counter EVERY TIME, regardless of what visa you are entering on.  Immigration officers are humans, and they make mistakes just like everyone.  Catch it immediately at the airport and it's not a problem for them to fix it.  Make sure you hand them both your passport and your printed out e-visa to help avoid mistakes, and also use the fast track line where available, as those officers are experienced with the LTR visa.

That is what i wanted to know, so i will be stamped exactly the same every time.

It is just so different from the usual 3 months non- im O  visa i am used to...

...Many thanks🙏

9 hours ago, BrandonJT said:

 It's your responsibility to check your passport immediately after stepping away from the counter EVERY TIME, regardless of what visa you are entering on.  Immigration officers are humans, and they make mistakes just like everyone.  Catch it immediately at the airport and it's not a problem for them to fix it.  Make sure you hand them both your passport and your printed out e-visa to help avoid mistakes, and also use the fast track line where available, as those officers are experienced with the LTR visa.

 

Indeed !

 

Phuket has not always had a fast track line, so I have on multiple occasions gone to the Thai line (sometimes with my Thai wife, but not always).  When entering Thailand (at Phuket airport), after receiving my passport back from the Thai IO (in the Thai line) I typically spend 15 to 20 second, not moving from my spot at the immigration booth, checking the 'permission to stay' booth. Typically the IO is watching me as i do not yet move away with my passport.

 

After I confirm the permission to stay in my just returned passport  is correct, I give the IO a very polite 'wai' ... and move on. That either gets in return a nod, a wai, or a gentle smile in return. But thus far no IO has waved at me to quickly move on.  Instead they (thus far) seem to be content for me to do a quick check of the 'permission to stay' stamp.

Thaksin, proposing a golden visa, does not seem to know about the LTR visa...

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/thaksin-touts-golden-visa-higher-travel-fees-to-boost-thailand

42 minutes ago, K2938 said:

Thaksin, proposing a golden visa, does not seem to know about the LTR visa...

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/thaksin-touts-golden-visa-higher-travel-fees-to-boost-thailand

He's talking a new type of visa and not the current LTR visa that in some circles/social media has indeed sometimes been referred to as a golden visa just like the Elite visa has sometimes been referred to as a golden visa.

 

Taksin probably heard about Trump's 5 million dollar golden visa proposal that's going nowhere in Congress right now...will probably quietly die away.  Taksin is probably just mimicking his supposedly good buddy, Donald.

 

When I first started reading the Strait Times July 2025 article for a few seconds I thought it was an old article from the early LTR days predicting a gazillion people to apply/qualify for the LTR visa and it to bring in gazillion baht. Typical politician hype, exaggeration, aspirational projections (a.k.a., BS) when proposing some new govt initiative.

 

And just before the govt finalized the LTR reqirements and benefits it was also proposed land up to 400 wah I think it was could be owned by a LTR recipient, but the uproar from some Thai groups resulted in that being dropped just before the LTR program was implemented in Sep 2022.

 

 

 

 

On 7/16/2025 at 8:34 AM, mudcat said:

You don't remember the requirement for full year health insurance policy to coincide with the visa? 

 

Pacific Cross would not extend but offered to cancel and apply again.

They asked me to renew another year on mine, I actually had about 16 months of insurance at time of application. Luma were happy to renew early.

On 7/16/2025 at 6:42 PM, BrandonJT said:

I don't understand why you are harping on "first time."

E-visa is e-visa, it will be the exact same EVERY time.  There is absolutely nothing special about the first time.  You will receive an entry stamp until your eligible stay date.  It will either be 5 years from the date the visa is issued, or it will be until the expiration date of your passport, whichever is earlier.  It's your responsibility to check your passport immediately after stepping away from the counter EVERY TIME, regardless of what visa you are entering on.  Immigration officers are humans, and they make mistakes just like everyone.  Catch it immediately at the airport and it's not a problem for them to fix it.  Make sure you hand them both your passport and your printed out e-visa to help avoid mistakes, and also use the fast track line where available, as those officers are experienced with the LTR visa.

 

I am looking into the LTR from the USA... I seem to meet all the requirements though need clarification on "passive income" (unsure if just a IRA statment would suffice or need to show withdrawals),  and health insurance (seems waived if $10k in a USA bank?)..... but the website info... https://ltr.boi.go.th/index.html    seems to indicates that afthe documents are approved one can make an appointment at the Thai Consulate (for me would it be NYC).. but i thought i read there is an e-Visa option to do this?

 

How does that work, if true?

 

e-Visa (LTR) preferable as it may be faster than scheduling an appointment (do not know lead time) and visit the Consulate that is pretty far from me...

 

Thoughts?

1 hour ago, Dezmo said:

 

 and health insurance (seems waived if $10k in a USA bank?).....

 

 

The amount is $100k US$ equivalent (not $10k), in any bank in the world. It needs to be in 'cash' in the bank. It can not be in a trading account. It needs to be in some sort of bank account where there is no equity trading.  It is considered 'self health insurance'.

 

In my case, instead of $100k US$ in a USA bank account, I used about 100,00 euros in a Thai foreign currency account.  Not an ideal approach (although I do get some bank benefits given I have that money in a Thai bank). 

 

Still, in 3.5 years when I go to reprove my finances, i plan to use my European Cigna Health insurance - as one of the members on Asean now was kind enough to show me how they were able to accomplish that with Cigna (and hence I plan to do the same in the future)..

1 hour ago, oldcpu said:

 

The amount is $100k US$ equivalent (not $10k), in any bank in the world. It needs to be in 'cash' in the bank. It can not be in a trading account. It needs to be in some sort of bank account where there is no equity trading.  It is considered 'self health insurance'.

 

In my case, instead of $100k US$ in a USA bank account, I used about 100,00 euros in a Thai foreign currency account.  Not an ideal approach (although I do get some bank benefits given I have that money in a Thai bank). 

 

Still, in 3.5 years when I go to reprove my finances, i plan to use my European Cigna Health insurance - as one of the members on Asean now was kind enough to show me how they were able to accomplish that with Cigna (and hence I plan to do the same in the future)..

Thanks.. that was a typo on my part (meant $100k).

 

Curious, do you know if the $100k be the sum across different accounts, like savings, checking, CD (and across banks)?

I also have ~$20k in Bangkok Bank and wonder if I can include that if they allow across accounts to sum to $100k.

 

How did you meet the "passive income" requirement?

4 hours ago, Dezmo said:

seems to indicates that afthe documents are approved one can make an appointment at the Thai Consulate (for me would it be NYC).. but i thought i read there is an e-Visa option to do this?

There's no such thing as going to Thai embassies anymore.  All Thai visas are handled through the online e-visa system.  But you're putting the cart well ahead of the horse.  This is the absolute last step and is trivial.  

You need to go through the entire BOI application process and get your approval letter before you even start considering about getting the visa itself. That process can take 1-2 months and require a lot of paperwork.

24 minutes ago, BrandonJT said:

There's no such thing as going to Thai embassies anymore.  All Thai visas are handled through the online e-visa system.  But you're putting the cart well ahead of the horse.  This is the absolute last step and is trivial.  

You need to go through the entire BOI application process and get your approval letter before you even start considering about getting the visa itself. That process can take 1-2 months and require a lot of paperwork.

I missed the footnote in the graph on this page 🙂https://ltr.boi.go.th/index.html

 

I would hope its all online... suspect they give you some document to print out to show IO...

7 hours ago, Dezmo said:

How did you meet the "passive income" requirement?

 

For the Wealthy Pensioner category see below partial snapshot of Required Docs as of 30 Jun 2025 from the LTR website.   And note the unearned/passive income is income that's "actually paid" to you although you may be immediately reinvesting it; it can not just be a HUGE IRA amount on paper that you are not receiving distributions from.  It not some kind of income, like unearned/passive income, until you actually start receiving pay-out like dividends/cap gains/etc., distributions (which you might be immediately reinvested), payouts that actually reach your bank account, etc.    Gotta be real money flow vs just a big amount setting in an account still growing/awaiting to be withdrawn.  

 

https://ltr.boi.go.th/documents/Required-docs-Wealthy-Pensioners-30-06-2025.pdf

 

 

 

And from the LTR main page under Types of LTR visas.

https://ltr.boi.go.th/#type

 

 

 

 

41 minutes ago, Pib said:

 

For the Wealthy Pensioner category see below partial snapshot of Required Docs as of 30 Jun 2025 from the LTR website.   And note the unearned/passive income is income that's "actually paid" to you although you may be immediately reinvesting it; it can not just be a HUGE IRA amount on paper that you are not receiving distributions from.  It not some kind of income, like unearned/passive income, until you actually start receiving pay-out like dividends/cap gains/etc., distributions (which you might be immediately reinvested), payouts that actually reach your bank account, etc.    Gotta be real money flow vs just a big amount setting in an account still growing/awaiting to be withdrawn.  

 

https://ltr.boi.go.th/documents/Required-docs-Wealthy-Pensioners-30-06-2025.pdf

 

 

 

And from the LTR main page under Types of LTR visas.

https://ltr.boi.go.th/#type

 

 

 

 

Thanks.... i looked at the Document PDF linked there... and seems I may have to wait a year... until i meet the $80K threshold (IRA withdrawal)....you can have 40-80 but then need to invest in Thailand and I don't want Bonds or other investments there 😞