Visas and staying legally
Which visa fits the way you actually plan to live here, and the reporting that comes with every long stay. Written as of 26 September 2026 — visa rules changed twice in the last month.
The essentials
- From 15 September 2026, visa-free entry is 30 days (down from 60) and only 60 countries qualify (down from 93). You can extend once, by 30 days, at an immigration office for 1,900 baht.
- Fill in the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online before every arrival — it is free and opens 3 days before you land.
- Once you have been in Thailand 90 days in a row you owe a 90-day report (TM.47). You can file from 15 days before the date to 7 days after; late costs from 2,000 baht.
- If you leave Thailand on a visa extension without a re-entry permit, the extension is cancelled.
- Your landlord or hotel must register your address with immigration (TM30). Keep a copy of the receipt — you will be asked for it.
Who this is for
Anyone planning to stay in Thailand longer than a holiday — to work remotely, retire, study, join family, or take a job. If you are only coming for a few weeks to look around, visa-free entry or a tourist visa is enough; everything else here is about living here.
Which route fits you
Pick the route that matches what you will actually do here, not the one a friend used. Working for a Thai company on the wrong visa, for example, is a legal problem, not a technicality.
| Route | Who it suits | The key requirement | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa exemption | Short scouting trips | A passport from one of the 60 eligible countries | 30 days, plus one 30-day extension |
| Tourist visa (TR) | Longer scouting trips | Apply online through Thai e-Visa before you travel | Usually 60 days, plus one 30-day extension |
| DTV (Destination Thailand Visa) | Remote workers, freelancers, and people here for courses such as Muay Thai or cooking | 500,000 baht in savings; since 31 Aug 2026 also a police clearance and applying from your home or residence country | 5-year visa, 180 days per entry, extendable once by 180 days |
| Non-O / Non-OA (retirement) | People aged 50 and over | 800,000 baht in a Thai bank, or 65,000 baht a month income, or a mix; Non-OA also needs health insurance | 1 year, renewable every year |
| Non-O (family) | Spouses or parents of Thai nationals | Marriage or birth documents plus proof of funds | 1 year, renewable every year |
| Non-B + work permit | People employed by a Thai company | An employer that sponsors you | Tied to the job, usually 1 year at a time |
| Non-ED | Students, including at Thai language schools | Enrolment at a recognised school | 90 days at a time, extended through the school |
| LTR (Long-Term Resident) | High earners, wealthy pensioners, investors, highly skilled professionals | Roughly USD 80,000 a year in income or USD 1 million in assets, depending on the track | 10 years; 50,000 baht fee |
| Thailand Privilege | People who want the least paperwork and can pay for it | A membership fee — Gold at 900,000 baht for 5 years is now the entry tier | 5 to 20 years |
What changed in September 2026
Visa-free entry dropped from 60 days to 30 days from 15 September 2026, and the list of eligible countries shrank from 93 to 60. If you entered before 15 September, the stamp already in your passport keeps its full length.
From 31 August 2026, DTV applicants must include a criminal record certificate and proof of residence, and can only apply through the Thai embassy or consulate covering their country of citizenship or legal residence — not while visiting a third country.
Check your own passport against the current list on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Thai e-Visa site before you book; this changes by government notice, not by law, so it can move again.
What you have to keep doing once you are here
90-day report (TM.47): after 90 days in Thailand without leaving, tell immigration where you live. File online at the TM.47 site, by post, or in person. The online form asks for your TDAC arrival card number, so keep it. The clock resets every time you leave and come back.
TM30 address registration: legally your landlord's or hotel's job, within 24 hours of you moving in. In practice you chase it, because immigration asks for the receipt when you extend a visa, open a bank account or apply for a driving licence. TM30 and the 90-day report are different things — you need both.
Re-entry permit: if you hold an extension of stay (retirement, marriage, work) and want to travel, get a re-entry permit first — 1,000 baht for a single trip, 3,800 baht for multiple. Leaving without one cancels the extension and you start again.
Annual extension: most long-stay routes are renewed each year at your local immigration office for 1,900 baht. Start about 30 days before your stamp expires (45 for retirement and LTR).
What to do
1. Decide the route that honestly matches your plans using the table above, or use the Navigator in the app, which asks about your situation and ranks the routes for you.
2. Apply through Thai e-Visa (thaievisa.go.th) before you travel for any visa that is issued abroad.
3. Submit your TDAC in the 3 days before you fly.
4. When you move into a place, ask your landlord for the TM30 receipt in the first week.
5. Put your 90-day report date and your visa expiry into Calm Abroad so it can remind you.
Documents you will be asked for
Passport with at least 6 months' validity and blank pages; passport photos (4x6 cm); your TDAC confirmation; TM30 receipt; lease or proof of address; bank statements or a bank letter for financial requirements; health insurance certificate for Non-OA; form TM.7 for extensions. Copies should be signed on every page — immigration offices expect it.
Common mistakes
Planning around the old 60-day visa-free stay. It is 30 days now for most people.
Confusing the 90-day report with a visa extension. The report does not extend anything.
Travelling on an extension without a re-entry permit.
Moving house and not getting a fresh TM30 for the new address.
Trusting forum advice more than a year old. Rules here changed repeatedly in 2025 and 2026.
Related guides
Tax (living here 180 days makes you tax resident), Healthcare (insurance for Non-OA), Accommodation (TM30), Bank accounts (which visas the banks accept), Permanent residency.
Official sources
Everything above is written from these. Rules change without notice, so check the relevant one before you book, pay or travel.
- Thai Immigration Bureau
- Thai e-Visa (official application portal)
- Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)
- 90-day report online (TM.47)
- Long-Term Resident visa (BOI)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — consular affairs
This page was last checked against those sources on 26 September 2026. Spotted something out of date? and we'll re-check it.