Tourism operators in Phuket view the minimum property price of 3 million baht as too low to obtain a one‑year visa. According to the Immigration Bureau, since Oct 1, 2025, foreigners who bought a condo worth a minimum of 3 million baht or rent housing for at least 85,000 baht per month are eligible to apply for a one-year long-stay visa. According to Thailand Longstay Management, which backed the one-year long-stay visa, the measure aims to lift the property sector through foreign investors. The company helps screen application documents for the Immigration Bureau, and insists that foreigners with criminal backgrounds will be denied long-stay visas. In some countries booming tourism and short-term property rentals have led to protests by locals, who blame them for surging housing prices.

Source: Bangkok Post February 18, 2026 06:06 UTC