LTR Visa Thailand: 10 Years – and Your Condo Counts

In short: The LTR Visa Thailand (Long-Term Resident) gives you ten years of residency with just one report per year instead of every 90 days – and your condo in Pattaya can count directly as proof of assets. Those who qualify under the "Wealthy Global Citizen" or "Wealthy Pensioner" category are also exempt from Thai tax on foreign-sourced income. For DACH buyers who are purchasing a condominium anyway, this is often a more elegant route than the Elite Card or DTV.

What the LTR Visa Thailand is – and why it matters for property buyers

The LTR Visa (Long-Term Resident Visa) was launched by Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI) to attract wealthy private individuals, retirees, remote workers and highly skilled professionals to the country on a long-term basis. It runs for ten years (technically: 5 + 5 years, renewable) and is therefore the longest-running regular visa Thailand offers.

The point that matters most to my clients: in two of the four categories, a property in Thailand counts as an eligible asset. Anyone purchasing a condominium in Pattaya anyway – for example in the Foreign Quota of a vetted new-development project – is therefore hitting two birds with one stone: a tangible asset plus residency status. This combination is precisely what makes the LTR Visa so attractive for DACH buyers.

Important upfront: this is not legal or tax advice. Visa and tax rules change; final assessment rests with the BOI and your tax adviser. What I am explaining here is how a Pattaya property fits into the logic – and what you should look out for during the purchase so that it qualifies as evidence.

The four LTR Visa categories at a glance

The BOI distinguishes four applicant groups. For property buyers from the DACH region, the first two are most relevant, because property counts directly in those categories.

Wealthy Global Citizen – this is where the condo counts directly

This category has no age limit. You demonstrate worldwide assets of at least USD 1,000,000, of which at least USD 500,000 must be in Thai assets. One important relaxation applies in 2026: the previously required personal annual income of USD 80,000 has been dropped. Those whose wealth stems primarily from capital, dividends or rental income will therefore no longer be disqualified solely on the basis of income structure.

Wealthy Pensioner – the classic retirement route

From age 50 onwards. Option A: passive income or pension of at least USD 80,000 per year. Option B (more realistic for many DACH retirees): at least USD 40,000 per year plus an investment of USD 250,000 in Thai assets – and this is precisely where your Pattaya apartment can make the difference. A two-bedroom unit in the Foreign Quota already reaches this level in many locations.

How your property counts as proof of assets

Under "Wealthy Global Citizen" and "Wealthy Pensioner", the BOI recognises three types of investment: Thai government bonds (with a remaining term of at least five years), direct investments in Thai companies – and real estate. For most of my clients, property is the most straightforward and tangible route.

Eligible assets include freehold condominiums, buildings and villas, as well as qualifying leasehold arrangements. For German-speaking buyers this means in practice almost always: a condominium in the Foreign Quota – the portion of a project that may be held by foreign owners as genuine full ownership. I have explained separately how this mechanism works and why it is the clean, standard approach for you.

Three points that matter during the purchase process to ensure the property qualifies as evidence:

• Ownership in your own name. The asset must be held in the applicant's own name – not through a company or a nominee.
• Investment before application. You must already hold the property or investment when you apply for the LTR. The sequence is: purchase completed first, then application.
• Clean money transfer. A Foreign Quota purchase requires that the purchase amount is brought into Thailand as foreign currency and documented via the FET certificate – this is a legal requirement anyway and doubly useful here. Details are in the article on the FET certificate.

What exact amount do I need in Pattaya?

For the Wealthy Pensioner route (Option B), USD 250,000 in Thai assets is required, which is roughly 230,000–240,000 € or – at around 38–39 THB/€ – approximately 9 to 9.5 million THB. For the Wealthy Global Citizen, it is USD 500,000 in Thai assets, roughly double that.

To put this in the context of Pattaya prices: off-plan/new-development prices vary by location approximately as follows:

A high-quality two-bedroom apartment can therefore quickly reach the 9 million THB mark for the Pensioner route; for the Global Citizen threshold, buyers often combine two units or a larger apartment in a prime location. The figures given here are indicative only and do not constitute investment advice – portal prices are asking prices, not completed transactions. How the real total price is made up is explained under What a condo really costs.

The tax advantages – the real lever

This is where the greatest financial benefit of the LTR lies. For the Wealthy Global Citizen and Wealthy Pensioner categories, an exemption from Thai tax on foreign-sourced income applies. Foreign dividends, interest, capital gains and business income fall outside Thai tax assessment for the duration of the LTR – regardless of whether or when you transfer the money to Thailand.

This is particularly relevant because Thailand tightened the taxation of foreign income remitted into the country for regular tax residents in 2024. LTR holders in these two categories are simply excluded from that debate. For Highly-Skilled Professionals the advantage looks different: they pay a flat income-tax rate of 17% on their Thai employment income instead of the progressive rate of up to 35%.

How this interacts with German tax obligations and double-taxation agreements is an individual matter – that is a question for your tax adviser. For the ongoing costs associated with the property itself (acquisition, holding, sale), the overview of taxes on a condo purchase will help.

Further practical advantages

• One report per year instead of the cumbersome 90-day report – a genuine quality-of-life improvement.
• Family included: spouses and children (under 20) can be added to the application.
• Fast-track at international airports and simplified dealings with government offices.
• Work permit can be integrated depending on category – most relevant for the professional categories.

Note the health insurance requirement: coverage of at least USD 50,000 is generally required – alternatively, proof of a bank balance of at least USD 100,000 (held for at least 12 months) or entitlement to social-security benefits. The official BOI fee for ten years is 50,000 THB; with the support of a service provider, the total cost for the entire decade typically comes to around 100,000 THB.

LTR, Elite/Privilege or DTV – which suits you?

Three routes are most commonly compared in 2026. The quick rule of thumb: LTR for high-net-worth individuals and those optimising their tax position, Privilege Card for maximum convenience without any proof requirements, DTV for remote workers with a smaller budget.

Anyone purchasing an apartment in Pattaya anyway and holding it in their own name effectively receives residency status "included" with the LTR – at the lowest official fee of the three options. The Privilege Card buys convenience without any proof of assets or income, but costs many times more and brings no tax advantage. The DTV is the budget solution for younger remote workers, but it is not an investor visa.

The typical process for DACH buyers

This is what the clean path looks like in practice when the property is intended to be the key to the LTR:

• 1. Choose the location and project. With new developments, selecting the right developer is critical – that is my role. A vetted off-plan project also offers a price advantage: in the early construction phase, sometimes up to 40% cheaper than at completion. More details under Buying off-plan in Pattaya.
• 2. Secure Foreign Quota ownership. Purchase in your own name, clean foreign-currency transfer with FET certificate.
• 3. Complete the purchase, then apply for the LTR. The asset must be held first; only then does the BOI application proceed.
• 4. Compile the documents for your category. Proof of assets/income, health insurance, property valuation.

With a new development from a vetted developer, you do not need your own lawyer – the contracts are standardised, which is a clear advantage for buyers. I only recommend legal representation for resale purchases from private sellers. Specific projects that may meet the threshold values can be found in my project overview – for example Aquarous Jomtien (Foreign Quota 138,000–217,000 THB/m²) or Grand Solaire Noble (142,000–219,000 THB/m²).

Is it worthwhile even beyond the visa?

Yes. Even if you had no need for the LTR at all, a Pattaya property remains an independent tangible asset: ongoing market price appreciation runs at around 3–5% per year, new developments command a premium of around 20% over older resale stock, and a rented unit typically achieves a gross rental yield of around 5–8% p.a. Important: these three figures – off-plan price advantage of up to 40%, market appreciation of 3–5%, and rental yield of 5–8% – are three entirely separate things and must not be conflated. Anyone wishing to assess yield realistically will find that under Rental yield explained realistically. Current price levels are set out in the Off-Plan Price Report 2026.

Frequently asked questions about the LTR Visa Thailand

Does every condominium in Pattaya count as proof of assets for the LTR?

Qualifying properties held in your own name are eligible – for DACH buyers this is typically a freehold condominium in the Foreign Quota. The key factors are ownership status, clean foreign-exchange documentation, and the value meeting the relevant threshold (USD 250,000 or USD 500,000). Final approval rests with the BOI.

Do I need to buy first or apply for the visa first?

Buy first. You must already hold the qualifying asset when you apply for the LTR. That is why we guide the property purchase so that all documentation is in place at the time of application.

Am I automatically tax-exempt with the LTR?

In the Wealthy Global Citizen and Wealthy Pensioner categories, foreign-sourced income is exempt from Thai tax. How this interacts with your tax obligations in your home country and any double-taxation agreement is a matter for your tax adviser – this is not tax advice.

How does the LTR differ from the Elite/Privilege Card?

The Privilege Card requires no proof of assets or income, but is considerably more expensive and offers no tax advantage. The LTR has a lower fee, lasts ten years, counts your property towards eligibility, and exempts (in two categories) foreign-sourced income from tax.

Does the LTR cover my family as well?

Yes. Spouses and children under 20 can be included in the application and receive the same long-term residency status.

Are you considering whether your planned condo purchase in Pattaya could open the door to the LTR Visa? I will work through which category and which project suits your situation – on the ground since 2018 and specialising in new developments. Contact me without obligation via the contact form, or download the free guide with all the steps to buying property safely in Thailand.