As a destination for expatriates looking to live abroad for less, Thailand has a lot going for it. There’s just been one major obstacle: it has traditionally been tough to legally live in Thailand on a long-term basis. This post originally went up in 2017 and the rules have changed at least 20 times since. As we head into 2025 though, it’s really getting easier to live in Thailand thanks to a new 5-year multiple-entry visa that works for working travelers.
As I update this at the very end of 2024, we’re starting to see articles from people who have applied for and received the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) from Thailand. This is a visa that will allow you to stay for six months at a time before you have to leave and it’s good for five years, a huge improvement over anything that has been offered before.
The Thai visa obstacle has been a big one. It hasn’t kept the digital nomads away—Chiang Mai is one of the most popular spots for location-independent workers—but it’s been a reason that more people stick around for a few months than a few years. Now it’s actually feasible to get a long-term apartment rental and not have to run for the border every month or two.
The Destination Thailand Visa for Digital Nomads
Before the latest visa changes in Thailand, most people had to either be a retiree with lots of money in a Thai bank or needed to make visa runs to a border regularly. Now the welcome mat is out for remote workers and you can get a Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) that’s multi-entry for five years.
You only have to leave the country once every 180 days, a huge improvement for the non-retirees. They’re reportedly processing applications in less than a week and the annual income requirement is much lower than most countries at 500,000 baht, currently around US$14,000. Yes, the country is asking you to prove you have enough to live on there, not 5X or 10X what you need like some other countries do, including Mexico.
I was skeptical when I first saw the Thai Government’s announcements about this Destination Thailand Visa. As the editor of Nomadico, I’m used to seeing announcements about digital nomad visas that look great on paper but are close to useless in practice. It sounded too good to be true, but it actually is true.
Now we’re starting to get reports from people who have done it, like this SafetyWing worker who acquired it in 10 days and someone who applied in the UK here. It’s getting really hard to find good info on Google anymore, but you can find some successful applicants on YouTube (here’s another one) and there are more stories on that expat Facebook group linked before it.
See a detailed explanation here on the Expat Den website. Then see the official web page here in English to gather up your documents or apply.

Coco Lanta Hotel where we paid $53 per night with breakfast
Note that you’ll need to pay 10,000 baht up front, currently around $300, then you’ll need to pay some immigration charges along the way. Still, considering the low travel costs in Thailand and the bargain prices for food and rent once you settle down, you’ll earn that back the first month in the savings if you live in Thailand.
Just understand that they’re going to want some employment and income documents, so work all that out ahead of time if you’re self-employed and have it ready. You’ll also need a permanent address to list, so use wherever your tax and financial docs go. Get a quality photo done like you would for a passport.
Other Visas to Live in Thailand
If you were retired, it’s always been easier to stay in Thailand without such frequent visa runs, either on a long-term retirement visa or a six-month one you applied for in advance in your own country One person I interviewed for the latest version of my book A Better Life for Half the Price got six months upon application in the USA, no income statements required.
“You just go to your local Thai embassy in the USA, apply with your passport, and you get a six-month visa where you don’t have to leave the country. I paid $80 and it was ready the next day. For the first couple months you don’t have to report to immigration, but then you have to check in every month. There’s no further paperwork.”
From what I can tell, it’s still available for Americans ($140), UK residents (125 pounds), Canadians, Australians, and some other nationalities. Just be advised there are income requirements that may may not be enforced when you apply. Wear nice clothes and take out all the piercings!
It’s long been much easier to live in Thailand as a retiree, provided you had some money to put in a Thai bank account. You still have to have a chunk of cash and be able to support yourself, but now you can have the peace of mind that you’re set for years once you get locked in.
You don’t have to be all that old to qualify as it’s for those 50 and above. You do have to meet some income requirements though and check in with immigration on a scheduled basis every 90 days.
This is best for people looking to cut down their expenses in their later years, not retirees who are dead broke and desperate. There was some confusion over the terms for a while, but here’s how the rules settled out.
Eligible foreigners must have earnings of 65,000 baht per month (about $2,000) or savings of 800,000 baht ($25,000) deposited in a Thai bank account. Officially this amount must be maintained for at least one year after receiving the visa.
For most retirees, this is going to mean cashing out part of a retirement plan or using the proceeds from a real estate sale in their previous home. It’s a hurdle, but not a real unreasonable one. This is similar to current requirements, which tens of thousands of foreigners have acted on.
There is also a medical insurance requirement that applies to everyone, but it’s a minimal amount of coverage you need to have.
The great news is, this is a five-year visa that can be extended for another five, giving you a decade of being legal in an inexpensive and fun tropical country.
“If you do your research and stay within the boundaries of the law, you’re not going to run into any trouble,” Robert says. “If you’re 50 or over, it’s really easy. You get six months by applying at home, then you extend it after you get here and you’re set. You just fill out the paperwork, show income, show you have a place to stay, and you’re done. It’s actually easier to live in Thailand than many other places I’ve lived. In most countries though, if you find out what the real laws are and you follow them, you will be fine.”

High-rise Bangkok view
Current Thailand Retirement Visa Requirements
As I said before, Thailand’s visa rules are in constant flux. It seems like the government officials justify their job by how many times they tweak the requirements. As best as I can tell, here are the current ones as we head into 2025 for a retirement visa:
– A security deposit of 800,000 THB in a Thai bank account for 2 months prior to the visa application.
– Monthly income of at least 65,000 THB.
– Combination of security deposit and annual income totaling 800,000 THB.
I’m not sure how that first and third one reconcile as they’re the same amount, but just so you know it’s about US$24,000. If you have ample retirement savings that’s no big deal so peel off and set aside, but this “retirement” visa is available to anyone 50 and older, so you could still be a remote worker and be earning plenty.
Like most good, sustainable deals, both the DTV and the retirement visa are beneficial to both parties. Thailand is trying to promote the country as a wellness and medical tourism destination and they like the fact that foreigners bring in capital that they’re willing to spend. Having all those deposits sitting in Thai banks is a big help to the domestic banking system as well of course.
The interesting part of this is that Asian countries are finally starting to compete for this business, which created a big rush of expats when Latin American ones started doing them more than two decades ago.
Readers who have bought into the Committed or All In packages of A Better Life for Half the Price have access to the audio interview I did with Thai resident Robert Holloway, along with other expat interviews from multiple countries. See more on the living abroad packages page. One update he sent after in 2022:
Our retirement extensions are becoming easier to renew and our 90 days visas can now be verified online, on a government website, at our local 7-11 corner stores or at our local immigration offices. My last two visits there have taken about 10-15 minutes here in Hua Hin, and they even opened up a new office in our Blue Port Shopping Mall for even more convenience. It seems immigration is getting more straightforward.
I just rented a new 3 BR 2 bath furnished house in an exclusive housing group for $825 per month. It’s really a lavish place, with beautiful pool and is a well-maintained, 24 hours development.
Yes, Thailand is still one of the best values in the world for living abroad. Plus if they continue to deliver on their promise to make it easier for digital nomads to stick around, it will be much easier to live in Thailand long-term.
Thailand for Short-term Stays
The country has also eased up requirements for those who want to stay longer than a week, but less than two months. It’s much easier now to visit Thailand for two months and then take off.
Starting in July 2024, the country started to offer a 60-day visa exemption for tourists from 93 countries, almost a 50% increase. It has also increased the number of countries eligible for visa-on-arrival from 19 to 31.