Skip to content

How To Live In Thailand For A Year

    Cebuano Cebuano English English Filipino Filipino

    Thailand is a very beautiful country to live in for a year and has several visa options for visitors.

    But, because of the many options, deciding how to live in Thailand for a year can become challenging.

    However, in today’s article, we will make the process much simpler.

    Fundamentally, several options are available if you wish to stay in Thailand for a year. These options include obtaining a student, business, investment, work, or retirement visa.

    In addition, there are other visa types available, but these tend to be diplomatic, religious, or special interest visas.

    How To Live In Thailand For A Year

    1. Obtain A Student Visa

    A student visa is one of the most straightforward ways to live in Thailand for a year.

    A student visa, commonly called the ED visa, is widely given for 90 days but can be extended for a total length of 1 year.

    In addition, if you are looking to live in Thailand for longer than a year, you may be able to obtain a second student visa.

    You can also leave Thailand under this visa type.

    However, visitors must let the authorities know they will be returning by obtaining a re-entry permit before they fly out of the country.

    You also have several options with a Thai education visa, including learning Thai martial arts, Thai language, religion, and much more.

    Thai education visas cost 2000 Thai Baht. You will also need to pay for the educational provider.

    For example, when I was learning the Thai language, the total cost for the education visa and my course for one year was 35,000 Thai Baht ($970 USD).

    2. Obtain A Business, Investment, Or Work Visa

    One popular option for how to live in Thailand for a year is to obtain a business, investment, or work visa.  

    These options are also fantastic if you are looking to stay long-term in Thailand, as they can be renewed.

    The investment visa is one of the most straightforward visas as it allows foreigners to stay long-term in Thailand without the need to work or study.

    10 million baht is the total amount of capital you will need if you are looking to obtain an investment visa in Thailand.

    Work permits are also a common option, and many international travelers become English teachers in Thailand, which grants them access to stay in Thailand for a year or longer.

    The third option to stay in Thailand for a year is to start a business in Thailand as a foreigner.

    Foreigners can only own up to 49% of a business in Thailand unless the business is under a special board of investment agreement.

    These three options may be more suitable for you than others, depending on your situation.

    3. Obtain A Retirement Visa In Thailand 

    One of the most popular ways how to live in Thailand for a year is to obtain a retirement visa in Thailand.

    Applicants must be at least 50 years old and meet the financial requirements, which include having 800,000 TBH in your Thai bank or at least 65,000 TBH per month income.

    Similar to most visa types in Thailand, foreigners must complete a 90-day report to the immigration service to confirm their current address.

    The cheapest and most straightforward way to stay in Thailand for a year as a foreigner is to obtain a student visa.

    However, from the data, retirement visas tend to be the most common type of visa for foreigners who wish to stay in Thailand for 1 year or longer.

    If you have the capital available, investment visas offer foreigners the opportunity to stay a long time in Thailand with minimal requirements compared to other common visa types.

    Nevertheless, starting a business or obtaining a work permit is also a great option to stay in Thailand for 1 year; however, more requirements are required with these visas.

    More Thailand Expat Guides