Legal service for foreign clients
Immigration Lawyer — Retirement, Marriage, LTR, Overstay in Thailand
Review immigration status and category-specific eligibility before filing.
Quick answer
Start with entry status, permitted stay, nationality and the reason for an extension. Compare family, retirement, employment or LTR routes against actual eligibility. Financial methods and exceptions differ by category, and stay permission is not work authorisation. For overstay, distinguish duration, surrender or arrest and applicable exceptions. Neither approval nor removal of an entry ban is guaranteed.
Contact our team for a quotation — Contact our team for a quotation · Timing depends on the embassy, immigration office or approving agency
Who this is for
- Retirees wanting long-term stay
- Thai–foreign spouses
- Executives / specialists applying for LTR / Smart
- People needing review of overstay decisions or entry-ban remedies
What you receive
- File Non-O / Non-B / LTR / Smart / Elite
- Extensions of stay and category-specific address reporting
- Work permit + re-entry permit
- Review refusal grounds and legally available reconsideration routes
- PR + Thai citizenship applications
Documents to prepare
- Passport + current visa
- Deposit or income evidence for the method and period required by the receiving office
- Marriage / children / accommodation docs
How it works
5-step process
- 1
Assess best visa type
Compare privileges, cost, term.
- 2
Compile + translate documents
EN–TH translation + MFA legalization if needed.
- 3
File at Immigration or BOI
Book appointments and accompany client.
- 4
Receive the decision and reporting duties
The outcome depends on the officer's decision. A stay longer than 90 days triggers the statutory 90-day address notification.
- 5
Renew / change type
Plan renewals 30 days ahead.
In depth
Immigration Lawyer — Retirement, Marriage, LTR, Overstay: what foreign clients need to know
Thai visa and work-permit matters fail most often at the seam between the company's papers and the individual's, because a foreigner's right to stay is tied to the employer's standing, its registered capital and its Thai-staff ratio. We therefore get the corporate side in order first, then assemble the personal file to match on the same day.
The visa category dictates what is and is not permitted
Entering on a tourist category and starting work at once is a common exposure, because employment requires a work permit consistent with the visa held. Changing category from inside the country is possible only in certain cases and depends on the days remaining, so the sequence should be settled before tickets are booked.
Business entrants, retirees, dependants and promoted specialists face visibly different evidence sets and financial conditions. Choosing the route that matches the applicant's real circumstances from the outset cuts the repeated requests for further documents that are the main reason files drag on for months.
The work permit turns on how ready the employer is
The employer side must line up four groups of evidence: the current entity registration, the up-to-date ownership split, audited trading results, and a wage trail with contributions for Thai-national staff. If one group is missing or contradicts another, the foreign applicant's file waits, however complete the personal paperwork is.
The stated position must fall outside the occupations closed to foreign nationals, and the described duties should match what the person actually does. Drafting the role too broadly creates problems at inspection; drafting it too narrowly forces an amendment every time the scope grows. We word the duties to fit the organisation as it stands.
Extensions and reporting are where people slip after approval
Approval brings continuing duties: periodic reporting, notifying a change of address, and obtaining re-entry permission before leaving the country. Missing any one triggers fines or interrupts the right to stay, which affects the work permit and any dependants' status too.
For families, a spouse's and children's extensions hang on the principal applicant's status. When the principal changes employer or stops working, dependants' rights shift within a short window, so a job move should be planned against every household member's dates, not only the worker's.
Cost structure: government fees vs professional fees
| Item | Official fee | Professional fee | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business visa application and corporate document set | Visa fees at embassy or Department of Consular Affairs rates | Contact our team for a quotation | Filing abroad and filing in Thailand require different evidence sets |
| New work-permit application | Application fee plus the annual fee for the period granted | Contact our team for a quotation | Investment-promoted companies use a different channel and timeline from ordinary employers |
| Annual extension of stay including dependants | Extension and re-entry permit fees at official rates | Contact our team for a quotation | Preparation should start at least thirty days before the expiry date |
A foreign executive who arrived before the company was fully registered
Situation: The applicant held a short-stay visa with under three weeks remaining
What we did: We closed out the corporate filings in parallel, then lodged the change of category and the work permit consecutively inside the remaining window
Illustrative example; outcomes depend on the facts and the authority's decision.
A family that missed reporting after misreading the deadline
Situation: The principal applicant and two children faced fines and a risk to the next extension
What we did: We prepared an explanation with proof of residence, settled the fines, and aligned every family member's reporting calendar
Illustrative example; outcomes depend on the facts and the authority's decision.
When to act, and when waiting is fine
You have not yet hired Thai staff to the ratio applied in assessment
Settle the staffing structure and social-security records before filing so the application is not held up
You want to change employer while the permit is still valid
Take advice before resigning; the gap between jobs directly affects the right to remain
You have overstayed, by however few days
Do not let the days accumulate; seek advice at once because the consequences escalate with the length of overstay
You plan a long stay for retirement or to support family in Thailand
Choose a durable route from the start even if the paperwork is heavier; it beats renewing a temporary basis every year
Documents in detail
| Document | Issued by | Certification / translation | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| A passport with sufficient remaining validity | The passport authority of the holder's country | Blank pages for stamps are required, and copies of every page bearing entry or exit stamps should accompany the file | Check remaining validity for the category and receiving office; six months is not a universal rule |
| Form TM.7 or the application form matching the category | The Immigration Bureau | Signed by hand by the applicant, matching the passport signature | Use the latest version the bureau has published |
| Financial evidence at the threshold for that visa category | Bank or income-evidence issuer accepted for the selected route | Match income or deposit proof to the category; a passbook is not required for every route | Follow the office's issue-date and statement-period requirements; no universal seven-day validity is asserted |
| Relationship documents where the extension is family-based | The registrar that recorded the marriage or issued the birth certificate | Verify language, translation and authentication for the issuing country and receiving office; not every record necessarily requires Consular Department legalisation | Check whether a fresh copy is required and the accepted age for the specific application |
| Employer company documents for a work-based visa | Department of Business Development and Revenue Department | Financial statements, tax filings, and a staff list showing the required Thai-to-foreign ratio | The latest filed annual accounts plus the most recent monthly tax returns |
Timeline and who does what
| Stage | Owner | Duration | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assess the current immigration standing | Handled by our team | Once the documents are complete; the timeframe is stated in the quotation | We read every stamp to find the true expiry, since even a single day of overstay changes every remaining option. |
| Pick the right category and gather documents | You provide | Depends on evidence and any applicable fund-seasoning period | Some categories require funds seasoned in the account before submission, so the countdown starts the day the decision is made. |
| Submit to the Immigration Bureau | Handled by our team | According to the agency appointment and procedure | Assist with preparation and document explanations; the applicant must still attend or answer personally where required. Further evidence requests are not ruled out. |
| Await the decision and report as required | Depends on the agency | Depends on the application category and actual stamp | Read any under-consideration stamp, return date and conditions. Contact the office before an appointment you cannot attend; no universal thirty-day review or automatic missed-appointment consequence is asserted. |
| Post-approval upkeep | Handled by our team | Continuous through the year | Track address-reporting and re-entry conditions for the held category, including LTR's different reporting interval, alongside actual expiry dates. |
Common pitfalls
Travelling without checking whether the held permission needs re-entry authorisation or already provides multiple entries
Check the stamp and remaining entries before departure. Some permissions need re-entry protection; other categories follow different rules
Drawing down the account used in the application during the period the balance must be maintained
Keep the visa account separate from the day-to-day spending account from the start
Assuming the work permit and the permission to stay are one and the same
Track both expiry dates separately: different agencies issue them and the dates rarely align
Using an old address-report receipt without checking the latest entry and category-specific exceptions
For ordinary continuous-stay reporting, count anew from the latest entry. Check the entry stamp and agency requirements rather than treating a pre-travel receipt as controlling every case
Doing it yourself vs working with us
| Aspect | On your own | With our team |
|---|---|---|
| Document accuracy | Frequently sent back for corrections, losing the appointment slot each round | Checked against that office's own list before the appointment day |
| Choosing the category | Copied from an acquaintance's route, which may not fit your income or family situation | Every route compared on deposit requirements, tax, and the right to work |
| When overstay has happened | Often handled in a way that creates a record and affects the next entry | We weigh the option with the least record impact and attend to explain to the officer |
| Long-term upkeep | You remember every renewal and report yourself | Advance reminders plus renewals run for you each year |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
LTR or Thailand Privilege?
Compare eligibility, purpose of stay, employment rights, reporting and membership conditions. Visa length or a tax incentive alone is not the decision. LTR categories differ, and Thailand Privilege membership is not ordinary work authorisation.
1-day overstay consequence?
Common practice is THB 500 per day, capped at THB 20,000 in total. Any re-entry ban depends on overstay length and whether the person surrendered or was arrested. Surrendering after more than 90 days carries bans starting at one year, and arrest can bring a ban even after a short overstay. Check the actual order and record before travelling; no ban-free outcome is guaranteed.
Must the THB 800k stay for the full year?
The usual immigration-office approach for a retirement extension is THB 800,000 held for 2 months before applying and 3 months after approval, then not below THB 400,000. Income or combined methods also exist and offices may request further evidence; check the instruction in force on the filing date.
When can I apply for Thai citizenship?
Section 10 of the Nationality Act applies to applicants holding residence permission under immigration law with a domicile in Thailand for at least five continuous years up to filing, plus conduct, occupation and Thai-language requirements. Five years on temporary visas therefore does not satisfy it. Section 11 provides certain exceptions, such as for a wife or child of a Thai national. Approval is at the Minister's discretion.
Does SMART Visa use the same tests as Non-B?
No. Check the SMART categories currently accepting applications and BOI qualification endorsement. One salary figure is not a rule for every category, nor an exemption for every activity.
Can a tourist-category holder obtain a work permit?
As a rule no; the category must first be changed to one that supports employment, which in some cases can be done in-country if enough days remain.
How much registered capital does a company need to employ a foreigner?
The threshold scales with the number of foreign employees and the type of business; promoted companies are assessed more leniently than ordinary ones.
May an accompanying spouse work?
Only after obtaining their own work permit with an employer whose documents are complete; dependant status alone does not cover employment.
What if the work permit is lost?
File a police report and apply for a replacement within the prescribed period; do not keep working without a document evidencing the right.
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Written by: Thai Law & Accounting Services — attorneys and licensed accountants
Professional review: A lawyer must review the applicable law and facts before use in a real matter. This notice does not establish that this page has been reviewed or certified by a lawyer.
Last updated: 2026-08
Information as of August 2026. Government fees and processing times change — verify with the relevant agency before acting, or let our team verify for you.