Thailand Offers Just the Residency Options You Could Be Looking For

Thailand, including Bangkok, is an affordable alternative to Singapore or Dubai for remote workers and retirees

- Jash Kriplani

Investing in foreign countries for global residencies has been gaining traction in recent years. Several countries have hiked the costs of their residencies, seeing this high demand. But there are still some low-cost alternatives available, with lower living costs and lower eligibility criteria. Thailand recently launched two residency programmes that are gradually gaining popularity: the remote work visa and the wealthy pensioner visa for retirees. Here is a look at these options.

Remote work visa: eligibility

Thailand's remote work visa or destination travel visa is for employees who still work from home. The visa applicant needs to show proof of current employment in the home country by furnishing their employment contract.

The applicant needs to show that they have the equivalent of 500,000 Thai baht or THB (about ₹12.4 lakh) in their bank account by submitting bank statements or payslips.

The applicant can add spouse and children under 20 years as dependents in the visa application. The visa processing fee is THB 10,000 per person, or about ₹25,000. The visa holder also has to report their current address to the immigration bureau every 90 days. As this visa is granted to a remote worker, there is no right to work in Thailand on this visa.