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What visa do I need to move to Thailand with my family for a year?

By DigiTao editorial.

A year is an awkward length in Thailand. Visa exempt and tourist entries are too short, residence routes are built for high earners, retirees or big budgets, and the DTV sits in the middle at 180 days per entry.

The four realistic routes

RouteCost for a family of fourStayThe catch
DTV, main applicant plus three dependants40,000 THB in visa fees180 days per entry, one extension of up to 180 days500,000 THB in funds for the main applicant, and a police certificate
LTR, main applicant plus up to four dependants200,000 THB (50,000 THB per person when collected in Thailand)Five years, renewable for five more, with a one-year report instead of the 90-day one80,000 USD average annual income and a qualifying employer
Education visa for a child, guardian visa for a parent1,900 THB per ED extension90 days on entry, then extensions tied to the courseA school recognised by the Ministry of Education, and the guardian visa carries no work rights
Thailand Privilege650,000 THB per person on BronzeOne-year stay per entrySold per person, and family eligibility starts at the Platinum tier

How a DTV year runs

Each entry gives up to 180 days. The London embassy describes one extension of up to 180 days at a Thai immigration office, but the Thailand visa options guide reports refusals at some offices, so we would plan around one family trip out of the country in the middle of the year and treat the extension as a bonus.

What to check before you book anything

  1. Your spouse and children apply separately, after your own DTV is approved, and each pays the full 10,000 THB fee. Marriage and birth certificates are the core evidence, and names must match across every document.
  2. Since 31 August 2026 each applicant needs a police clearance certificate issued within six months of submission. Dependants under 16 may use the main applicant's certificate; anyone aged 16 to 19 needs their own.
  3. Schooling and the visa are separate decisions. A DTV does not enrol anyone, and a school place does not extend anyone's stay unless the child is on an education visa.
  4. About 180 days in Thailand in a calendar year makes you a Thai tax resident, which for a twelve month stay is close to unavoidable. The Thai tax guide explains what that means for money you bring in.

For the dependant paperwork in detail, read can my spouse and kids come with me on a DTV, and Visa Check shows how long each route lets you stay.

Sources

  1. Royal Thai Embassy London, Destination Thailand Visa (DTV3 for the spouse and children under 20 of a DTV holder, 180 days per entry, one extension of up to 180 days, police certificate issued within six months), accessed .
  2. ThaiLawOnline, DTV requirements (spouse and unmarried children under 20 apply after the principal's approval, 10,000 THB each, matching names on certificates), accessed .
  3. Erickson Immigration Group, Thailand updates DTV document requirements (police certificate from 31 August 2026, dependants under 16 may use the primary holder's certificate), accessed .
  4. Thailand Board of Investment, LTR visa (80,000 USD income, 50,000 THB per person collected in Thailand, up to four dependants, five plus five years, one-year report), accessed .
  5. Thailand Starter Kit, education visa (90 days on entry, 1,900 THB per extension, Ministry of Education recognition, Non-Immigrant O guardian visa per child with no work rights), accessed .
  6. Thailand Elite Net, Thailand Privilege for digital nomads (Bronze 650,000 THB per person, one-year stay per entry, Platinum the cheapest family-eligible tier), accessed .

Facts in this answer last verified .

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