New ‘smart visa’. No work permit, annual reporting.

We’ve just had the announcement of the new ten year ‘Geeza Visa’, the long-term ‘retirement’ visa. Now the Thai Cabinet has just announced plans for a new ‘Smart Visa’.

Under the new Smart Visa, people can stay in Thailand, along with their spouse and children if applicable, for up to four years. The big change here is that you won’t have to apply for a Work Permit under the new visa. Also, unlike other Thai visas which require 90 day reporting, you would only need to front up to the Immigration Bureau once a year. All this has been published by the Prime Minister’s office in notes from the past week in the ‘Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit’.

To be eligible you’ll need to categorised as an ‘investor’, a startup entrepreneur, high-level executive or highly skilled professional. No details at this stage as to which professions would be considered under the terms of the new visa.

The plan was first proposed 17 months ago by an trade groups as a way to attract investment and foreign skills to the Kingdom. The Government says the new visa ‘will enable knowledge transfer that would boost business growth in the country and long-term economic benefits’.

PHOTO: Tech Republic