"Investment visa" is the common name for an extension of stay that the Immigration Bureau grants to foreigners who hold a qualifying investment in Thailand. It exists, it is lawful, and it is one of only two visa routes in which a property purchase counts. It is also narrow, and the rules were rewritten in 2025. For most buyers the Long-Term Resident visa is the better answer.
What the rule is
The criteria sit in item 2.5 of the Immigration Bureau's order on temporary stay. The current text is Order 238/2568, dated 1 October 2025 and published in the Royal Gazette on 4 December 2025. A companion order, 237/2568, deals with issuing or changing the visa. Permission is granted for no more than one year at a time.
Item 2.5 has three limbs.
| Limb | Minimum | What counts | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | THB 3 million | Condominium purchase, fixed deposit or government bonds | Only people who entered before 1 October 2006 and have held this status ever since |
| B | THB 10 million | Condominium bought or leased for three years or more, fixed deposit, government or state enterprise bonds, or a mix | Any Non-Immigrant visa holder |
| C | THB 3 million in property | Condominium purchase, or a qualifying house or condominium tenancy | Applicants certified by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports |
The THB 10 million limb
This is the route most people mean. The order requires:
- A Non-Immigrant visa.
- Evidence that at least THB 10 million was transferred into Thailand from abroad.
- Evidence that the money is invested in one or more of the following, to a total of at least THB 10 million:
- a condominium unit bought, or leased for not less than three years, at a price or rent of at least THB 10 million;
- a fixed deposit with a commercial bank in Thailand that is more than 50% Thai-owned, or with a state specialised financial institution;
- Thai government or state enterprise bonds.
The fee is THB 1,900.
Three practical points follow.
Only condominiums count as property. A leased villa, however expensive, does not qualify under this limb. That is consistent with the wider law: foreigners can own condominiums freehold within the 49% quota, but not land.
The transfer evidence is paperwork you already need. The Foreign Exchange Transaction Form from your purchase serves both purposes. See sending money to Thailand.
The investments can be combined. A THB 7 million condominium and a THB 3 million fixed deposit meet the test.
The THB 3 million property limb
Limb C is new. It allows a one-year extension for a foreigner whom the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, or a body it delegates, certifies as a long-stay tourism supporter who has put at least THB 3 million into residential property. The order gives three ways to qualify:
- buying a condominium unit for at least THB 3 million;
- renting a condominium or house at THB 85,000 a month or more, with at least 12 months paid in advance, which is THB 1,020,000;
- leasing a condominium or house for more than three years, registered at the Land Office, with at least THB 3 million of rent paid in advance.
For the rental options the landlord must be a Thai national or a company that is more than 50% Thai-owned.
We advise caution, for four reasons:
- Everything depends on the Ministry's certificate. Without it, officers apply the THB 10 million test.
- Certification runs through authorised operators that charge their own fees, for example THB 27,000 a year per person.
- Processing has been interrupted. As of 26 October 2026 it had resumed across Thailand except in Bangkok.
- Two further orders, 145/2569 and 146/2569, were issued on 24 June 2026. Ask your lawyer whether they affect your application.
Do not choose a property because of limb C. If it is working when you apply, treat it as a convenience.
What you do not get
- No right to work. The extension is for holding an investment.
- No tax benefit. Stay 180 days or more in a calendar year and you are a Thai tax resident on ordinary terms. See rental income and tax.
- No permanence. You renew every year, report your address every 90 days and need a re-entry permit to travel without losing the extension.
- No flexibility to sell. The investment must still be in place at each renewal.
Investment extension or LTR visa
| Investment extension (THB 10 million) | LTR Wealthy Global Citizen | |
|---|---|---|
| Term | One year, renewable | 10 years, in two five-year blocks |
| Investment | THB 10 million | USD 500,000 |
| Property that counts | Condominium bought, or leased for three years or more | Freehold property, or a lease with at least 10 years left, in your own name |
| Other financial test | None | USD 1 million in total assets, plus insurance or a deposit |
| Fee | THB 1,900 a year | THB 50,000 once |
| Work | Not permitted | Digital work permit available |
| Thai tax on overseas income | Ordinary rules | Exempt |
| Reporting | Every 90 days | Once a year |
The LTR visa is stronger on every line except one: it asks you to prove USD 1 million in assets. A buyer who cannot, or who wants to mix a smaller condominium with bonds or a deposit, has a real use for the THB 10 million limb.
Others choose neither: Thailand Privilege and, from age 50, the retirement visa leave you free to buy, sell or lease as the property dictates. An off-plan unit that has not been transferred cannot support an investment extension or an LTR application.
Your age
Time in Thailand each year
Will you work?
Assets or investment available
What matters most
Closest match
Thailand Privilege: membership tiers, prices and what you get
80
Fit out of 100
Why this route
You are 50 or over, plan up to six months a year in Thailand and do not intend to work, so this route is the closest fit: it asks for the least paperwork of the five, and it lets you come and go for long stays without reapplying.
- Stay
- 5 to 20 years depending on tier, with up to one year per entry
- Cost
- THB 650,000 to THB 5,000,000 as a one-off membership fee
The other routes, ranked
Your assets can cover the investment it requires.
You meet its age test of 50 or over, but it means a renewal with proof of funds every year, and 90 day reporting.
From 50 its wealthy pensioner category is open if your pension or other passive income passes the BOI test, but qualifying takes a substantial file of documents, reviewed by the BOI.
Each entry allows a stay of up to 180 days, which matches your time in Thailand, but without remote work you would need a qualifying activity, such as a course or medical treatment.
Buying property does not by itself give a right to stay.
General guidance, not immigration advice. The fit scores are our own reading of each route's published rules against five answers, and they leave out income, nationality and health insurance tests. Rules, fees and thresholds change: check the official source linked from each guide, or ask us.
Send me the ranking
Your five answers and the routes ranked against them, by email. An adviser will talk you through the application and the homes that fit your plans.
