Thailand THB 3 Million Property-Linked Longstay Visa Applications Suspended
Thailand Longstay Management Co., Ltd. has temporarily suspended the submission of new applications and extensions under Thailand’s THB 3 million property-linked Longstay Investment Visa while the Immigration Bureau clarifies its current policies and procedures.
The pause follows a recent change in senior management at the Immigration Bureau.
Crucially, the programme has not been cancelled. Thai Longstay told members on 3 October 2026 that it has not received official notification of any revised eligibility criteria, investment thresholds or procedures.
Existing members whose current permission to stay is approaching expiry will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis while Thai Longstay coordinates with Immigration.
For property buyers, the immediate implication is straightforward: the THB 3 million route still exists publicly, but buyers should not currently assume that a new application or extension can be submitted until further clarification is issued.
Thailand Longstay Visa Suspension: Key Takeaways
- Applications are temporarily paused: Thai Longstay has suspended submission of new applications and extensions under the THB 3 million property-linked Longstay Investment Visa.
- The programme has not been cancelled: No revised investment threshold, eligibility criteria or termination of the programme has been announced.
- The pause follows an Immigration Bureau management change: Thai Longstay is waiting for clarification on the policies and procedures that will apply going forward.
- Existing members are still being supported: Cases where permission to stay is approaching expiry will be reviewed individually.
- Membership and immigration permission are separate: Current information provided to Alestria shows a 20-year operator membership, while the visa itself is renewed in 12-month periods.
- Current fees are THB 6,000 for membership and THB 27,000 per 12-month visa period: The visa fee is therefore recurring even though the operator membership is long term.
- Buyers should not rely on immediate visa approval: Anyone purchasing primarily for this immigration route should wait for clarification if the visa is essential to their decision.
Are Thailand’s THB 3 Million Longstay Visa Applications Suspended or Cancelled?
Applications are temporarily suspended; the programme has not been announced as cancelled.
Thai Longstay Management informed members on 3 October that it is temporarily unable to submit new Longstay Investment Visa applications or applications for extensions of stay while Immigration Bureau procedures are clarified.
The company says it has not received any official notification of revised policies, criteria or procedures.
Thai Longstay’s current public programme page still describes the Longstay Investment Visa (Non-B) and continues to list qualifying Thai real-estate investment of at least THB 3 million — approximately £67,800 / US$89,600. Qualifying structures currently include registered condominium purchases and certain leasehold and Sap-Ing-Sitthi arrangements.
So, as of 3 October 2026, the most accurate position is: the application process is paused pending clarification, rather than the THB 3 million route having been withdrawn.
Why Has Thailand Temporarily Suspended Longstay Investment Visa Applications?
According to the member notice, the immediate trigger is a change in senior management at the Immigration Bureau. Thai Longstay does not itself determine whether an applicant receives permission to stay.
Its role is to review applicant information, qualifying property investment and supporting documentation before coordinating the application process. Final approval of visas and extensions remains with the Immigration Bureau.
Thai Longstay has longstanding links with the Immigration Bureau and other Thai government bodies, and its current corporate information describes its role as helping applicants navigate immigration procedures rather than acting as the decision-making authority.
The temporary pause therefore appears to be an operational response to uncertainty over how the programme will be administered under the Immigration Bureau’s new senior management.
Rather than continuing to submit applications under procedures that may be about to change, Thai Longstay is waiting for formal clarification.
What Does the Suspension Mean for Existing Thai Longstay Members?
Existing members have not been told that their membership has been cancelled or that the programme has ended.
However, this situation highlights an important distinction between the Thai Longstay operator membership and the immigration permission itself.
Current fee information provided to Alestria in October 2026 for a live applicant shows:
| Item | Current Fee | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| Thai Longstay operator membership | THB 6,000 Approx. £136 / US$179 |
One-time payment, valid for 20 years |
| Visa fee | THB 27,000 Approx. £610 / US$806 |
Each 12-month visa period |
This makes the structure much clearer. The membership may last for 20 years, but that does not mean Immigration issues an unconditional 20-year permission to stay. The visa operates in 12-month periods, with continuing immigration approval required.
That is why the present suspension also affects extensions: existing members may have long-term membership rights with Thai Longstay while still relying on Immigration to approve each subsequent period of stay.
Thai Longstay has specifically said that where a member’s current permission to stay is approaching expiry, it will review the circumstances and coordinate an appropriate course of action case by case.
Existing members should therefore not assume that their status has ended, but nor should they assume their next extension will proceed automatically while the suspension remains in place.
Does the Suspension Affect the 20-Year Thai Longstay Membership?
There is currently no indication that the 20-year operator membership itself has been withdrawn. The present uncertainty concerns the Immigration Bureau’s policies and procedures for approving applications and extensions.
That is an important distinction for buyers who may have chosen the programme partly because of its long-term structure. The current situation does demonstrate that a long-term programme membership and a government-issued immigration permission are not the same thing.
Even where an operator membership lasts 20 years, immigration rules can be reviewed or amended during that period. That does not necessarily mean the programme is unreliable.
There are several reasons the current announcement provides some reassurance:
Thai Longstay has described the suspension as temporary.
It says no revised criteria or procedures have yet been officially communicated.
It has not announced the termination of existing memberships.
Members approaching visa expiry are being dealt with individually rather than simply being left without support.
The official public-facing programme information continues to describe the THB 3 million property route.
None of that guarantees that the rules will remain unchanged, but it is materially different from an announcement that the programme has been discontinued.
For anyone considering a long-term visa arrangement, the sensible assumption should always be that government immigration policy can evolve over time, even where the associated membership or investment is long term.
What Does the Visa Suspension Mean for New Thailand Property Buyers?
For somebody currently considering a qualifying property purchase, the position is more straightforward. If obtaining the Longstay Investment Visa is essential to the purchase, the buyer should not commit on the assumption that an application can currently be submitted under the existing process.
There is no confirmed date for submissions to resume, and Immigration may ultimately clarify the process without changing the underlying rules, or it may introduce revised requirements.
Buyers therefore need to distinguish between: a property they genuinely want to own, and a property they are purchasing principally to obtain the visa.
If the home makes sense independently for retirement, relocation, investment or personal use, the temporary pause may not fundamentally change the property decision.
But if the entire purchase depends on securing immigration status through the THB 3 million route, waiting for formal clarification would reduce the risk of relying on a process that is temporarily unavailable.
Our guide to Can Foreigners Buy Property in Thailand explains the property ownership rules separately from immigration status.
What If You Have Already Bought a THB 3 Million Qualifying Property?
The October notice does not say that previously qualifying property purchases have become invalid. Thai Longstay’s current public criteria still require qualifying real-estate investment of at least THB 3 million — approximately £67,800 / US$89,600 for the purchase route.
However, somebody who has bought qualifying property but has not yet completed their visa application may now have to wait until submissions resume.
Anyone in this position should keep their documentation complete and remain in contact with Thai Longstay or the programme partner coordinating their case.
The notice gives particular reassurance to applicants whose existing immigration permission is approaching expiry, because Thai Longstay has said those cases will be reviewed individually.
It does not, however, state that the temporary suspension itself extends anyone’s current permitted stay.
Could Thailand Change the THB 3 Million Visa Rules?
Yes, Thai Longstay is explicitly waiting for clarification of the policies and procedures that will apply after the Immigration Bureau management change.
That means several outcomes remain possible, the existing process could resume unchanged, alternatively, Immigration could introduce revised documentation requirements, application procedures or eligibility conditions.
The investment threshold itself could theoretically be reviewed, although there has been no announcement that the current THB 3 million requirement is changing.
Until the authorities clarify the position, it would be equally unhelpful to claim that major changes are coming or to promise that nothing will change.
The current public programme criteria remain unchanged, but the operational application process is temporarily paused.
When Will Thailand Longstay Visa Applications Resume?
No reopening date has been announced. Thai Longstay says it is continuing to coordinate with the relevant authorities and will notify members once the Immigration Bureau provides clear policies or procedures. The suspension could therefore prove relatively short, or clarification could take longer.
Alestria will update this article as soon as Thai Longstay or the relevant authorities confirm the next steps.
What Should Buyers and Existing Members Do Now?
The appropriate response depends on where someone is in the process.
Existing members approaching visa expiry should contact Thai Longstay promptly so their case can be reviewed individually.
Buyers who have already completed a qualifying purchase but have not submitted their visa application should maintain their documentation and wait for confirmation of the revised submission process.
Buyers considering a property primarily because of the visa should avoid relying on immediate visa availability until the Immigration Bureau position is clarified.
Buyers who want the property regardless of the visa can continue assessing the purchase on its own merits, while treating the immigration benefit as temporarily uncertain.
For anyone evaluating alternative long-term immigration routes, Thailand also offers retirement visas, Thailand Privilege and other long-stay options depending on age, finances and personal circumstances.
Does This Affect Thailand's Other Long-Stay Visa Options?
The temporary suspension applies specifically to the Thai Longstay property-investment route and should not be interpreted as a wider suspension of Thailand's long-stay visa system.
Thailand continues to operate several established routes for people wishing to live in the country long term, including retirement visas, Thailand Privilege, the Destination Thailand Visa and the Long-Term Resident Visa.
These programmes operate under different frameworks and eligibility requirements from the THB 3 million property-linked scheme.
The property-linked route is considerably newer than Thailand's established retirement and membership-based visa programmes, so some evolution in its administrative procedures would not be unusual as the framework becomes more widely used.
The current pause appears to concern clarification of how that specific programme should be administered following changes within the Immigration Bureau, rather than a broader review of long-stay immigration.
Visa rules can, of course, change over time. Financial thresholds, supporting documents and application procedures have been revised across a number of Thai visa programmes in the past.
However, there is currently no indication that the temporary suspension of the property-linked route reflects wider instability across Thailand's other principal long-stay visas.
For someone concerned about relying on a visa for a long-term move, the important distinction is between changes to individual programme rules and the overall availability of long-term immigration options. Thailand continues to provide several different routes, meaning prospective residents are not dependent on this one scheme alone.
Our Thailand Retirement Visa guide explains the principal retirement and long-stay alternatives, while our Thailand Privilege Visa guide covers the membership-based programme.
The property-linked route is considerably newer than Thailand's established retirement and membership-based visa programmes, so some evolution in its administrative procedures would not be unusual as the framework becomes more widely used.
Thailand THB 3 Million Longstay Visa: Current Position
The important point is not to confuse temporary uncertainty with cancellation.
As of 3 October 2026:
Thai Longstay has temporarily stopped submitting new applications and extensions;
the pause follows a change in Immigration Bureau senior management;
no revised investment threshold or eligibility criteria have been announced;
the programme has not been formally cancelled;
the current Thai Longstay website still lists the THB 3 million property route;
existing members approaching expiry are being handled individually; and
no date has yet been given for submissions to resume.
For prospective buyers, the sensible approach is therefore to avoid assuming the visa is currently available while also avoiding premature conclusions that the programme has ended.
Alestria will continue to monitor the situation and update this guide when further official information becomes available.
For a full explanation of the original programme structure, eligibility criteria and qualifying property rules, see our Thailand Long Stay Visa via Property Investment: The THB 3 Million Route Explained.
Need Help With Thailand's Property-Linked Longstay Visa?
If you're considering Thailand's property-linked Longstay Visa, already own a qualifying property or are concerned about how the current suspension may affect your plans, Alestria can help you understand the current position and your available options.
For clients purchasing qualifying property through Alestria, support with the property-linked Longstay Visa process is provided complimentary as part of our wider service. We can also assist buyers who have purchased elsewhere for a small separate fee.
If the property-linked route is no longer the best fit for your circumstances, we can also introduce you to specialist English-speaking immigration partners in Thailand for advice on alternative visa options such as retirement visas, Thailand Privilege, the Destination Thailand Visa or the LTR Visa.
If you'd like to discuss the current changes or your longer-term residency options, get in touch for a complimentary initial consultation.
Thailand Longstay Visa Suspension: FAQs
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No. Thai Longstay has temporarily suspended the submission of new applications and extensions while the Immigration Bureau clarifies current policies and procedures. No formal cancellation of the programme has been announced.
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Thai Longstay says the pause follows a recent change in senior management at the Immigration Bureau. It is waiting for clarification on the policies and procedures that will apply before submitting further applications.
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Not currently through Thai Longstay. New applications and extensions have been temporarily paused until Immigration Bureau procedures are clarified.
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No change has been announced. Thai Longstay's current public programme information still lists qualifying property investment of at least THB 3 million — approximately £67,800 / US$89,600 for the property purchase route.
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Existing memberships have not been announced as cancelled. Thai Longstay says members whose current permission to stay is approaching expiry will be reviewed individually and an appropriate course of action coordinated on a case-by-case basis.
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Current information provided to Alestria shows the operator membership is valid for 20 years following a one-time fee of THB 6,000 — approximately £136 / US$179. However, the immigration permission itself is not issued for 20 uninterrupted years.
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Current information provided to Alestria shows the visa fee is THB 27,000 — approximately £610 / US$806 — for each 12-month period. This means the long-term membership and the individual periods of immigration permission are separate.
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No. The operator membership may remain valid for 20 years, but immigration permission is issued and renewed separately and remains subject to Immigration Bureau approval and the rules applying at the relevant time.
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The suspension notice does not state that previously qualifying purchases have become invalid. However, if your visa application has not yet been submitted, you may need to wait until submissions resume.
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If the visa is essential to your purchase decision, it is sensible to wait for further clarification before relying on the current application process. If you would want the property regardless of the visa, the purchase can still be assessed on its own merits.
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No reopening date has been announced. Thai Longstay says it is coordinating with the relevant authorities and will inform members once the Immigration Bureau provides clear policies or procedures.
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Yes. Depending on age, finances and personal circumstances, alternatives can include Thailand's retirement visa routes, Thailand Privilege, the Destination Thailand Visa and the Long-Term Resident Visa.
