Thailand property and investment visas: what buying a home gives you

Buying property in Thailand does not give you residency by itself. Two programmes link property to a visa: the condo visa for units of at least 3 million baht (a one-year Non-B visa through the operator Thai Longstay, renewed every year – applications paused since 3 October 2026 according to agencies), and the 10-year LTR visa, where Thai property counts towards the required investment of 500,000 or 250,000 dollars. Other long-stay visas – Thailand Privilege, DTV and the retirement visas – are not linked to property.

"If I buy a condo, can I stay?" We hear this question in almost every first conversation. For years the honest answer was short: the condo is yours, the visa is separate. Since October 2025 the answer is more interesting – and more complicated, because the programme many buyers came for is on hold right now.

Visa rules change more often than any other rules in this guide. Please check the conditions with the Thai embassy or immigration on the day you apply.

Visa-free entry: 30 days, tourism only

Since 15 September 2026, citizens of about 60 countries – including the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, every EU country, Switzerland, Norway and Australia – can enter Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days, for tourism only. The previous 60-day exemption has ended. According to the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, immigration may extend the stay by up to 30 days, and at entry you may be asked to show at least 20,000 baht in cash per person (40,000 baht per family). Entries by land are limited to two a year.

Thirty days is enough to view apartments, sign a contract and complete the transfer. It is not enough to live here.

The 3 million baht condo visa

This is the biggest change for buyers in years. Immigration Bureau orders No. 237/2568 and No. 238/2568, in force since 1 October 2025, lowered the threshold for an investment visa through a home from 10 million to 3 million baht.

What qualifies. According to the operator's website on 8 November 2026, there are three options:

• A condo unit you own, registered, priced at no less than 3,000,000 baht.
• A lease of a condo or house for more than three years with at least 3,000,000 baht of rent paid in advance.
• A registered right of use (Sap-Ing-Sitthi) of a condo or house for up to 30 years with at least 3,000,000 baht paid in advance.

A house or villa you own does not qualify, because a foreigner cannot own the land; a house works only through a lease or a right of use.

How it works. The visa is arranged through Thailand Longstay Management, a company set up with the support of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, together with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Immigration Bureau. You first get 90 days, then a 12-month extension, renewed every year while you keep the property. You report to immigration every 90 days. The visa does not allow you to work. It applies nationwide, not only on Phuket: the file is checked by an approved agent and submitted to immigration in the province where the property is.

Family. A spouse, children under 20 and parents over 50 can be included. Family documents must be legalised, translated into Thai and the translation certified by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Cost. The operator does not publish prices. According to media and agencies: a one-time membership fee of 4,000–6,000 baht, an operator fee of 27,000 baht for every 12 months per family member, a 1,900 baht government extension fee, plus legal fees.

Status in November 2026: applications paused

According to agencies, on 3 October 2026 the operator told members that it could not file new applications or renewals for now, while the Immigration Bureau clarifies the procedure after a change of leadership. The programme has not been cancelled and the threshold has not changed. There is no official statement, and the operator's website still describes the programme as active.

Lawyers disagree on some points: whether resale units and units bought before 1 October 2025 qualify, and whether the values of several units can be added together. An off-plan unit before transfer, or a unit held through a company, does not qualify.

If the visa is the reason you buy, get written confirmation from the operator or immigration before paying a deposit: that your case qualifies and that applications have reopened. The price in the contract must be at least 3,000,000 baht.

LTR: where property counts as investment

The Long-Term Resident visa of the Board of Investment runs for 10 years (5 + 5). Two categories matter for property buyers:

Wealthy Global Citizen. Assets of at least 1 million dollars; an investment in Thailand of at least 500,000 dollars in your own name – in government bonds, Thai companies or Thai property; income of at least 80,000 dollars a year for the past two years; health insurance or a deposit.

Wealthy Pensioner. Age 50 or over and passive income of 80,000 dollars a year. With an income between 40,000 and 80,000 dollars, an extra investment of 250,000 dollars is needed – and property counts towards it too.

LTR holders report once a year instead of every 90 days, get multiple entries, a digital work permit, and foreign income exempt from Thai tax. It is an expensive route, but if you are buying a villa or several units anyway, it is worth working out.

Thailand Privilege (formerly the Thailand Elite visa)

Thailand Privilege is the new name of the programme many people still call the Thailand Elite visa. It is a paid membership with a long-stay visa and is not linked to property. There are no nationality restrictions, but applicants with more than one overstay in the past three years are refused, and the fee is not refunded if entry or the visa is denied. Prices on 8 November 2026 range from 650,000 baht for 5 years to 5,000,000 baht for 20 years (the top tier is by invitation). The official website warns of delays in background checks.

Other long-stay visas

DTV (Destination Thailand Visa). Since 31 August 2026 you apply in your country of citizenship or permanent residence, with proof of permanent residence there and a police certificate. The fee and documents are set by each embassy – check its current list.

Retirement visas are covered in detail in Retiring in Thailand, including the 10-year O-X for citizens of 14 countries.

Marriage. A Non-O visa based on marriage to a Thai citizen requires an income of 40,000 baht a month or 400,000 baht in the bank (how long the money must sit in the account depends on the embassy). Marriage does not give a foreigner the right to own land.

TM30: what it is and why owners need it

TM30 is the notification to immigration of where a foreigner is staying. It is asked for when you extend a visa, and it is on the document list for the 3 million baht condo visa. So after buying, it is sensible to file the notification of residence in your own unit straight away.

A condo owner can also get a yellow house book (Tor Ror 13) – an official address in Thailand – and a pink ID card with a Thai identification number for 10 years. They are useful for banks, apps and utilities. The yellow book does not prove ownership and, according to most sources, does not replace TM30 or immigration reports.

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