Malaysia is raising its nomad visa income bar by 50%. Is Thailand's DTV now the easier way in?

From 1 December 2026, Malaysia will ask tech workers applying for its DE Rantau Nomad Pass to earn at least US$36,000 a year, up from US$24,000. That is a 50 per cent jump, and it applies to renewals as well as new applications. If you are a remote worker weighing up a base in Southeast Asia, the change makes it worth looking again at the three best-known options in the region: Thailand's Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), Malaysia's DE Rantau pass and Indonesia's E33G remote worker visa.

What Malaysia is changing on 1 December

The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), which runs DE Rantau, has published the details of what it calls the Enhanced DE Rantau Nomad Pass Framework. Tech Talent applicants will need a minimum annual income of US$36,000. The bar for non-tech applicants stays at US$60,000. In return, the maximum stay grows to up to four years: an initial 12-month pass plus up to three renewals of up to 12 months each. Every renewal is assessed separately, so four years is a ceiling, not a promise.

• Current holders approved at US$24,000 can stay until their pass expires, but any renewal submitted on or after 1 December must meet the new US$36,000 bar.
• A second renewal (the third year) needs a Renewal Eligibility Report covering work history, income and tax compliance.
• MDEC says new applications are temporarily unavailable while it moves to the new framework. Renewals continue.
• Renewal fees are unchanged for now, and fees are not refunded if an application fails.

Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia side by side

So is Thailand now the easier option?

On income alone, the DTV is the most flexible of the three because it sets no salary threshold at all. Instead it asks for evidence of at least 500,000 baht in savings, or a sponsor letter, together with proof of remote work. Someone earning US$30,000 a year who has built up savings would fail Malaysia's new tech bar and Indonesia's US$60,000 bar, but could still qualify for the DTV on paper.

The trade-off is how you stay. The DTV lets you remain for up to 180 days per entry, with one 180-day extension, and then you must leave and come back. DE Rantau and E33G are built around continuous stays of up to a year at a time. Requirements also vary between Thai embassies, and some now ask for proof of residence in the country where you apply and a criminal record certificate, so check the page for the embassy you will use before you book anything.

Malaysia: the fine print

DE Rantau is open to all nationalities except Israel. Applicants must be over 18 and need a passport with more than 14 months of validity. Spouses on the pass cannot work, the pass covers Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan rather than Sabah and Sarawak, and MDEC warns that most Malaysian banks will not open an account on this pass. Contracts must have started at least three months before you apply.

Indonesia: the fine print

Indonesia's E33G does not need a local sponsor. The IDR 7,000,000 fee covers the visa, a verification fee, the one-year stay permit and a multiple re-entry permit. Indonesian Immigration says verification takes about five working days, an issued eVisa must be used within 90 days, and holders may not work for Indonesian companies.