Visas & Immigration
Phuket Expat Visa Guide 2026
Every visa option for living in Phuket — retirement, marriage, LTR, digital nomad, work, and Thailand Elite. Find the right path for your situation.
Every visa option for living in Phuket — retirement, marriage, LTR, digital nomad, work, and Thailand Elite. Find the right path for your situation.
After six years in Phuket I've been on a tourist visa, a Non-Immigrant O (retirement), and now an LTR. Each phase of expat life has a different right answer when it comes to visas. The mistake most newcomers make is staying on tourist visas too long — it's increasingly risky and it also bars you from getting a driving licence, opening certain bank accounts, and other practical things that require proof of proper residency status.
All visa extensions, TM30 issues, 90-day reports, and Non-Immigrant visa matters for Phuket residents are handled at Phuket Immigration Office, 4th floor, Central Festival Phuket, Wichit Songkhram Road. Open Mon–Fri 8:30am–4:30pm. Arrive by 8am on busy days (Monday is worst). Closed on Thai public holidays.
The classic long-stay option for expats aged 50 and over. You apply outside Thailand at a Thai embassy, then extend it annually at Phuket Immigration. Widely used, well-understood by immigration, and no Thai family connections needed.
Requirements: 50+ years old, ฿800,000 in a Thai bank account (seasoned 3 months before + maintained) OR monthly income of ฿65,000 OR combined income+savings meeting threshold. Health insurance required since 2019 — must cover ฿40k outpatient and ฿400k inpatient. Medical certificate required for first application.
If you're legally married to a Thai national, you can apply for this visa extension annually at Phuket Immigration. No age restriction. Financial requirement is ฿400,000 in a Thai bank (or ฿40,000/month income). One of the most common long-term visa routes in Phuket.
Requirements: Valid Thai marriage certificate, ฿400,000 in Thai bank (maintained 3 months before + 3 months after extension), or monthly income ฿40,000. Annual TM30 address report must be current. See our marriage registration guide for how to get legally married in Phuket.
Thailand's 10-year visa launched in 2022, primarily designed to attract remote workers, wealthy pensioners, and skilled professionals. A genuine game-changer for digital nomads with consistent income — but the income and asset thresholds are serious requirements, not paper ones.
4 Categories: (1) Wealthy Global Citizen: ฿1M assets + ฿80k/month income. (2) Wealthy Pensioner 50+: ฿100k/month pension income. (3) Work-from-Thailand Professional: ฿80k/month from foreign employer + 5 years' work experience. (4) Highly Skilled Professional: working for Thai company in targeted industry.
Benefits: 10-year visa, work permit for remote work included, no 90-day reporting, single-destination re-entry permit, reduced personal income tax for LTR holders in some categories.
A pay-once, multiple-entry long-stay visa through Thailand Privilege Card Co. Ltd. (government-owned). You pay upfront, get a 5–20 year stay permit, and bypass most of the annual immigration hassle. Popular with people who value simplicity over cost.
Plans: Elite Superiority Extension (20 years, ฿2M) · Elite Ultimate Privilege (15 years, ฿1.5M) · Elite Privilege Entry (5 years, ฿900k) · Elite Family Excursion (5 years for family of 3, ฿1.8M). No income requirements. Not a work visa — separate work permit still needed to work in Thailand.
If you work for a Thai company, own a Thai company, or teach English, this is the standard route. The Non-Imm B is the visa; the Work Permit (from the Department of Employment) is the separate permit that authorises the work. You cannot work in Thailand on any other visa type without one of these — even freelance income from Thai clients technically requires a work permit.
Requirements: Employment offer from a Thai company, company must meet minimum capital requirements (generally ฿2M per foreign employee), or you set up your own Thai company. Increasingly complex compliance requirements.
Single Entry Tourist Visa (SETV, ฿0–1,500) gives 60 days + 30-day extension at Phuket Immigration for ฿1,900. Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) gives 6 months of 60-day entries. Most nationalities also get 30–60 days visa-exempt on arrival.
Fine for short visits and first-year expats still figuring things out. Not a sustainable long-term strategy — Thai immigration has become more strict about repeat tourist entries and border runs, especially at land borders.
| Visa Type | Stay | Requirement | Work? | 90-Day Report? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Imm O-A (Retirement) | 1yr renewable | ฿800k bank / ฿65k/mo | No | Yes | Retirees 50+ |
| Non-Imm O (Marriage) | 1yr renewable | Thai spouse + ฿400k bank | No | Yes | Married to Thai |
| LTR Visa | 10 years | ฿80k/mo income + assets | Yes (remote) | No | Remote workers |
| Thailand Elite | 5–20 years | One-time ฿900k–2M fee | No | No | High net worth |
| Non-Imm B + Work Permit | 1yr renewable | Thai employer / company | Yes | Yes | Employed in Thailand |
| Tourist Visa | 60 days | None (most nationalities) | No | No | Short stays |
| Visa Exempt | 30–60 days | None | No | No | New arrivals |
Last updated: March 2026. Visa rules can change — verify current requirements at Phuket Immigration or with a licensed visa agent.
Phuket Immigration handles all visa matters for residents of the island. It's inside Central Festival Phuket (the main shopping mall on Wichit Songkhram Road) on the 4th floor. Not many expats love going — but if you know what to bring and arrive early, it's manageable.
Queue numbers are issued from 8:30am. Arrive by 8am on busy days (Monday is usually the busiest). There are separate queues for different purposes (extensions, TM30, 90-day reporting, etc.) — make sure you take the right one.
Your documents are first reviewed at a pre-check window. If anything is missing, you'll be sent back — bring originals AND photocopies of everything. Staff here speak reasonable English.
Numbers are called in order. Have your documents organised. On a normal mid-week day, most people are processed within 2–3 hours of arrival. Busy periods (after holidays, start of month) can be 4–5 hours.
The officer reviews your documents, verifies your TM30 address, takes biometrics for some visa types, and stamps or endorses your passport. Most extensions are done same-day. Some require a return visit the following day to collect.
• TM30 not filed or wrong address on record
• Bank letter too old (must be same week or same month)
• Bank funds dipped below threshold in prior 3 months
• Missing photocopies — always bring a full set
• Health insurance certificate expired (for OA/retirement)
• Extension applied for too early (most accept from 30 days before)
If you're on a Non-Immigrant visa (O-A, O marriage, Non-Imm B), you must report your address to immigration every 90 days. This is separate from your annual visa extension. You have 3 options:
Via immigration.go.th — submit between 15 days before and 7 days after your due date. The system can be slow but works. Keep your printed receipt. Late: ฿2,000 fine.
Phuket Immigration at Central Festival, 4th floor. Take a queue number for 90-day reporting (separate from extension queue). Bring passport + TM30. Fastest way if online system fails.
Send TM47 form + passport copies + return envelope with stamps to Phuket Immigration office. Allow 7 days. Least common method — check current procedures as policies change.
Trusted Phuket-based visa agents prepare your documents, queue on your behalf, and handle any complications. Takes the stress out of the annual immigration run.
Find a Trusted Visa Agent →It depends on your situation. For retirees (50+): Non-Immigrant O-A (retirement visa). For married expats (Thai spouse): Non-Immigrant O (marriage visa). For remote workers with income: LTR Visa (10 years, ฿80,000/month income). For high-net-worth: Thailand Elite Visa (5–20 years). There is no single best option — each suits a different profile.
Phuket Immigration is located at Central Festival Phuket, 4th floor, on Wichit Songkhram Road. Open Monday–Friday 8:30am–4:30pm. This is where you extend Non-Immigrant visas, report address changes (TM30), do 90-day reporting, and process most immigration matters.
Technically possible but increasingly risky. Thailand has tightened scrutiny of long-term tourist visa users. Immigration officers can refuse entry if they believe you're living in Thailand on a tourist visa. The safest approach is to convert to an appropriate long-stay visa once you decide to stay permanently.
Non-immigrant visa holders must report their address to immigration every 90 days. You can do this online at immigration.go.th, in person at Phuket Immigration at Central Festival (4th floor), or by post. Online is most convenient — submit 15 days before or 7 days after the due date. Late reporting incurs a ฿2,000 fine.
The Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa is a 10-year visa available since 2022. The Work-from-Thailand Professional category requires ฿80,000/month income from a foreign employer + 5 years' work experience. It includes a work permit for remote work, no 90-day reporting, and re-entry permits. Applied through the Board of Investment website.
TM30 is the notification your landlord files when a foreign national stays at their property — within 24 hours of arrival. When you apply for a visa extension in Phuket, immigration checks the TM30 on file. Your address must match. If your landlord hasn't filed it, you may be unable to extend. Resolve TM30 issues before your extension appointment.
Detailed guides for each visa type
Legal marriage in Phuket for expats
Birth registration for foreign parents
Renting and buying property
Thai bank accounts for expats
TM30, relocation tips, new address