Situation guide
Thailand SMART Visa: Startup Eligibility and 18 Industries
Foreign startup founders, directors, finance teams and accompanying families checking the current SMART route.
Quick answer
New SMART applications must follow Por.5/2568: the scheme now focuses on established, certified Thai startup entrepreneurs and their families. Do not advertise the historical T/I/E/S/O set as five current new-application routes. The incorporated targeted-industry list has 18 entries. SMART S offers permission up to two years per qualifying period, with work-permit exemption limited to certified work, annual reporting and current appointment services at TIESC, One Bangkok.
The PDF button opens a print-ready sheet — choose “Save as PDF” in the browser dialog. It contains the key facts, the document checklist and the timeline.
Detailed guidance
1. Separate the current startup route from the legacy five labels
Historically, T meant Talent, I Investor, E Executive, S Startup and O Other or dependants. Por.5/2568 follows the 13 January 2025 Cabinet decision, repeals Por.12/2561 and retains the established-startup and family route to reduce overlap with LTR. Legacy official navigation can still expose T/I/E descriptions and generic four-year wording. Read the replacement announcement and current SMART S guidance ahead of those older summaries.
The new-application rule does not establish automatic cancellation of previously issued T/I/E visas. Existing holders should reconcile their approval date, expiry and endorsement basis with individual renewal instructions. New ordinary employees or investors should compare LTR or an appropriate Non-B route rather than assume historical SMART categories remain open. SMART O is a family route, not an unrestricted miscellaneous work visa.
2. Eighteen targeted industries still require startup certification
Por.5/2568 incorporates the Por.5/2566 list: Automotive; Electronics; Affluent tourism; Agriculture, food and biotechnology; Automation and robotics; Transportation and logistics; Petrochemical and chemical; Digital; Medical; National defense; Direct and significant circular-economy support; Aviation, aerospace and space; Science and technology human-resource development; Environmental management and renewable energy; Technology, innovation and startup-ecosystem management; Target technology development; International Business Center (IBC); Alternative dispute resolution services. Industry inclusion does not mean every company in that field is a qualifying certified startup.
The business must already be established in Thailand and certified as a targeted-industry startup by a relevant government body, such as NIA or depa. Build the file around the product, technology, revenue model and actual activities, not broad corporate objectives alone. For a multi-activity business, align the endorsed work with the permission sought. SMART certification does not waive professional licensing or activity-specific restrictions.
3. Prove deposit retention, company role and insurance separately
The applicant must hold at least 25% of registered capital OR be a director of the established, certified company. Preserve the alternative: do not impose both conditions without a separate basis. The deposit is at least THB 600,000 or equivalent, held for three months before application in the permitted Thai, nationality-country or residence-country account. It is personal eligibility evidence, not company capital, a professional fee or a single-day transfer-and-balance exercise.
An accompanying spouse or child adds THB 180,000 deposit evidence per person with the prescribed three-month holding period. Health insurance must cover each relevant applicant throughout the stay. Establish the lawful family relationship rather than substituting an informal partnership description without checking recognition. Confirm the accepted exchange-rate and account-document requirements against the actual submission checklist.
4. Work-permit exemption is bounded by the endorsed activity
SMART S dispenses with the conventional work permit for endorsed work, business or projects, excluding occupations prohibited to foreigners. Changes or additions need further certification. Do not take a role with another company merely because a summary says 'no work permit required'. The lawful spouse's work rights are conditioned by the announcement and must not exceed those of the principal holder; children do not automatically share that work entitlement.
SMART extends address reporting from 90 days to annual reporting; this is not visa renewal or a substitute for all startup compliance checks. Re-entry-permit relief and airport fast track, where available, are subject to the actual status. Immigration benefits do not remove personal tax, withholding, social-security or company-accounting obligations. A special tax rate needs an independent legal basis; SMART does not itself confer the eligible LTR 17% regime.
5. Submit endorsement online before the One Bangkok appointment
Apply for qualification endorsement through BOI's SMART system with startup, technology and personal evidence. Visa issuance then follows the endorsed location and method. Bangkok's current SMART Visa Unit is at TIESC, floors 6–7, One Bangkok, PARADE Zone, Rama IV Road near MRT Lumphini. Do not travel to Chamchuri on the strength of an older article. Read the appointment notice for the precise floor and required originals.
Finance should prepare traceable shareholder, director, accounting and funding records and hand over the specific evidence needed for the chosen stage. Contact staff for document assessment and a quotation, identifying startup certification, visa issuance, renewal or accounting support. No guaranteed outcome or fixed approval duration is implied. Source-based editorial checking is not a certification that an individual startup qualifies.
Key facts
| Controlling announcement | Por.5/2568, announced 18 February 2025, applies to new applications |
|---|---|
| Current principal route | SMART S for an established startup, up to 2 years; SMART O for qualifying family |
| Industry list | 18 entries under Por.5/2566, incorporated into the new criteria |
| Shareholding or directorship | At least 25% of registered capital OR a director of the certified company |
| Deposit evidence | THB 600,000, plus THB 180,000 per accompanying dependant, held at least 3 months as prescribed |
| Work scope | Permit exemption concerns certified work; changed or additional work needs further endorsement |
Practical summary
If you only read one block, start with these five lines and return to the detail afterwards.
- 1.Before endorsement — Establish and certify the startup and verify deposit retention.
- 2.Submission — Submit under Por.5/2568 rather than a legacy category summary.
- 3.Once endorsed — Complete visa issuance and retain the endorsed work scope.
- 4.Company registration and actual technology activity
- 5.Relevant agency startup certification
Document checklist
Company registration and actual technology activity
The business must exist, not merely be planned.
Relevant agency startup certification
An industry label alone is insufficient.
Shareholding or directorship evidence
Evidence the applicable eligibility alternative.
Deposit history and dependant additions
Verify the three-month retention and per-person amounts.
Health cover and lawful-family documents
Establish each person's coverage, relationship and period.
Endorsed-work schedule and reporting calendar
Avoid activities outside the certification basis.
Timeline
Before endorsement
Establish and certify the startup and verify deposit retention.
Submission
Submit under Por.5/2568 rather than a legacy category summary.
Once endorsed
Complete visa issuance and retain the endorsed work scope.
When activities change
Obtain additional endorsement before relying on a new activity.
Before reporting or renewal
Review business status, qualifications, insurance and current deadlines.
Common mistakes
- Advertising the five historical labels as five generally open new routes.
- Using an old 13-industry list instead of the incorporated current list.
- Misclassifying personal deposit evidence as company capital or a service fee.
- Treating the work-permit exemption as authorisation for any job.
Repeat questions
Por.5/2568 focuses new applications on established startups and family. Existing holders need individual approval and renewal checks; this does not establish automatic cancellation.
The announcement states alternatives: at least 25% of registered capital OR directorship of the established certified company, together with the other conditions.
No. It is applicant eligibility evidence: THB 600,000 plus THB 180,000 per accompanying dependant with the prescribed three-month retention, not this company's service price.
No. SMART immigration and work benefits do not establish LTR tax entitlement. Apply the tax rules for the actual income and status.
No. Relevant-agency startup certification and evidence of actual activities remain necessary. The industry list is only one part of eligibility.
Verifiable sources
These original sources address the issues described under each reference; they do not certify every statement or a service outcome. Check amendments and the conditions applicable to the entity's actual circumstances.
1. Notification
BOI Por.5/2568: current SMART startup criteriaBoard of Investment
Announced 18 February 2025 for new applications: established startup entrepreneurs and family; not automatic cancellation of older visas.
2. Notification
BOI Por.5/2566: SMART targeted-industry listBoard of Investment
Eighteen industries incorporated by the 2025 announcement; being in an industry is not itself startup certification.
3. Guidance
BOI SMART S: eligibility, privileges and current TIESC locationBoard of Investment
Up-to-two-year route, shareholding/directorship, deposit, insurance, certified work, annual reporting and One Bangkok.
4. Official system or form
Department of Employment — e-WorkPermit application routesDepartment of Employment
Separate routes for Non-Immigrant skilled workers, BOI cases and employers applying for a worker abroad; select by eligibility, not as a substitute for stay permission.