Indonesia or Thailand
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Indonesia | Thailand | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | — |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 5 years |
| Partner can work | — | — |
| Parents | — | difficult |
| Pets | difficult | no trouble |
| Pet limit | no limit | no limit |
| Quarantine | — | — |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 447 · estimate | $ 863 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 21,0 | $ 34,2 |
| Life expectancy | 71.29 | 76.56 |
| Homicides/100k | 0.41 | 4.79 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 7.4 | 5.9 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Indonesia — 22, Thailand — 65. Types present in both: work, remote work, study, family, investment, repatriation, retirement and working holiday. Thailand adds: startup and talent.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Indonesia: fees range from 6,000,000 to 19,500,000 IDR. Routes stating an income threshold: 3; the lowest is 3,000 USD a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 21; the shortest is 5 days. Thailand: fees range from 80 to 400 USD. Routes with no fee: 1. Routes stating an income threshold: 46; the lowest is 5,000 AUD a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 10; the shortest is 28 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: both after 3 years. Citizenship: both after 5 years.
Indonesia in brief
The world's largest archipelago: more than 17,000 islands, with most of the population concentrated on Java, home to Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung; a separate pole of attraction is the island of Bali, with its administrative centre in Denpasar. The equatorial climate keeps the average temperature around 26–28°C all year; the difference between seasons lies in rainfall, not temperature. The cost of living is low by international standards: a basic food basket costs around $21, rent for a one-room apartment in the centre of cities on Java and Sumatra runs from €150 to €280 a month, and noticeably higher on Bali because of tourist demand. The visa system is not built as a single points system but as a closed list of about fifteen ITAS categories (employee, investor, religious worker, “second home”, family reunification, foreign pensioner), each with its own requirements. Permanent residence (ITAP) is available for most of these categories after 3 years of continuous residence on ITAS; for the spouse of an Indonesian citizen a faster route applies — from 2 years of marriage. Dual citizenship is not allowed, and naturalisation requires renouncing the previous citizenship. The country lies in the seismically active zone of the Pacific Ring of Fire: earthquake and tsunami risks are rated among the highest in the world. Dogs and cats can be brought into the country via Jakarta, but Bali province, under a 2008 regional act, bans the direct import and export of dogs, cats and monkeys to and from the island, maintaining its rabies-free status.
Thailand in brief
Thailand is a Southeast Asian country outside the EU with a well-developed system of long-term visas: the DTV for 5 years for remote workers and freelancers (a balance of THB 500,000 in the account), the LTR for 10 years with a digital work permit and a preferential income tax rate, the SMART Visa for up to 4 years without a separate work permit, and the Non-B with a work permit for local employment. Suits those who receive income from abroad and are not counting on quick permanent status. Limitations: permanent residence and citizenship are hard to obtain and are decided at discretion, naturalisation requires 5 years, the Thai language and a declaration renouncing the previous citizenship; parents are not among the dependants under the DTV and LTR; a visa in itself does not grant the right to work; foreigners are prohibited from owning land. The cost of living is lower than in Singapore and Europe; no verifiable data on the salaries of IT specialists with 5+ years of experience could be found. The main risks are monsoon flooding in Bangkok, seasonal smog in the north, tsunami on the Andaman coast and a high level of perceived corruption.
Other comparisons
Indonesia or… Taiwan · South Korea · Japan · Kazakhstan · Lebanon · Uzbekistan · Malaysia · Azerbaijan
Thailand or… Philippines · Bangladesh · Kuwait · Iraq · Mongolia · Oman · People's Republic of China · Sri Lanka
More on each: Indonesia · Thailand. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.