Smart S (Startup founder) × Chinese passport (PRC) — Startup visa (1-yr initial → 2-yr extension) for founders in the 13 targeted industries — graduates to Smart T/E · Statute Royal Decree on Smart Visa B.E. 2561 (2018) §3(4)
Startup visa (1-yr initial → 2-yr extension) for founders in the 13 targeted industries — graduates to Smart T/E For Chinese passport (PRC) applicants นักลงทุน/เจ้าของบริษัท/นักเรียนจีนในไทย (Elite Visa, LTR, ผู้ปกครองนักเรียน) — NYC Visa secures the DEPA · NIA · DITP-accredited accelerators endorsement, files at the OSS Smart Visa Unit (Chamchuri Square), and handles company incorporation if needed.
Criteria: Bank deposit ≥ สอบถามเจ้าหน้าที่เพื่อรับใบเสนอราคา (6-mo expenses for self + family) · Health insurance ≥ สอบถามเจ้าหน้าที่เพื่อรับใบเสนอราคา · Endorsed Accelerator/Incubator by DEPA or NIA, OR ≥ สอบถามเจ้าหน้าที่เพื่อรับใบเสนอราคาK seed funding · Must form a Thai company within 1 yr, hold ≥ 25% shares, registered capital ≥ สอบถามเจ้าหน้าที่เพื่อรับใบเสนอราคาK — Government fee THB 10,000
Benefits: 1-yr initial + 2-yr extensions (max 2 yrs per cycle) · No Work Permit · Access to DEPA/NIA Sandbox programs · Spouse + children get Smart O dependent
Targeted S-Curve industries: Next-Gen Automotive · Smart Electronics · Affluent/Medical/Wellness Tourism · Agriculture & Biotech · Food for the Future · Robotics · Aviation & Logistics · Biofuels & Biochemicals · Digital · Medical Hub · Defense · Human Resource Development · Alternative Dispute Resolution
Common pitfall for Chinese passport (PRC) files: Common pitfall: failing to incorporate within 12 months — Smart S is auto-revoked and not renewable
Best fit: Tech startup founders setting Thailand HQ · Y Combinator / 500 Startups alumni · SaaS builders selling into SEA — typically paired with BoI Promotion, company incorporation, and Smart O dependents.
Bank deposit ≥ สอบถามเจ้าหน้าที่เพื่อรับใบเสนอราคา (6-mo expenses for self + family) · Health insurance ≥ สอบถามเจ้าหน้าที่เพื่อรับใบเสนอราคา · Endorsed Accelerator/Incubator by DEPA or NIA, OR ≥ สอบถามเจ้าหน้าที่เพื่อรับใบเสนอราคาK seed funding · Must form a Thai company within 1 yr, hold ≥ 25% shares, registered capital ≥ สอบถามเจ้าหน้าที่เพื่อรับใบเสนอราคาK
1-yr initial + 2-yr extensions (max 2 yrs per cycle) · No Work Permit · Access to DEPA/NIA Sandbox programs · Spouse + children get Smart O dependent
Next-Gen Automotive · Smart Electronics · Affluent/Medical/Wellness Tourism · Agriculture & Biotech · Food for the Future · Robotics · Aviation & Logistics · Biofuels & Biochemicals · Digital · Medical Hub · Defense · Human Resource Development · Alternative Dispute Resolution
Common pitfall: failing to incorporate within 12 months — Smart S is auto-revoked and not renewable
Tech startup founders setting Thailand HQ · Y Combinator / 500 Startups alumni · SaaS builders selling into SEA
Verify role/industry fit with DEPA · NIA · DITP-accredited accelerators BEFORE contract signing — pull a Pre-qualification letter
Build the Smart S dossier: CV, degrees, employment/investment evidence, financial proofs
Submit to DEPA · NIA · DITP-accredited accelerators via Smart Visa OSS, Chamchuri Square — ~30 working days
Pay THB 10,000 government fee · collect Smart stamp at Thai Embassy (offshore) or OSS Bangkok (in-country conversion)
Enter Thailand · register at One Stop Service Centre · receive 4-year stay permit
File annual report (NOT 90-day) · maintain employment/investment status
Spouse + children file Smart O dependent — spouse gets automatic work rights
Smart S (Startup founder) for Chinese passport (PRC) holders: 2-year stay · Bank deposit ≥ สอบถามเจ้าหน้าที่เพื่อรับใบเสนอราคา (6-mo expenses for self + family) · Health insurance ≥ สอบถ
No — Smart Visa carries automatic work rights for the endorsed role
Yes — renewable every 2 years as long as you maintain DEPA · NIA · DITP-accredited accelerators endorsement
No — replaced by annual report
Yes — but must file Re-endorsement within 60 days of starting a new role
Yes — Smart O dependent gives work rights except the 39 reserved Thai occupations
Yes — at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang for all Smart Visa holders
Yes — after 3 yrs of Smart Visa with Thai tax filings, you qualify for PR consideration
Common pitfall: failing to incorporate within 12 months — Smart S is auto-revoked and not renewable
Smart S (Startup founder) × Chinese passport (PRC) — Startup visa (1-yr initial → 2-yr extension) for founders in the 13 targeted industries — graduates to Smart T/E · Statute Royal Decree on Smart Visa B.E. 2561 (2018) §3(4)
Answers to the Thailand visa questions applicants actually ask: the BOI-administered LTR visa, the DTV for remote workers and Thai Soft Power activities, filing through Thai e-Visa, and extending stay on form TM.7 — plus which supporting documents must be translated and certified. Based on MFA, Immigration Bureau and BOI announcements. (27+ search topics covered)
Need your documents reviewed or your case assessed? Ask our team by phone, LINE, or email. We reply within two hours during business hours (Mon–Sat 9:00–18:00 ICT).
Keep three concepts separate: the visa (permission to travel), the permission to stay stamped at entry, and the work permit. A visa never guarantees admission — the immigration officer at the border decides.
Prefer not to handle the queues yourself, or worried about a rejection? Send us photos of your documents for a free pre-check. We handle the full chain — obtaining certified copies, translation, certification and submission — and keep you updated at each step. Reach us on LINE, phone or email during business hours.
Applying abroad, applying online, or adjusting status inside Thailand give different lengths of stay and later flexibility.
| Route | When to use | Certifying authority | Approx. duration | Rejection risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apply at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad | You can plan ahead and want the correct category from the outset | Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General | Variable by post | Document lists and residency rules differ per post — check that specific post |
| Official e-Visa system | Your category and country of residence are supported online | MFA Thailand e-Visa system | Variable — file well before the travel date | Files not matching the system's format specification are auto-rejected |
| Change or extend status inside Thailand | You are already in Thailand and meet the published criteria | Immigration Bureau | Variable — file several days before expiry | Too few days remaining forces you to leave and re-apply |
Timelines above are practical estimates from live casework and can change with each authority's policy; confirm with the receiving authority before booking travel. If you would rather not test routes by trial and error, our advisers can assess which route fits your case.
Our team has worked on cross-border documents, certified translation and government liaison since 2015. Most rejections we see are not caused by missing paperwork but by choosing the wrong route on day one, so we always start with a case assessment.
We look at your destination, purpose and deadline, then tell you which certification route applies — and which steps you can skip.
Name spelling, consistency across documents, document age and translation format are checked before anything reaches a counter.
We sequence the steps around your appointment or travel date and flag bottlenecks in advance.
We read the refusal reasons, identify the underlying cause, and plan a resubmission that answers what the authority asked for.
Rather not learn by trial and error? Send your case details and document photos for a review — reach us on LINE, phone or email during business hours.
Extensions, reporting and re-entry permits should be handled well ahead of the deadline; queues and public holidays can make last-minute filing impossible.
Large deposits made shortly before filing attract questions. Support them with evidence of income and use statements bearing the bank's original seal.
Photograph all filing receipts and stamps; they are key evidence in any later verification.
Visa conditions change. Check the deciding authority's latest announcement, then use our service to prepare documents and translations that match those conditions.
Dates, addresses or travel history that conflict with supporting documents are a frequent refusal ground and may be read as misrepresentation.
Civil registry extracts, medical certificates and police clearances have limited validity; old copies make the bundle incomplete.
Analyse the refusal grounds and address them; resubmitting the same file usually produces the same result.
Accepted translator categories differ by country; confirm the required type before ordering.
Requirements differ by authority and destination country and can change. Confirm current conditions with the receiving authority, or ask our team by phone, LINE or email.
These topics reflect the rules and practice of the relevant authorities and can change. Confirm with the receiving authority, or ask our team by phone, LINE or email.
One document set often moves through several stages — translation, notarial certification, legalization and finally a visa filing. The links below follow that real sequence.
Authority requirements change. Verify with the receiving authority before filing, or ask our team by phone, LINE or email.
A visa outcome is the consulate's discretion, so judge a provider on process, not promises. Reliable providers state the current published requirements of your destination, prepare a file that matches them, explain what happens if the consulate asks for more, and never claim guaranteed approval. Anyone promising a result is describing something they do not control.
| Option | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Apply yourself | Straightforward profiles with complete documentation | You carry the burden of tracking requirement changes and appointment slots. |
| Document-preparation service | Applicants with complex financial or employment evidence | Confirm whether appointment booking is included in the scope. |
| Full handling including appointments | Families and deadline-bound travel | Biometrics and interviews still require the applicant in person. |