Thailand Introduces New Digital Platform for Foreigners Seeking 10-Year Residency
- Thailand's Board of Investment launched an integrated digital portal in September 2026 to streamline its Long-Term Resident visa applications
- The LTR visa programme has attracted 12,010 recipients since its 2022 launch, generating an estimated USD 1.28 billion in economic value
- The scheme targets high-potential talent in sectors such as AI, robotics, and semiconductors as Thailand courts advanced technology investment
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Thailand has launched a unified digital processing portal to simplify applications for its Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa, a 10-year residency scheme designed to draw wealthy individuals and highly skilled professionals to the country.
The Board of Investment (BOI) announced the new system in September 2026, revealing that the LTR programme had enrolled 12,010 recipients since its introduction in September 2022, producing an estimated USD 1.28 billion in economic value over four years.
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Thailand's new LTR digital portal
The integrated platform consolidates application processing across four government agencies, the Department of Consular Affairs, the Immigration Bureau, the Department of Employment, and the Revenue Department, into a single workflow.
Before the portal's introduction, applicants were required to engage each agency independently, a process that frequently caused administrative delays.
Alongside the digital system, the Thailand Investment and Expat Services Centre (TIESC) now operates as a physical one-stop service hub on floors 6 and 7 of the Parade Zone at One Bangkok.
BOI Secretary General Narit Therdsteerasukdi said the centre was designed to sharpen Thailand's edge in global talent attraction.
"The center is intended to strengthen Thailand's competitiveness in continuously attracting high-potential talent from around the world," Narit said.
Why Thailand is pushing the LTR scheme
BOI figures show each LTR visa holder contributes an average economic value exceeding USD 107,000 (THB 3.6 million), a calculation that encompasses visa fees, local expenditure, direct investment and tax contributions from skilled workers.
The programme forms part of a broader government strategy to position Thailand as a hub for emerging industries, including semiconductors, advanced electronics, artificial intelligence, humanoid robotics, aviation and biotechnology.
Narit described the LTR visa as central to the country's ambitions in these sectors.
"The LTR visa is a strategic pillar to attract global talent as Thailand absorbs a new wave of advanced technology investments," he said. "Drawing top-tier executives and technical specialists from around the world is vital to strengthening our national competitiveness and securing technology transfers from international partners."
Beyond the LTR scheme, the BOI also administers a dedicated BOI Visa for executives in BOI-promoted businesses and a Smart Visa tailored to startup founders. The agency supports domestic workforce development through a Skill Bridge initiative and helps Thai businesses modernise their operations via a Business Transformation measure.
Thailand sets quotas for foreign PR applicants
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Thailand had introduced a formal permanent residency scheme aimed at allocating a fixed number of places to applicants from individual countries.
The Thai government has set a limit of 100 permanent residency approvals per country each year.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
