No — buying a condo or house in Thailand does not by itself give you a visa, a residence permit or permanent residency. A freehold title gives you ownership, not the right to stay. The “Thailand property visa” is narrower than the adverts suggest: a one-year, renewable extension of stay for foreigners who buy a condo for at least THB 3 million in their own name (reportedly paused in October 2026). Property also counts toward the THB 10 million investment extension and the LTR visa.
Everyone else lives in their condo on a visa that ignores the property: Thailand Privilege, retirement, the DTV, marriage or work. Below: what each route requires and costs as of October 2026.
Does buying property in Thailand give you residency?
There is no general “property owner visa”. Permanent residence is a separate procedure — one application round a year, a quota of 100 people per nationality — and owning a condo does not qualify you for it.
Since 15 September 2026 the standard visa-free stay is 30 days for about 60 countries and territories, extendable once by up to 30 days at immigration for THB 1,900. Visa runs are no long-term plan: land-border visa-exempt entries are capped at two per calendar year, and since November 2025 repeat visa runners can be refused entry.
The THB 3 million Thailand property visa, explained
Immigration Bureau Orders 237/2568 and 238/2568, dated 1 October 2025 (2568 is the Thai year), were published in the Royal Gazette on 4 December 2025. Legally this is a ground for extending a stay — up to one year at a time, renewable while you keep the property — not a separate five- or ten-year “golden visa”.
What the order requires
- A Non-Immigrant visa (“Non-B Investment”, per the operator, Thai Longstay Management); developers and lawyers describe 90 days first, then a one-year extension.
- One of three investments: a condo unit bought for at least THB 3,000,000; rent of at least THB 85,000 a month, prepaid for at least 12 months (THB 1,020,000); or a lease of more than three years registered at the Land Office, with at least THB 3,000,000 prepaid. Houses qualify only via the rental options; for any rental, the landlord must be Thai or a majority-Thai-owned company.
- A Ministry of Tourism and Sports certificate naming you a “long-stay tourism supporter” with at least THB 3 million invested.
Eligible condos and family
You need the sale-and-purchase contract, proof of payment and the title in your own name under the foreign-ownership rules — in practice, foreign freehold. Off-plan units before transfer and units held through a company or nominee do not qualify. One law firm says the prices of several units cannot be combined; if you negotiate, keep the final price at THB 3,000,000 or more.
A spouse, unmarried children under 20 and parents aged 50+ can join on the same basis, with the relationship certified by the Ministry. According to Phuket’s immigration chief, agents approved by the Tourism Authority of Thailand file applications with immigration in the property’s province (Chonburi for Pattaya). Renewal is yearly, 90-day reports apply, there is no right to work, and the status can be revoked for illegal activity.
Thailand property visa 2026: what is still unclear
- A reported pause. Property agencies report that on 3 October 2026 Thai Longstay Management told members it had temporarily suspended new applications and extensions while the Immigration Bureau clarifies its policy after a leadership change; the programme is reportedly not cancelled, and members near expiry are handled case by case. We found no government statement, and the operator’s site showed no notice on 18 October.
- Resale condos. The order does not restrict the seller. In April 2026 Phuket’s immigration chief said purchases must be made from Thai developers, within the 49% foreign quota; the same law firm says resale works if the seller is a Thai individual or company. Unsettled.
- Purchase date. The firm also says the title must be registered on or after 1 October 2025, which would exclude earlier purchases. Not officially confirmed.
- Later orders. A law firm reports Orders 145/2569 and 146/2569 of 24 June 2026; we could not verify their content. The operator’s page has meanwhile dropped the THB 85,000-a-month rental option.
If the visa is why you are buying, get written confirmation from immigration or the operator that your case (new build or resale, seller, registration date) qualifies, and hold back non-refundable deposits until then. Pending answers, a completed unit transferred directly to you by a Thai developer looks least contentious to us, though not risk-free — see our new condo developments in Pattaya.
LTR visa: how property investment counts, and the THB 10M route
The Board of Investment’s Long-Term Resident visa runs for 10 years (5 + 5), with a yearly address report instead of the 90-day one. Since February 2025 a Wealthy Global Citizen needs USD 500,000 invested in Thailand in their own name before applying — in government bonds, direct investment or property — plus USD 1 million in total assets and USD 50,000 of health insurance or an accepted alternative. There is no longer an income test.
Property counts as freehold (sale agreement and title deed copies no older than six months), a registered lease with at least 10 years left, or a villa shown by its construction agreement and permit — always in your own name. Land and company-held property do not count, and BOI does not say whether it uses the purchase price or an appraisal. Wealthy Pensioners, aged 50+, need USD 80,000 a year in pension or passive income, or USD 40,000–80,000 plus USD 250,000 invested in Thailand, property included. The visa fee is THB 50,000 per person when paid in Thailand; details are on the official LTR site.
The older THB 10 million investment extension survives as item 2.5 b of Order 238/2568: a Non-Immigrant visa and THB 10,000,000 brought from abroad into a condo (bought, or leased for at least three years), a fixed deposit at a majority-Thai-owned or state bank, government bonds or a mix, for stays of up to a year each.
Thailand Privilege card cost in 2026
Thailand Privilege, formerly Thailand Elite, is a paid membership with a visa. It has no property tier and gives no rights to land or to condos outside the foreign quota. Official one-time fees on 18 October 2026:
| Tier | Fee | Membership |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | THB 650,000 | 5 years |
| Gold | THB 900,000 | 5 years |
| Platinum | THB 1,500,000 | 10 years |
| Diamond | THB 2,500,000 | 15 years |
| Reserve (invitation only) | THB 5,000,000 | 20 years |
Elite packages sold before October 2023 are discontinued, and the official site gives no closing date for Bronze. The Privilege Entry visa gives one year per entry; each further year is an extension at provincial immigration (THB 1,900, in person). You still file 90-day reports (THB 2,000 fine if late), and the card gives no right to work. Current prices are on the official Thailand Privilege site.
Retirement, DTV, marriage and work: routes that ignore your property
Retirement visas
The Non-Immigrant O-A (age 50+) is filed in your country of nationality or residence through thaievisa.go.th and gives a one-year stay. You need THB 800,000 on deposit, THB 65,000 a month in income, or a mix totalling THB 800,000 a year; insurance for the whole stay of at least USD 100,000 or THB 3,000,000; plus criminal record and medical certificates. Work is prohibited.
The O-X (five years per stay, up to 10 in total) is limited to nationals of Japan, Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, Canada and the USA aged 50+, against THB 3,000,000 in a Thai bank kept for at least a year and Thai health insurance.
Inside Thailand, a yearly retirement extension needs a Non-Immigrant visa (not a visa-free entry) and THB 65,000 a month or THB 800,000 in a Thai bank — held two months before filing and three after approval, then never below THB 400,000. O-A holders also need the insurance; the fee is THB 1,900. More in our guide to retiring in Pattaya.
DTV, marriage and work
The Destination Thailand Visa lasts five years, with up to 180 days per entry and proof of THB 500,000, for remote workers with foreign employers or clients, people doing Thai “soft power” activities such as Muay Thai or medical treatment, and their spouses and children. You cannot work for Thai companies or clients, and owning a condo is not a ground. Since 31 August 2026 applicants need proof of permanent residence where they apply and a criminal record certificate, so in practice you can no longer get one in a neighbouring country while living in Thailand. See Pattaya for digital nomads.
Marriage to a Thai national, employment and children’s schooling are separate grounds with their own rules; property adds nothing to them, and of the routes here only the LTR can include a digital work permit. Family options are in moving to Pattaya with a family.
Thailand visa options for property owners compared
| Route | What you need | Length of stay | Cost | Can you work? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THB 3M condo route (reportedly paused) | Non-Immigrant visa; THB 3M+ condo in your name or qualifying rent or lease; tourism ministry certificate | Up to 1 year, renewable | THB 1,900 per extension + operator and agent fees | No |
| THB 10M investment | Non-Immigrant visa; THB 10M from abroad in a condo, deposit or bonds | Up to 1 year, renewable | THB 1,900 per extension | Not specified |
| LTR (Wealthy Global Citizen or Pensioner) | USD 500k Thai investment (property counts) + USD 1M assets, or pensioner income | 10 years (5 + 5) | THB 50,000 visa fee | Digital work permit possible |
| Thailand Privilege | Membership fee | 5–20 years; 1 year per entry | THB 650,000–5,000,000 + THB 1,900 per extension | No |
| O-A and retirement extension | Age 50+; THB 800,000 or THB 65,000 a month; insurance for O-A | 1 year, renewable | Mission fee; THB 1,900 per extension | No |
| O-X (14 nationalities) | Age 50+; THB 3M deposit, or THB 1.8M + THB 1.2M a year | 5 years, up to 10 | Mission fee (USD 400 in Washington) | No |
| DTV | Remote work for foreign clients or a soft-power activity; THB 500,000 | 5 years, up to 180 days per entry | Mission fee | Only for foreign employers or clients |
Worked example: five years in a Pattaya condo at 45
Assumptions: one person aged 45, too young for retirement visas, in Pattaya most of each year for five years; October 2026 prices; purchase costs, insurance and agent fees excluded.
- THB 3M route. A foreign-quota one-bedroom at THB 3.1 million, the median asking price for such units on our site. Over five years: about THB 9,500 in extension fees plus THB 141,000 in operator fees (law firms’ unofficial figures: THB 6,000 once and THB 27,000 a year). The condo stays your asset, but the route is reportedly paused.
- Thailand Privilege Bronze. THB 650,000 for five years plus THB 1,900 per extension. The fee is spent, but the visa does not depend on what you buy.
- DTV, if you qualify through remote work or a soft-power activity: THB 500,000 shown, which stays yours, plus a mission fee (EUR 350 in Budapest, for example); up to 180 days per entry.
Of these three, the THB 3M route costs the least in fees for an under-50 who does not qualify for the DTV — if it reopens and the unit qualifies. At 50+, compare a retirement visa too: the deposit is parked rather than spent.
Owner paperwork: TM30, 90-day reports and the yellow house book
TM30. Under Section 38 of the Immigration Act, the house master, owner or occupier must notify immigration within 24 hours of a foreigner starting to stay at an address — as the landlord if you rent to a foreigner, and for yourself if you live in your own unit. File in person, by registered post or online at tm30.immigration.go.th. The receipt is needed for an immigration residence certificate, used for example for a Thai driving licence. Whether you must re-file after every trip depends on the local office.
90-day reports (TM47) apply to anyone on a temporary stay longer than 90 days, Privilege members and 3M-route holders included; LTR holders report yearly. The window runs from 15 days before to 7 days after the due date. No fee; a late report costs THB 2,000, or THB 5,000 if you are arrested.
The yellow house book (Tor Ror 13) is the house registration for foreigners on a temporary stay. Official but undated guidance lists the house master’s registration, your passport with visa and a Thai translation, and at least two witnesses, with 30 days’ processing and no fee listed; check the current list in Bang Lamung, Pattaya’s district. It records an address only, not an immigration status.
Bottom line: choose the visa first, then the condo
A Thai condo is a base for living, not an immigration document: choose the route that fits your age, income and plans first. If the THB 3 million route matters, look for foreign-quota freehold — the only way to hold a unit in your own name — paid with money brought from abroad; our guide on how to buy a condo in Thailand as a foreigner explains the deal. On our site in October 2026, 233 of 410 priced apartments are in the foreign quota, at a median asking price of THB 3.75 million, so more than half sit above the threshold. Browse foreign quota condos in Pattaya or all apartments for sale in Pattaya.
Write to us on Telegram or WhatsApp via our contacts page: we will shortlist units that meet the price and quota conditions and help frame your questions for immigration.
Rules change: this guide reflects October 2026; have an immigration lawyer confirm your case.
