Staying longer in Thailand: visa options, sourced

As of October 2026. Last checked 19 October 2026. Visa rules change, sometimes with weeks’ notice, and embassies set their own document lists. This page is a map of the official options, not legal advice. Before you apply, check the official e-Visa portal, the Thai embassy or consulate where you live, and Thailand’s Immigration Bureau.

We only include what we could read on an official page. Where we couldn’t, we say so.

If you’re a Thai citizen

Thai citizens use Thai papers, not visas. The question for most luk khrueng isn’t “which visa?” but “are my Thai papers in order?”, and our guides cover that in order: should I get my Thai passport?, Thai citizenship by descent and which passport to use for Thailand. If you enter on your other passport, the rules for foreigners apply to that stay, and Thai embassy pages say to leave on the passport you entered with.

The first steps after the move (house registration, ID card) are in moving to Thailand as a luk khrueng.

How long can you stay without a visa?

Since 15 September 2026, Thailand’s visa-exemption scheme is shorter. The Thai embassy in London says visa-exempt visitors can stay up to 30 days, for tourism only, and can enter visa-exempt only twice per calendar year. For more visits or any other purpose, you apply for a visa. The embassy in Brasília summarises the Cabinet decision of 19 May 2026: the earlier 60-day exemption was revoked, and each country now falls under one scheme only. Which one applies depends on your nationality, so check the embassy for your passport.

If your parent is or was Thai, but you’re not (yet)

This is the option most luk khrueng have never heard of. The Immigration Bureau’s criteria for extensions of stay include a category for a person who used to have Thai nationality, or whose parent is or was Thai, for visiting relatives or returning to the homeland. The page asks for evidence of the former Thai nationality or of the Thai parent, and, if that evidence doesn’t match your passport, a letter from your embassy or an affidavit. It does not state the length of stay. Ask the Immigration Bureau or your embassy how it applies to you.

If a parent is Thai, you may also be able to become a Thai citizen on paper, which is a different, longer road: see Thai citizenship by descent.

For a non-Thai partner, child or parent of a Thai citizen

The Thai embassy in Oslo lists the Non-Immigrant Visa (Family of a Thai national) for:

• the spouse of a Thai national,
• children, including adopted children, generally under 20,
• parents of a Thai national.

It asks for proof of the relationship (a marriage certificate, or a birth or adoption certificate) and the Thai family member’s ID, an invitation letter, and evidence of funds. The stay is up to 90 days on entry. Other embassies ask for different amounts: the Singapore embassy’s page, for example, names a bank balance. Use the page of the embassy where you apply.

Once in Thailand, the Immigration Bureau can extend the stay up to one year at a time. Its criteria list, for a foreign spouse of a Thai, an income of at least 40,000 baht a month or at least 400,000 baht in a Thai bank account for the past two months, and a marriage that is genuine as well as legal. The same money test is listed for the foreign parent of a Thai child. A foreign child of a Thai parent must be unmarried, live with the parent and be 20 or under. The page lists a fee of 1,900 baht.

Retirement: O-A and O-X

Both are for people aged 50 or over. From the Thai embassy in Oslo’s pages:

• Non-Immigrant O-A (Long Stay): a one-year stay. Money: at least 800,000 baht in the bank, or an income of at least 65,000 baht a month, or a combination totalling 800,000 baht a year. Health insurance for the whole stay, of at least USD 100,000 or 3,000,000 baht.
• Non-Immigrant O-X (10 years): only for citizens of 14 countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US). Five years plus five. Money: 3 million baht in a Thai bank, or 1.8 million baht plus an income of 1.2 million baht a year, with conditions on keeping the balance. Health insurance is required.

These suit a Thai mum or dad’s non-Thai partner retiring to Thailand, or a luk khrueng who never got Thai papers. They’re strict on money and insurance, so read the embassy page in full.

DTV: the Destination Thailand Visa

The Thai embassy in London (page updated 8 September 2026) lists the DTV as:

• valid for five years, multiple entry,
• stays of up to 180 days per entry, extendable once per entry by up to 180 days at the Immigration Bureau,
• for remote workers (digital nomads, freelancers), people doing “soft power” activities such as Muay Thai, Thai cooking or medical treatment, and their spouses and children under 20,
• with evidence of at least 500,000 baht in funds.

The fee depends on the embassy. The Thai embassy in Budapest says DTV holders can’t get a Thai work permit or freelance for Thai clients. For a luk khrueng who works remotely for a company abroad, it’s the option people ask about most; for tax on that income, see the tax section of moving to Thailand.

LTR: the Long-Term Resident visa

Run by Thailand’s Board of Investment, the LTR is a 10-year visa (five plus five) in four categories:

• Wealthy global citizens: at least USD 1 million in assets and USD 500,000 invested in Thailand.
• Wealthy pensioners: aged 50 or over, with a passive income of at least USD 80,000 a year, or USD 40,000 to 80,000 plus a USD 250,000 investment.
• Work-from-Thailand professionals: remote workers earning at least USD 80,000 a year, or USD 40,000 to 80,000 with a master’s degree, among other conditions.
• Highly skilled professionals: with similar income tests.

The BOI lists health insurance of at least USD 50,000 (or alternatives), and a yearly address report instead of the 90-day one.

The 90-day report

If you stay in Thailand as a foreigner for more than 90 days, the Immigration Bureau asks you to report your address every 90 days: in person, by registered mail, by an authorised person or online. Late reporting is fined (the page lists 2,000 baht). It’s not an extension of stay. Leaving the country resets the count.

What we couldn’t confirm

• An official page that sets out, in one place, what a Thai citizen needs to enter and stay. We link to our passport guides instead.
• How long the Thai-descent extension lasts. The Immigration Bureau page doesn’t say.
• Which nationalities fall under the 30-day, 15-day and visa-on-arrival schemes since 15 September 2026. Official lists don’t fully agree, so we don’t name countries: check the embassy for your passport.
• Current fees and document lists for every embassy. They differ; use the embassy where you apply.

This page is general information, not legal advice. As of October 2026; last checked 19 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with the Thai embassy where you live, the official e-Visa portal or Thailand’s Immigration Bureau.