Thailand Professional Visa for Highly Skilled Professionals

Thailand wants skilled folks from around the world to bring their talents and expertise to the country. They’ve introduced a special visa, the Long-Term Resident Visa (LTR Visa), to make it easier for these professionals to settle in Thailand for a long time. This visa lasts for 10 years and offers great perks, attracting people who want to both live and work in Thailand.

Key Points

1. The Long-Term Residency Visa (LTR Visa) is a 10-year visa aimed at bringing talented foreigners to Thailand.
2. The LTR for highly skilled professionals is for people working in 15 specific fields.
3. The LTR visa gives cool benefits like a digital work permit, lower taxes, and no tax on money sent from abroad.

What is the Long-Term Residency Visa for Highly Skilled Professionals?

The Long-Term Residency Visa (LTR Visa) lasts a decade and aims to attract talented foreigners who want to make Thailand their long-term home. This visa has different categories, and one of them is for Highly Skilled Professionals. This category is meant for folks with top-notch skills in 15 different areas, which can help Thailand’s economy grow.

To be eligible for this visa, you must:

• Have at least a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university.
• Have worked for at least five years in a skilled field.
• Earn at least $80,000 annually for the past two years.
• Have a job offer from a Thai company.
• Work in a specific industry approved by the Board of Investment (BOI).

The BOI approves foreigners with specialized skills in these 15 fields:

• Automotive industry
• Electronic industry
• Quality tourism industry
• Agriculture, food, and biotechnology industry
• Transportation and logistics industry
• Industrial automation and robotics
• Aerospace industry
• Biofuels and biochemical industry
• Petrochemical and chemical industry
• Digital industry
• Medical industry
• Defense industry
• Industries that support the circular economy, like waste fuel production and water resource management
• International Business Hub (IBH)
• Other industries needing specialized skills, like researchers or experts in AI, finance, or environmental tech.

What are the Benefits of the Long-Term Residency Visa for Highly Skilled Professionals?

The LTR Visa for highly skilled professionals offers these perks:

• A 10-year visa allowing you to live and work in Thailand without renewing often.
• You can apply for a fixed 17% personal income tax rate.
• No taxes on income earned abroad.
• You can apply for immigration and work permits easily at a One Stop Service Center.
• You can get a Digital Work Permit.
• You can bring your spouse and kids.
• You can start your own business.

How to apply for the Thailand Professional Visa for highly skilled professionals?

To apply for the Professional Visa, you need to get a Certificate of Qualification (QEL) from the Board of Investment (BOI). For this, you must submit an application form and necessary documents like your resume, diploma, and job offer.

Once you have the QEL, you can apply for the LTR Visa at a Thai embassy or consulate overseas or an immigration office, if you are in Bangkok you can directly contact an Immigration expert.

Tips for applying for Thailand Professional Visa:

• Start early because it takes time.
• Make sure you have all the documents.
• Be ready to talk about your work and skills.
• Be patient because it might take a while.

Our Thoughts about the 10-year Thai visa

The Long-Term Residency Visa is awesome for those wanting to live and work long-term in Thailand, especially if they’re in eligible industries. With perks like a 10-year visa, tax breaks, and a Digital Work Permit, it makes life much easier for LTR holders.

Keep in mind, though, that applying for the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa takes time and lots of documents. Sometimes, you might get mixed messages from the BOI officers. Our experts have experience in this and can help make your application smoother.