Kyrgyzstan 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
| Kyrgyzstan | Thailand | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | — |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 5 years |
| Partner can work | — | — |
| Parents | — | difficult |
| Pets | no trouble | no trouble |
| Pet limit | 2 | no limit |
| Quarantine | no | — |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 674 · estimate | $ 863 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 19,5 | $ 34,2 |
| Life expectancy | 72.4 | 76.56 |
| Homicides/100k | 1.75 | 4.79 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 3.9 | 5.9 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Kyrgyzstan — 17, Thailand — 65. Types present in both: work, remote work, study, family, investment and repatriation. Thailand adds: startup, talent, retirement and working holiday.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Kyrgyzstan: every route that publishes a fee charges nothing. Routes with a published decision deadline: 15; the shortest is 7 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: Kyrgyzstan after 5 years, Thailand after 3 years. Citizenship: both after 5 years.
Kyrgyzstan in brief
On the sum of its formal conditions, Kyrgyzstan is the most accessible way into Central Asia. Five years of lawful residence give permanent residence, five more open the way to citizenship, and the law's language requirement can be met in Russian: it holds official-language status, which is rare among post-Soviet states. Dual citizenship is allowed, but article 22 attaches three caveats: an international treaty is needed, it is not recognised for citizens of neighbouring states, and a holder of two passports may not be president, a member of parliament or a judge. Membership of the Eurasian Economic Union removes the work permit for citizens of the union and extends the union's pet import rules — up to two animals with no permit and no quarantine. Held back by control of corruption at −1.14, seismicity of 7.7 out of 10, winter smog in the Chuy valley, and skilled work concentrated almost entirely in Bishkek.
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
Kyrgyzstan 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: Kyrgyzstan · 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.