There are many ways to obtain residency in Thailand. Beyond the well-known retirement visa, you can either ‘buy’ your way in, or exploit a less publicized visa if you have your child attending an international private school in Thailand.

Note: Immigration rules, visa type, requirements and fees are ever changing. We provide you the information at the time of writing with links to official websites. Some links or information may change. Please check the eligibility criteria and details once you have opted for a scheme. Do your own research because your case is particular, and your relocation depends on it. I still recall that the administration of an international school in Phuket called us to know how we got there in the first place. It was very curious, because they were the ones supposed to tell us how. Anyway, be your own expert for yourself.

Retirement visa

If you have crossed the 50 years old mark, and can justify some financial means, then you are eligible. The financial’s threshold is either a monthly income of at least a 65,000 Baht (~US$2,000), or no less than 800,000 Baht (~US$25,000) deposited in a bank account. If you are FIRE, you should have more than US$25,000 to put in a bank account to get your visa. On the other side, if you still have some income such as a pension of at least US$2,000, you can also apply.

The 2,000 Baht (US$61) processing fee of the visa is very affordable. The validity is 1 year, and can be renewed every year as long as you meet the criteria. We encourage you to check the details from the Immigration bureau website, or the Non-O retirement visa application form.

Family visa

There is no Family visa per se. However, you can leverage 2 types of visas to your advantage and enable your family to reside in Thailand when you are FIRE. It is a fantastic opportunity if you are not yet eligible for the retirement visa.

Education Visa

This visa is great if you plan to send your child to an international private school. There is no age restriction. Thus, even Primary level students are eligible. The school will help and provide you with the necessary documents in the application. Some international school provide lots of information on their website. As legislation in terms of immigration can fluctuate, it is important to go at the source and check the official list here. Positively, the application fee of 2,000 Baht (US$61) is very affordable. And the visa is valid for 1 year.

This Education visa is fantastic because it opens another visa allowing the parent to stay in the country.

Guardian Visa

This Non-O visa is eligible for people who are providing support of a person having residency in Thailand. As your child will likely study in an international school, they will obtain an Education visa. And you as the parent, you can obtain this Guardian visa as you are providing support. Bingo! Thank your kids to enable you to move to Thailand!

The catch is you need one child per adult. Thus, you need to put two children in private international school to benefit both parents. Again, the visa application is cheap (~US$61). You can review the official list of documents on the Official Website. Although I would not recommend it, but it is possible that one parent gets the Guardian visa, while the other parent renews tourist visa by going in and out of the country every couple of months.

Elite Visa

The main criteria is money as there are no age restriction (more than 20 years old) nor sponsorship needed. It is a visa a la carte where you can choose for 5-, 10- or 20-years visa. The entry package Elite Easy Access has a price tag of 600,000 Baht (~US$18,200) for 5 years. For a family, the Elite Family Excursion is accessible for 800,000 Baht (~US$24,300) for 2 people for 5 years. Each additional family member will cost an extra 300,000 Baht (~US$9,100). It does represent a significant up-front cost. However, it becomes more acceptable when you spread the cost over the 5-year visa length. Thereafter, there are other packages. You can choose a package of 10 or even 20 years. The price goes up accordingly, and more details of Elite packages are available here.

Now it is time to look for flight and accommodation’s options. Usually, we enjoy staying at hotels for short stays and the convenience. But, we prefer to reserve a home for a few weeks in order to experience the city more like a local.

Which visa have you used to come to Thailand? Why and what is your feedback about your experience overall? Please share and Happy FireCracking in Thailand!

Featured image Fonthip Ward from Pixabay

Related posts