![Thailand Visa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Thailand_Visa.jpg)
Visitors to
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
must obtain a
visa
Visa most commonly refers to:
*Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company
** Visa Debit card issued by the above company
** Visa Electron, a debit card
** Visa Plus, an interbank network
*Travel visa, a document that allows ...
from one of the
Thai diplomatic missions unless they come from a visa-exempt country or a country whose citizens are eligible to obtain visas on arrival/eVisa.
Thailand currently offers visa-free travel to nationals of 64 countries and territories.
The Thai government maintains bilateral agreements on visa waivers with some of these countries. Nationals of 18 countries can obtain a visa on arrival/eVisas.
Thailand visa policy map
center, 850px, Visa policy of Thailand
History
In May 2014, there was a brief crackdown on
visa runs, meaning that if foreigners wish to re-enter Thailand after their visa-free or visa on arrival period has expired they have to obtain a visa in advance, or remain outside Thailand at least for one night. In August 2014, Thailand Prime Minister ordered the Immigration Police to be more flexible as the strict application of the law was affecting schools and the tourist industry. On 31 October 2018 it was announced that within 30 days (by the end of November 2018), overstay visas will no longer be allowed, and there will be no remaining overstayers in the kingdom by that date.
Temporary Covid 19 changes
Since Jan 2021, all passport countries wit
exempt entryof 30 days was extended to 45 days.
This was done to cover the additional entry requirements which involves staying for 15 days in an Alternative Quarantine (AQ). However, the extra 15 days was stopped in October 2021 and the normal 30 day visa exempt entry length resumed.
Since July 1, Thailand has allowed quarantine-free entry through a program called th
Phuket Sandbox The core requirement being that the traveller is fully vaccinated. Under this program you can travel all around Phuket after your first negative test on your first day.
On August 17 this program was expanded under the name of the "7+7" program so that your second 7 nights may be spent on Krabi, Phang-nga, or Samui. The first 7 nights could be done at Phuket or Samui only.
On November 1, Thailand reopened for incoming travel further with an Exempt from Quarantine one-night Test & Go program for Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Samui, which was suspended on December 22 due to the global rise in cases from the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
Visa exemption for normal passports
Due to bilateral visa waiver agreements with Thailand, nationals of the following countries and territories holding normal passports can enter Thailand without a visa for up to the duration listed below.
They may enter via any port of entry (unless otherwise specified).
1 - Length of stay extended from 30 days to 45 days; temporary policy from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023.
2 - for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport is a passport issued only to permanent residents of Hong Kong who also hold Chinese citizenship. Note that: The passport is referred to both as the HKSAR Passport and the Hong Kong Speci ...
only.
Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme
Under the Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme, nationals of countries and territories around the world are granted visa-free travel to
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
for a stay of up to 30 days, provided the purpose of entering Thailand is for
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
only.
They may apply to extend their stay for another 30 days since 29 August 2014. From 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023, the maximum length of stay for nationals covered by the scheme has been temporarily extended from 30 days to 45 days.
Nationals of the following countries are eligible for the scheme, and may enter Thailand via any port of entry:
Nationals of the following countries and territories are also eligible for the scheme, but are limited to a maximum of two visa-exempt entries per calendar year when entering Thailand via land or sea. There is no limit imposed when entering Thailand by air.
* — Already exempt from visa requirement through a bilateral visa waiver agreement.
1 — for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport is a passport issued only to permanent residents of Hong Kong who also hold Chinese citizenship. Note that: The passport is referred to both as the HKSAR Passport and the Hong Kong Speci ...
only.
2 — for British citizen
British nationality law prescribes the conditions under which a person is recognised as being a national of the United Kingdom. The six different classes of British nationality each have varying degrees of civil and political rights, due to the ...
s and British Nationals (Overseas)
British National (Overseas), abbreviated BN(O), is a class of British nationality associated with the former colony of Hong Kong. The status was acquired through voluntary registration by individuals with a connection to the territory who ha ...
only.
Visa exemption for diplomatic or service category passports
![Visa policy of Thailand for holders of diplomatic and service category passports](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Visa_policy_of_Thailand_for_holders_of_diplomatic_and_service_category_passports.png)
Holders of diplomatic or service category passports issued by the following countries and territories are allowed to visit Thailand without a visa for visits up to 90 days (unless otherwise noted):
D — diplomatic passports only.
Visa on arrival/eVisa
![Thailand Immigration Stamps](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Thailand_Immigration_Stamps.png)
Nationals of the following countries and territories may apply for a
visa on arrival
A visa (from the Latin ''charta visa'', meaning "paper that has been seen") is a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on t ...
or an eVisa, which allows them to enter Thailand for a stay of up to 15 days at major entry points via air or land. Visas obtained on arrival cannot be extended.
From 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023, the maximum length of stay for nationals eligible for a visa on arrival or an eVisa has been temporarily extended from 15 days to 30 days.
There are 48 immigration checkpoints providing visa on arrival, including:
International Airport
# - Airport which accepts
e-visa on arrival
Land and harbor checkpoint
eVisa on arrival
From 21 November 2018 Thailand started issuing tourist visas valid for 15 days in a simplified procedure to visitors from the countries whose citizens are eligible for visa on arrival.
Electronic visa application also became available from February 2019 in some of the consulates of Thailand abroad.
Airports listed at previous chapter with “#” icon accept eVisa on arrival.
Visa required in advance
Citizens of the following countries can only apply for a Visa in advance in their home country's Thai Embassy. Thai Embassies abroad only accept applications of these countries' citizens if they have a resident permit of the country they want to apply from.
Transit
Passengers transiting through Suvarnabhumi Airport for less than 12 hours do not require a visa, unless they are travelling on
Angkor Air,
Beijing Capital Airlines
Beijing Capital Airlines (), commonly known as Capital Airlines, is a Chinese low-cost airline based in Beijing Daxing International Airport. It is a subsidiary of Hainan Airlines.
History
The company was established in 1995 as Deer Jet Airl ...
,
Cebu Pacific
Cebu Air, Inc., operating as Cebu Pacific (), is a low-cost airline of the Philippines. Founded in 1988, it is Asia's oldest low-cost airline. It offers scheduled flights to both domestic and international destinations. The airline operates fl ...
,
Eastar Jet
Eastar Jet (ESR) () is a South Korean low-cost airline with its headquarters in Banghwa-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul. On January 7, 2009, Eastar Jet made its maiden flight from Gimpo International Airport to Jeju International Airport. Now, the ai ...
,
Golden Myanmar Airlines
Golden Myanmar Airlines ( my, ရွှေမြန်မာ လေကြောင်းလိုင်း) is an airline in Myanmar currently offering domestic flights. It was established in August 2012. It was formed by 15 investors including th ...
,
IndiGo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
,
Intira Airlines,
Jeju Air
Jeju Air Co., Ltd. (), is the first and largest South Korean low-cost airline. It offers scheduled domestic services, as well as international destinations including China, Japan, Russia, the Mariana Islands, and various Southeast Asian countries ...
,
Jet Asia Airways,
Jetstar Asia Airways
Jetstar Asia Airways Pte Ltd (operating as Jetstar Asia) is a low-cost airline based in Singapore. It is one of the Asian offshoots of parent Jetstar Airways, the low-cost subsidiary airline of Australia's Qantas airline. It operates services ...
,
Jetstar Pacific,
Jin Air
Jin Air Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean low-cost airline. As of April 2018 it operates flights to six domestic cities and 26 international destinations. It launched its first long haul route, between Incheon and Honolulu, in December 2015. It has ...
,
Juneyao Airlines
Juneyao Air (), formerly known as Juneyao Airlines, is a carrier headquartered in Shanghai, operating both domestic and international services from two airports ( Shanghai Hongqiao and Shanghai Pudong). The company was founded in 2005 as a subsi ...
,
Lao Central Airlines,
Tigerair Mandala
Tigerair Mandala (''formerly Mandala Airlines'') was a low-cost carrier headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia and an associate company of the Singapore-based Tigerair Group. The former full service airline repositioned itself as a budget airline/ ...
,
Norwegian Air
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, trading as Norwegian, is a Norwegian low-cost airline and Norway's largest airline. It is the fourth largest low-cost carrier in Europe behind Wizz Air, easyJet and Ryanair, the second-largest airline in Scandinavia ...
,
Orient Thai Airlines
The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the ...
,
Regent Airways
Regent Airways ( bn, রিজেন্ট এয়ারওয়েজ) was a Bangladeshi airline owned by HG Aviation Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of Habib Group. It is based at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Due to its bad financi ...
,
Shandong Airlines
Shandong Airlines Co,.Ltd. (; nicknamed SDA or ) is an airline based in the Shandong Airlines Center () in Jinan, Shandong. The Chinese carrier operates a sizable domestic network from Jinan, Qingdao and Yantai to major cities across China, toget ...
,
Sichuan Airlines
Sichuan Airlines Co., Ltd. () is a Chinese airline based in Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, and is the largest airline in western China, operating mainly scheduled domestic and international flights out o ...
,
South East Asian Airlines
Cebgo, Inc., operating as Cebgo (stylized in all lowercase as cebgo), is the regional brand of Cebu Pacific. It is the successor company to SEAIR, Inc., which previously operated as South East Asian Airlines and Tigerair Philippines. It is now o ...
,
SpiceJet
SpiceJet is an Indian budget airline headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana. It is the second largest airline in the country by number of domestic passengers carried, with a market share of 13.6% as of March 2019. The airline operates 630 daily fli ...
,
Spring Airlines
Spring Airlines Co., Ltd. () is a low-cost carrier with its headquarters in the Homeyo Hotel () in Changning District, Shanghai, China. While the company adopted the English name "Spring Airlines", the Chinese name literally means "Spring Autumn ...
,
T'way Airlines
T'way Air Co., Ltd. (), formerly Hansung Airlines, is a South Korean low-cost airline based in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. In 2018, it is the third largest Korean low-cost carrier in the international market, carried 2.9 million domestic ...
,
Thai Smile
THAI Smile Airways is a Thai regional airline and a wholly owned subsidiary of Thai Airways International headquartered in Bangkok.
History
On 20 May 2011, the Thai Airways board announced plans to create a new lower-cost airline, at the time ...
,
Tigerair
Tiger Airways Singapore Pte Ltd, operating as Tigerair, was a budget airline headquartered in Singapore. It operated services to regional destinations in Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, Taiwan, China and India from its main base at Singapore Changi ...
or
VietJet Air
VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Company ( vi, Công ty Cổ phần Hàng không VietJet), trading as VietJet Air (or simply Vietjet), is an international low-cost airline from Vietnam. It was the first privately owned new-age airline to be establi ...
.
Those transiting through Don Mueang International Airport for less than 12 hours do not require a visa only when travelling on
Thai AirAsia
Thai AirAsia (, th, ไทยแอร์เอเชีย) is a joint venture of Malaysian low-fare airline AirAsia ( th, แอร์เอเชีย) and Thailand's Asia Aviation. It serves AirAsia's regularly scheduled domestic and int ...
or
Thai AirAsia X.
Citizens of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
are required to obtain a visa when transiting through Thailand at all times.
APEC Business Travel Card
Holders of passports issued by the following countries who possess an
APEC Business Travel Card
The APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) is a travel document issued to business travellers who are citizens of APEC participating economies. Valid for five years, the card eliminates the need for its holder to possess a visa when visiting other APEC ...
(ABTC) containing "THA" on the back of the card can enter visa-free for business trips for up to 90 days.
ABTCs are issued to nationals of:
Mandatory yellow fever vaccination
![Mandatory yellow fever vaccination for Thailand](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Mandatory_yellow_fever_vaccination_for_Thailand.png)
Nationals of the following countries or nationals arriving from the following countries require an International Certificate of Vaccination in order to enter Thailand, unless they produce evidence that they do not reside in the following areas. Failure to fulfill this requirement could result in refusal of entry into Thailand.
[Thailand Visa Information : List of countries which require International Health Certificate for Yellow Fever Vaccination.](_blank)
/ref>
Visa types
General visa types
*Courte Upon official request, the Royal Thai Embassy may grant courtesy visas/laissez-passer to diplomats/UN officials/others who wish to enter the Kingdom on official duty and/or other purposes
*Permanent resident: To qualify for this visa, you must have stayed in Thailand for 3 consecutive years with the one-year visa extensions. If married to a Thai for 5 years, one must be earning 30,000 baht/month. If single, your monthly income must be 80,000 baht minimum.
*Tourist: If an individual wishes to remain in Thailand for more than 30 days, he/she may wish to obtain a tourist visa at a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate prior to arriving in Thailand. The tourist visa must be used within validity date, that varies with the number of entries purchased, and allows an initial stay of 60 days. After arrival in Thailand, a tourist visa or a visa exempt entry may be extended once for an additional 30 days according to immigration Bureau order 327/2557. There is a 1,900 baht fee for each extension.
*Transit: This type of visa is issued to applicants who wish to enter the Kingdom for the following purposes: to travel in transit through the Kingdom in order to proceed to the country of destination or to re-enter his/her own country (category "TS"); the person in charge of or crew of a conveyance coming to a port, station, or area in the Kingdom (category "C")
Non-Immigrant visa types
*Type B: to conduct business; work; attend business conferences; teach school; attend scuba diving, muay Thai, and massage courses
*Type D: diplomatic visa
*Type ED: to study; to come on a work study tour or observation tour; to participate in projects or seminars; to attend a conference or training course; to study as a foreign Buddhist monk
*Type EX: to undertake skilled work or to work as an expert or specialist
*Type F: to perform official duties, e.g., military exercises or governmental assignments
*Type IB: to invest or perform other activities relating to investment, subject to the provision of the established laws on investment promotion
*Type IM: to invest with the concurrence of the Thai ministries and governmental departments concerned
*Type M: to work as a film-producer, journalist, or reporter with permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
*Type O: to visit family; to perform duties for a state enterprise or social welfare organizations (NGOs); to receive medical treatment; to be a sports coach as required by the Thai government; to be a contestant; to be a witness in a judicial process
*Type O-A: retirement visa
*Type R: to perform missionary work or other religious activities with the concurrence of the Thai ministries or government departments concerned
*Type RS: to conduct scientific research or training or teaching in a research institute
*Type S:to participate in an officially recognised sports event.
Statistics
Most visitors arriving to Thailand on short term basis were from the following countries of nationality:
Work permit
To legally work in Thailand, a foreigner must apply for a work permit. Work permit is a legal document that states a foreigner's position, current occupation, or job description and the Thai company he is working with. It also serves as a license to perform a job or an occupation allowed for foreigners inside Thailand.
A foreigner is eligible to apply for a work permit as long as he has a non-immigrant visa or a resident visa, has an available employer who will provide documents for work permit, and the occupation he will perform is not prohibited to foreigners.
One Stop Service Centre for Visas and Work Permits
The One Stop Service Centre for Visas and Work Permits was established on 1 July 1997 by authority of the Regulations of the Office of Prime Minister promulgated on 30 June 1997. The objective of this centre is to simplify visa extension and permit issuance procedures to create a good investment environment. It aims to facilitate applications of visa extension and work permits (e.g., stay permission, re-entry permit, work permit). The Centre is located on Chamchuree Square Building, Floor 18, Phatumwan, Bangkok.
Foreigners who are eligible to apply for visa extension and work permits at the One Stop Service Centre
*Foreigner who is an executive or expert with privileges accorded to them by the following laws:
*#Investment Promotion Act B.E. 2520 (1977);
*#Petroleum Act B.E. 2514 (1971);
*#Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand Act B.E. 2522 (1979);
*Foreigner who is an investor.
*#If investing not less than 2 million Baht, he or she will be granted a 1-year permit.
*#If investing not less than 10 million Baht, he or she will be granted a 2-year permit.
*Foreigner who is an executive or expert.
*Foreigner's associated company should be registered with capital or possess asset of not less than 30 million Baht.
*Foreigner who is a member of the foreign press must present a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a copy of an ID Press Card issued by the Department of Public Relations.
*Foreigner who is a researcher or developer on science and technology.
*Foreigner who is employed in a branch office of an overseas bank, foreign banking office of an overseas bank, provincial foreign banking office of an overseas bank or a representative office of the foreign bank in which all offices are certified by the Bank of Thailand.
*Foreigner who works on the necessary and urgent basis for a period of no longer than 15 days.
*Foreigner who is an official of the representative office for foreign juristic persons concerning the International Trading Business and Regional Office of Transnational Corporation in accordance to the Foreign Business Act B.E. 2542 (1999).
*Foreigner who is an expert on information technology.
*Foreigner who works at regional operating headquarters.
See also
*Visa requirements for Thai citizens
A Thai passport
Visa requirements for Thai citizens are administrative entry restrictions imposed on citizens of Thailand by the authorities of other states. As of January 2022, Thai citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 79 countr ...
*Thai passport
The Thai passport is the passport issued to citizens and nationals of Thailand by the Passport Division of the Department of Consular Affairs within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thai biometric passports have been issued since August 2005.
...
*Thai national ID card
The Thai identity card ( th, บัตรประจำตัวประชาชนไทย; ; ) is an official identity document issued to Thai nationals between the age of 7 and 70 years.ราชกิจจานุเบกษาพร ...
*Tourism in Thailand
Tourism is an economic contributor to the Kingdom of Thailand. Estimates of tourism revenue directly contributing to the GDP of 12 trillion baht range from one trillion baht (2013) 2.53 trillion baht (2016), the equivalent of 9% to 17.7% of ...
References
External links
Thailand Immigration Bureau
Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Thailand Visa on Arrival
More Info
{{Visa Requirements
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...