News

On 5 October 2026, Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI) issued press release PR173/2569 with data from four years of the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa: 12,010 approvals in total, generating about THB 43 billion in economic value. The BOI also disclosed that a new online application system was launched in September B.E. 2569, linking four agencies: the Department of Consular Affairs, the Immigration Bureau, the Department of Employment and the Revenue Department.

1. Four Years of Data: 12,010 People, About THB 43 Billion

The LTR visa has been run by the BOI since September B.E. 2565 (September 2022). Over four years, 12,010 people have been approved, with economic value of about THB 43 billion (about RMB 9.46 billion), or about THB 3.6 million per person (about RMB 792,000). The BOI's English press release gives the figure as USD 1.28 billion.

By category:

The top three source countries are the United States (2,400+), Japan (1,300+) and the United Kingdom (1,000+).

By seniority, among Highly-Skilled Professionals and Work-from-Thailand Professionals, 54% are managers and 36% are professional specialists, with the rest technical staff.

2. New Online System Links Four Agencies

The BOI disclosed that a new LTR online application system went live in September B.E. 2569 (September 2026), linking four agencies: the Department of Consular Affairs, the Immigration Bureau, the Department of Employment and the Revenue Department.

This is the most practically significant part for companies. The value of the LTR visa has never been only the "10-year residence" label, but its link to work permits and tax arrangements. In the past these had to be handled with different agencies, each with its own document requirements, processing times and system rules. Linking the four agencies means fewer back-and-forth steps between departments along the application chain.

In-person service is available at TIESC (Thailand Investment and Entrepreneur Service Center), on floors 6 to 7 of the One Bangkok Parade zone.

3. A Related Development the Same Week: Agoda Makes Bangkok a Regional Hub

In the same week, on 6 October the BOI issued press release PR176/2569, announcing that Agoda has received BOI International Business Center (IBC) promotion and set up a regional office at One Bangkok: 7 floors, over 30,000 square metres, focusing on software development, algorithms, artificial intelligence and data science.

The company employs more than 4,500 people in Thailand, over half of them Thai, with about 2,000 foreign staff from more than 80 countries and territories; Thailand accounts for more than half of its global workforce. On talent development, Tech Camp Day is held three times a year with 100+ students each time, and its internship programme takes 500+ students a year from more than 10 universities, with over 20% of current interns hired.

IBC promotion and the LTR visa work together: IBC provides regional headquarters treatment at the company level, while LTR provides long-term residence and work permits at the individual level. Chinese companies considering Thailand as their Southeast Asian regional headquarters should assess the two together.

4. Assessing Fit for Chinese Companies

Of the four LTR categories, the most directly relevant to Chinese companies are Highly-Skilled Professionals (seconded technical and management staff) and Work-from-Thailand Professionals (staff in Thailand serving headquarters remotely). Together these account for 2,822 people, about 23% of all approvals. The low share suggests there is still room for companies to use it more.

China does not appear among the top three source countries, which is worth noting: the US, Japan and the UK together account for more than 4,700 people, nearly 40%. Given the actual number of Chinese companies in Thailand, LTR use is clearly low. Possible reasons include limited understanding of the eligibility rules, or companies being more used to BOI visas and regular work permits.

Note that the specific requirements of each LTR category (income thresholds, insurance, proof of assets, etc.) are not listed in this BOI press release and must be checked against the BOI's official application guidelines.

Key Takeaways

1. The LTR visa has had 12,010 approvals in four years, generating about THB 43 billion (about RMB 9.46 billion), about THB 3.6 million per person.

2. By category: Wealthy Pensioners 4,561, dependants 3,891, Highly-Skilled Professionals 1,779, Work-from-Thailand 1,043, Wealthy Global Citizens 737.

3. A new online application system went live in September 2026, linking the Department of Consular Affairs, the Immigration Bureau, the Department of Employment and the Revenue Department.

4. Top three source countries: the US (2,400+), Japan (1,300+) and the UK (1,000+); 54% of Highly-Skilled and Work-from-Thailand holders are managers.

5. In the same week Agoda received BOI IBC (International Business Center) promotion, with a 7-floor, 30,000+ m² Bangkok office and 4,500+ staff in Thailand.

Z&X Tip

The LTR and BOI visas are not an either-or choice; they suit different situations. The BOI visa is tied to a promoted project, while the LTR is tied to personal qualifications and income, and better suits executives who do not go through the BOI route or need long-term stable residence. With the four agencies now linked, the application chain is shorter, but income thresholds, insurance and proof of assets must still be checked item by item against the BOI's official guidelines. Companies considering a regional headquarters should assess IBC (company level) and LTR (individual level) together. Z&X BOI End-to-End Compliance Services include end-to-end BOI visa handling and can coordinate visas with work permits. Individual eligibility is subject to the determination of the competent authority.

Sources

• 4 ปี วีซ่า LTR บีโอไอดึงต่างชาติคุณภาพสูง 1.2 หมื่นคน สร้างมูลค่าเศรษฐกิจกว่า 4 หมื่นล้านบาท (PR173/2569; English version: Thailand's LTR Visa Hits 12,000 Approvals in Four Years, Adding USD 1.28 Billion to the Economy, PR175) | Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) | 2026-10-05 | https://www.boi.go.th/index.php?page=press_releases_detail&topic_id=139482&_module=news&from_page=press_releases2

• "Agoda" ชูกรุงเทพฯ ฐาน Tech Talent ระดับโลก ปักหมุดสำนักงานภูมิภาค จ้างงานในไทยกว่า 4,500 คน (PR176/2569) | Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) | 2026-10-06 | https://www.boi.go.th/index.php?page=press_releases_detail&topic_id=139494&_module=news&from_page=press_releases2