LTR Visa starts when ?

[frankstraube]

I will apply for an LTR visa for Whealthy Pensioner.

As i stay now out of Thailand, the visa (if approved) should be received online. 

Sorry if my following question has already been answered, but i can't find where.

The 10 years validity starts the day your visa is approved, or the day you enter Thailand with your new visa ?

Thanks  

[BrandonJT]

The 10 years starts the day the visa is issued. 

You must first apply for the visa with the BOI, and go through their application process online.  Once they approve they will issue you an endorsement letter, and you can then apply to a Thai embassy through the e-visa system using the endorsement letter you received.  Once the embassy issues the visa, it is good for 10 years from that date, though it's actually only going to allow you to enter Thailand for 5 years before you must re-qualify to receive your 2nd 5 years.

Or you can apply online, and once the BOI approves your visa, you can then travel to Thailand and pickup the visa from the BOI office at One Bangkok.  This is actually the method I recommend for 2 reasons.

1. You will pay exactly 50,000 baht and won't have to pay the inflated visa price from a Thai embassy which in almost all cases will be more than 50,000 baht
2. You will get an actual visa in your passport, so you don't have to carry a printed out PDF e-visa with you for 10 years.

[frankstraube]

Thanks for your information : the visa validity starts from the day you get it. So no need to rush for your visa if you don't plan on travelling soon to Thailand.
I disagree about the visa stamped in your passport being better than on a sheet of paper like for the e-Visa. What if your passport is damaged, lost, stolen ? Or it is expired and you need to make a new one ? Simply having a piece of paper to show, or to have in your phone, is much more hassle free in my opinion.