Thailand’s long-stay visas for foreigners are grouped into Non-Immigrant categories, each marked with a letter. The letter isn’t just a label — it defines the legal basis for your stay, the documents you need to qualify, and the path for extending or changing your status later. Picking the wrong category at the start can mean redoing paperwork, losing time, or hitting a dead end months later.
This page is a starting point, not a full application guide. Once we know your actual situation — why you’re in Thailand, what you plan to do, and what ties you have here — we point you to the right category and the right service.
Which category fits you
Non-B — business and employment
Covers company owners, directors and employees working legally in Thailand. It’s the category behind our business visa service and always goes hand in hand with a work permit — two separate documents that have to be arranged together.
Non-O — the “other” category
A broad family-and-life category covering situations that don’t fit business or study. This includes marriage to a Thai national, being the parent or guardian of a Thai child (see our family visa service), retirement-related stays (see retirement visa), and volunteering with a recognised organisation.
Non-ED — study
For genuine students enrolled with an approved institution, from language schools to universities. See our education visa service for details.
How it works
- Describe your situation. Tell us why you’re in Thailand and what you’re trying to achieve long term.
- We name the category. We tell you which Non-Immigrant category actually fits, what documents it needs, and the price — before anything moves forward.
- We handle it. We prepare the application, submit it, and support the extensions that follow.
What’s included
- An honest assessment of which category fits your situation
- A document checklist tailored to that category
- Application preparation and submission
- Support for the extensions and renewals that come after the first approval
- A referral to the right specific service page once your category is confirmed
Good to know
Thai immigration rules and extension requirements differ by category and change over time, and some categories are far stricter about switching later than others. Choosing the wrong one at the outset is one of the most common — and most expensive — mistakes we see, because it often means starting the process again from a different footing. We check your case against the current rules first, so you apply under the right category from day one.
Not sure which letter applies to you? Contact us with a short description of your situation and we’ll tell you plainly which category fits and what it involves.