To get a 1-year Non-Immigrant Visa in Thailand, you must first apply for a 90-day Non-Immigrant Visa and choose one of its subcategories such as the Marriage Visa, Retirement Visa, Education Visa, and Business Visa. As long as you meet the qualifications for your selected subcategory, you will be able to extend your 90-day Non-Immigrant Visa to a 1-year Non-Immigrant Visa.

Benefits of 1-Year Thailand Non-Immigrant Visa

Depending on the visa you have chosen, your benefits will vary. For instance, if you chose the Retirement Visa you will not be permitted to work, but if you chose the Marriage Visa, you have the option to pursue a work permit alongside it.

Nonetheless, there are some things you can do under all the visa categories:

• Open a bank (savings) account in Thailand.
• Apply for an extension of 1 year, if you still meet the requirements.

For all of these visa categories, you can get either a single-entry or multiple-entry permit if you plan on leaving Thailand and returning during your stay. To get a multiple-entry permit, you must apply and lodge your application at the embassy or consulate in your country. It is also possible to get a multiple-entry permit at immigration before leaving Thailand via air travel.

Please note that while holding a 1-year visa, you will need to report to immigration every 90 days. This can be done in person or over the internet in some cases. But if you leave the country before the 90-day report deadline, the countdown will reset upon entering Thailand.

Requirements for a 1-Year Visa

If you are applying for a Marriage or Retirement Visa, you must be able to provide the required funds, have a Thai bank account, and be of a certain age or married to a Thai national for a successful application. However, if you are applying for an Education or Business Visa, below is a list of the general requirements that you may be asked for depending on your circumstances:

• Embassy fee (refer to your local Thai embassy or consulate, as fees can vary)
• A passport with at least 18 months validity from the date of your intended arrival in Thailand
• Additional supporting documents requested by the Royal Thai embassy or consulate
• An invitation or confirmation letter to clarify the purpose of the travel issued by the concerned organization
• Proof of financial funds and travel itinerary
• Proof of relationship to a Thai national or foreigner working in Thailand

It is important that you demonstrate that you are neither a public nor a security threat to the Thai government and you must be physically present in the country where you lodge your visa application. You must also have no history of visa overstay or criminal activity in Thailand.

Visa Exemption and the 1-year Thailand Non-Immigrant Visa

Australians and citizens of other participating nations who enter Thailand through the Thailand Visa Exemption Scheme will not be able to apply for the 1-year Non-Immigrant Visa unless they first apply for the 90-day Non-Immigrant Visa. The Thailand Visa Exemption Scheme is strictly for tourism purposes and does not count as a visa. If you enter Thailand without a visa, before you can apply for a 1-year visa you will need to leave the country, procure a 90-day visa, return to Thailand, and apply for the 1-year extension of your choice.

Alternatives for Long-Term Stay Visas in Thailand

If you’re looking to stay in Thailand for longer than 1 year or a way to stay without the need to do a visa run every 90 days, the LTR Visa offers up to a 10-year stay along with the ability to apply for a work permit. There is also the Thailand Privilege Visa which offers a stay of 5 to 20 years depending on the chosen membership package, but it does not grant you the ability to apply for a work permit as it is technically a long-term tourist visa.

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