LTR Visa is Now available for Long Term Residency

[Pib]

For those who have LTR application processing or already approved approximately how long was it "from the day you submitted your application" until you saw some type of tangible status change in your LTR online acct and/or got a notification/email from BOI asking for more docs or something along those lines.  Just some type of status change that indicated your application was actually being reviewed/processed "versus just setting in a BOI rep's inbox" pending processing.

 

I submitted my application earlier this week and the only change I've noticed is the day after I submitted the application the staff name changed from StaffBOI1128 to StaffBOI004.  I'm assuming this was just movement of application from the master inbox that receives all new application to a specific BOI rep inbox.  Other than that my application just shows a Status of "Pending" and under the LTR menu the popup message that says "Visa is process considering, Please check the status tab."

 

I know the BOI says they will process your application within 20 "business" days which is around a calendar month. From review of this thread (a couple of times) it seems to be a couple of weeks before a person sees some tangible change that  his/her application is under serious evaluation....actually moving along the assembly line.  Thanks.

[ThailandRyan]

16 minutes ago, Pib said:

For those who have LTR application processing or already approved approximately how long was it "from the day you submitted your application" until you saw some type of tangible status change in your LTR online acct and/or got a notification/email from BOI asking for more docs or something along those lines.  Just some type of status change that indicated your application was actually being reviewed/processed "versus just setting in a BOI rep's inbox" pending processing.

 

I submitted my application earlier this week and the only change I've noticed is the day after I submitted the application the staff name changed from StaffBOI1128 to StaffBOI004.  I'm assuming this was just movement of application from the master inbox that receives all new application to a specific BOI rep inbox.  Other than that my application just shows a Status of "Pending" and under the LTR menu the popup message that says "Visa is process considering, Please check the status tab."

 

I know the BOI says they will process your application within 20 "business" days which is around a calendar month. From review of this thread (a couple of times) it seems to be a couple of weeks before a person sees some tangible change that  his/her application is under serious evaluation....actually moving along the assembly line.  Thanks.

Applied for the LTRWP on September 2nd, approved on the 20th I believe, submitted location for affixation, did not hear back in the 2 day window. I just had the notification under the bell above my login to make appointment. I could not use tge system to make the appointment so I called in and made it. I listed this in my followup I posted. Affixation of visa stamp was October 7th.

[Pib]

1 minute ago, ThailandRyan said:

Applied for the LTRWP on September 2nd, approved on the 20th I believe...

Thanks.  But what was your 1st indication after 2 Sep that your application was indeed moving along the BOI review line.  Maybe a status change....some notification/email from BOI, etc.  Thanks again,

[ThailandRyan]

5 minutes ago, Pib said:

Thanks.  But what was your 1st indication after 2 Sep that your application was indeed moving along the BOI review line.  Maybe a status change....some notification/email from BOI, etc.  Thanks again,

First notice was on the 12th when they requested the Photo. Then on the 19th when the requested my insurance policy. On the 20th I received my approval. The rest was done by phone calls. The system still shows my apucation as pre-approval but nothing else even though it was issued.  Call the main number, give them your LTR number and they shod get you to the person doing your application. The system has major issues still.

[khunjeff]

43 minutes ago, Pib said:

For those who have LTR application processing or already approved approximately how long was it "from the day you submitted your application" until you saw some type of tangible status change in your LTR online acct and/or got a notification/email from BOI asking for more docs or something along those lines.  Just some type of status change that indicated your application was actually being reviewed/processed "versus just setting in a BOI rep's inbox" pending processing.

 

I submitted my application earlier this week and the only change I've noticed is the day after I submitted the application the staff name changed from StaffBOI1128 to StaffBOI004.  I'm assuming this was just movement of application from the master inbox that receives all new application to a specific BOI rep inbox.  Other than that my application just shows a Status of "Pending" and under the LTR menu the popup message that says "Visa is process considering, Please check the status tab."

 

I know the BOI says they will process your application within 20 "business" days which is around a calendar month. From review of this thread (a couple of times) it seems to be a couple of weeks before a person sees some tangible change that  his/her application is under serious evaluation....actually moving along the assembly line.  Thanks.

I submitted my application on October 7, and haven't seen any change at all as of now. There were three holidays during that period, though, so technically only about 12 business days have elapsed. 

[K2938]

56 minutes ago, Pib said:

I submitted my application earlier this week and the only change I've noticed is the day after I submitted the application the staff name changed from StaffBOI1128 to StaffBOI004.  I'm assuming this was just movement of application from the master inbox that receives all new application to a specific BOI rep inbox.  Other than that my application just shows a Status of "Pending" and under the LTR menu the popup message that says "Visa is process considering, Please check the status tab."

I would take this as a positive, not negative sign.  If there were major immediately obvious fatal flaws with your application, they would have told you by now.  So no news is good news at this point of time.  They are doing whatever needs to be doing.  No reason to worry.

[Pib]

6 minutes ago, K2938 said:

 No reason to worry.

Not worried...mostly curious since their online system doesn't seem to give a good view of where an application is in the overall process.  I've always hated a "Pending" status as it's so vague as to what that could really mean.

[aublumberg]

1 hour ago, Pib said:

For those who have LTR application processing or already approved approximately how long was it "from the day you submitted your application" until you saw some type of tangible status change in your LTR online acct and/or got a notification/email from BOI asking for more docs or something along those lines.  Just some type of status change that indicated your application was actually being reviewed/processed "versus just setting in a BOI rep's inbox" pending processing.

.

There is no way to tell from the online system what the progress is. Don’t interpret the status, it’s meaningless. I think Ryan got approved but it still says ‘processing’. You get an email when they need something. There is the notification box on the upper left in the system but that only updates when they email you. If you haven’t heard from them after three or four weeks, best is to call them, most effective channel. For reference, my dates were:

 

05 Sep 2022 submitted application online for a LTR WFTP (LTR-T)

26 Sep 2022 request for additional documents but actually everything was already provided correctly

04 Oct 2022 email approval received

14 Oct 2022 received Notification Letter for Qualifications Endorsement

20 Oct 2022 picked up visa in passport at the Royal Thai Consulate in Hong Kong

[Northwest87]

Hi all. I'm at the paperwork-gathering stage, and I requested a letter from my Health insurance carrier this week (AFPSA-Aetna). They were very nice and have promptly issued me a very good certificate that under other circumstances would probably do its job (say, with a medical provider or hospital). It includes the date my coverage started a few years back, that it is "continuing", and makes clear mentions of what is covered, that it is covered abroad, and that there is "no dollar limit" on it.

 

As expected, the carrier would not budge on putting an actual expiration or "good 'til" date on it, and for good reasons; they invoked legal of course, and because I'm not locked into the carrier more than a year at a time and have the option to change at the end of each year, I see their point. I have therefore nothing to complain about here, but from reading this thread, and since the BOI paperwork seems to firmly require a start and expiry date, I'm not too optimistic about the insurance policy thingy and I'm thinking about filing both the insurance certificate and the 100K paperwork and be done with it (hopefully).

 

NW

 

[aublumberg]

So this morning I arrived in Bangkok for the first time after receiving my LTR-T visa sticker at the Royal Thai Consulate in Hong Kong. Used the Fast Track channel, LTR is not specifically written on the signage but Smart Visa is. This is the same channel used by Air Crew and what I normally also use with the APEC card. No material difference in queueing time as it was fairly quiet today, but can be helpful if it’s busy.

 

The very charming immigration officer Khun Annie had never seen a LTR visa and had to ring her colleague on the phone first to clarify but then swiftly figured out the five year entry duration. Her supervisor walked by and she double confirmed with him again. She was quite curious and asked how long it took to get the visa. Most pleasant conversation. 

[Lacrimas]

BTW this thread is very long and interesting but the title has been wrong till now. It should be called long term resident since it is for everyone that qualifies in a category. Not only retirees. Regards

[ThailandRyan]

10 minutes ago, Lacrimas said:

BTW this thread is very long and interesting but the title has been wrong till now. It should be called long term resident since it is for everyone that qualifies in a category. Not only retirees. Regards

I have asked the Mods if they could change the OP title.

[Pib]

26 minutes ago, aublumberg said:

 

05 Sep 2022 submitted application online for a LTR WFTP (LTR-T)

26 Sep 2022 request for additional documents but actually everything was already provided correctly

04 Oct 2022 email approval received

14 Oct 2022 received Notification Letter for Qualifications Endorsement

20 Oct 2022 picked up visa in passport at the Royal Thai Consulate in Hong Kong

Interesting they asked for additional docs...but apparently docs you had already provided?  If it had been a snake it would have bit them?

[ubonjoe]

28 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

I have asked the Mods if they could change the OP title.

It has already been changed.

[aublumberg]

1 hour ago, Pib said:

Interesting they asked for additional docs...but apparently docs you had already provided?  If it had been a snake it would have bit them?

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.  

[Misty]

On 10/28/2022 at 2:00 PM, K2938 said:

That is good, however Jeff Bezos would still be in trouble.  Amazon.com Inc. does not pay any dividends.  So his about $150 BN worth coming from his holdings in Amazon would still not make it

My guess is a guy like Bezos - no fool - owns more than just Amazon shares.  And of course, he has to pay for his ultra-highend lifestyle with cashflow from somewhere.

[Pib]

8 hours ago, Northwest87 said:

Hi all. I'm at the paperwork-gathering stage, and I requested a letter from my Health insurance carrier this week (AFPSA-Aetna). They were very nice and have promptly issued me a very good certificate that under other circumstances would probably do its job (say, with a medical provider or hospital). It includes the date my coverage started a few years back, that it is "continuing", and makes clear mentions of what is covered, that it is covered abroad, and that there is "no dollar limit" on it.

 

As expected, the carrier would not budge on putting an actual expiration or "good 'til" date on it, and for good reasons; they invoked legal of course, and because I'm not locked into the carrier more than a year at a time and have the option to change at the end of each year, I see their point. I have therefore nothing to complain about here, but from reading this thread, and since the BOI paperwork seems to firmly require a start and expiry date, I'm not too optimistic about the insurance policy thingy and I'm thinking about filing both the insurance certificate and the 100K paperwork and be done with it (hopefully).

 

NW

 

I'm in a very similar boat with my application where I'm using a U.S. govt/military retiree policy which only shows an enrollment date from years ago (when I retired), has unlimited worldwide coverage, no annual expiration date, and will run my lifetime as long as I continue to pay the monthly premium.   Just excellent worldwide coverage but it's a govt/military type coverage that does not come with a commercial type policy.....all the info is on their websites about the coverage.

 

I submitted this medical coverage in my application hoping it will qualify under the social security-type coverage which does not make mention of any required expiration date.....hopefully because BOI knows that social security/government-type medical coverage routinely does not come with any end date like a typical commercial policy. 

 

I too thought about submitting my application with docs "also showing I had enough money to self-insure (IRA/401K type money)" but then the BOI might have just taken the easy way by approving (hopefully) the application based on being self-insured versus my medical policy.  I would rather be approved based on my insurance coverage/policy as that will be on autopilot to the day I die whereas going the self-insure method requires maintaining $100K in an acct (which some people would prefer to do) if going the insurance method is too complicated due to BOI rules.

 

If you are not in a time crunch you may want to consider submitting your application using your insurance policy with explanation that the policy does not have an annual expiration date because of XYZ reason(s)....and see if the BOI approves it.  If they don't they will then ask you to submit self-insure docs in lieu of the insurance....then submit the financial proof to self insure.  That's my approach.

 

Good luck to both of us.

 

 

[Pib]

Regarding the LTR application/review process which takes around 20 business days (or more).  Below BOI Announcement gives an overview of their process which includes coordination by multiple, outside agencies. 

 

Below I have partially quoted & bolded the key parts of the announcement....see the weblink for the full announcement. 

https://ltr.boi.go.th/documents/Announcement of the Office of the Board of Investment_No.3-2565 (EN).pdf

Quote

 

1. Application Submission Alien persons seeking certification of qualification shall submit the application via the electronic or other channels specified by the Office of the Board of Investment.

 

2. Certification of qualification

 

2.1 Upon receipt of the application for certification of qualification together with the complete evidence, the One Stop Service Center for Visa and Work Permit (the Center) shall forward the application to the following related agencies for processing:

 

2.1.1 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs: to examine the applicant's record and any suspicions of harmful behavior to the country, only in the case that the applicant is among the nationals on the watch list or in any suspicious cases.

 

2.1.2 The Immigration Bureau: to examine and ensure that the applicant is not prohibited from entering the Kingdom by the laws on immigration.

 

2.1.3 The Department of Employment: to examine and ensure that the employment is not prohibited by law, in the case that the position or duty of the applicantdoes not explicitly suggest whether it is a foreigner-prohibited occupation.

 

2.1.4 The Digital Economy Promotion Agency, the National Science and Technology Development Agency, or other related agencies: to examine and verify that the applicant is a genuine highly skilled professional, only in the case of the applicant as a highly skilled professional submitting evidence of education or work experience that does not indicate the explicit area of expertise.

 

2.1.5 The Office of the Board of Investment: to certify that the applicant’s work is in the targeted industry, only in the case that the applicant is categorized as a highly skilled professional.

 

2.2 The agencies specified in Items 2.1.1 -2.1.5 must notify the One Stop Service Center for Visa and Work Permit of the result of the consideration.

 

2.3 The One Stop Service Center will consider and screen the applicant under the Announcement of the Office of the Board of Investment regarding Qualifications, Criteria, and Conditions for Long-Term Resident Visa (LTR Visa) under Measure to Stimulate Economy and Investment by Attracting High-Potential Alien Persons to Thailand, and shall notify of the consideration result as follows:

 

 

 

[Mike Teavee]

30 minutes ago, Pib said:

whereas going the self-insure method requires maintaining $100K in an acct (which some people would prefer to do)

I don’t think there are many people who would “prefer”

to have $100K in a bank account earning < 1% interest (or losing approx 9% pa if you take 10% inflation).

 

I don’t see why your Social Security cover wouldn’t be accepted but if for some reason it wasn’t, wouldn’t you be financially better off buying a new policy… E.G I have the Pacific Cross Visa Friendly policy $100K cover for 27K pa (no outpatients & 200K deductible) for a 56yr old which is around 0.71% of the 3.8Million in the bank.

 

Obviously not everybody can get insurance cover but if you can then it would seem to make more sense than tying the money up.

 

 

[aublumberg]

45 minutes ago, Pib said:

[…] going the self-insure method requires maintaining $100K in an acct […]

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.

[Pib]

3 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

I don’t think there are many people who would “prefer”

to have $100K in a bank account earning < 1% interest (or losing approx 9% pa if you take 10% inflation).

 

I don’t see why your Social Security cover wouldn’t be accepted but if for some reason it wasn’t, wouldn’t you be financially better off buying a new policy… E.G I have the Pacific Cross Visa Friendly policy $100K cover for 27K pa (no outpatients & 200K deductible) for a 56yr old which is around 0.71% of the 3.8Million in the bank.

 

Obviously not everybody can get insurance cover but if you can then it would seem to make more sense than tying the money up.

 

 

From my understanding of several posts in this thread the money does not have to be in "a bank account"...as in one acct or it has to be a bank acct.  I say that because several folks in this thread said they met the self insure requirement by submitting docs for their 401K/IRA type acct(s) vs a standard bank acct. And such 401K/IRA accts are usually invested in stocks, bonds, etc....investments which earn more than typical bank savings/checking accts.  401K/IRA accts which a person will  slowly draw down over his lifetime and possibly stay above 100K USD for a long time.

 

Additionally, why buy a close to useless and pricey (by age) Thai medical policy when my current U.S. govt policy (Tricare) provides my medical coverage worldwide (age doesn't change monthly premium).  Plus if I did buy another policy by law I would have to file my claim with that policy first....see if/what they pay....and then submit to Tricare for payment of the rest....an extended process.

 

For me, I prefer going the insurance route due to the type of insurance I have....going the self-insure would just be a Plan B if I had to resort to it.

 

[Pib]

5 minutes ago, aublumberg said:

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

Yea...understand....just ensure you have the money for 2 of the 10 years.  But with my insurance I don't have to be concerned about 100K USD....just continue to pay the monthly insurance premium which is deducted automatically from one of my pensions.....it all on autopilot.

[aublumberg]

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.

[Pib]

4 minutes ago, aublumberg said:

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.nationthailand.comhttps//www.nationthailand.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.

I think this is correct link to the article.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/policies/40021513

 

Also, there was an article in today's/29 Oct Bangkok Post saying the Pheu Thai Party party opposed this 1 Rai ownership idea....the party which could very well be the dominant party in the next election.

[mrmagyar]

27 minutes ago, aublumberg said:

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.

"According to Mr Anucha, the land slated for foreign ownership should be located in Bangkok, the Pattaya area, the municipalities of all provinces nationwide

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2422513/cabinet-backs-expats-owning-land. View our policies at http://goo.gl/9HgTd and http://goo.gl/ou6Ip. © Bangkok Post PCL. All rights reserved."

 

Would that include Ko Samui then? It's on the Wikipedia page of Thai Municipalities 

[ThailandRyan]

Removed

[Northwest87]

8 hours ago, Pib said:

I'm in a very similar boat with my application where I'm using a U.S. govt/military retiree policy which only shows an enrollment date from years ago (when I retired), has unlimited worldwide coverage, no annual expiration date, and will run my lifetime as long as I continue to pay the monthly premium.   Just excellent worldwide coverage but it's a govt/military type coverage that does not come with a commercial type policy.....all the info is on their websites about the coverage.

 

I submitted this medical coverage in my application hoping it will qualify under the social security-type coverage which does not make mention of any required expiration date.....hopefully because BOI knows that social security/government-type medical coverage routinely does not come with any end date like a typical commercial policy. 

 

I too thought about submitting my application with docs "also showing I had enough money to self-insure (IRA/401K type money)" but then the BOI might have just taken the easy way by approving (hopefully) the application based on being self-insured versus my medical policy.  I would rather be approved based on my insurance coverage/policy as that will be on autopilot to the day I die whereas going the self-insure method requires maintaining $100K in an acct (which some people would prefer to do) if going the insurance method is too complicated due to BOI rules.

 

If you are not in a time crunch you may want to consider submitting your application using your insurance policy with explanation that the policy does not have an annual expiration date because of XYZ reason(s)....and see if the BOI approves it.  If they don't they will then ask you to submit self-insure docs in lieu of the insurance....then submit the financial proof to self insure.  That's my approach.

 

Good luck to both of us.

 

 

I'm not exactly in a time crunch, and I suppose that if needed I could produce the 100K data as additional info if the need arises. I do not believe however that for the self-insure they ask you to maintain 100K for the duration of the visa: this is not like maintaining 800K THB for the traditional retirement visa (at least that's how I interpret it); only that at the time of the application you had maintained that amount in cash for at least a year. However, at the 5-years check, I suppose you would have to present that info again.

 

NW

[Northwest87]

7 hours ago, Pib said:

 

Additionally, why buy a close to useless and pricey (by age) Thai medical policy when my current U.S. govt policy (Tricare) provides my medical coverage worldwide (age doesn't change monthly premium).  Plus if I did buy another policy by law I would have to file my claim with that policy first....see if/what they pay....and then submit to Tricare for payment of the rest....an extended process.

 

For me, I prefer going the insurance route due to the type of insurance I have....going the self-insure would just be a Plan B if I had to resort to it.

 

My understanding is that choosing the 100K requirement in place of proof of medical insurance is not a self-insure situation in which you are compelled to purchase an alternative to what you already have: the 100K is purported to fulfill that need. Once your visa is issued, you don't have to prove continuing medical insurance that fits the BOI definition. I asked the BOI that question and as I mentioned in a previous post, the answer was:

 

However, there is also an option of providing a deposit balance of at least USD 100,000 in a bank account in Thailand or abroad retained for at least 12 months as of the date of application.

2. When you report to immigration bureau annually, you don't need to provide an evidence of your qualification at the moment such as health insurance but if at year 5, we will need to review your qualification again, it will be similar to when you are applying in online form so please prepare all the necessary documents by then.

 

NW

 

[mudcat]

I successfully substituted my U.S. IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) with my broker as demonstration of assets >$100,000 for medical expenses (Option 3).

 

I maintain Thai health insurance with Pacific Cross to protect my assets, not to qualify for a visa.  The Deposit option allows me to tailor my health insurance with the goal of protecting myself, my family, and my assets today and in the future.  I maintain other forms of insurance - Social Security Part B and long term care insurance should I return to the U.S., which I have no plans of doing, but the consequences of not maintaining this 'useless' insurance would be a cost I choose not to risk.   All insurance is a gamble - I have maintained auto insurance for >40-years without an at-fault claim, but pay my premiums every year.

 

I am off to Bangkok to collect my visa stamp(s) tomorrow. 

 

I will seek clarification on a number of lingering questions:

 

What forms of yearly notification are acceptable - electronic, snail mail via registered EMS, visit to a local immigration office, on-line video appointment - requiring travel to Bangkok is non-sensical.

 

Can I delete my application information from the BOI website now that the documents have been reviewed an visa has been issued or can BOI do it for me and other applicants who have their visas

 

What happens if, because of health issues, a visa holder cannot travel to Bangkok to extend for the second five-years after paperwork has been approved (for me this would be when I am 79-years old).

 

 

 

[pepper402]

19 hours ago, Pib said:

Interesting they asked for additional docs...but apparently docs you had already provided?  If it had been a snake it would have bit them?

Pib, I was also asked to provide documents that were already uploaded onto the BOI visa system.  Instead of pointing out  that the documents were already there, I thanked the analyst for bringing to my attention the missing documents and uploaded EXACTLY the same documents again.  They were subsequently approved.  Remember, this is Thailand and you are the one who wants a visa.   Good luck!