On 25 January 2018, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand together with the Board of Investment of Thailand, the Immigration Bureau, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Labour, jointly organized press conference on the SMART Visa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Royal Thai Government hopes that the SMART Visa, which will come into effect on 1 Februaiy 2018, will encourage foreign talents and investors to invest in the 10 targeted industries of Thailand. It is hoped that it will enhance knowledge transfer and increase the competitiveness of Thailand in the global economy.
The SMART Visa is a new type of visa specially designed to encourage highly-skilled professionals and talents to work or invest in the 10 targeted S-Curve industries, namely (1) next-generation automotive, (2) smart electronics, (3) affluent, medical and wellness tourism, (4) agriculture and biotechnology, (5) food for the future, (6) robotics, (7) aviation and logistics, (8) biofuels and biochemicals, (9) digital, and (10) medical hub.
The four categories of people who are eligible to apply for SMART Visa are (1) Talent (2) Investor (3) Executive (4) Startup and (5) Others (i.e. legal dependents, namely spouse and children, if any).
The SMART Visa provides more benefits and privileges than any other types of visa. These benefits include:
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Visa validity up to 4 years (instead of the usual 1 year)
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No requirement of work permit
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Extension of reporting of stay to Immigration Bureau - from every 90-day to every year
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The right of legal dependents (spouse and children) of the SMART Visa holder to live and work in Thailand equivalent to SMART visa holder (only SMART T type allows dependents of SMART Visa holder to work in Thailand).