The SMART visa is the Board of Investment's visa for founders of certified startups in Thailand. In October 2026 its official site offers only two types: SMART "S" for the founder, a renewable visa of up to two years with no separate work permit, and SMART "O" for the founder's spouse and children.
Many websites still describe the SMART visa as a four-year visa with categories for talent, investors, executives and startups. That is out of date. The Board of Investment (BOI) site no longer lists the talent (T), investor (I) and executive (E) types in its menu, and its online application asks you to apply for "S 2-year, and O if any". Experts, executives and investors now usually look at the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa instead; that is our reading of the two programs, not a BOI statement.
This page explains who can get SMART S, what it gives, what it costs and how it compares with the LTR and the DTV. It is based on the BOI's SMART Visa site as read on 27 October 2026. It is not legal or tax advice: rules change, and your own case should be checked with the SMART Visa Unit and, where money or a company structure is involved, a licensed Thai lawyer or accountant.
SMART S visa at a glance (October 2026)
- Run by
- Board of Investment (BOI) SMART Visa Unit, with the Immigration Bureau
- Types offered
- SMART S (startup founder); SMART O (spouse and children of an S holder)
- Length
- Up to 2 years, renewable
- Money
- At least 600,000 baht on deposit for 3 months, plus 180,000 baht for each family member
- Work permit
- Not needed for work in the certified business
- Address report
- Once a year instead of every 90 days
- Fee
- 10,000 baht per year of permission to stay, cash; the BOI endorsement is free
- Official site
- smart-visa.boi.go.th
From four SMART categories to one
When the program started on 1 February 2018, it had several categories for different kinds of foreign talent. The BOI site still carries traces of that: its homepage text mentions a "maximum 4-year permission to stay", and old pages for the T, I and E types can still be found if you know the address. But those pages have been taken out of the site's menu, and the only category page that is live describes SMART S, with a visa of up to two years.
We could not find the BOI notice that closed the other categories, or its date, and we could not confirm whether people who already hold a T, I or E visa can renew it. If that is your situation, ask the SMART Visa Unit directly (contact details below) before your visa runs out.
The "four-year SMART visa" is no longer on offer. Any agent or article selling a SMART T for experts or a SMART I for investors is describing a category the BOI site no longer lists. Check the current categories on smart-visa.boi.go.th before you pay anyone for help.
Who qualifies for SMART S
SMART S is for foreigners who have already set up a startup company in Thailand. It is not a visa for people who are still looking for an idea or a co-founder. According to the BOI, you need all of the following:
- A certified startup. The company must be certified as working in one of the BOI's targeted industries by an agency such as the National Innovation Agency (NIA) or the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa).
- A real stake. You hold at least 25% of the registered capital, or you are a director of the company.
- Money on deposit. At least 600,000 baht in a bank account in Thailand or your home country, held for at least three months.
- Health insurance covering the whole of your stay.
The deposit is a fixed amount, not an income test. Unlike the LTR, SMART S has no minimum salary on the current category page.
The targeted industries
The certification has to place your business in one of the industries the BOI wants to attract. The site's text speaks of "S-Curve" industries, but the list it shows is longer than that number suggests, so we give examples rather than a count. They include digital technology, medical and health, automation and robotics, logistics, aviation and space, agriculture, food and biotechnology, the circular economy, environment and renewable energy, and the startup ecosystem itself.
If your business does not clearly fit, talk to the certifying agency first. A SMART application without the certification will not get past the first step.
What SMART S gives you
The BOI lists these privileges for SMART S holders:
- a visa and permission to stay of up to two years, which can be renewed;
- no work permit for work in the certified business (if you change jobs, you need a new endorsement);
- a yearly address report at the One Stop Service Center instead of the usual 90-day report;
- no need for a re-entry permit when you leave and come back;
- airport fast-track lanes where they are available.
The work-permit point is the main difference from an ordinary job in Thailand. Someone employed by a Thai company normally needs a Non-Immigrant B visa and a separate work permit; our guide to the work permit and Non-B visa explains that route. SMART S covers your work only inside the certified startup. Taking other paid work in Thailand would need its own permission.
The SMART visa itself carries no published tax benefit. If you spend 180 days or more a year in Thailand, read our page on tax residency and foreign income and ask an accountant about your own position.
SMART O: spouse and children
SMART O is the family visa for the spouse and children of a SMART S holder. Children must be under 20. For each family member, the BOI asks for another 180,000 baht on deposit, also held for three months, and health insurance. Family members get the same length of stay as the main holder.
One privilege stands out: the spouse of a SMART S holder may work in Thailand without a work permit, according to the BOI's SMART S page. This is unusual among Thai visas. Check the exact conditions with the SMART Visa Unit before the spouse signs a contract.
How to apply, and what it costs
- Register online at smart-visa.boi.go.th and upload your documents as PDF files.
- Wait for the endorsement. The SMART Visa Unit notifies the result at least 30 working days after it has a complete file. The endorsement is free.
- Use the endorsement letter within 60 days. Apply for the visa through Thailand's e-Visa system if you are abroad, or at the Immigration counter in the Thailand Investment and Expat Services Center (TIESC), 6th and 7th floors of One Bangkok (near MRT Lumphini), if you are in Thailand.
- Pay the visa fee: 10,000 baht per year of permission to stay, in cash.
The SMART Visa Unit is at TIESC, PARADE zone, Rama IV Road, Bangkok. It lists smartvisa@boi.go.th and +66 2209 1109 / 1110 as contacts (October 2026). Health insurance is required for the whole stay; our guide to health insurance for expats explains what to look for in a policy.
SMART vs LTR vs DTV
The three visas solve different problems. The table puts the main facts side by side, as each program's official pages described them in October 2026. The LTR page and the DTV page on this site explain their own rules in full; we only summarize here.
| SMART S | LTR | DTV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Founders of a certified startup in Thailand | Wealthy people, pensioners, remote workers for large firms, highly skilled professionals | Remote workers, freelancers, soft-power courses (Muay Thai, cooking) |
| Run by | BOI | BOI | Ministry of Foreign Affairs (e-Visa) |
| Length | Up to 2 years, renewable | 5 years + 5 | 5-year visa, 180 days per entry |
| Money test | ฿600,000 deposit for 3 months | Mainly income (USD 80,000 a year in the main categories) | ฿500,000 savings |
| Work in Thailand | In the certified startup, no work permit | Digital work permit (not in the remote-worker category) | Not a work permit; for foreign employers or clients |
| Address report | Yearly | Yearly | Every 90 days |
| Spouse may work | Yes, without a work permit (BOI) | See the LTR rules | No published right |
| Visa fee | ฿10,000 per year | ฿50,000 in Thailand | Set by each embassy |
In short: SMART S suits someone who has actually built a Thai startup and wants to run it without a work-permit process. The LTR suits people with high incomes or assets. The Destination Thailand Visa suits remote workers whose clients and employers are abroad. If none of these fit and you simply want a long stay with a membership fee, the Thailand Privilege visa is another route.
A small program, so expect questions
The BOI's own statistics show 2,558 SMART visa recipients from the start of the program on 1 February 2018 to 31 July 2026, across all the categories that existed in that time. That is a small number for an eight-year program, and it means some immigration officers and bank staff will rarely have seen a SMART visa. Keep the BOI endorsement letter and your company certification with your passport, and allow extra time for routine tasks such as opening a bank account.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Thailand SMART visa still valid for four years?
Not for new applicants. The BOI's SMART site now offers only SMART S, a renewable visa of up to two years, and SMART O for family members. The four-year wording on its homepage is left over from the older categories, which have been removed from the site's menu (October 2026).
Do SMART visa holders need a work permit?
No, not for work in the certified startup. The BOI says SMART S holders need no work permit for that work, and a new endorsement is needed if the job changes. The spouse of a SMART S holder may also work without a work permit, according to the BOI.
Do SMART visa holders have to do 90-day reporting?
The 90-day report is replaced by a yearly report at the One Stop Service Center, according to the BOI's SMART S page. Ask the SMART Visa Unit how and where to file it in your case.
How much money do I need for a SMART S visa?
At least 600,000 baht on deposit, in Thailand or your home country, held for at least three months, plus 180,000 baht for each accompanying spouse or child. The visa fee is 10,000 baht for each year of permission to stay, paid in cash.
What happened to SMART T, SMART I and SMART E?
They are no longer listed on the BOI's SMART Visa site, and the application asks only for SMART S and, if needed, SMART O. We could not find the official notice or confirm the renewal rules for existing holders, so ask the SMART Visa Unit.
Sources
- Board of Investment – SMART Visa home page and contacts (checked October 2026)
- Board of Investment – About the SMART Visa and targeted industries (checked October 2026)
- Board of Investment – SMART S: qualifications and privileges (checked October 2026)
- Board of Investment – SMART O: spouse and children (checked October 2026)
- Board of Investment – SMART Visa issuance and fee (checked October 2026)
- Board of Investment – SMART Visa FAQ (checked October 2026)
- Board of Investment – SMART Visa statistics (checked October 2026)
- Board of Investment – Long-Term Resident Visa (checked October 2026)
- Thai e-Visa – Destination Thailand Visa (checked October 2026)