The Thailand Privilege Residence Program is a long-term privilege entry visa program managed by the Thailand Privilege Card Company Limited (TPC). TPC is a wholly owned subsidiary under the Ministry of Tourism and Sport. The purpose of the program is to promote Thailand to foreign nationals through the issuance of a privilege entry visa, giving them the right to reside in Thailand for up to 20 years.
TPC registered its incorporation under the Civil and Commercial Code on 29 August 2003, having the Tourism Authority of Thailand as its sole shareholder and having the status of state enterprise under the Budget Procedures Act B.E. 2502 (1959).
The Thailand Privilege Residence Program was initiated according to Article 17 of the Immigration Law B.E. 2522 (2003). It is supported by all government agencies and successful applications are irrevocable. The program has had over 25,000 approvals since inception.
There are four program options for the Thailand Privilege Residence Program. All options have common features such as airport immigration express services (personal assistance through immigration), access to a 24-hour contact center, and several other services that can be redeemed using points, such as airport transfers and lounge access.
The main differences between the program options are the term of the visa (either five, ten, fifteen, or twenty years), the number of points redeemable per year, and other complimentary benefits included in the package.
The key factors that an applicant should consider are:
Note: The visa provided to Thailand Privilege Residence Program members is not considered a non-immigrant visa and therefore does not allow the successful applicant to work in Thailand.
No, an applicant is not required to make any investment in order to apply for the program, just an application fee.
No, an individual is not eligible to acquire a Thailand Privilege visa in this case. The individual is required to leave the country if they are overstaying on their current entry.
Any applicant who has more than one overstay record in the three years prior to their application will not be eligible to apply for the Thailand Privilege Residence Program. Regardless of whether a welcome letter has been issued, any member with a current overstay record will not be eligible to have the privilege entry visa affixed to their passport in Thailand until they leave the country to clear their record.
The application fees range from a non-refundable payment of THB 5 million (approximately USD 140,000) with a 20-year validity, to THB 2.5 million (approximately USD 70,000) with a 15-year validity, to THB 1.5 million (approximately USD 42,000) with a 10-year validity, to THB 900,000 (approximately USD 25,000) with a five-year validity.
A main applicant’s dependent can upgrade to become a primary member themselves as per the conditions specified by TPC.
We provide two different application processes. With the ‘Assisted Application’ you can take advantage of a convenient, fast, and simple application process directly supported by our staff. Feel free to contact us for personal guidance via e-mail or telephone.
The ‘Apply Yourself’ option is available in the application section, where all process steps are clearly mentioned. Feel free to complete each online process step yourself.
Both application process options are free of charge.
The applicant must have and maintain all the following qualifications:
The applicant must fill in and sign an application form and a PDPA form. They must also provide the following supporting documents:
* The passport must have a minimum validity of one year and three blank pages
** This is only required for family applications to prove the relationship to the main applicant
All documents must be translated into English where applicable and such translations must be notarized or certified as a true translation by the translation company (including the company’s stamp).
The application process and required documents for the Thailand Privilege Residence Program visa are not onerous. The most important documents are the application form, the PDPA form, a copy of the applicant(s) passport, and color photos of the applicant(s). For family applications, proof of the relationship between the main applicant and family members must be included in the submission. The applicant must sign as indicated on all pages of the application form.
The signatures on the application form and PDPA form must match the signature on the applicant’s passport. Family members must sign the designated space on the application form.
For the applications of minors, the parent or legal guardian will need to sign these designated spaces on their child’s behalf. The spaces must be completed with “Signature on behalf of [child’s name]”.
There are no quotas.
Please note that passport holders of the following countries are currently ineligible to acquire the privilege entry visa: Afghanistan, Algeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Republic of the Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
Approval in principle will be received one to three months from application submission.
The process overview is as follows:
Yes, the application fee can be paid by a third party. The relationship between the applicant and sponsor must be disclosed and supporting documents may be requested.
Note: The proof of payment should include the applicant’s name.
The visa can be affixed to the successful applicant’s passport at various locations:
* Five working days’ advance notice must be given prior to getting the visa affixed at the airports. This is the preferred and most efficient option
For applicants who hold two or more passports, the Thailand Privilege visa will be affixed to the passport provided during the application process only.
Only applicants who hold any of the following visas are eligible to obtain the privilege entry visa without prior visa cancellation:
Some nationalities are required to apply for a tourist visa before entering Thailand to be eligible to affix the Thailand Privilege Residence Program visa.
An applicant who is staying in Bangkok, Thailand and holds a non-immigrant visa must complete the cancellation procedure of the non-immigrant visa and request to get the Thailand Privilege visa affixed on the same day (cancel in the morning and get the Thailand Privilege visa in the afternoon). For applicants staying in other provinces outside of Bangkok, the applicant may apply for a seven-day extension as a buffering period to travel to Bangkok. These applicants may therefore obtain the Thailand Privilege visa within the seven-day extension period.
The Thailand Privilege Residence Program visa has a five-year validity and will be renewed according to the validity of the Thailand Privilege Residence Program option chosen. The visa will be affixed to the applicant’s passport according to the remaining validity of the passport. Should an applicant’s passport expire prior to the five years, any years remaining on the visa will be transferred to the next passport. This is according to the immigration regulations of the Thailand Immigration Bureau, whereby if the validity of the successful applicant’s current passport is not at least five years, the privilege entry visa will be affixed in accordance with the expiration date stated on the passport and the remaining validity will then be affixed to the new passport once obtained. The Thailand Privilege Residence Program requires at least three blank pages of the current passport. For example:
In the event of a member having a new passport issued, the member is required to submit the personal detail page of the new passport to the Member Contact Center in order for them to update the information. A reservation will be required to affix the remaining period of the visa on the new passport.
The services range from expedited immigration, visa processing, and airport transportation services to golf, spa treatments, and annual hospital check-ups, as well as a host of shopping, hotel, resort, and dining experiences. The exact nature and quantity of the complimentary services as well as the number of points required to redeem services will depend on the program option chosen. This can include:
Airport services (complimentary for all members)
Successful applicants will be welcomed by a personal assistant at designated Thai airports who will assist with all immigration formalities.
Transfer services (points required)
The applicant can make reservations with the Thailand Privilege Residence Program Contact Centre. Reservations must be made 48 hours before arrival in Thailand.
The transfer service will cost one to three points depending on the service provider selected.
Health check (complimentary)
One annual health check-up is provided at participating private hospitals.
Golf and spa (points required)
Applicants can enjoy golf or spa treatments at participating golf courses and spa centers.
The successful applicant may simply send a request for services to the Member Contact Center at memberservice@thailandprivilege.co.th or by calling +66 (0) 2352 3000 (24-hour service, seven days a week) in advance, as per the Thailand Privilege Residence Program service policy. The Member Contact Center will coordinate with the service providers for reservation and service confirmation, which will be returned to the successful applicant within 24 hours.
An airport transfer service is available only from these locations:
Successful applicants can stay in Thailand as long as they wish according to the validity of the program option selected.
Yes. Successful applicants who remain in Thailand for a continuous stay of more than 365 days per entry will need to pay their local immigration office a fee of THB 1,900 (approximately USD 58) to obtain a stay extension.
No, there is no requirement in any circumstances.
As required by Thailand Immigration law, all Thailand Privilege Residence Program members must perform and file a 90-day report 15 days before or seven days after their 90-day period expiry date. However, if the member exits Thailand at any time before the 90-day period, the day count will subsequently restart from the first day of re-entry into Thailand.
For Thailand Privilege Residence Program visa holders, the 90-day report service is redeemable for one point, and the member merely needs to inform TPC 14 days in advance of the intention to stay over 90 days and request TPC to submit the 90-day report on their behalf. To do so, the Thailand Privilege Residence Program visa holder must drop off their passport at TPC’s head office in Bangkok on Monday and collect it on Friday afternoon. For members staying in Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Chonburi, the passport may be dropped off at TPC’s contracted agents in each province.
Yes, applicants can own condominiums in their own name. If applicants wish to acquire land and build a house, they can obtain a long-term lease on the land (for up to 30 years). Applicants will need to apply for a construction permit to build the house in their own name; however, this way applicants can own the house and have a secured long-term lease on the land.
Yes, successful applicants can buy a car in Thailand. The privilege entry visa includes government concierge services that also assist with the application for a driver’s license in Thailand.
If the successful applicant already holds a driving license, the process of driving license conversion could generally be done within a day with the assistance of an EPL. This service must be booked in advance.
A driver’s license can be obtained from the Department of Land Transport or the closest department to the applicant’s residence if living in a different province. The necessary documents are as follows:
All documents must be translated into English and notarized. The applicant must present all original documents at their driving license appointment. In the case that both a car and motorbike license are required, two sets of documents need to be provided.
In the case that the applicant does not hold a current driving license, the Thai driver’s license application process includes:
Yes, successful applicants can open a bank account in Thailand.
Thailand Privilege Residence Program members may open a bank account with the following banks:
Bank account options available for Thailand Privilege Residence Program members are:
There are many international health insurance companies available in Thailand, such as Allianz, AXA, Generali, and AIG. A package providing worldclass private hospital care in Thailand starts from an annual premium of USD 2,000 with maximum lifetime coverage of USD 2.25 million for an insured 45-year-old. The cost of annual premiums can be as low as USD 500; however, these are not recommended because top private hospital charges are higher than the coverage by low-premium insurance.
Yes, this is possible subject to the specific school’s own rules. Thailand has many well-known international schools whose graduates include prominent people such as a former US Secretary of Treasury, Olympic athletes, actors, artists, and singers.
The Thailand Privilege Residence Program visa itself does not entitle applicants to work in Thailand.
In Thailand, as a foreigner, you are only allowed to own 49% of a company. Should the successful applicant wish to own 100% of the company, the applicant must apply for a Foreign Business License under the Foreign Business Act. In this way, the applicant can apply for business promotion by the Board of Investment Thailand, which allows 100% foreign ownership or gives incentives — such as tax exemption — on many promoted businesses. Thailand Privilege Residence Program members are not allowed to work in Thailand, which means that while a company can be established, the successful applicant can only hold the position of owner (investor) or shareholder.
In terms of the taxation in Thailand, individuals residing in Thailand may be subject to personal income tax in Thailand, depending on the source of income and the duration of their stay in the country.
Individuals are deemed to be tax resident in Thailand only if they stay in Thailand for an aggregate period of not less than 180 days within a calendar year. Any Thai or foreign individual who derives assessable income from sources in Thailand or for work performed in Thailand is liable to pay personal income tax, whether or not such income is paid within or outside Thailand.
In addition, a resident of Thailand is liable to personal income tax on assessable income derived from sources outside Thailand and remitted into Thailand in the same year in which such income is derived (remittance in the following year is not subject to tax; this exception will be null starting from 1 January 2024).
Successful applicants can get a tax resident certificate (TRC) only when they spend more than 180 accumulative days in Thailand in any tax (calendar) year.
Applicants that receive income in Thailand (such as rental income from an investment property) can declare such income in that calendar year during the tax filing period (1 January–31 March of the following year) and a tax identification number (TIN) can be obtained.
In order to request a TIN, the applicant must have a residential address in Thailand.
A privilege entry visa obtained through the Thailand Privilege Residence Program does not lead to either permanent residence status or Thai citizenship.
To apply for permanent residence, the applicant must have held a Thai non-immigrant visa for at least three consecutive years prior to the application submission.
A person who wishes to apply for Thai citizenship must hold Thai permanent resident status for no less than 10 consecutive years. Annual quotas for naturalization will be announced by the Ministry of Interior.