Sri Lanka 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
| Sri Lanka | Thailand | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | — |
| Citizenship | — | 5 years |
| Partner can work | no | — |
| Parents | — | difficult |
| Pets | difficult | no trouble |
| Pet limit | no limit | no limit |
| Quarantine | 30 days | — |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 563 · estimate | $ 863 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 28,7 | $ 34,2 |
| Life expectancy | 77.67 | 76.56 |
| Homicides/100k | 2.51 | 4.79 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 3.9 | 5.9 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Sri Lanka — 24, Thailand — 65. Types present in both: work, remote work, study, family, investment, talent, repatriation and retirement. Thailand adds: startup and working holiday.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Sri Lanka: fees range from 100 to 1,000 USD. Routes with no fee: 1. Routes stating an income threshold: 8; the lowest is 1,500 USD a year. 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: Thailand after 3 years; the other country publishes no term. Citizenship: Thailand after 5 years; the other country publishes no term.
Sri Lanka in brief
Sri Lanka is an island state in the Indian Ocean; the country's de jure capital is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, where parliament sits, but the neighbouring city of Colombo remains the economic, business and diplomatic centre. The Department of Immigration and Emigration operates 16 residence visa categories: among those in force are the Employment Category Residence Visa (including projects approved by the Board of Investment, BOI), the investor visa (from USD 100,000 for 5 years, or from USD 200,000 for 10 years) and the newly introduced digital nomad visa with an income threshold from USD 2,000 a month; the Resident Guest Scheme and My Dream Home programmes are closed to new applicants and allow only renewal by existing holders. No separate route to permanent residence or to citizenship by length of residence for a foreigner without Sri Lankan origin has been found in the authority's published materials, other than marriage to a Sri Lankan citizen (Permanent Residence Visa, category (b)); dual citizenship is available on application, but it is addressed to persons who already held or currently hold Sri Lankan citizenship. Bringing in dogs and cats requires a veterinary certificate and the statutory minimum 30-day quarantine. On the INFORM scale the country's tsunami risk is rated at 8.0 out of 10 — relevant for the coastal cities of the southern and eastern coasts, which were affected by the 2004 disaster.
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
Sri Lanka or… Taiwan · South Korea · Japan · Kazakhstan · Lebanon · Uzbekistan · Malaysia · Azerbaijan
Thailand or… Philippines · Bangladesh · Kuwait · Iraq · Mongolia · Oman · People's Republic of China · Singapore
More on each: Sri Lanka · 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.