THAILAND VISA

OVERVIEW

A Thailand Tourist Visa is a stamp or document placed in your passport. It is needed to enter Thailand for tourism. It is issued by a Thai embassy or Consulate in your country and stamped on your passport upon arrival at the airport in Thailand.
New policies from July 15, 2024:
⦁ Visa Exemption: Nationals of the following 93 countries and territories are entitled to visa exemption for the purpose of tourism business engagements or urgent work or ad-hoc work, for up to 60 days period of stay and can be extended for another period not exceeding 30 days. Extension of stay is solely at the discretion of the immigration officer. Before the maximum stay of 90 days are eligible to apply for a new type of visa in Thailand.
⦁ Visa on Arrival (VOA): Thailand allows nationals of 31 countries and territories, up from 19 countries previously, to apply for VOA at the immigration checkpoints on arrival. Visitors under this scheme are allowed to stay for tourism purposes for a period not exceeding 15 days.

THAILAND VISA EXEMPTION

Here is the full list of 93 countries and territories that are exempted from Thailand visa for tourism purpose:
Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea (ROK), Kosovo, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

THAILAND ENTRY TOURIST VISA

Thailand offers both multiple-entry and single-entry tourist visas for foreigners who wish to visit the country for tourism purposes. Here’s a general breakdown of the two:
Single-Entry Tourist Visa
⦁ Validity: Usually valid for entering Thailand within 3 months from the date of issue.
⦁ Duration: Once you enter Thailand, you can stay for up to 60 days.
⦁ Extension: It’s possible to apply for an extension of stay for another 30 days at an immigration office in Thailand, making the total potential duration of stay up to 90 days.

Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa

⦁ Validity: Allows multiple entries into Thailand over a 6-month period from the date of issue.
⦁ Duration: Each entry allows a 60-day stay, meaning you can come and go as many times as you want during the 6-month validity, but each stay can’t exceed 60 days.
⦁ Extension: Like the Single-Entry Tourist Visa, each entry can potentially be extended for an additional 30 days at a Thai immigration office.

THAILAND VISA PROCESS

Besides of the exemption, visitors coming from other countries are required to get Thailand visa before their departure by applying:

1. PRE-ARRANGED VISA:

⦁ Apply at the embassy (standard visa):
        Apply in-person at the Embassy;
        Apply by mail to the Embassy
⦁ Electronic visa (e-visa) 
Citizens of the following countries are eligible to apply for a Thailand e-Visa: Bulgaria, Bhutan, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Nauru, Papua New, Guinea, Romania, Taiwan, Uzbekistan and Vanuatu.
The application process is as follows:
1. Visit the website of the official website of Thai e-Visa https://www.thaievisa.go.th/ Register an account by clicking on ‘Sign up’, and then select ‘Sign up for Individual’. Write down your email address, create a password, and click ‘Create Account’. In order to register on the website, you must write down your personal information, such as your name, surname, country of nationality, current address, etc.
2. Receive email verification. Once you have created an account, you will receive an email to reconfirm that your account has been successfully registered.
3. Check your eligibility. Step one allows you to check if you are eligible to apply for the electronic visa.
4. Select your purpose of visit. Select the type of your travel document and your purpose of visit. The system will automatically, then, select the visa type that suits your purpose of visit.
5. Fill in your personal information. Step three on the application form requires you to write down your personal details.
6. Upload supporting documents. Attach all necessary documents in order to support your application.
7. Pay the application fee. Lastly, you will be redirected to an e-Payment section. You can select Internet Banking Credit Card or UnionPay QR.
A Thailand E-Visa will cost USD$82 (or equivalent) no matter your nationality. This payment is made through the E-Visa secure web portal when you submit the application. The fee is non-refundable.

Arriving in Thailand

When you arrive in Thailand, it is best to have a hard copy of your documents. You will need to provide the following documents at Passport Control:
⦁ Passport
⦁ Confirmation letter of visa approval
⦁ Confirmed exit flight from the country no later than 60 days
⦁ Confirmed accommodation (at least for the first night in the country)
⦁ Current financial or bank statement showing funds available. The amount depends on your type of visa
⦁ Entry approval is at the discretion of immigration officers and presenting hard copies of these documents will speed your processing through Passport Control and help ease congestion at the airport.

2. VISA ON ARRIVAL

Nationals of the following 31 countries and territories may apply for VOA at the immigration checkpoints on arrival for tourism purpose:
Armenia, Belarus, Bhutan*, Bolivia, Bulgaria*, China*, Costa Rica, Cyprus*, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji*, Georgia*, India*, Kazakhstan*, Kyrgyzstan, Malta*, Mexico*, Namibia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea*, Paraguay, Romania*, Russia*, Saudi Arabia*, Serbia, Seychelles, Taiwan*, Tunisia, Uzbekistan*, Vanuatu, and Venezuela.
*Countries/Territories eligible for 60-day visa exemption scheme.

How to get Thailand VOA

To receive a Visa on Arrival, visitors must meet the following requirements:
⦁ Hold citizenship from an approved country
⦁ Provide a completed Visa on Arrival Form (available at immigration)
⦁ Provide a photo sized 4 x 6 cm taken within 6 months
⦁ Hold a passport with at least 30 days of validity remaining
⦁ Pledge to visit Thailand strictly for tourism purposes
⦁ Provide verifiable proof of accommodation in Thailand such as a hotel or an apartment address
⦁ Provide proof of funds to support their stay (minimum 10,000 THB for single travelers and 20,000 THB per family)
⦁ Provide proof of a return ticket for exiting Thailand (open tickets do not qualify, and the ticket’s destination cannot be a neighboring country of Thailand)
Visitors may be asked to show their onward travel ticket upon entering Thailand. If they do not possess a ticket proving their exit from Thailand within the allowed 15 days, they will most likely be refused entry.

VOA Visa Fees

There is a non-refundable entry fee of 2,000 THB that must be paid in cash at the checkpoint. It is advised that visitors acquire this amount in Thai Baht via currency exchange before arriving in Thailand.
List of Thailand Immigration Checkpoints for Visa on Arrival:
⦁ Suvarnabhumi Airport
⦁ Don Muang International Airport, Bangkok
⦁ Chiang Mai International Airport
⦁ Phuket International Airport
⦁ Hatyai International Airport, Songkhla
⦁ U Tapao International Airport, Rayong
⦁ Mae Sai Immigration Checkpoint, Chiang Rai
⦁ Chiang Saen Immigration Checkpoint, Chiang Rai
⦁ Betong Immigration Checkpoint, Yala
⦁ Sadao Immigration Checkpoint, Songkhla
⦁ Samui International Airport, Surat Thani
⦁ Sukhothai International Airport
⦁ Tak Immigration Checkpoint
⦁ Bangkok Harbor Immigration Checkpoint
⦁ Sri Racha Immigration Checkpoint, Chonburi
⦁ Maptaphut Immigration Checkpoint, Rayong
⦁ Nong Khai Immigration Checkpoint
⦁ Samui Immigration Checkpoint, Surat Thani
⦁ Phuket Immigration Checkpoint
⦁ Satun Immigration Checkpoint
⦁ Krabi Immigration Checkpoint
⦁ Songkhla Harbor Immigration Checkpoint
⦁ Chiang Rai Airport Immigration Checkpoint