Visas in Pattaya: What 20 Years Here Has Taught Me

Visa rules in Thailand change often, so treat this as my experience rather than a rulebook, and always check the current requirements before you apply. The figures below are correct as of October 2026.

What visa am I on?

I'm on a Non-Immigrant B visa, the business visa, which you need to work in Thailand. It runs alongside your work permit.

It's always been easy for me, because I've used the same agent for the last 20 years. She's still in business, I pay her, and she does it for me.

Which visa is best for retirees?

Retirees use a retirement visa, either the Non-Immigrant O (applied for and then extended yearly here) or the O-A (applied for from your home country). You need to be 50 or over, and you have to prove you have enough money: currently ฿800,000 in a Thai bank account, or an income of ฿65,000 a month, or a combination of the two. As Thai visas go, it's relatively simple. Once you can prove the money, it's pretty straightforward.

(I've written more about retiring in Pattaya.) Even so, I'd always use an agent. There are plenty around the city, and they make the whole experience a lot less painful.

Which visa is best for digital nomads and remote workers?

For people working online, there's the DTV, the Destination Thailand Visa. It lasts five years, with stays of up to 180 days per entry, and you need to show around ฿500,000 in savings.

Understand what it is, though: it's essentially a long-term tourist visa. Even though it can last up to five years, you're still classed as a tourist, not an immigrant, so things like opening a bank account can be a problem, depending on the bank. (More in banking in Thailand for foreigners, and Pattaya for digital nomads.)

What's the biggest visa mistake people make?

Getting bad advice, and ending up on a visa that doesn't suit your circumstances.

Someone I know bought an Elite visa, now called Thailand Privilege. It cost him close to a million baht. (Today's packages start at ฿650,000 for five years.) He wasn't at retirement age, he wanted to stay long term, and once you've paid there's very little admin or hassle, so it seemed like the best option.

Then he decided he wanted to work. Thailand Privilege isn't a work visa, and there was no way to convert it into a business visa, so he had to walk away from it. It was a complete waste of money. He's now on a Non-Immigrant B visa alongside a work permit, like me.

The lesson: think about what you might want to do here in a few years, not just now, and choose the visa that fits.

If you're thinking of working or starting a business here, read starting or buying a business in Pattaya and what it's really like living in Pattaya.