Smart Visa, requirements lowered. Will it be worth giving it a shot?

[ExpatDraco]

Now the requirements have been lowered (eg 100k minimum monthly income instead of 200k) for the Smart "T" visa, is there someone who succeeded in getting this type of visa as a 'digital nomad'?

 

I own a foreign company that provides services in the Digital (IT) sector for non-Thai clients. This company is able to pay an employee salary and can meet the 100k requirement with ease.

 

An overview of the lowered requirements: https://smart-visa.boi.go.th/home_detail/qualifications_criteria.php

 

Another option is maybe the Smart "S" visa?

 

Will it be worth giving it a shot? Or does someone know a good legal firm that has experience with the Smart visa's?

[Matzzon]

In my opinion the Smart Visa is created to benefit the Thai system, which you seem to clearly have missed. But ok, if you are able to bring your foreign company to Thailand and get going with the requirements for a legal company office with the requirements for working legally. Yeah, why not. Give it a shot.

[jackdd]

1 hour ago, ExpatDraco said:

I own a foreign company that provides services in the Digital (IT) sector for non-Thai clients.

You need to have a company in Thailand to get such a smart visa

[kmw]

Hey SMART T here, also S as well was an option for me, I work for a boi company so they did everything for me, the 100k is not much and if your employer is a start up even 50k per month is fine from what I hear,

 

Sorry but jackdd is incorrect if you don't have your own company in Thailand, but yes you need to be employeed by a company in thailand or to be employed if your company is listed on the board of investment they are able to issue both work permits approvals and also smart category visas, work permits take about 2 days to get issued and smart visas about 5, you still need to come in on a non immigrant business visa, boi can issue the invitation for you, while you can change from say a tr visa to a work permit or smart visa, this will take roughly between 2 weeks and up to a months, so the b visa is the best option and also the quickest

 

Also you don't need a visa or legal agent if your going direct as a visa holder with an employer, hope that make sense

 

Worst case scenario just get a boi work permit, while it's not a smart visa the extension of stay is 1 year, but you can use the one stop office for eveything still, so no issues with lines at immigration anywhere 

 

If you want your company to be boi send me a pm and I will try to help you out, it's a bit of a long process and usually takes about 6 months, but the are much better long term benefits in comparison to a normal thai limited company, 

Edited July 25, 2019 by kmw

[kmw]

3 hours ago, Matzzon said:

In my opinion the Smart Visa is created to benefit the Thai system, which you seem to clearly have missed. But ok, if you are able to bring your foreign company to Thailand and get going with the requirements for a legal company office with the requirements for working legally. Yeah, why not. Give it a shot.

Your kinda correct, I work for a boi company, boi enables multi national corporations to set up shop here all have been under different names being subsidiaries, on Thai soil with no need to pay any tax, no need to employ any thai nationals, it's basically basically smoke and mirrors, it's designed to attract foreign investment by blue chip without the need for them to set up here properly as a corporation

[natway09]

I think it needs to be a Thai Company ?