A special long-stay visa from the Board of Investment (BOI) for high-value foreigners working in or investing in Thailand’s targeted (S-curve) industries. Its defining benefit is that it bundles the stay permit and work authorisation into one credential — no separate work permit for endorsed roles — plus annual reporting and no re-entry permit. Five sub-types: T (Talent), I (Investor), E (Executive), S (Startup), O (Dependants).
- Duration
- T / I / E: up to 4 years, renewable but not exceeding the employment/service contract term. S (Startup): initially shorter, then a maximum renewable 2-year visa. O (Dependants): same duration as the primary holder.
- Extensions
- Renewable subject to continued endorsement and remaining within the qualifying role/investment; periodic re-qualification applies.
- Financial requirement
- T (Talent): salary ≥ 100,000 THB/month (reduced to ≥ 50,000 THB/month for startup employees or endorsed retired experts). E (Executive): salary ≥ 200,000 THB/month. I (Investor): investment ≥ USD 500,000 in BOI-approved activities/funds (confirm exact current threshold with BOI). S (Startup): ≥ 600,000 THB held for ≥ 3 months, plus health insurance (as of 2026-05-24).
- Fees
- The official SMART Visa fee schedule was not confirmed against a primary source in this review — verify the current fee with BOI / the One Stop Service Center before relying on any figure.
- Processing time
- BOI agency endorsement is the gating step, after which the visa is issued. Published turnaround is unconfirmed — verify against the official portal.
Who it’s for
- T (Talent): highly skilled science/technology professionals in an endorsed targeted-industry role
- I (Investor): foreign investors putting capital into BOI-approved companies or funds
- E (Executive): senior executives/managers at companies in targeted industries
- S (Startup): founders establishing a startup in a targeted industry
- O (Dependants): spouse and legitimate children of a primary SMART Visa holder
Key documents
- Passport
- Endorsement/qualification letter from the relevant Thai agency for the targeted-industry role/investment
- Proof of salary/investment/deposit meeting the category threshold
- Employment or service contract (T/E), company/investment documents (I/S), education + experience evidence (E)
- Health insurance covering the stay
Staying compliant
- No separate work permit required for the endorsed company/agency — work authorisation is built into the visa
- Annual (1-year) reporting at the One Stop Service Center, replacing 90-day reporting
- No re-entry permit required
- Status depends on remaining in the endorsed role/investment; loss of endorsement can end the visa
Recent changes
- The five-category framework (work-permit exemption, annual reporting) remained the established model into 2026; no major structural change captured.
- Whether the May 2026 BOI target-industry broadening (which affected the LTR Highly-Skilled category) also widened SMART eligibility is unconfirmed — verify before relying on any claim of expanded SMART eligibility.
Common pitfalls
- Assuming SMART = automatic work rights for any job — it only covers the endorsed role/company in a targeted industry
- Missing the agency endorsement, which is a prerequisite before the visa is issued
- Salary/investment/deposit below the category threshold
- E-category applicants lacking the 10-years’-experience requirement
- Company/role not genuinely within a BOI targeted industry
Need a hand working out your next step?
We don’t process this one ourselves, but a licensed partner agent can. You can also check whether another visa fits you better.