| Key Takeaways |
| • The Thailand Smart Visa was narrowed in 2025: only two categories remain, SMART S (startup founders) and SMART O (their dependants). Talent, Investor, and Executive categories were discontinued. |
| • Anyone who would previously have applied under Talent, Investor, or Executive should now look at the LTR visa instead — typically its Highly-Skilled Professional or Wealthy Global Citizen category. |
| • SMART S requires a director role or 25% company shareholding in one of Thailand’s targeted industries, plus a THB 600,000 deposit held for at least 3 months and health insurance for the full stay. |
| • The visa fee is THB 10,000 per year of permission granted. Processing through the BOI endorsement stage typically takes around 30 working days. |
| • Current BOI materials label the SMART S visa as a 2-year permission, though older program documentation cites up to 4 years — worth confirming directly with the BOI for a specific application. |
| • SMART O dependants (spouse and children) can live in Thailand for the same period as the main holder, and a SMART O spouse can work without needing a separate work permit. |
The Thailand Smart Visa looks different in 2026 than it did even a couple of years ago, and anyone researching it from an older guide is likely to run into a category that no longer exists. Designed by Thailand’s Board of Investment to attract entrepreneurs and skilled talent into targeted industries, the program now covers just two categories after a 2025 restructuring — down from the five it used to offer. This guide covers who the Thailand Smart Visa is for today, what it costs, how to apply, and where to look instead if the category that used to fit no longer exists.
What Changed in 2025
The SMART Visa originally had five categories: Talent (T), Investor (I), Executive (E), Startup (S), and dependants (O). In 2025, the Talent, Investor, and Executive categories were discontinued. The BOI’s own site now lists only two categories under “Types of Smart Visa”: SMART S and SMART O.
Anyone who would previously have applied as a Talent, Investor, or Executive is now directed toward the LTR visa instead — typically its Highly-Skilled Professional category for specialists, or Wealthy Global Citizen for investors, depending on profile. The LTR visa is covered in detail in our Types of Thailand Visa guide.
The consolidation reflects a broader pattern in Thai immigration policy: rather than running the SMART Visa and LTR visa as two overlapping long-stay products for similar high-value applicants, the BOI narrowed SMART to the one group it serves distinctly — startup founders — and moved everyone else onto the newer, broader LTR framework, which was launched in 2022 specifically to compete with comparable long-stay visa programs in Portugal, the UAE, and Malaysia. For someone researching this today, the practical implication is simple: check which of the two programs actually still accepts a given profile before assuming the older five-category description still applies.
SMART S: Startup Visa
SMART S is the main route for technology-based startup founders in Thailand’s targeted industries. It grants permission to stay without a separate work permit.
- Eligibility: Must be a director of, or hold at least 25% of the shares in, a company already established in Thailand within a targeted industry.
- Financial requirement: A deposit of at least THB 600,000 (or the equivalent in another currency), held for at least 3 months before applying.
- Health insurance: Coverage for the full duration of stay in Thailand is mandatory.
- Duration: The BOI’s current “Types of Smart Visa” listing labels SMART S as a 2-year permission. Older BOI program materials describe a maximum of 4 years — confirm the applicable term directly with the BOI SMART Visa Unit for a specific application.
- Fee: THB 10,000 per year of permission granted, paid in cash.
SMART O: Dependants
SMART O covers the legal spouse and children of a SMART Visa holder, allowing them to live in Thailand for the same period as the main applicant.
- Who qualifies: Legal spouse and children of a SMART S visa holder.
- Work rights: A SMART O spouse may work in Thailand without needing a separate work permit — an advantage over most dependant visa categories.
- Financial requirement: Each additional dependant adds THB 180,000 to the required deposit, held for the same 3-month period as the main applicant’s deposit.
- Health insurance: Each dependant needs their own coverage for the full period of stay.
Targeted Industries for the Thailand Smart Visa
SMART S eligibility is tied to Thailand’s designated “S-Curve” targeted industries, certified by the relevant Thai government agency for each sector. The BOI maintains the current list; the table below summarises the main categories.
| Industry | Certifying agency (typical) |
|---|---|
| Next-generation automotive | National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) |
| Smart electronics | NSTDA |
| Affluent, medical, and wellness tourism | Relevant health/tourism agency |
| Agriculture, food, and biotechnology | NSTDA |
| Automation and robotics | NSTDA |
| Aviation, aerospace, and logistics | Relevant transport agency |
| Biofuels and biochemicals | NSTDA |
| Digital | Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) |
| Medical hub | Relevant health agency |
| Environmental management and renewable energy | NSTDA |
| Human resource development in science and technology | NSTDA / National Innovation Agency (NIA) |
This is not an exhaustive list — the BOI periodically adds or refines sectors, most recently expanding categories under the related LTR visa’s Highly-Skilled Professional route in 2025. Applicants should check the current list on the official BOI SMART Visa portal before assuming eligibility.
How to Apply for a Thailand Smart Visa
- Confirm industry eligibility: Check that the business falls within a current targeted industry and can be certified by the relevant agency (NSTDA, DEPA, NIA, or another BOI-recognised body).
- Prepare documents: Company registration and shareholding evidence, proof of the required deposit held for 3 months, health insurance, passport, and any dependants’ documents for a SMART O application.
- Submit online to the SMART Visa Unit: Applications go through the BOI SMART Visa Unit‘s online system for endorsement by the certifying agency.
- Wait for endorsement: Endorsement typically takes around 30 working days from a complete file.
- Collect the visa: Once endorsed, applicants have 60 days to collect the visa — either as an e-visa from overseas or in person at the service centre in Bangkok.
- Pay the visa fee: THB 10,000 per year of permission granted, paid in cash at the point of issuance.
If You Needed Talent, Investor, or Executive: The LTR Visa
Since the Thailand Smart Visa no longer covers Talent, Investor, or Executive profiles, those applicants now use the LTR (Long-Term Resident) visa instead, managed directly by the BOI. Broadly: specialists and skilled professionals fit the Highly-Skilled Professional category, investors typically fit Wealthy Global Citizen, and remote professionals working for overseas employers fit Work-from-Thailand Professional. Full details on eligibility, income thresholds, and benefits for each are covered in our Types of Thailand Visa guide.
Document Checklist for a Thailand Smart Visa
Core documents for a SMART S application, with SMART O additions noted:
| Document | Requirement | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | Valid for at least 18 months’ remaining validity | SMART S and SMART O |
| Company registration/shareholding evidence | Proof of director role or 25%+ shareholding in a targeted-industry company | SMART S |
| Bank deposit evidence | THB 600,000 (main applicant), held 3+ months | SMART S |
| Additional deposit per dependant | THB 180,000 per dependant, held 3+ months | SMART O |
| Health insurance | Coverage for the full period of stay | SMART S and SMART O |
| Industry certification | Endorsement from the relevant certifying agency (NSTDA, DEPA, NIA, etc.) | SMART S |
| Relationship evidence | Marriage/birth certificates for spouse and children | SMART O |
Related Thailand Immigration Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Thailand Smart Visa still have Talent, Investor, and Executive categories?
No. Those three categories were discontinued in 2025. Only SMART S (Startup) and SMART O (dependants) remain. Applicants who would have used Talent, Investor, or Executive now apply for the LTR visa instead.
Who qualifies for the Thailand Smart Visa today?
Technology-based startup founders who are a director of, or hold at least 25% of, a company already established in Thailand within a targeted industry, plus their spouse and children under SMART O.
How much does a Thailand Smart Visa cost?
The visa fee is THB 10,000 per year of permission granted. Separately, applicants need a THB 600,000 deposit (plus THB 180,000 per dependant) held for at least 3 months.
How long does a Thailand Smart Visa last?
The BOI’s current listing labels SMART S as a 2-year permission, though older programme materials cite up to 4 years. Confirm the applicable term with the BOI SMART Visa Unit for a specific application.
Can a Thailand Smart Visa holder work without a separate work permit?
Yes — SMART S holders are exempt from the standard work permit requirement, and a SMART O spouse can also work without needing a separate permit.
What’s the difference between the Thailand Smart Visa and the LTR visa?
The Smart Visa is now narrowly focused on startup founders and their dependants. The LTR visa covers a broader range of profiles — highly skilled professionals, wealthy investors, remote workers, and wealthy retirees — with a longer 10-year validity and additional tax benefits for qualifying categories.