LTR Wealthy Pensioner or retirement visa: which fits you?
Both are for people aged 50 or over. The O-A retirement visa needs 800,000 THB in the bank or 65,000 THB a month, gives 1 year at a time, and costs 5,000 THB on the Foreign Ministry page. The LTR Wealthy Pensioner needs USD 80,000 a year in pension or other passive income (or USD 40,000 plus a USD 250,000 investment), gives 10 years, and costs 50,000 THB if collected in Thailand. If your income clearly passes the LTR test, it saves years of renewals; if not, the retirement visa is the realistic route.
Thailand has two visas built for people aged 50 and over: the long-established Non-Immigrant O-A, usually called the retirement visa, and the Wealthy Pensioner category of the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa. They ask for very different amounts of money and give very different things back.
Figures come from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Thai embassy in Doha and the Board of Investment’s LTR site, all read on 25 October 2026.
Side by side
| Retirement visa (O-A) | LTR Wealthy Pensioner | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 50 or over | 50 or over |
| Money | 800,000 THB in the bank, or 65,000 THB a month, or a mix totalling 800,000 a year | USD 80,000 a year passive income, or USD 40,000 to 80,000 plus USD 250,000 invested in Thailand |
| Length | 1 year, then yearly extensions | 10 years (5 + 5) |
| Health cover | 3,000,000 THB insurance (Doha embassy list) | USD 50,000 insurance, Thai social security, or USD 100,000 kept in the bank for 12 months |
| Work | Not allowed | Digital work permit available |
| Address reporting | Every 90 days | Once a year |
| Fee | 5,000 THB (Foreign Ministry page) | 50,000 THB if collected in Thailand |
What counts as income
This is where most people’s plans turn. The O-A accepts money in the bank as an alternative to income, so savings alone can qualify you.
The LTR does not. The Board of Investment counts only unearned or passive income: pension, rent, realised capital gains, dividends and interest. Salaries are explicitly excluded. Its FAQ adds that regular withdrawals from your own savings are not counted unless they clearly come from a retirement account, private pension or provident fund.
If your passive income is between USD 40,000 and 80,000, you can still qualify by investing USD 250,000 in your own name in Thai government bonds with at least 5 years left to maturity, in companies registered in Thailand, or in Thai property. The FAQ is clear that the investment risk is yours and that approval is not guaranteed.
What you get back
The LTR’s advantages are the length and the paperwork: 10 years in two blocks of 5, address reporting once a year instead of every 90 days, and the option of a digital work permit. Your spouse and children under 20 can join as dependants, up to 4 per holder, each with their own insurance or a USD 25,000 deposit.
The Board of Investment says every condition, including income, investments and insurance, must be maintained for the whole length of the visa.
The retirement visa is cheaper and simpler to qualify for, but you show the money again every year and report your address every 90 days. You cannot work at all.
A quick way to decide
- Your pension, rent or dividends are clearly over USD 80,000 a year: the LTR saves you a decade of renewals.
- Your passive income is USD 40,000 to 80,000 and you were planning to buy Thai property or bonds anyway: the LTR with the investment route may fit.
- Your money is mostly savings, or your income is below USD 40,000: the retirement visa is the realistic route.
- You want to stay 10 to 20 years without any income test: compare Thailand Privilege.
The partner law firm can check your pension statements against the LTR rules before you apply, which matters because the Board of Investment reviews qualifications first.
Sources
- Board of Investment, LTR visa
- Board of Investment, LTR FAQ
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Non-Immigrant O-A (Long Stay)
- Royal Thai Embassy Doha, Retirement (Long Stay) visa
Read on 25 October 2026. Visa rules and fees change and embassies set some of their own. This article is general information, not legal advice; see how we research and our disclosure.
Related guides
Questions people also ask
Does a salary count for the LTR Wealthy Pensioner?
No. The Board of Investment says earned income and salaries are not counted. Only passive income counts, such as a pension, rent, realised capital gains, dividends and interest.
Do withdrawals from my savings count as passive income?
The LTR FAQ says monthly withdrawals of principal that are not clearly from retirement accounts, private pensions or provident funds are not counted.
Can I work on either visa?
Not on the retirement visa: the Foreign Ministry says employment of any kind is prohibited. Wealthy Pensioners can get a digital work permit, which costs 3,000 THB a year according to the LTR FAQ.
Which is cheaper?
The retirement visa: 5,000 THB on the Foreign Ministry page against 50,000 THB for the LTR when collected in Thailand. But the retirement visa is renewed every year, while the LTR covers 10 years.