The question that comes before income, age or budget
French nationals comparing Thai visas usually start by matching their income to a threshold. The threshold is the second test. The first is structural: is the company that pays you registered in Thailand, or outside it?
Thai long-stay visas divide work into two kinds, and the line is drawn at the location of the paying entity — not your nationality, and not where you physically sit while working.
| Kind of work | What it means | Visas that allow it |
|---|---|---|
| Working at a Thai company | You work for, or run, a company registered in Thailand — usually with a work permit, or a visa that replaces one. | Non-B; Non-O Marriage; Non-O Parent of Thai Child; LTR Wealthy Global Citizen; LTR Highly Skilled Professional; LTR Wealthy Pensioner; LTR dependents; SMART S |
| Remote work from Thailand | You work for a foreign employer while living in Thailand, are self-employed through a company outside Thailand, or freelance for clients outside Thailand. All revenue and income must be from outside Thailand. | DTV; LTR Work-from-Thailand Professional (WFT) |
Note what this table does not say. It does not say that employment with a Thai company disqualifies you from the LTR. Several LTR categories sit squarely in the "working at a Thai company" column — Wealthy Global Citizen, Highly Skilled Professional, Wealthy Pensioner and LTR dependents can all hold a Thai work permit with any company. What is true is narrower and more precise: LTR Work-from-Thailand Professional is for a foreign employer only, and its holders cannot obtain a Thai work permit at all.
The other direction is equally strict. DTV and LTR-WFT holders are not allowed to derive any income or salary from any Thai company.
So the decision tree starts here:
- Paid by a company outside Thailand → DTV, or LTR Work-from-Thailand Professional if you clear the income and employer tests.
- Paid by a company in Thailand → Non-B; LTR Highly Skilled Professional if the role is in a BOI targeted industry; SMART S if you are a founder or director of a Thai-registered startup; or a Non-O family route if you have a Thai spouse or child.
- Not working, aged 50+ → Non-O Retirement, Non-OA, or LTR Wealthy Pensioner.
DTV — the 5-year remote-work route
Who it is for
Remote employees, freelancers and self-employed people whose work and income sit outside Thailand, plus two other tracks. You choose one:
- Workcation — remote employment, freelance, or self-employment outside Thailand.
- Soft Power — Muay Thai or Thai cooking enrolment, minimum 9 months. Shorter courses do not qualify, and the enrolment letter does not cover the full 5-year visa — you re-enrol when the course ends if you still rely on this route.
- Medical — ongoing or planned treatment in Thailand.
Minimum age 20; under 20 only as a dependent.
Financial requirement and documents
฿500,000 / $17,000 in personal savings, maintained 3 months. For French applicants the embassy data specifies a 3-month maintenance window and a 3-month statement.
Every application needs the passport biodata page, an ID-style headshot, all Thailand stamps and visas, an address in Thailand as an official PDF (screenshots are not accepted), the last six months' bank statement showing an ending balance above ฿500,000, an address in the submission country, a confirmed flight to Thailand with a 6-character PNR, and a submission-country arrival stamp.
Then the track-specific set. Remote employment: an employment certificate confirming active employment and authorising remote work from any location including Thailand, on company letterhead and signed; the employment contract, which must permit remote work and must not mention Thailand; six months of pay slips; and six months of bank statements showing matching salary deposits. Freelance: signed, current client contracts that must not mention Thailand, client invoices matching the payments (informal messages are not acceptable), six months of bank statements showing those payments, and work samples — one sample per file.
A France-specific rule worth knowing before you start: French and German freelancers must be formally registered under local tax law. An informal freelance arrangement will not carry the application.
Your résumé must be current and reflect active work, and your current role must show zero Thailand connection — no Thai addresses, clients, suppliers, partners or brands. Job titles should name specific countries rather than vague regions.
Where and how you apply
Outside Thailand only, by e-Visa. There is no in-country DTV path and no in-country conversion. Royal Thai missions accept DTV applications only from their own citizens and legal residents, so you apply in your passport country or a country where you hold legal residence — applying as a tourist at a third-country hub such as Vietnam, Laos, the Philippines, Indonesia or Malaysia is not an option.
For France, the covering Thai mission is Paris, which sets the financial bar in euro rather than baht: Paris requires EUR 15,000, which is more than the euro equivalent of ฿500,000 — budget to the euro figure. Processing takes about 4–6 weeks. That is longer than several neighbouring markets, so build it into your timeline rather than assuming a two-week turnaround. The DTV government fee for French applicants is EUR 350.
Fees are quoted as two separate lines, never as one bundled total: our service fee is DIY free, Plus ฿3,000 / $89, or Full Service ฿10,000 / $299; the government fee is the embassy figure above.
Duration and stay
Five years, multiple entry, with validity running from the visa issue date rather than your first entry. Each entry allows a stay of up to 180 days — not "six months", and not five years of continuous residence on one trip. An in-country 180-day extension exists on paper but is often denied; the reliable route is to exit Thailand and re-enter on the DTV before your stay permit ends. We do not file the in-Thailand DTV extension.
The DTV is multiple-entry, so no separate re-entry permit is required. File a 90-day report if you are physically in Thailand for more than 90 consecutive days.
LTR — 10 years, four categories, four different work-permit answers
The LTR runs in two stages through the Board of Investment: endorsement in approximately 2 months, then visa issuance, which must be initiated within 2 months of endorsement. Roughly 4 months in total. The Qualification Endorsement is not the visa — it confirms BOI approved your qualifications, and you cannot reside in Thailand on it.
Work-from-Thailand Professional — employer outside Thailand
Condition 1 (one of): average personal income of at least USD 80,000/year over the past 2 years; or USD 40,000–80,000/year and one of a master's degree or higher, full and complete ownership of intellectual property, or Series A funding of at least USD 1,000,000.
Condition 2 — the employer (one of): a public company listed on a stock exchange; a private company with at least 3 years of operation and combined revenue of at least USD 50,000,000 in the last 3 years; or a wholly owned subsidiary of a company meeting one of those, with the parent holding 100% of shares. The employer must be located outside Thailand.
BOI generally expects audited financial statements as filed with the regulatory authorities, or the employer's corporate income-tax filings showing qualifying revenue. A self-issued revenue-summary letter alone is not sufficient, and BOI may request full, unredacted audited statements later in the review.
Condition 3 (one of): health insurance covering hospitalisation and medical treatment in Thailand for at least USD 50,000, with at least 10 months of remaining coverage; currently receiving social security benefits in Thailand; or bank statements showing at least USD 100,000 maintained for 12 months.
Work permit: not allowed at all. WFT does not authorise local Thai employment, and there is no digital work permit or work-permit exemption for a Thai company.
Highly Skilled Professional — employment in Thailand, BOI targeted industry
This category is for experts employed by, or providing services to, companies in BOI-targeted industries in Thailand. It is not a route for self-employed business owners and it is not a fallback when a foreign employer fails the WFT revenue test.
Condition 1 (one of): average personal income of at least USD 80,000/year over the past 2 years; or USD 40,000–80,000/year and a master's degree or higher in science or technology.
Condition 2 (one of): employed by contract at a Thai or foreign company in a BOI targeted industry; or proof of expertise in a field specified by BOI. The industries: automotive; electronics; affluent tourism; agricultural and biotechnology; transportation and logistics; automation and robotics; aviation; biofuels and biochemicals; digital; medical; defense; petrochemical and chemical; International Business Center; circular economy industries; and other fields where BOI determines special expertise.
The document set shows what is really being assessed: an employment letter from the current Thai company (or a signed employment agreement if employment has not yet started), a company profile, the most recent audited corporate annual financial statement, the WP.46 employment certificate signed by the company's director or authorised person with their ID card (or work permit if foreign), a corporate affidavit and shareholder list, VAT registration certificate (P.P.01), VAT amendment form (P.P.09), and corporate income tax return (Form P.N.D.50).
USD 80,000 of income does not by itself qualify a Thai business owner or director for HSP — ownership income and director fees are not a substitute for qualifying employment. Ambiguous cases go to a consultation and legal review, not a confirmation.
Work permit: yes, with any company — exempt from the 4:1 Thai staff ratio, exempt from minimum registered share capital, no minimum salary. Collected at TIESC, One Bangkok, in 3–5 working days.
Wealthy Global Citizen
Global assets of USD 1,000,000, at least USD 500,000 of it invested in Thailand — Thai government bonds with a remaining maturity of no less than 5 years, investment in a Thai company, or Thai property (Department of Lands sale and purchase agreement, title deed, a leasehold with at least 10 years remaining, or a construction agreement showing the purchase value). Plus the health coverage or savings condition.
A bank deposit or transfer alone does not satisfy the USD 500,000 Thailand investment — cash can support your global-assets evidence or the USD 100,000 savings option, but it is not the investment path. Work permit: yes, any company.
Wealthy Pensioner
Minimum age 50. Passive or unearned income of at least USD 80,000/year, or USD 40,000–80,000/year plus USD 250,000 invested in Thailand in your own name. Plus the health coverage or savings condition.
Income must be genuinely passive — employment income does not qualify regardless of amount. Evidence is an individual income tax return, a pension certificate with 12 months of bank statements, or dividend income evidenced by an auditor-issued company financial report, minutes of meeting and a shareholder list. A statement showing pension-fund contributions is not proof of pension income; BOI wants evidence you are receiving distributions. Work permit: yes, any company.
LTR fees and after-approval
Two separate figures, always: ฿35,000 / $1,059 our service fee for the BOI endorsement, and ฿50,000 / $1,520 government fee on issuance in Thailand — TIESC collects it in cash or Thai mobile banking QR, card at a 3% fee if arranged in advance. Issued overseas, the fee is embassy-dependent and can be considerably higher; overseas issuance must be in your country of citizenship or residency, and you must remain there until the visa is issued.
Health insurance is not required at first submission — submit it when BOI requests it, active on the date of that submission. If the application is not endorsed, our service fee is refunded.
After approval: annual address check-in replaces the standard 90-day address reporting; all LTR categories including dependents are multiple-entry with no separate re-entry permit; the 10 years is a 5-year stamp plus a 5-year extension, requalified at One Bangkok before the first five years end. Dependents are spouse and children under 20, maximum 4 per holder, each a separate BOI application issued at the same location as the main applicant.
Working for a Thai company: the routes that actually exist
Non-B. Thailand's main visa for employment or business activity with a Thai company; the visa and work permit depend on each other. Employer requirements are a 4:1 ratio of Thai to foreign employees, ฿2,000,000 registered capital per foreign employee, VAT registration, and SSO contributions for at least 3 months before the application. There is a minimum salary set by nationality. The sequence is a WP32 letter, then a 90-day single-entry Non-B issued abroad by e-Visa, then entry, medical check, work permit, and the 1-year extension in Thailand. Leave Thailand before the extension is stamped without a re-entry permit and the visa is cancelled on exit. Our platform fee is ฿25,000 / $759, and government fees for the route total about ฿7,000 / $210. We take Non-B cases only for Bangkok companies whose business does not require a specific operating licence. We do not do job placement — you need the contract first.
SMART S, if you are a director or hold at least 25% of a Thailand-registered startup in a targeted industry, with ฿600,000 in a personal account for the last 3 months. A 2-year visa from the start, renewable, which replaces the work permit entirely — no minimum salary, no 4:1 ratio, no ฿2,000,000 share capital. If you are an employee rather than a founder or 25% shareholder, this is not your route.
Non-O Marriage or Parent of Thai Child, with the corresponding family tie. These allow a work permit under reduced employer requirements — 2:1 Thai to foreign staff and ฿1,000,000 registered capital — and the visa is independent of the work permit: stop working, cancel the permit, keep the visa, as long as you still meet the ฿400,000 savings requirement.
Across all of these, each work permit is tied to one employer — while it is active you may only work for that single Thai company.
Retirement routes for French nationals aged 50+
Non-O Retirement: a 90-day entry, then a 1-year extension, then annual renewal. Financial proof is ฿800,000 / ~$24,000 in savings seasoned 3 months, or a pension of ฿65,000 / ~$1,950 per month.
The pension route has a documentary condition that decides whether it is available to you at all: the pension letter must come from the government pension authority or your embassy in Thailand. A notary public or solicitor certification is not accepted, and a private pension alone is not sufficient. Do not treat pension income as a qualifying route until you have confirmed you can obtain that letter.
Two paths to the 90-day visa. Funds in an overseas bank: apply by e-visa from outside Thailand, enter within 90 days of issuance, print and present the visa PDF on arrival, rent a place, open a Thai bank account, deposit ฿800,000 within 30 days of arrival, maintain it at least 2 months, then extend between day 45 and day 90 — one immigration visit. Funds already in a Thai bank, and you are on a tourist visa or visa exemption with at least 21 days remaining: convert in-country instead — three immigration visits, with the full document pack each time.
Our fees, service and government quoted separately: ฿5,000 service for the 90-day abroad; ฿7,500 service plus ฿2,000 government for the in-Thailand conversion; ฿12,500 service for the 90-day plus extension package abroad; ฿15,000 service plus ฿3,900 government for the conversion plus extension package; ฿10,000 service plus ฿1,900 government for an extension or renewal only. Our 1-year extension service is Bangkok / Chaengwattana only.
Non-OA is a different product: a 1-year multiple-entry visa issued abroad with no 90-day conversion step, which adds three mandatory items — a medical certificate issued in the submission country and no older than 3 months; health insurance covering your stay — confirm the current minimum with the mission where you file — with the insurer completing, signing and stamping the Foreign Insurance Certificate; and a certificate of criminal record clearance. You cannot apply while on a tourist visa, and it must be applied for from your country of citizenship or permanent residence. Our fee is ฿10,000 service only, plus the embassy government fee.
Side-by-side
| Visa | Duration | Financial requirement | Age | Thai work permit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTV | 5 years, up to 180 days per entry | ฿500,000 / $17,000, maintained 3 months | 20+ | No — foreign employer / clients only |
| LTR-WFT | 10 years (5+5), continuous | USD 80,000/year, or USD 40–80k plus a second proof point; employer must meet Condition 2 | None | Not allowed at all |
| LTR-HSP | 10 years (5+5), continuous | USD 80,000/year, or USD 40–80k plus a master's or higher in science or technology | None | Yes — any company, exempt from 4:1, share capital and minimum salary |
| LTR-WGC / LTR-WP | 10 years (5+5), continuous | USD 1,000,000 assets (USD 500,000 in Thailand); or USD 80,000/year passive income | WGC none; WP 50+ | Yes — any company, same exemptions |
| Non-O Retirement | 90 days → 1 year, renewable annually | ฿800,000 or ฿65,000/month pension | 50+ | No work-permit route described |
| Non-B | 90 days → 1-year extension, renewable | Employer-sponsored; minimum salary by nationality | None | Required — visa and permit depend on each other |
Edge cases French applicants actually hit
Freelancer with informal client arrangements. French freelancers must be formally registered under local tax law for the DTV freelance route. Client contracts must be signed and current, invoices must match the payments, and informal messages are not acceptable as invoices.
Remote worker whose employer fails the WFT company test. This does not become an HSP application. HSP is anchored to employment with a company in a BOI targeted industry and a Thai corporate document set. The DTV is the route that fits, and it does not test employer revenue at all.
Self-employed business owner who wants HSP. Income alone does not qualify a business owner or director for HSP — ownership income and director fees are not a substitute for qualifying employment. If the business is a Thai-registered startup and you are a director or hold at least 25%, look at SMART S instead.
Pension below ฿65,000 per month, or no embassy verification letter. The Non-O Retirement pension route is unavailable without a letter from the government pension authority or your embassy in Thailand. The ฿800,000 savings route remains, and where no retirement threshold can be met, the DTV's ฿500,000 is the lowest financial bar of the long-stay options.
Income earned in Thailand. If a Thai company pays you, the DTV and LTR-WFT are both closed — not because of your income level, but because remote-work visas do not permit any Thai-source salary. Non-B, LTR-HSP, SMART S or a Non-O family route are the options.
Which to choose
DTV if you work remotely for a foreign employer or foreign clients, can evidence ฿500,000 in seasoned savings, and want five years of flexibility without an employer revenue test.
LTR-WFT if you also clear USD 80,000/year (or the USD 40–80k route with a second proof point) and your employer is listed, or private with USD 50,000,000 in combined three-year revenue, or a wholly owned subsidiary of such a company. You gain 10 years, annual reporting instead of 90-day reporting, and a foreign-sourced income exemption — and you give up any possibility of a Thai work permit.
LTR-HSP if you will be employed in Thailand in a BOI targeted industry and can produce the employing company's corporate documents. This is the LTR category built for Thai employment, and it comes with a work permit.
Non-B if you have a Thai job offer that does not fit HSP.
Non-O Retirement or Non-OA if you are 50 or over and not working, with Non-OA being the 1-year multiple-entry version issued abroad that adds insurance, a medical certificate and criminal clearance.
Frequently asked questions
Does employment with a Thai company disqualify me from the LTR entirely?
No. LTR Highly Skilled Professional is specifically for employment in Thailand in a BOI targeted industry, and WGC, WP and LTR dependents can all hold a Thai work permit with any company. Only Work-from-Thailand Professional requires a foreign employer — and only WFT is barred from a work permit.
Can I work remotely for a Thai company on the DTV?
No. The DTV Workcation track is remote employment, freelance or self-employment outside Thailand, and remote-work visas do not permit income or salary from any Thai company. A job at a Thai company is a Non-B (or SMART S if you are a qualifying founder).
I'm a self-employed business owner. Which category?
If the business is registered outside Thailand and you manage it remotely, that is DTV self-employment — and LTR-WFT if you meet the income and employer conditions. If it is a Thai-registered startup in a targeted industry and you are a director or hold at least 25%, that is SMART S. What it is not, on income alone, is HSP.
Can I hold a DTV and an LTR at the same time?
Only one Thai visa may be held at a time. Whether an existing visa must be cancelled before LTR issuance depends on how it was obtained: a visa issued by a Thai embassy or consulate — the DTV included — must be cancelled with the issuing mission first, as must a visa extended at a Thai immigration office. A purely in-country conversion that was never extended does not need cancelling. The trigger is the visa issuance appointment, not the endorsement letter.
Do I need health insurance for the DTV?
Health insurance is not listed among the DTV's required documents. It is a condition for the LTR — USD 50,000 of coverage as one of three options — and for the Non-OA, at a minimum set by the mission where you file.
Next steps
Settle the employer-location question, then test your numbers against the category it points to. Start your eligibility check in the Issa Compass app, or book a free consultation with an Issa Compass specialist to have your income source and employer structure reviewed before you pay a government fee.
