Guides · Visas · 3 min read
DTV, retirement visa or LTR? How Americans should choose
The three long-stay visas most Americans consider, compared on money tests, work rules, reporting and cost, with the cases where each one wins.
Most Americans who move to Thailand end up on one of three visas: the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), the retirement visa or the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa. They overlap more than you'd think, so the choice usually comes down to age, income and how much paperwork you're willing to repeat.
The short version
| DTV | Retirement | LTR | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 20+ | 50+ | Any (50+ for pensioners) |
| Money test | ฿500,000 savings | ฿800,000 in a Thai bank or ฿65,000/month | Usually US$80,000/year |
| Stay | 180 days per entry | 1 year | 10 years |
| Remote work | Yes | No | Yes |
| Reporting | Every 90 days | Every 90 days | Once a year |
| Government fee | ฿10,000 | Varies; ฿1,900 per extension | ฿50,000 once |
When the DTV wins
You're under 50, you work remotely for a US employer or US clients, and you can show ฿500,000 (about US$15,000) in savings. It's cheap, it lasts five years, and your US bank statements are accepted.
The catch: each entry gives 180 days. You can extend once at immigration for another 180, or leave and come back. Over five years that's manageable, but it is a rhythm you have to plan around. And when the five years are up, you start again from scratch.
When the retirement visa wins
You're 50 or older and living on Social Security, a pension or savings. The money test is modest by US standards: ฿800,000 (about US$24,000) sitting in a Thai bank, or about US$2,000 a month in income.
The catch: no work of any kind, remote work included. Each year you go back to immigration with fresh bank letters, and immigration offices differ on how long the money must sit in the account. Expect to plan your bank balance around the renewal date.
When the LTR wins
You earn US$80,000 a year or more, you're a pensioner with US$80,000 of passive income, or you have US$1 million in assets. You get ten years, a single yearly report instead of every 90 days, and a work permit if you want one.
The catch: the remote-worker category requires your employer to be publicly listed or have at least US$50 million in revenue over three years. Many people with high incomes from smaller US companies don't qualify. The eligibility review also takes longer than the other two.
What about Thailand Privilege?
It's a paid membership, from ฿650,000 for five years, that replaces the money test with a fee. It makes sense when you can't or don't want to prove income or keep money parked in Thailand. For most people who qualify for the DTV or retirement visa, it costs far more for the same right to stay. Compare it here.
Our rule of thumb
- Under 50, remote income: DTV, unless you clearly qualify for the LTR.
- 50 or over, not working: retirement visa, or LTR if your pension is high.
- High income from a big employer: LTR, for the ten years and the lighter reporting.
Still torn? The visa finder takes a minute, and a free call usually settles it.