LTR Visa is Now available for Long Term Residency

[8X5ZD]

Finally making some progress...  Advanced out of the dreaded "consideration by government agencies" status!

 

I saw a BOI email in the inbox and thought it was a response to one of several unanswered emails.  Opened it and to my surprise it said, "your qualifications for LTR visa have been endorsed by relevant government agencies".  I read it two more times to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me.  I was beginning to think that I was stuck in "consideration by government agencies" purgatory forever.

 

So I logged back into the application as instructed, and chose to get stamped in Thailand.  It asks for the "type of visa you are holding" and visa number.  From the drop down menu, I selected "visa exemption" and "other" and in both cases it's requiring a visa number, which I don't have.   I'm currently in the U.S. and will soon be entering Thailand on a 45-day visa exemption.   Any suggestions?

 

 

 

 

[Pib]

1 hour ago, 8X5ZD said:

Finally making some progress...  Advanced out of the dreaded "consideration by government agencies" status!

 

I saw a BOI email in the inbox and thought it was a response to one of several unanswered emails.  Opened it and to my surprise it said, "your qualifications for LTR visa have been endorsed by relevant government agencies".  I read it two more times to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me.  I was beginning to think that I was stuck in "consideration by government agencies" purgatory forever.

 

So I logged back into the application as instructed, and chose to get stamped in Thailand.  It asks for the "type of visa you are holding" and visa number.  From the drop down menu, I selected "visa exemption" and "other" and in both cases it's requiring a visa number, which I don't have.   I'm currently in the U.S. and will soon be entering Thailand on a 45-day visa exemption.   Any suggestions?

 

 

 

 

Congrats.   I expect just making up a number like 12345 would work fine.  When I got my endorsement notification like you just got I was on an OA Visa dtd Oct 2008 which I had extended around 14 times for reason of retirement and marriage.  Now since I was on a marriage extension of stay I selected a Non O marriage and entered the number from my latest Permitted to Stay extension....and I really couldn't be sure about some of the  handwritten numbers.   But this worked fine.  I really don't think it will make a difference regarding a visa number and I think they only want the info to do a little advance preparation of the paperwork to be accomplished/submitted from BoI to Immigration across the hall on the day of your appointment.

 

You may want to message BoI and see what they say.

 

And Congrats again on getting endorsed (approved).  When did you initially submit your application?  And it was a Pensioner application, right?   And any further details/your impressions of the application process would surely be appreciated by others getting ready to make the application trek.

[ThailandRyan]

18 minutes ago, Pib said:

Congrats.   I expect just making up a number like 12345 would work fine.  When I got my endorsement notification like you just got I was on an OA Visa dtd Oct 2008 which I had extended around 14 times for reason of retirement and marriage.  Now since I was on a marriage extension of stay I selected a Non O marriage and entered the number from my latest Permitted to Stay extension....and I really couldn't be sure about some of the  handwritten numbers.   But this worked fine.  I really don't think it will make a difference regarding a visa number and I think they only want the info to do a little advance preparation of the paperwork to be accomplished/submitted from BoI to Immigration across the hall on the day of your appointment.

 

You may want to message BoI and see what they say.

 

And Congrats again on getting endorsed (approved).  When did you initially submit your application?  And it was a Pensioner application, right?   And any further details/your impressions of the application process would surely be appreciated by others getting ready to make the application trek.

@Pib like you I was on my 3rd extension of stay based upon an O-A Visa issued at the Los Angeles Consulate in 2018.  I put the visa number from that visa in the section for the number, and had no issues when it cam down to collecting my Visa at BOI here in Bangkok last October.  Remember that immigration does include a handwritten note which cancels any existing permission to stay in order to activate your new Visa.  So if as @8X5ZD says he will enter on a 45 day visa exempt, immigration will just kill of that 45 day permission when they insert and activate the new LTR Visa.

Edited March 1, 2023 by ThailandRyan

[8X5ZD]

17 hours ago, Pib said:

Congrats.   I expect just making up a number like 12345 would work fine.  When I got my endorsement notification like you just got I was on an OA Visa dtd Oct 2008 which I had extended around 14 times for reason of retirement and marriage.  Now since I was on a marriage extension of stay I selected a Non O marriage and entered the number from my latest Permitted to Stay extension....and I really couldn't be sure about some of the  handwritten numbers.   But this worked fine.  I really don't think it will make a difference regarding a visa number and I think they only want the info to do a little advance preparation of the paperwork to be accomplished/submitted from BoI to Immigration across the hall on the day of your appointment.

 

You may want to message BoI and see what they say.  

 

And Congrats again on getting endorsed (approved).  When did you initially submit your application?  And it was a Pensioner application, right?   And any further details/your impressions of the application process would surely be appreciated by others getting ready to make the application trek.

I did shoot off an email to BOI.  Hope to hear back before I depart or else I'll be at their office on the day I arrive in Bangkok.  

 

Initial pensioner application was submitted on Jan 9th.  Uploaded documents were (1) HMO health insurance coverage letter and  (2) monthly pension and annuity statements in lieu of a tax return, which BOI okayed prior to applying. 

 

Come Jan 19th, only 10 days after applying, BOI requests additional docs - a copy of my HMO ID card and a 2022 form 1040.  ID card, no problem.  As for the 2022 tax return, I was still waiting for all the 1099's to come in so I hadn't started on it.  Even the IRS wasn't accepting tax returns for another few more days. Not wanting to wait to complete the 1040, I uploaded a pension verification letter from my former employer instead.  Seemed just as good, if not better than a 1040.  Then I waited and waited. Did not  receive a single response to any of the emails sent after Jan 9th.  Religiously logged in and the same status appeared again and again - "consideration by government agencies".  Frustration level started to build.  BOI then unexpectedly sends me an email on Feb 28th stating that my LTR visa application was endorsed by the relevant government agencies.  Still haven't reached the finish line though.  I need to figure out how to answer the supposed currently held visa, which I don't have.   

 

 

[User3847385]

On 2/21/2023 at 9:50 AM, Ramilf said:

Wish you luck! Plaese, write here how will things go with Embassy and Immigration office

So this morning at 8.40 I showed up at immigration office at Chamchuri square, I didn’t bother going to BOI first but went straight to information counter at immigration, they give out a form called “Transfer stamp to new passport form” and tell you to go make copies of all stamps and visa and photo pages etc. 

I had already prefilled the same form on my computer and printed and made all copies beforehand (except for the latest entry stamp) as I came straight from the airport. 

the officer checked all my papers and then told me to go make a copy of the entry stamp from today.

After I did that she stapled all papers together with a queue number, I got E030 it was already at 12 when I arrived but I had to wait about an hour for my turn.

 

after 30 minutes more waiting the man handling my passport told me he needed me to make all the same copies again because he apparently had to send them to the airport so they could update my passport number. 
 

30 minutes more and it was done, I left at 10.40 with my passports.

 

he used one page to transfer my two previous visa exempts from last year, (good thing I didn’t use my other previous passport as that had at least 20 visa exempt entries, I had dual passports from same country previously)

 

he stamped the same stay permit as in the old passport, with a re entry permit only valid until august this year as that was my old passports validity, he then used another page for another stay permit and a new re entry permit with 5 year validity from the date I was stamped with LTR.

 

and then of course 1 page for the LTR visa itself, all in all 4 pages.

 

he also changed the entry stamp from this morning when I arrived at Suvarnabhumi, I was stamped in until 16 January 2028 as that is my new passports validity, which isn’t correct, but the strange thing is he corrected it to 6 august 2023 which is the old passports validity. 
 

sorry for a long post.

 

[Ramilf]

INIPUZ22

1 hour ago, User3847385 said:

with a re entry permit only valid until august this year as that was my old passports validity, he then used another page for another stay permit and a new re entry permit with 5 year validity from the date I was stamped with LTR.

 

Thank you very much for your post.

 

Can I clarify some things: you have LTR visa in old passport which was valid until august. Am i right?

And now you have valid old passport with old LTR stamp and new passport with new LTR stamp?

 

And they do not ask any sertificate for new passport or other paper?

I have a long conversation with BOI and they apparently asked somone from Immigration office. They assure me that they could not trasnfer my stamp to new passport without a paper from Embassy.

 

Many thanks! 

[User3847385]

20 minutes ago, Ramilf said:

INIPUZ22

Thank you very much for your post.

 

Can I clarify some things: you have LTR visa in old passport which was valid until august. Am i right?

And now you have valid old passport with old LTR stamp and new passport with new LTR stamp?

 

And they do not ask any sertificate for new passport or other paper?

I have a long conversation with BOI and they apparently asked somone from Immigration office. They assure me that they could not trasnfer my stamp to new passport without a paper from Embassy.

 

Many thanks! 

That is correct, I did not get a paper from embassy since my embassy informed me that they don’t provide this paper anymore and that immigration would be aware of that, I actually forgot about that paper until you mentioned it now, immigration did not even ask me about it.

[tai4de2]

It’s going to be a few months until my condo is finished and I can get my LTR visa application going. I’ve been entering and exiting Thailand a lot in the past few months dealing with the condo and other personal stuff as I configure my future in Thailand.

 

I’m starting to get concerned that I’m going to get scrutinized and possibly denied entry or told “you must have a visa next time” soon. I don’t want to have immigration issues this close to the finish line.

 

So let’s say I apply for a METV or some other form of non-O (say, based on marriage), and use that to enter Thailand a few times over the next few months. Will that make problems for me when I go for the LTR visa later this year? It might only be like 3 months later that I go for the LTR.

 

I’d prefer to apply for an eVisa in the USA vs. visa category conversions or extensions of stay in-country because from what I can determine, the eVisa requires no medical certificates or police clearance. I have nothing to hide there but not having to deal with those two things is simply a big logistical win, but in-country conversions and extensions seem to universally require them.

 

Any advice and insight welcome.

[K2938]

In spite of the less than stellar performance of the LTR visa in terms of applications and visas issued, the BOI is apparently still maintaining its '1 million LTR visas issued in 5 years' goal ...

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/visa/thailand-still-pushing-its-unattractive-ltr-10-year-visa

Edited March 4, 2023 by K2938

[Pib]

8 hours ago, tai4de2 said:

So let’s say I apply for a METV or some other form of non-O (say, based on marriage), and use that to enter Thailand a few times over the next few months. Will that make problems for me when I go for the LTR visa later this year? It might only be like 3 months later that I go for the LTR.

 

I can't see how it would be an issue.  Many folks who get LTRs are already on some type of visa/extension....basically just switching from the visa/extension of stay they currently have to a LTR visa.

[oldcpu]

On 3/2/2023 at 12:13 PM, 8X5ZD said:

BOI requests additional docs - a copy of my ... 2022 form 1040.  ID card, no problem.  As for the 2022 tax return, I was still waiting for all the 1099's to come in so I hadn't started on it.  Even the IRS wasn't accepting tax returns for another few more days. Not wanting to wait to complete the 1040, I uploaded a pension verification letter from my former employer instead. 

 

I was asked a couple of days ago from BoI for my 2022 tax return (Canadian).  I have worked in various places around the world (having pensions from some), and I won't get one of my European pension summaries until early April (their standard practice) which is quite late - hence nominally this is too soon for me to submit my 2022 tax return.

 

My permission to stay in Thailand is good until February-2024, so obviously I am in no hurry to get the LTR. Still, I would like to have my application approved. 

 

I suspect BoI, knowing my permission to stay is until February next year, will be certain to ask for the best documentation from me that they can get. 

 

So I have pulled together my monthly pay slips for that and used it to calculate my yearly pension from that organizaiton.  Today I finished up my 2022 tax return for Canada and I will likely submit it tomorrow to Canadian tax authorities ... and then forward a copy of that tax return also to BoI.   However in PDF form its about 6-MBytes which might be too big for an upload ... and if that (too large for an upload) turns out to be the case, I might just try what you did, which in my case would be to upload my monthly pension summaries (altogether in one PDF).

 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2023 by oldcpu

[GFunkDeluxe]

Seemingly trivial detail, but still important to note - after lodging our applications last Monday, we received a reply on Thursday informing us to resubmit new photos as 'T-SHIRT NOT ACCEPTABLE' and must be taken in 'business attire'. So back to the passport photo place we go, this time in a collared shirt and my wife in a slightly formal dress. Not a big deal but a reminder that I'm still getting used to the, uh, nuances of Thai bureaucracy lol. 

[Misty]

15 hours ago, GFunkDeluxe said:

Seemingly trivial detail, but still important to note - after lodging our applications last Monday, we received a reply on Thursday informing us to resubmit new photos as 'T-SHIRT NOT ACCEPTABLE' and must be taken in 'business attire'. So back to the passport photo place we go, this time in a collared shirt and my wife in a slightly formal dress. Not a big deal but a reminder that I'm still getting used to the, uh, nuances of Thai bureaucracy lol. 

Good to note. I think there's also a sign on the BoI's door about their dress code, no shorts or T-shirts or flip flops if I recall.

 

If it helps any, this type of dress code is the norm in most places I've traveled. So it's not just Thailand, or Thai bureaucracy. 

[User3847385]

On 3/7/2023 at 6:24 PM, GFunkDeluxe said:

Seemingly trivial detail, but still important to note - after lodging our applications last Monday, we received a reply on Thursday informing us to resubmit new photos as 'T-SHIRT NOT ACCEPTABLE' and must be taken in 'business attire'. So back to the passport photo place we go, this time in a collared shirt and my wife in a slightly formal dress. Not a big deal but a reminder that I'm still getting used to the, uh, nuances of Thai bureaucracy lol. 

Pro tip, if taking the pictures in Thailand the photo shop will add dress shirt and tie in the computer after taking the picture if you ask them, they even smooth out wrinkles in your face before printing and/or emailing you the pictures.

[ThailandRyan]

Just now, User3847385 said:

Pro tip, if taking the pictures in Thailand the photo shop will add dress shirt and tie in the computer after taking the picture if you ask them, they even smooth out wrinkles in your face before printing and/or emailing you the pictures.

Yes they do, I became a hansum man and the GF looked like a professional business woman.....

[Lost Nomad]

I'm interested in hearing data points from others in similar circumstances.  If each version of LTR has a consistent POC and we know what they prefer to see we can use this to streamline our submission approvals.  

 

Goal:  LTR Wealthy Pensioner Visa
Considerations:  Prefer to minimize data provided, avoid purchasing Thai insurance, avoid needing large cash account
Timeline:  Planning stage only so not ready to apply

 

About me:  Retired US federal employee, age 50+, with FERS pension (< 80K) and FEHB medical insurance (AFSPA)

Income verification (Pension + Dividends > 80K):

•      Preferred data to provide:  OPM 1099-R, redacted Recipient ID Number & Account Number, highlighted Box 1 Gross Distribution
•      Preferred data to provide:  Vanguard 1099-DIV page 1, redacted Document ID & Recipient TIN & all data in Summary of Proceeds section, highlighted Line 1a Total Ordinary Dividends 

     Supplemental data if requested by BOI:

•   Form 1040 (e-filed using Turbotax), redacted Social Security Number & Banking information, highlighted Box 3B Ordinary Dividends & Box 5A Pensions and Annuities.  Considering redacting Adjusted Gross Income and Taxable Income since I believe these are used by the IRS for identity verification purposes.
• 2023 OPM Annuity Statement provides monthly benefit.  Redact Annuitant Claim Number. Highlight Gross Amount of Annuity & FERS Annuity Supplement data.  

Medical Insurance:

•      Preferred data to provide:  Letter of Coverage from AFSPA
•      Supplemental data if requested by BOI:  Self fund USD 100K.  I can use either Vanguard or my Thrift Savings Plan.  My checking/savings account is the only pure cash account and is minimal.

    
Additional thoughts:

•      Income verification:  In lieu of providing the Form 1040, has anyone been successful in providing only the tax transcript?  I would need 2023 YTD dividend amounts from Vanguard and show the calculation for 2023 pension + estimated dividends > 80K.  
•     Medical insurance:  AFSPA and FEPBlue are 2 FEHB plans that have Direct Billing Arrangements with the best private hospitals in Thailand.  I read somewhere that the BOI may be easing the 10 month remaining requirement for Tricare and possibly FEHB insurance, but not sure of the validity of this rumor.  Has anyone successfully received a Proof of Coverage letter from any FEHB provider that the BOI has accepted? 
•     Medical insurance Self Funding:  The TSP quarterly statement (page 1) shows the balance amounts with no indication of the underlying investments.  TSP does have Savings in the name so maybe it will be approved easier.  Others have indicated they self funded using IRA accounts, but nobody has specified Vanguard and if Traditional/Roth.  I read a comment on Reddit where a Vanguard account was denied.  Has anyone used a Vanguard IRA to self fund?

    
     BOI contact information I found online but have not verified:

•    Wealthy Global Citizen – Khun Auttapol (022091141)
•    Wealthy Pensioner – Khun Mumtaz (022091143)
•    Work From Thailand Professional – Khun Poothip (022091146) and Khun Suchawadee (0220091142)
•    Highly Skilled Professional – Khun Intuch (022091144) and Khun Jakkrawan (022091149)

[OneZero]

Ref Wealthy Pensioner.  BOI may change acceptance policies as experience guides them.  But, as of my 17Feb2023 post above, BOI advised me & I posted as follows:

 

An update.  I checked on the STATUS of my application, STEP 4, ACTION /View and noted that a document review screener made the following comment ref self-funding medical insurance, quote:  

"Financial evidence showing a deposit of no less than 100,000 USD which has been held for no less than 12 months at the time of application. For this one, it must be cash only.

 

[Alldar]

Does anyone who applied for LTR Work from Thailand Professional visa know, if they contact the employer in some way (email/phone) or are the submitted documents enough to process the application? I am thinking that if they would call the reception at my company they wouldn't get any relevant information.

 

Also what will happen if I will find another job after some time? Will the visa be cancelled at 5-year check or will they be cancelled immediately?

[Misty]

Looks like some good news for those interested in applying for LTRs in the  "Highly Skilled Professional" - apparently the categories that qualify are being expanded.

 

From an AMCHAM Thailand email:

 

Cabinet Revises LTR Visa’ Targeted Industries

• The Cabinet supported revision to the qualifications, criteria, and benefits for Long-Term Resident Visas’, as proposed by Board of Investment (BOI), with the aim of attracting Highly Skilled Professionals, by revising the criteria of targeted industries. As a result:
  • The following industries are newly added: Transport and Logistics, and Petrochemical and Chemical Industry.
  • The following industries have been revised: Automotive Industry, Electronics Industry, Agricultural, Food, and Biotechnology Industry, Aviation, Airport, and Space Industry, International Business Center (IBC), among other revisions.
• Notably, the BOI will now consider other industries that are served by highly skilled professionals, using one of the following specialized skillsets:
  1. Research and development in targeted industries or targeted technology industries such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, and advanced materials technology. 
  2. Human resource development in sciences and technology, at vocational or higher education levels.
  3. The application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, and/or using automated robotics system in businesses.
  4. The planning and development of digital system to elevate the products and services offered by businesses.
  5. Providing financial and market consulting services.
  6. The management of environment and energy.
  7. Managing or providing consultation on incubator and acceleration projects, and providing support to the innovation and ecosystems of startup businesses.
  8. Alternative dispute resolution services.      
  9. Providing support and sponsoring the development of business economics, trade and investments, by foreign chambers of commerce and international trade organizations.

Source: March 7 Cabinet Resolutions, Agenda Item no. 24  https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/65840

 

[Pib]

Good to see the LTR program is still getting attention at the highest level of govt.  Hopefully we'll continue to see more changes which will make obtaining a LTR visa more attainable for more people.

 

And once the LTR Certified Agent scheme takes flight that should increase the number of applicants since many people prefer to use an agent to hand-walk them through the LTR visa application process.  

 

[anrcaccount]

6 hours ago, Alldar said:

Does anyone who applied for LTR Work from Thailand Professional visa know, if they contact the employer in some way (email/phone) or are the submitted documents enough to process the application? I am thinking that if they would call the reception at my company they wouldn't get any relevant information.

 

Also what will happen if I will find another job after some time? Will the visa be cancelled at 5-year check or will they be cancelled immediately?

No, they will not contact your employer in any way.

 

The second part of your question, absolute uncertainty, no idea-  no real  clarity, which is why this visa category has a very small number of acceptances. 

 

In theory the visa is linked to your foreign employment. If this ceases you have 10 days to find a new visa. In practice, they probably won't know until the 5 year mark.

 

But do you risk your visa status on this? As they say, up to you! 

 

Hence why this category has not been adopted very broadly yet......

[Pib]

11 hours ago, anrcaccount said:

In theory the visa is linked to your foreign employment. If this ceases you have 10 days to find a new visa. In practice, they probably won't know until the 5 year mark.

 

You got a source document/weblink for this statement?    A BoI webpage link, a BoI/Immigration form applicable for an LTR visa, etc.   Maybe you have a LTR Work from Thailand visa and it was on some BoI/Immigration forms your signed when applying for/getting the LTR visa issued?  

 

An LTR visa does not have all the same rules as a regular one year non-immigrant visa such as a Non-B, Non-O, etc.  Even the work permit rules are different like not requiring the 4 Thais to 1 farang employment ratio.   

 

Now I do know that if a person has a Work Permit based on a  "1" year Non immigrant visa that a if the person is on an "extension of stay" of the underlying visa and his employment with organization XYZ ends then he has 7 days to exit Thailand.   But if he is "not" on an extension but the basic visa is still valid then when employment ends he has until the end of that visa before needing to exit Thailand.  See this webpage for more info:  https://franklegaltax.com/visa-issues-when-your-work-permit-is-cancelled/      But as mentioned this weblink is talking a 1 year visa; not a 10 year LTR....so I'm interested in seeing your reference for your statement quoted above.    Thanks.

 

[OneZero]

Personally, I would hope there are some compliance checks, at least at the 5-year mark.  If the LTR becomes abused, it's continuance could be jeopardized.  

 

[Pib]

29 minutes ago, OneZero said:

Personally, I would hope there are some compliance checks, at least at the 5-year mark.  If the LTR becomes abused, it's continuance could be jeopardized.  

 

My guess is the compliance check at the 5 year point will be just like the initial application requirements minus any fee for approval.

[JimGant]

4 hours ago, Pib said:

My guess is the compliance check at the 5 year point will be just like the initial application requirements minus any fee for approval.

Yeah, two days wasted on a trip to Bangkok, plus khaki trousers and a collared shirt. Nice of them not to require a neck tie.

[Misty]

17 hours ago, Pib said:

My guess is the compliance check at the 5 year point will be just like the initial application requirements minus any fee for approval.

Yes, agreed - that's pretty much what BoI staff told me to expect when I asked.  And since I've already paid for a 10 year visa, additional fees (if any) shouldn't be much.

[ThailandRyan]

1 hour ago, Misty said:

Yes, agreed - that's pretty much what BoI staff told me to expect when I asked.  And since I've already paid for a 10 year visa, additional fees (if any) shouldn't be much.

The only fees would be for the Work permit, if I remember what BOI told me. They did remind me to keep the letter they issued as well as the actual printout showing the LTR information for the visa.

Edited March 12, 2023 by ThailandRyan

[Lost Nomad]

10 March Bangkok Post article:

 

LTR data from 1 Nov 22 - 28 Feb 23:

 195 Wealthy Global Citizens

1011 Wealthy Pensioners

 771 Work from Thailand Professionals

 390 Highly Skilled Professionals

 553 Spouses and Dependents

2920 Applications

??? Approvals

 

Edited March 12, 2023 by Lost Nomad

[ThailandRyan]

19 minutes ago, Lost Nomad said:

10 March Bangkok Post article:

 

LTR data from 1 Nov 22 - 28 Feb 23:

 195 Wealthy Global Citizens

1011 Wealthy Pensioners

 771 Work from Thailand Professionals

 390 Highly Skilled Professionals

 553 Spouses and Dependents

2920 Applications

??? Approvals

 

You have to remember there were also approvals given in September after the program started and then in October, which was when my LTR-Wealthy Pensioner was obtained.  Not sure what the percentage of approvals would be for the entire number who have applied since the programs inception.  Like any type of Visa many apply but may not qualify.  The LTR is not alone in this, yet the LTR does not need to be paid for until it is approved, which could lead to more folks attempting to obtain it.  No agents yet assisting as of this date.

[anrcaccount]

On 3/11/2023 at 9:58 AM, Pib said:

You got a source document/weblink for this statement?    A BoI webpage link, a BoI/Immigration form applicable for an LTR visa, etc.   Maybe you have a LTR Work from Thailand visa and it was on some BoI/Immigration forms your signed when applying for/getting the LTR visa issued?  

 

An LTR visa does not have all the same rules as a regular one year non-immigrant visa such as a Non-B, Non-O, etc.  Even the work permit rules are different like not requiring the 4 Thais to 1 farang employment ratio.   

 

Now I do know that if a person has a Work Permit based on a  "1" year Non immigrant visa that a if the person is on an "extension of stay" of the underlying visa and his employment with organization XYZ ends then he has 7 days to exit Thailand.   But if he is "not" on an extension but the basic visa is still valid then when employment ends he has until the end of that visa before needing to exit Thailand.  See this webpage for more info:  https://franklegaltax.com/visa-issues-when-your-work-permit-is-cancelled/      But as mentioned this weblink is talking a 1 year visa; not a 10 year LTR....so I'm interested in seeing your reference for your statement quoted above.    Thanks.

 

The WFTP category is linked to the criteria of being employed. At least at the time of application and again at the 5 year mark. I was told in writing employment status would not be checked after initial application approved-  until the 5 year mark.

 

But the point remains, that in theory,  if the employment ceases the visa ceases. 

 

Here’s comms(email) from BOI on this point.
 

Bolding is mine.

 

 

“Regarding your concern about employment, there is a requirement to stay employed for the Highly-Skilled Professionals and Work-From-Thailand Professionals category. Except for Wealthy Global Citizens and Wealthy Pensioners, there is no requirement to stay employed.

 

However for Wealthy Global Citizens and Wealthy Pensioners, if you need a work permit you need to have an employment contract. You will not be granted a work permit if you don't have an employment contract.

In the case an applicant is approved and ceases employment then your work permit will be terminated. Please be informed that in case you are a Highly-Skilled Professionals or Work-From-Thailand Professionals category, your LTR visa will be terminated as well. Meanwhile, if you move to another employer, you need to notify us so we can change your employment information accordingly”