Thailand DTV (Destination Thailand Visa): The Complete 2026 Guide

Why the DTV suddenly became the default

Before July 2024, staying in Thailand long-term was an awkward exercise. You either signed up for an Education visa and skipped the actual classes, paid a fortune for Thai Elite, waited until you turned fifty for the retirement visa, or did tourist visa runs that border officers were getting visibly tired of stamping.

The DTV swept all of that off the table. Five years of validity, multi-entry, 180 days per stay, one in-country extension getting you close to a full year on the ground without leaving, and a $285 fee. There’s nothing else in Asia in that ballpark for that duration. Singapore’s Employment Pass demands a $5,500/month job offer. Japan’s Highly Skilled Professional points system is a paperwork marathon. Indonesia’s E33G Remote Worker visa costs over $5,000 and pulls in a much narrower applicant pool. Malaysia’s DE Rantau and MM2H sit elsewhere on the price-versus-flexibility map but neither matches the DTV’s combination of cost and duration.

It’s open to three groups: remote workers employed by a non-Thai company, freelancers with foreign clients, and people enrolled in what Thailand officially calls “soft power” activities — Muay Thai, Thai cooking schools, medical treatment like dental work and fertility programs. That third bucket is doing more heavy lifting than the official messaging admits.

Who actually applies

Most applicants fall into one of five patterns, and the tax and lifestyle math looks different for each.

US senior tech workers on fully-remote contracts are the largest single profile. Senior engineers at Stripe, Notion, GitLab, Figma, Automattic — places with proper remote-OK or remote-first policies, total compensation $180K–300K. They aren’t escaping US salaries; they’re letting the Thai cost of living make the comp arithmetic absurd in the good direction. The catch is time zones. Bangkok is GMT+7, 11–14 hours ahead of US zones depending on DST. For roles with heavy synchronous US meetings, brutal. The US engineers who actually make Thailand work are on async-heavy teams (Linear-style written-first cultures, GitLab-style remote-first ops, founding-engineer roles with deliverable check-ins), or roles where the time-zone gap is a feature — overnight on-call, follow-the-sun support, founders running global teams. Citizenship-based US taxation continues regardless. The US-Thailand DTA (1998) credits Thai tax paid against US federal tax via Form 1116. Disciplined remittance keeps Thai exposure to ~$3K–$5K/year for someone in the $200K bracket. PFIC trap: avoid Thai mutual funds and Thai-domiciled ETFs.

UK fintech engineers escaping London rents form the second bloc. Wise, Stripe London, Revolut, Monzo, OakNorth, ClearScore, Cleo — all have substantial fully-remote senior engineering positions at £80K–180K. A London engineer paying £2,500/month for a one-bedroom in Hackney looks at the same budget buying a four-bedroom villa in Phuket and does the math. Time zones are workable: Thailand is GMT+7, UK is GMT+0 winter or GMT+1 summer — a 6–7 hour gap on a slightly shifted schedule (1pm–10pm Bangkok = 7am–4pm London winter), and most UK fintech teams accommodate without much fuss. The UK-Thailand DTA dates to 1981. The structural question for UK applicants is HMRC’s Statutory Residence Test. Maintaining UK tax residency (the most common pattern) keeps UK-source income UK-taxable and Thailand only sees what gets remitted. ISA wrappers and SIPP arrangements stay intact. Pension drawdowns are clean under the DTA. Severing UK residency means a P85 split-year, but ISA tax-free status disappears — most UK DTV applicants don’t bother severing.

Canadian software consultants on US payroll round out the North American group. Canadian-resident tech workers paid by US clients through their CCPC or sole proprietorship — Shopify and Wealthsimple remote contractors, Toronto-based AI engineers on US-funded startup payrolls. CAD $150K–350K annual. The Canadian profile has the most complicated decision: whether to sever Canadian tax residency. Maintaining (simpler) means worldwide income reports to CRA, Thailand isn’t in the picture for tax purposes, RRSPs and TFSAs continue tax-deferred. Severing triggers Canada’s departure tax — deemed disposition of non-registered assets at fair market value, which for an engineer with significant unvested RSUs or appreciated stock means CAD $30K–80K one-time. Section 220.6 deferral is available but eventually comes due. Most keep CRA residency. The Canada-Thailand DTA (1985) handles double-taxation cleanly. CPP and OAS pay abroad with no Canadian withholding; RRIF withdrawals stay Canadian-taxable but don’t trigger anything Thai unless remitted.

Australian tech workers leaving Sydney’s housing market are the fourth profile. Atlassian, Canva, Afterpay, Linktree, Culture Amp — Australia’s tech sector is small but pays well and is generally remote-friendly at AUD $130K–260K. Motivation is overwhelmingly housing — Sydney median apartment rent has crossed AUD $750/week, Melbourne is following, and Australian tech workers see Thailand offering 4x the space at half the cost. Time zones favor Australians more than any other DTV profile: Bangkok GMT+7, Sydney GMT+10 or +11 with DST — a 3–4 hour gap. Australian DTV holders can run slightly shifted Australian hours without disrupting team rhythms. The Australia-Thailand DTA (1989) handles standard FTC. Australian-specific items: super is tax-free in Australia after 60 but becomes Thai-taxable foreign pension income if you become Thai tax resident, and franking credit refunds disappear if you sever Australian residency (a 6%-gross-yield fully-franked dividend drops to about 4.2% effective for non-residents). Most maintain ATO residency.

Global FIRE freelancers and one-person SaaS founders are the fifth group — the category soft-power eligibility was practically built for, even when these applicants qualify under the freelance path. Top-tier Toptal and Arc engineers earning $100K–300K from international clients, indie SaaS founders with $5K–30K MRR, long-standing solo consultancies with global client books. This profile sometimes goes the soft-power route because income documentation is messier — irregular client mixes, multiple LLCs, US LLC plus UK Ltd plus personal sole prop. Embassies process freelance applications more skeptically when documentation looks chaotic; a clean Muay Thai gym enrollment letter plus the THB 500,000 balance is simpler to review.

The THB 500,000 isn’t a deposit, it’s a track record

The financial bar is THB 500,000, roughly $13,800. The embassies want to see that balance maintained for six months, not parked there the week before applying. A friend’s transfer two months out shows up clearly on a statement, and consular staff have seen the trick a thousand times.

A bank account in your own name is the cleanest proof. Joint accounts usually work but need a one-line explanation. Some embassies accept brokerage statements, others won’t, and the only way to know is to ask before submitting. Crypto holdings get rejected almost everywhere — Thailand is friendly to crypto in many ways, but the consular system hasn’t caught up.

If your balance is borderline, attaching employment income or freelance invoice history alongside the bank statement smooths things over. It’s not formally required, but it gives the reviewer something to anchor on. The amount is fixed in regulation — what varies is embassy discretion on supporting documents. London, Sydney, Toronto, and Washington tend to want six full months of statements. Singapore and Hong Kong sometimes accept three months. During high-volume periods, a handful of embassies have asked for twelve months.

The three qualifying tracks

Track one is remote workers, the most common path — employed by or contracting with a non-Thai company. Bring an employment letter, recent payslips or invoice records, and ideally something showing the company exists at scale.

Track two is freelancers with multiple clients. Three or more active contracts is the rough rule of thumb, plus six months of invoice history, plus business registration if you have one. One client paying you the same amount each month isn’t really freelance to a consular reviewer — that’s employment, switch tracks.

Track three is the interesting one. Muay Thai gym enrollment, Thai cooking course registration, hospital admission for medical treatment, registered Thai language school. Any one qualifies on its own. Nomads with messy income — solo founders, traders, anyone whose work doesn’t fit “employed” or “freelance” — are quietly using track three more and more. The catch is the gym or school must be a properly registered business; backstreet operations don’t count even if they’ve been training fighters for thirty years.

Recognized soft-power providers worth knowing: Tiger Muay Thai (Phuket), Phuket Top Team, Bangkok Fight Lab, Sinbi Muay Thai (Phuket), Combat 360X (Phuket), Sitsongpeenong (Bangkok). Cooking side: Cooking Academy at the Mandarin Oriental, Thai Farm Cooking School (Chiang Mai), Baipai Thai Cooking School (Bangkok), Silom Thai Cooking School. Medical providers across Bumrungrad, Bangkok Hospital, BNH, Samitivej, and Yanhee all qualify for medical-route enrollments. Language schools — UNITY Thai (Bangkok), Walen, Pro Language, Duke Language — qualify when programs run multiple months.

The 2024 remittance reform and what it actually changed

Thailand rewrote its tax code in 2024. Spend 180 or more days in Thailand in a calendar year and you become a tax resident. As a tax resident, you owe tax on foreign income you remit into Thailand. The whole game is the word “remit.” Money that stays in your US, UK, Canadian, or Australian account is invisible to the Thai tax authority. The moment it lands in a Thai bank account it becomes potentially taxable.

Before 2024, foreign-source income earned in one calendar year and remitted to Thailand in a different calendar year was permanently tax-free. That was the structural basis for the “Thai Elite Card and never pay any tax” pattern long-stay foreigners used for decades. As of January 1, 2024, that quirk closed. Foreign-source income remitted to Thailand at any time is now subject to Thai tax in the year of remittance, regardless of when it was earned.

Thai tax structure for residents in 2026 runs progressively: 0% up to THB 150,000 ($4,200), 5% to 300,000, 10% to 500,000, 15% to 750,000, 20% to 1,000,000, 25% to 2,000,000, 30% to 5,000,000, and 35% above THB 5,000,000 ($140,000). Personal capital gains: included in income. No wealth tax. No inheritance tax (mostly). VAT 7% standard.

Four tax scenarios

A 35-year-old US citizen senior engineer at Stripe earning $230K who spends 250 days/year in Bangkok triggers Thai tax residency and severs California. The disciplined remittance pattern: keep salary in US accounts (Chase, Schwab), remit only living expenses to Thailand (~$36K/year via Wise to Bangkok Bank). Thai tax on the $36K runs ~$3K–$5K (effective 8–14% after the THB 60K personal allowance). US side: Form 1040 worldwide income, FEIE excludes first ~$130K of earned income on 330+ days outside US, FTC on Form 1116 credits the Thai tax, US federal residual ~$25K–$30K on the $100K not covered by FEIE. California severed with documented Thailand residency, CA driver’s license updated, voter registration moved, bank accounts closed. PFIC trap: strictly avoid Thai mutual funds. Total tax ~13–17% on $230K versus ~38–42% in CA — annual savings ~$60K, plus dramatically lower cost of living.

A 32-year-old UK senior engineer at Wise London earning £130K who spends 200 days/year in Chiang Mai maintains UK tax residency under SRT (keeps UK home, family ties, returns 90+ days/year). UK PAYE on Wise salary as normal, UK-Thailand DTA Article 4 tiebreaker resolves residence in UK’s favor. Thai side: tax resident at 200+ days but Thai tax only on remitted income — ~£20K/year for living expenses produces ~£3K Thai tax. ISA and SIPP tax-free status maintained under UK rules. UK tax burden essentially unchanged from staying in UK. Thai tax cost ~£3K/year. But Chiang Mai cost of living (THB 12–20K/month rent plus cheap food) runs ~£800–£1,200/month total versus London £3,500–£5,000/month — saves ~£25K–£40K/year in living costs.

A 38-year-old Canadian earning CAD $200K/year invoicing US clients through CCPC who spends 6 months/year in Phuket maintains Canadian tax residency under Article 4 tiebreaker (closer connections via family, primary home in Ontario). CCPC pays Canadian small business tax 12.5%, personal salary from CCPC at Canadian progressive rates, total Canadian tax burden ~CAD $50K–60K on $200K. Thai side: tax resident at 180+ days, Thai tax only on remitted CAD $30K/year — ~CAD $2K–3K. Canada-Thailand DTA Article 23 FTC credits Thai tax against Canadian. Section 128.1 deemed disposition not triggered, RRSP and TFSA continue tax-deferred. Total burden ~CAD $53K–63K on $200K = effective ~28%. Phuket cost of living versus Toronto saves ~CAD $30K–50K/year.

A 36-year-old Australian at Canva earning AUD $180K with super balance AUD $150K and Australian dividend portfolio with franking credits spending 200 days/year in Bangkok faces the maintain-versus-sever decision. Maintaining ATO residency: Australian tax ~AUD $50K, franking credit refunds preserved on Australian dividends, super stays Australian-taxable (tax-free after 60), Thai tax only on remitted ~AUD $30K = ~AUD $2K–3K Thai. Total ~AUD $52K–53K. Severing: Australian tax reduces to non-resident rate on Australian-source only (none in this case = $0), but franking credit refunds disappear (loses ~AUD $5K–10K annual benefit on dividend portfolio), Thai tax on remitted $30K = AUD $3K. Total ~AUD $3K Thai plus lost franking = ~AUD $8K–13K effective. Severing saves ~AUD $40K–45K but requires demonstrable severance plus franking loss. Most Australians maintain ATO residency unless definitively relocating away from Australia permanently.

When day 180 hits

Every entry on the DTV gives you 180 days. Three options as the day approaches. In-country extension: walk into a Thai immigration office, hand over THB 10,000, get another 180 days. Up to 360 continuous days from a single entry, but only one extension per entry. Border run: Vientiane, Phnom Penh, Penang, anywhere across a land or air border. Step out, step back in, fresh 180-day stamp. No fee. The weekend visa-run flight pattern: people do it, but every six months triggers questions from immigration officers.

The pattern most long-haul DTV holders converge on is extending in-country for the full 360-day stretch, then taking a real trip abroad before re-entering. Once a year instead of twice, and the immigration record looks like someone living a normal life rather than gaming the system.

Where DTV holders actually base themselves

Bangkok holds the largest concentration of professional remote workers. Sukhumvit (Asoke, Phrom Phong, Thonglor, Ekkamai), Sathorn, and Silom for the corporate set. Ari and Phra Khanong for the younger crowd. One-bedroom rentals run THB 25,000–60,000 ($700–$1,700) in well-located neighborhoods.

Chiang Mai has been the digital nomad capital of Asia for over a decade and remains the cheapest serious option. Old City, Nimman, Santitham, and Hang Dong for different preferences. One-bedroom rentals THB 12,000–30,000 ($350–$850) — roughly half Bangkok at the same quality. The catch is February–April burning season.

Phuket has grown significantly since 2020. Rawai, Cherngtalay, and Bang Tao have the established expat communities and better infrastructure for long-stay residents. One-bedroom rentals THB 20,000–50,000. Koh Samui and Koh Phangan attract the wellness, yoga, longer-stay laidback demographic at THB 15,000–40,000. Pattaya draws the budget-conscious end at THB 15,000–35,000, with beach access and easy visa runs. Hua Hin is the quieter alternative — beach access, manageable size, established expat infrastructure, easy Bangkok access at THB 15,000–35,000.

DTV vs Thai Elite vs LTR vs Retirement

The LTR (Long-Term Resident, launched 2022) is the more interesting competitor to the DTV than Thai Elite. LTR offers a 10-year visa and a flat 17% tax rate option for foreign-source income for “highly skilled professional” applicants. For US senior tech workers earning $200K+, the LTR’s tax benefit can be substantial enough to justify higher application complexity ($1,400 fee versus $285 DTV, $80,000+ annual income requirement). Thai Elite ($25K–140K, 5–20 years validity) is lifestyle-focused with standard Thai tax structure. The Retirement Visa (age 50+, $55 fee, 1-year renewable, THB 65K/month income or 800K savings) covers a separate demographic.

For the broad middle of the digital nomad market — $50K–150K income, lower documentation burden, 5-year duration — the DTV is the better deal.

The application sequence

The DTV is one of the cleanest visa applications in the region. The official process runs through the e-Visa portal (thaievisa.go.th) and most applicants never visit an embassy in person. Visit the portal, select your country of application, choose the DTV category that fits (Workation = remote workers and freelancers, Soft Power = enrollment-based, Medical Treatment, Thai Spouse/Dependents), pay the THB 10,000 fee online. Upload passport scan, bank statements showing THB 500,000+ balance for the required period, employment letter or freelance documentation or enrollment letter, recent photo, accommodation confirmation.

Processing varies widely. London, Singapore, and Berlin tend to run fast (1–2 weeks). Bangkok-based applications 2–3 weeks. Western Hemisphere embassies (Washington, Toronto, Sydney) 3–6 weeks. Approved visas issue electronically as a PDF with a visa number matched to your passport. Show the printout at Thai immigration, get the 180-day entry stamp. Multi-entry over 5 years.

What gets people rejected

A broken six-month balance trail is the most common cause — THB 500,000 in the account two weeks before submitting, but only THB 100,000 five months ago, and the statement tells the whole story. Soft-power applications fail when the gym or school turns out not to be a registered business. Employment letters that read “obviously fabricated for the visa” get caught more often than people think. The most preventable rejections are the boring ones: address on the application doesn’t quite match the address on the employment letter, English spelling on the contract differs from the passport by a single letter. A specific pattern that gets caught: applying through an embassy in a country where you don’t have legitimate legal residence, hoping for friendlier interpretation.

Frequently asked questions

Does the DTV lead to Thai PR or citizenship?

No. The DTV is explicitly not a residency path. Thailand has separate PR paths (the standard PR application, infrequently open in recent years) and investment-based visas (Thai Elite, LTR) that also don’t lead to citizenship. Thai citizenship is structurally very difficult to obtain. The DTV is for long-stay foreigners who don’t need it — most DTV holders maintain their home-country citizenship and treat Thailand as a multi-year base.

Can I work for my US, UK, Canadian, or Australian employer remotely?

Yes, as long as your employer is a non-Thai entity. The complication isn’t on the Thai side — it’s on the employer side. Some employers require a Thai PEO/EOR (Employer of Record) arrangement when employees work from Thailand long-term, to handle social-security and payroll obligations that nominally arise. Most don’t require this for short stays, but for full-year DTV-based work, the conversation with your HR department before applying is worth having. Companies that handle international remote-work cleanly: Stripe, GitLab, Automattic, Wise, Canva, Atlassian.

Actual tax cost for a US tech worker earning $200K?

Highly dependent on remittance pattern. Remit everything: wire $200K to Thailand throughout the year, Thai tax at progressive rates runs roughly $40K–50K, US Form 1116 credits that against US federal tax — net additional cost versus a US no-state-tax state is roughly the gap between Thai and US federal effective rates. Remit only living expenses: wire $40K to Thailand for rent, food, healthcare, leave $160K in US Schwab/Fidelity/Chase accounts. Thai tax on the $40K runs roughly $4K–6K. Net additional cost versus no-state-tax US: $4K–6K minus US state tax saved (significant from California or New York, minor from Florida or Texas). Most US DTV holders do the second pattern — usually saves $30K–40K/year versus full remittance but requires discipline about offshore-versus-Thai cash flows.

Actual day-counting requirement?

No minimum stay. You can be in Thailand 100 days a year or 350. The 180-day-per-entry rule caps each individual stay at 180 days, with one 180-day extension allowed before exit. After 5 years, you renew indefinitely — each renewal is a fresh application with current documentation.

DTV versus Thailand’s LTR?

Different products for different income levels. LTR targets higher-income applicants ($80,000+ annual income or significant investment) and offers a 10-year visa with a flat 17% tax rate option for some categories. DTV targets the broad middle — lower documentation burden, 5-year duration, cheaper fee. For most remote workers earning $50K–150K, the DTV is the better deal. For senior tech workers and high-earning freelancers ($200K+), the LTR’s broader tax benefits may justify higher application complexity.

Can my spouse and kids come?

Yes. Spouse and children under 20 can be included on the same DTV application at THB 10,000 per dependent. Spouses receive the same 180-day-per-stay and 5-year validity. Children’s school enrollment is straightforward at most Thai international schools. Total DTV fee for a family of four runs THB 40,000 (around $1,140).

Annual budget in Bangkok?

For a single applicant in central Bangkok (Sukhumvit, Sathorn, Silom): rent at quality one-bedroom THB 30,000–50,000/month ($850–1,400), food and entertainment $500–1,000, transportation $100–200, health insurance $80–200, communication and utilities $80–150. Total monthly $1,600–3,000, annual $19,000–36,000 all-in. Same lifestyle in San Francisco or London easily exceeds $80,000.

Is the soft-power category really as flexible as it sounds?

In practice yes, with limits. Qualifying activities: Muay Thai training, Thai cooking, traditional Thai dance, Thai language study at recognized schools, sports training (popular for golf and tennis), medical treatment (dental, cosmetic surgery, fertility, addiction). Enrollment must be substantive — a 1-week trial doesn’t qualify. Typical qualifying enrollments run 3–6 month Muay Thai programs at recognized gyms, 4–8 week Thai cooking programs, or documented medical treatment plans extending 3+ months.

US state tax obligations while on the DTV?

This catches a lot of Americans. The DTV doesn’t address US state tax — that’s purely a function of your state’s residency rules. California, New York, Virginia, and other aggressive states continue claiming former residents who haven’t formally severed state ties. If you keep a California driver’s license, California voter registration, or California bank accounts while DTV-based in Thailand, you may remain a California tax resident. Severing cleanly requires changing driver’s license to your new domicile state (Florida, Texas, Wyoming, South Dakota), updating voter registration, closing California-based bank accounts, changing physical mailing address. Get a US state-tax-residency specialist if you’re leaving California or New York.

How is the visa run between entries managed?

Bangkok-based pattern is a 2–3 day trip to Singapore, KL, Penang, Hanoi, or Phnom Penh between entries. Flights $100–300 round-trip, trips pleasant, fresh 180-day stamp on re-entry. Phuket-based holders make short hops to Penang or Langkawi. Northern Thailand crowd does Vientiane (Laos) or Kunming (China). Treated as routine by Thai immigration — no concept of “too many entries” within the 5-year validity.

What does the 2024 remittance reform actually mean?

The pre-2024 pattern relied on remitting foreign income in a different calendar year than when earned, which the old Revenue Code treated as permanently tax-free. That closed January 1, 2024. All foreign-source income remitted to Thailand is now subject to Thai tax in the year of remittance, regardless of when earned. The remaining tax-efficient pattern is to keep foreign-earned money offshore and never remit it — only remit what you need for living expenses, and accept those remittances are Thai-taxable in the year you bring them in. For US/UK/CA/AU citizens, the DTAs prevent double taxation on what does get Thai-taxed.

Can I switch from DTV to a different long-stay Thai visa later?

Yes. The DTV doesn’t lock you in. Many DTV holders eventually transition to LTR (if income grows past $80K), the Retirement visa (when they turn 50), Thai Elite (if lifestyle benefits justify the cost), or a marriage-based visa. Each is a fresh application — the DTV doesn’t grant any privileged path — but they’re available without restriction.

What if I exceed 180 days without an extension?

Overstaying is separate from tax residency. Tax residency triggers at 180 days regardless of whether you have a valid visa. Visa overstaying triggers fines (THB 500/day, up to THB 20,000 maximum), deportation in serious cases, and blacklisting from re-entry for 1–10 years depending on overstay duration. The DTV’s extension mechanism is designed precisely so you don’t have to overstay — pay THB 10,000, stay legally another 180 days.

Thai healthcare for DTV holders?

Excellent and inexpensive at private hospitals. Bumrungrad International (Bangkok), Bangkok Hospital, BNH Hospital, Samitivej are world-class with US/UK/Canadian/Australian-trained doctors and English as the default. Primary care visit THB 800–1,500 ($25–45). Specialist consultation THB 1,500–3,000 ($45–90). MRI scan THB 8,000–15,000 ($230–430). Heart bypass at a top private hospital $15,000–25,000 — comparable to Mexico, far below US prices. Medical insurance isn’t formally required but strongly recommended: $400–1,500/year for basic local Thai policy (LMG, AXA Thailand, Cigna Thailand), $1,200–3,500/year for comprehensive global policy (Cigna Global, Allianz Care, IMG, SafetyWing).

Why the DTV is still a remarkable deal

The DTV doesn’t lead to citizenship. It doesn’t grant permanent residency. It doesn’t give you tax shelters that didn’t exist before. What it does is solve a specific problem: how does a remote worker, freelancer, or longer-term traveler legally base themselves in Thailand for 5 years at a price that makes the math irrelevant? The answer is THB 10,000. About $285. For five years.

For US tech workers earning $200K with FAANG-equivalent remote arrangements, the DTV is the cleanest Asia base available. For UK fintech engineers escaping London rents, the most affordable serious option on the continent. For Canadian software consultants and Australian tech professionals, the same story holds in slightly different shapes. For global FIRE freelancers and one-person SaaS founders, the soft-power eligibility door makes it accessible regardless of how messy income documentation is.

What the DTV doesn’t solve is the Thai 180-day tax residency trigger and the 2024 remittance reform — those are real considerations requiring deliberate planning. But the underlying value is genuinely excellent. For long-stay foreigners with legitimate offshore income, Thailand became substantially friendlier in July 2024, and the DTV is the visa that captures that change. If you’re looking for an Asia base for 2026 and 2027, the price-to-utility ratio doesn’t have a peer in the region.