Thailand visas for property buyers: what a purchase gives you and the real options for staying

Buying a flat or villa in Thailand does not give you the right to live there. A Polish buyer enters as a tourist, and since 15 September 2026 that means 30 days, not 60. Anyone who wants to spend a winter in Phuket, or to move for good, needs a visa that has little to do with the title deed. The one exception is the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa, which does have a property route, at a high threshold. This guide sets out the real options as of October 2026, what each requires, and which one fits which kind of buyer. The facts come from law-firm, embassy and news summaries. Thai immigration rules change often, so check the official source (embassy, e-visa portal, Board of Investment) before you apply.

What a purchase does and does not give you

• It does not give residency, a visa or a work permit. A freehold condo or a registered lease is a property right, not an immigration status.
• It counts in one place only: the LTR visa accepts a qualifying property as the required investment (see below).
• It does not make you a Thai tax resident. Your days in the country do.

For the buying side (quota, prices, closing costs) see Buying property in Thailand: prices, yield and what a foreigner can own.

Visa-free entry: 30 days from 15 September 2026

Between 15 July 2024 and 14 September 2026 Polish citizens could enter Thailand for 60 days without a visa. Under Ministry of Interior announcements published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026, the exemption for about 60 countries, Poland among them, is now 30 days. It covers tourism only; the earlier allowance for short business activity has been narrowed. Reported details: one extension of up to 30 days at an immigration office, at the officer's discretion (the fee has long been 1,900 baht, but confirm the current amount), and no more than two uses per calendar year for entries by land.

In practice that is two months at most, and only if the extension is granted. A winter season of three or four months does not fit inside it, and remote work does not either.

Options for staying longer

• Destination Thailand Visa (DTV). A five-year, multiple-entry visa with up to 180 days per entry and a government fee of 10,000 baht. It is built for remote workers, for "soft power" activities (Thai boxing training, cooking courses, sports, medical treatment, events) and for their dependants. You show 500,000 baht in a personal bank account, and in 2026 consulates are reported to want it seasoned for about three months. Applications go through the e-visa portal. The catch: the soft-power track now needs an invitation from a recognised organiser, and the balance is shown again if you extend inside Thailand. It is not tied to property. Best for several months a year, with work or training.
• Long-Term Resident (LTR). A 10-year visa run by the Board of Investment, fee 50,000 baht, up to four dependants, airport fast track. Wealthy Global Citizen: global assets of at least USD 1 million. Wealthy Pensioner: age 50 or more and USD 80,000 a year of pension or fixed income, or USD 40,000 a year plus USD 250,000 invested in Thailand. Property counts as the investment: according to the BOI announcement of 4 February 2025, USD 500,000 (global citizen) or USD 250,000 (pensioner) in a freehold condo, building or villa, or in a lease with at least 10 years left. The global-citizen category carries an exemption from Thai tax on foreign income brought in, under conditions. The catch: the sums are large, and we could not find how long the property must be held or what happens when you sell. Get that in writing from the BOI or a Thai lawyer before choosing a property for the visa.
• Retirement visas. The Non-Immigrant O-A is for age 50 and over, valid for one year and renewable inside Thailand. You show 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account in your name, or an income of 65,000 baht a month, or a combination that adds up to 800,000 baht a year. For a first application the deposit is reported to need about two months of seasoning, and health insurance is required. The O-X lasts ten years but needs 3 million baht (or 1.8 million plus 1.2 million of annual income) and is open only to certain nationalities; we did not verify whether Poland is on that list. A condo does not count toward the 800,000 baht.
• Thailand Privilege. A paid membership with no income test, no age limit and no link to property. The Bronze tier (650,000 baht) closed to new applicants on 30 September 2026. Since 1 October the entry level is Gold at 900,000 baht for five years, then Platinum at 1.5 million (10 years), Diamond at 2.5 million (15 years) and Reserve at 5 million (20 years). The catch: it is a fee for a visa, not an investment, so there is nothing to sell later.

Which option fits which Polish buyer

• Winters in Phuket, two to four months a year, working remotely: the DTV.
• Retired, 50 or over, long stays: the O-A, or the LTR for pensioners if you have the income and put USD 250,000 or more into Thai property.
• An investor already planning a property of USD 500,000 or more: the LTR global-citizen route can combine purchase and visa, once the holding conditions are confirmed.
• No wish to prove income or age: Privilege, at a price.
• Buying as a rental investment and living in Poland: no visa is needed, you visit on the 30-day exemption.

A purchase of USD 250,000 to 500,000 does not buy a visa by itself. Decide on the visa first, then on the property.

Reporting, address and tax residency

• 90-day report (form TM.47). If you stay more than 90 consecutive days on a long-stay visa or extension, you notify immigration of your address every 90 days. Filing is free online and opens 15 days before the due date; a missed report is reported to cost 2,000 baht.
• TM.30. The owner of a home must notify immigration within 24 hours of a foreigner staying there, with a fine of up to 2,000 baht. One source says a foreigner who owns and lives in their own condo generally does not need to repeat it for themselves. If you let to foreign tenants, you or your manager files it.
• Tax residency. 180 days or more in a calendar year makes you a Thai tax resident. Since 1 January 2024 a Thai tax resident's foreign income is taxable in Thailand when it is brought into the country, whichever year it was earned. A long stay on a DTV or retirement visa can therefore pull your Polish salary, pension or dividends into Thai tax if you transfer them. Poland and Thailand have a double-tax treaty (signed in 1978, in force since 1983); rental income from property is taxable where the property stands. How the Polish side then relieves the double charge, and whether you stay a Polish tax resident (in general by centre of vital interests or more than 183 days in Poland), is a question for a Polish tax adviser. Rental tax in Thailand is covered in the yield and prices guide.

FAQ

Can I buy a condo while on a tourist entry? Yes. Buying needs the money-transfer paperwork and a quota check, not a visa. See the due diligence and scam checklist.

Does owning a condo extend my stay? No. Your permitted stay is set by the visa or exemption stamp, not by ownership.

Is the 60-day visa-free stay coming back? Not as of 7 October 2026. The rules changed several times in 2024 to 2026, so check before you book a long trip.

Can I get the LTR by buying in Phuket? Possibly, if you meet the category's other criteria and the property meets the BOI conditions. Treat it as a project with a lawyer, not as a by-product of a purchase.

How we help

We start from the stay you actually want, a few weeks, a season or a move, and then shortlist property in Phuket and elsewhere on the Thailand page that fits both the plan and the budget. We do not process visas and we are not a law firm; for the visa itself we work with independent Thai immigration lawyers. This article is informational and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm them with the embassy or a licensed Thai lawyer.