Do visa supporting documents have to be translated?

If the document is not in the language the authority accepts, yes. Australian and UK authorities generally require a full translation by a qualified translator with a signed certificate; Schengen missions in Bangkok usually require Thai documents to be translated into English or the destination language and legalised by the Department of Consular Affairs first.

Can you guarantee my visa will be approved?

No, and any provider who guarantees an outcome should be treated with caution. Immigration officers decide on the evidence and applicable law. Our role is to make sure the evidence is complete, consistent across documents, correctly translated and certified in the format the authority expects.

What is TM30 and who has to file it?

TM30 is the notification of a foreign national's place of residence, filed by the owner, possessor or manager of the property where the foreigner stays. It is separate from the 90-day notification made by the foreign national. Missing filings can create problems at extension or re-entry, so they are worth checking before an application.

Thailand visa comparison — 10 long-stay routes

A neutral, side-by-side comparison of the visa categories foreigners actually use to live, work, invest, study or retire in Thailand. Each entry lists the initial and maximum stay, official government fee, work-permit eligibility, 90-day reporting duty and whether the route counts towards permanent residence.

Only official government fees are shown. Our professional fees depend on document volume and complexity, so we quote them individually — call 083-249-4999, add LINE @NYC168 or email info@nyclegal.co.th.

Quick answer

There is no single “best” Thai visa. If you are employed by a Thai company, the Non-B plus work permit is the standard route. Remote professionals and high-earning specialists usually compare the LTR visa (10 years, administered by the BOI) with the Thailand Privilege / Elite membership. Retirees over 50 use the Non-O / O-A retirement route, and spouses or parents of Thai nationals use the family Non-O. Every route requires certified translations and, for foreign-issued civil documents, notarisation and legalisation before submission.

Work visas (3)

Non-B — Non-Immigrant Business Visa

Initial stay: 90 days → 1 year (after obtaining Work Permit)
Maximum stay: 1 ปี (ต่ออายุได้)
Official fee: confirmed in a written quotation from staff (Single) / confirmed in a written quotation from staff (Multiple)
Processing: 15–30 days
Work permit: Yes
90-day report: Yes
Dependants: Yes
Path to PR: Yes (after 3 years)

Smart-T/I/E/S — Smart Visa

Initial stay: 4 year
Maximum stay: 4 ปี (ต่ออายุได้)
Official fee: per the published government rate
Processing: 30 days (BOI Endorsement)
Work permit: Yes (auto)
90-day report: once a year
Dependants: Yes
Path to PR: Yes (after 3 years)

DTV — Destination Thailand Visa

Initial stay: 180 days/ครั้ง
Maximum stay: 5 ปี (Multiple Entry)
Official fee: per the published government rate
Processing: 10–15 business days
Work permit: No (ห้ามรับงานในไทย — Yesเป็น remote ต่างประเทศ)
90-day report: Yes (ทุก 90 daysที่อยู่ในไทย)
Dependants: Yes (คู่สมรส + บุตร < 20)
Path to PR: No

Investor visas (1)

LTR — Long-Term Resident Visa

Initial stay: 5 year
Maximum stay: 10 ปี (ต่ออายุ 5+5)
Official fee: per the published government rate
Processing: 20 business days (after BOI Endorsement)
Work permit: Yes (auto, digital)
90-day report: once a year
Dependants: Yes (Spouse + up to 4 children)
Path to PR: Not required (Stay for 10 years + renewable)

Retirement visas (2)

Non-O-A — Retirement Visa O-A

Initial stay: 1 year
Maximum stay: 1 ปี (ต่ออายุได้ในไทย)
Official fee: per the published government rate
Processing: 15–30 days
Work permit: No
90-day report: Yes
Dependants: Yes (คู่สมรส O-A ติดตาม)
Path to PR: Yes (หลัง 3 year + เงื่อนไข)

Non-O-X — Retirement Visa O-X

Initial stay: 5 year
Maximum stay: 10 ปี (5+5)
Official fee: per the published government rate
Processing: 45 days
Work permit: No
90-day report: Yes
Dependants: Yes (คู่สมรส)
Path to PR: Yes (after 3 years)

Tourist visas (1)

TR/Visa Exemption — Tourist / Visa Exemption

Initial stay: 60 days (Visa Exempt) / 60 days (TR)
Maximum stay: 60 วัน + ต่อ 30 วัน
Official fee: confirmed in a written quotation from staff (Exempt) / confirmed in a written quotation from staff (TR)
Processing: 3–7 days (TR) / ทันที (Exempt)
Work permit: No
90-day report: No (ไม่ถึง 90 days)
Dependants: No
Path to PR: No

Family visas (1)

Non-O (สมรส) — Marriage Visa

Initial stay: 90 days → 1 year
Maximum stay: 1 ปี (ต่ออายุได้ตลอด)
Official fee: per the published government rate
Processing: 15–30 days
Work permit: Yes (ขอแยก WP)
90-day report: Yes
Dependants: บุตร Non-O ติดตาม
Path to PR: Yes (after 3 years)

Education visas (1)

Non-ED — Education Visa

Initial stay: 90 days
Maximum stay: 1 ปี/ครั้ง (ต่อตามหลักสูตร)
Official fee: per the published government rate
Processing: 10–15 days
Work permit: No
90-day report: Yes
Dependants: No
Path to PR: No

Elite / Privilege visas (1)

TPVS / DTV+ — Thailand Privilege Visa (Elite)

Initial stay: 5 year
Maximum stay: 20 ปี (Reserve Tier)
Official fee: confirmed in a written quotation from staff (Gold 5 year) → confirmed in a written quotation from staff (Reserve 20 year)
Processing: 30–60 days
Work permit: No
90-day report: once a year
Dependants: Yes (จำกัด)
Path to PR: No

Sources & verification

Immigration Bureau, Royal Thai Police — visa classes, extensions and 90-day reporting.
Board of Investment — Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa.
Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs — legalisation of supporting civil documents.

Immigration policy changes frequently. Always confirm the current requirement with the relevant authority or with us before filing. Thai-language version: /visa-comparison.

Aspect	On your own	With NYC Legal
Choosing the category	The wrong category means refiling the entire application.	We assess eligibility and recommend the category that fits your real situation.
Document consistency	Conflicting details between documents are a leading refusal cause.	Cross-checks before submission remove the details that raise doubts.
Interview readiness	Answers that do not match the filed documents.	Rehearsal based on your actual profile and submitted file.

Option	What it is	Best for	Watch out for
Handle everything yourself	Research the rules, prepare the file and deal with each authority on your own.	Simple cases, when you have time and are located near the relevant offices.	Requirements change often; one missing document or a missed intake window restarts the cycle.
Outsource only part of the process	Hire help for the step you are stuck on, such as translation or a single filing.	People who already understand the process but face time or distance constraints.	If an early step is formatted wrongly, every later step fails with it.
Let us manage the full route (recommended)	Case assessment, route planning, preparation, translation, filing, follow-up and return delivery.	Anyone on a fixed deadline, living upcountry or abroad, who cannot afford a rejected file.	Share the destination requirements up front so we can plan the route correctly in one pass.