Direct answer
Direct answer
The current SMART application instructions identify the two-year SMART S startup route and SMART O for eligible family members. Older materials still describe Talent, Investor and Executive categories or other durations; those descriptions are not proof that a new application is available today. Confirm the current intake and endorsement requirements before choosing a route or paying a provider. An existing holder's permission must be assessed from their own endorsement and immigration record.
In this guide
SMART: routes and subtypes covered
Current SMART S two-year startup and SMART O family applications, with separate review of existing permissions under historical categories. The list below separates the current options that sit within this service family; the route code is SMART. Each option still requires its own purpose, stage and filing-location check.
SMART is an endorsement-led programme, not a single general technology visa. The analysis should identify whether the facts point to Talent, Investor, Executive, Startup or eligible dependant status, then verify that the target industry, employer, investment, ownership, salary, expertise or startup plan matches that category's present intake. The endorsement file and later immigration step are separate. Because the current public intake can foreground only some categories, an older category label should never be treated as proof that new applications are presently accepted; availability and written pricing both require confirmation before commercial commitments are made.
- SMART T — Talent qualification and endorsement — Historical category — existing-permission review only; this listing does not offer a new application under the current portal instructions.
- SMART I — Investor qualification and endorsement — Historical category — existing-permission review only; this listing does not offer a new application under the current portal instructions.
- SMART E — Executive qualification and endorsement — Historical category — existing-permission review only; this listing does not offer a new application under the current portal instructions.
- SMART S — Startup qualification and endorsement — Established Thai technology startup in a targeted industry; director or at least 25% shareholder; deposit of at least THB 600,000 held for three months; health insurance and current endorsement criteria.
- SMART O — spouse and child qualification linked to a principal holder — Relationship evidence and the principal holder’s qualifying SMART status
Is a startup idea enough, or does the SMART endorsement need a supported business plan?
For a startup application, assemble the established Thai company's registration and ownership records, the applicant's director or shareholder role, the technology-based business and targeted-industry evidence, the required financial history and health cover. The current S criteria include a director role or at least 25% shareholding and a deposit of at least THB 600,000 held for three months. Endorsement assesses the actual business and applicant; an idea or marketing pitch alone is not the complete file.
Limits and decisions to check
SMART benefits attach to the approved person, entity, role, investment and scope. They are not a blanket permission to work for unrelated businesses. Category thresholds and target-industry definitions can change, and a promising technology label does not replace measurable qualifications, capital, employment or agency endorsement.
TVC's practical assessment
SMART should be treated as a business-and-expertise qualification before an immigration product. We stress-test the Thai activity and the applicant's measurable contribution first. If the case only works after broadening the industry description or inflating an executive title, a conventional Non-B or another route is usually more defensible.
Continue your application research
- Thailand LTR Visa: Categories, Eligibility and Qualification Process — Use this next to resolve the closest evidence question.
- Specialist Thailand Visa Routes: Government Meetings, Volunteers, Court Matters and Former Thai Nationals — Compare this route before fixing the application strategy.
- Thailand e-Visa Documents: A Consistency-First Checklist — Use this if the file, timing or prior history creates risk.
- View the related service
How community research informed this guide
Our topic research included Reddit and Expat.com. The matched concern is answered in the relevant section above, using visa requirements or written service terms—not forum advice—as the factual basis. It is not a claim of popularity or consensus.
Quora research was attempted; no suitable verifiable discussion was located. The research used English-language material and does not establish demand in other language communities.
Research and review approach
This guide is maintained from a private claim-level research register. Material conditions are checked against the current category and procedure before publication, while the public article remains independent, link-free and focused on practical application planning.
Material eligibility and numerical claims are maintained in a private claim-level register. The public guide stays focused on the decision, evidence and checks a reader must make for the actual filing.