Thailand visas and work permits
Explore your visa options for living, working, and investing in Thailand. The Emerhub team helps you find the right one, then handles the visa, the work permit, and the renewals.
Find your visa by what you're doing.
Thailand has more long-stay options than most countries, which is partly why it's confusing. These are the main routes, grouped by situation. Find yours, then open the detail page for requirements, costs, and timelines.
Non-Immigrant B Visa + Work Permit
The standard route for foreign employees and for directors of a Thai company. The Non-B visa pairs with a work permit from the Ministry of Labor, both tied to the sponsoring company.
Non-B visa details→Smart Visa
A four-year visa for qualified professionals, executives, investors, and startup founders in targeted industries. It allows work in the approved field without a separate work permit.
Smart Visa details→Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)
A five-year, multiple-entry visa for remote workers and freelancers earning from abroad, and for soft-power activities like Muay Thai or Thai cooking. Each stay runs up to 180 days. It does not permit working for Thai companies.
DTV details→Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa
A ten-year visa run by the Board of Investment, across four tracks: wealthy global citizens, wealthy pensioners, work-from-Thailand professionals, and highly skilled professionals. The highly skilled track that works locally gets a fast-track work permit; the remote track keeps your employment overseas.
LTR details→Retirement Visa (Non-O-A / O-X)
For foreign nationals aged 50 and over with proof of income or funds. The O-A runs a year at a time; the O-X offers a longer multi-year stay for eligible nationalities. The LTR wealthy pensioner track is an alternative.
Thailand Privilege Visa
A membership program, formerly Thailand Elite, offering long-stay residence from five to twenty years in exchange for a one-time fee. It covers residence and concierge services, not the right to work.
Non-Immigrant O Visa
For the spouse and dependents of a Thai national or of a long-stay visa holder, and for certain other personal grounds. It grants residence; working requires its own permit.
Non-O visa details→Permanent Residence (PR)
Indefinite residence, capped at a limited quota per nationality each year and available after several continuous years on annual extensions. A long route, but it is the main path toward citizenship.
Compare the long-term visas
What each one lets you do, how long it lasts, and whether it renews. Exact requirements and current figures live on each visa's own page.
| Visa | Best for | Work in Thailand | Typical validity | Renewable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-B + Work Permit | Employees and company directors | Yes, for your sponsor | 1 year (extended) | Yes |
| Smart Visa | Skilled talent and investors | Yes, in your field | Up to 4 years | Yes |
| DTV | Remote workers and freelancers | No (foreign income only) | 5 years, 180 days/entry | Yes |
| LTR Visa | Wealthy or highly skilled residents | Yes, local-work track | 10 years | Yes |
| Retirement (O-A / O-X) | Retirees aged 50 and over | No | 1 to 10 years | Yes |
| Thailand Privilege | Long-stay members | No | 5 to 20 years | Membership |
| Permanent Residence | Long-term residents | Yes | Permanent | N/A |
Validity periods and conditions are indicative and change with policy. Confirm current requirements on each visa's page or with our team before applying.
Short-term options
For visits that don't need a long-stay visa. None of these permit work of any kind, including remote work. Two things to know: the visa-free period has been changing recently, and a digital arrival card is now required for everyone.
Visa exemption
Nationals of many countries enter visa-free for tourism. The permitted length has been in transition, so confirm the current rule for your nationality and entry point.
Tourist Visa (TR / METV)
A single-entry tourist visa, extendable in-country, or the multiple-entry version for repeated visits over six months. For tourism when the exemption isn't enough.
Visa on Arrival
For nationals of a set list of countries not covered by the exemption, issued at the border for short tourism only.
Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)
Not a visa, but now mandatory. Every arrival must register the Thailand Digital Arrival Card before entry, replacing the old paper form.
The path to permanent residence
Most people don't arrive on a permanent permit. They move through stages, from a first visit, to a renewable residence permit, toward permanent status. Here's how the stages connect.
Short-term entry
Visa-free entry or a tourist visa for short visits. No residence rights, and no work of any kind, including remote work.
Long-stay visa
A Non-B, Smart Visa, DTV, LTR, or retirement visa. Lets you live and, depending on the visa, work in Thailand for a defined and renewable period.
Permanent residence
Available after around three consecutive years on annual extensions, and capped at a limited quota per nationality each year. A competitive, lengthy process.
Citizenship
Possible by naturalisation after holding permanent residence for several years, subject to strict conditions including language ability.
Three steps to your visa
Most work visas need a Thai company to sponsor you, a separate work permit from the Ministry of Labor, and filings in the right order. We handle all of it on your behalf. You sign where required; we do the rest.
Match the visa and sponsor
- We confirm which visa fits what you're doing in Thailand.
- Where a sponsoring company and work permit are required, we arrange them, through your own Thai company or an Employer of Record arrangement.
Prepare & submit
- We assemble the documents and handle the consulate or e-Visa application and the Ministry of Labor work permit where it applies.
- We submit on your behalf. You sign only where signatures are required.
Approval & renewals
- Once approved, we guide you through the in-country steps, including 90-day reporting and re-entry permits.
- We track expiry dates and handle annual extensions and work permit renewals before they lapse.
Common questions
If your situation isn't covered here, the detail pages go deeper, and our team can advise on your specific case.
What is a Non-Immigrant B visa?
The Non-Immigrant B visa is Thailand's business and work visa. It lets you enter Thailand to work or run a business, and it pairs with a separate work permit issued by the Ministry of Labor. The visa is sponsored by a Thai company, whether that's your employer or your own. The two approvals are separate and obtained in sequence.
Do I need both a visa and a work permit to work in Thailand?
Yes. The Non-B visa lets you stay; the work permit, from the Ministry of Labor, lets you work. They are separate approvals, and you need both in place before starting work. The Smart Visa and the LTR highly skilled track are the exceptions, they build the work authorisation into the visa itself. Remote workers on the DTV or the LTR work-from-Thailand track keep their employment overseas and do not get a Thai work permit.
Can I work in Thailand on a DTV?
You can work remotely for foreign employers or clients, but the DTV does not permit employment by a Thai company or local income. For local work, the route is a Non-B with a work permit. The DTV also covers soft-power activities such as Muay Thai training, Thai cooking courses, or medical treatment, alongside remote work.
What's the difference between the LTR and the Smart Visa?
Both avoid the separate work permit, but they target different people. The Smart Visa is a four-year visa for professionals, executives, investors, and startup founders in specific targeted industries. The LTR is a ten-year visa across four broader tracks, including wealthy individuals, pensioners, and remote professionals. The right one depends on your profile and how long you intend to stay.
Can I apply for a Thai visa from inside Thailand?
For most categories, no. Thai long-stay visas are usually applied for at a Thai consulate abroad or through the e-Visa system, rather than converted onshore. Some exceptions exist, including the LTR and certain dependents. We confirm the right channel for your case before you make travel plans, so you're not caught out.
How do I get permanent residence in Thailand?
Permanent residence becomes available after around three consecutive years on annual extensions, usually on a Non-B. It is capped at a limited quota per nationality each year, so approval is competitive and the process is lengthy. Holding PR is also the main route toward eventual citizenship.
Talk to our Bangkok team about your case
Tell us what you're planning to do in Thailand and how long you intend to stay. We'll confirm the right visa, what's required, and the timeline to get you there.
591 Sukhumvit 33, Watthana
Bangkok 10110