Staying
Long-stay visas have become simple.
- Long-Term Resident (LTR)
- Ten-year renewable visa for wealthy global citizens (assets of USD 1 million, income USD 80,000 and a Thai investment of USD 500,000, which can include property), wealthy pensioners, work-from-Thailand professionals and highly skilled professionals. Includes a digital work permit, fast-track immigration, one annual report instead of 90-day reporting, and for the wealthy categories exemption from Thai tax on foreign-source income. Run by the BOI.
- Thailand Privilege (formerly Elite)
- Membership visa of 5, 10, 15 or 20 years from about THB 650,000, with airport concierge and no financial tests beyond the fee.
- Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)
- Five-year multiple-entry visa with 180-day stays for remote workers and those pursuing activities such as wellness, on proof of THB 500,000 in funds.
- Business and work
- A Thai company you own can sponsor a Non-B visa and work permit; BOI-promoted companies do so through a one-stop service.
- Retirement
- One-year renewable retirement visa from age 50 on THB 800,000 in a Thai bank or THB 65,000 monthly income.
Tax, honestly
- Residency
- You are Thai tax resident in any year you spend 180 days or more in Thailand.
- Foreign income
- Residents are taxed on foreign-source income brought into Thailand. Since 1 January 2024 this applies whichever year the income was earned; the Revenue Department has proposed relaxing this for income remitted within a year or two of earning it. LTR wealthy-category holders are exempt. Income never remitted is not taxed.
- Rates
- Personal income tax is progressive from 5% to 35%. No capital gains tax on shares listed in Thailand. Rental income from a villa is taxable, with a standard 30% expense deduction.
- Property taxes
- Land and building tax is modest, typically passed to the lessee for the leased area. Lease registration costs 1% of total rent plus 0.1% stamp duty.
- Inheritance and wealth
- No wealth tax. Inheritance tax only above THB 100 million per heir, at 5–10%. Gifts to descendants are exempt up to THB 20 million a year.
- Treaties
- Double-tax treaties with more than sixty countries, so tax paid at home is generally credited.
Health, schools, getting around
- Hospitals
- Bangkok Hospital Phuket and Bumrungrad (Bangkok) are internationally accredited; Bangkok Hospital Surat Thani and Sichon District Hospital serve the Gulf coast. Consultations from a few hundred baht; major surgery at a third to a fifth of Western private prices. International insurers cover Thailand widely.
- Schools
- Phuket: British International School Phuket, UWC Thailand, HeadStart, Kajonkiet. Bangkok's international schools are a 70-minute flight from either coast. Sichon has Walailak University and Thai schools.
- Flights
- Phuket: direct to London, Frankfurt, Zurich, Paris, Moscow, Dubai, Doha, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo (seasonal), Sydney and Perth. Sichon: Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani airports, an hour to Bangkok, with direct regional flights from Singapore, China and Malaysia.
- Daily life
- Fibre internet in both districts. A resident couple to run a villa costs roughly THB 30,000–50,000 a month. Groceries, restaurants and services at a fraction of European or Japanese prices; imported wine and cars are the exceptions.
- Banking and money
- Foreigners open Thai bank accounts with a long-stay visa or work permit. Funds for a lease or build are brought in through the Bank of Thailand's foreign-exchange transaction form, which also documents them for later repatriation.
Questions we are asked
Can I live in Thailand year-round on a villa lease?
Yes. A registered lease and a house built on it is accepted as your residence. Long-stay options include the ten-year Long-Term Resident visa, the Thailand Privilege visa (5 to 20 years) and the five-year Destination Thailand Visa, none of which require border runs.
Will Thailand tax my worldwide income?
Thailand taxes residents (180 days or more in a year) on Thai-source income and on foreign income brought into Thailand. Since 2024 foreign income remitted in a later year is also assessable, though further relaxations have been proposed. Long-Term Resident visa holders in the wealthy categories are exempt from tax on foreign-source income. Take advice for your own position.
Is there inheritance or wealth tax?
Thailand has no wealth tax. Inheritance tax applies only above THB 100 million per heir, at 5% for descendants and ascendants and 10% for others. A registered lease can be drafted to pass to your heirs.
How good is healthcare?
Bangkok Hospital Phuket, Bumrungrad and Bangkok Hospital Surat Thani are accredited to international standards with English-speaking specialists, at a fraction of Western private cost. Sichon has a district hospital eight minutes away; Phuket's hospitals are within an hour of Natai.
Are there international schools?
Phuket has several, including British International School Phuket, UWC Thailand and HeadStart, within an hour of Natai. The Sichon area has Thai schools and Walailak University; boarding in Phuket or Bangkok is the usual choice for foreign families.
Can I bring a car, staff, pets?
Cars are heavily taxed on import; most owners buy locally. Domestic staff are readily available and inexpensive. Pets enter with a health certificate and no quarantine from most countries.
Visa, tax and healthcare information as at September 2026 for general orientation only, not advice. Rules change; confirm with a Thai adviser for your own circumstances.
Build a villa on leased land · BOI incentives for operators
