Wikipedia

Visa policy of Thailand

Visitors to Thailand must obtain a visa from one of the Thai diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries, or citizens who may obtain a visa on arrival, or citizens eligible for an e-Visa.[1]

Thai stamps of visa on arrival (up), entry (right), exit (middle) and overstay (left) on a Russian passport

Visa policy map

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  Thailand
  Visa not required (90 days)
  Visa not required (60 days)
  Visa not required (14 days)
  Visa on arrival (15 days)
  eVisa (60 days)
  Visa required

History

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A Thai entry stamp on a Chinese passport, indicates the visitor may stay no more than 30 days in this entry

In May 2014, there was a brief crackdown on visa runs during 2014 Thai coup d'état, 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.[2]

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.[3]

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.[4]

Visa exemption

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Ordinary passports

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Citizens of the following countries and territories may enter Thailand for business and tourist purposes without a visa for the following period:[5]

90 days

60 daysA

14 days

A - May apply to extend their stay for an additional 30 days.
B(xx) - Thailand has bilateral visa exemption agreements with countries with this mark for stays of xx days. For some countries where the length of stay in the agreement was only 14 or 30 days, if those countries are also in the 60 days visa waiver list, the length of stay will be lengthened to 60 days. For some countries where the length of stay in the agreement is 90 days, if those countries are also in the 60 days visa waiver list, the length of stay will be granted to 90 days as in the agreement.
C - Thailand has bilateral visa exemption agreements with countries with this mark for stays of 30 days, limited to a cumulative maximum stay of 90 days within any 180 days.
# - For ASEAN nationals, Thailand has bilateral visa exemption agreements with Laos and Vietnam for stays of 30 days, as well as Cambodia for stays of 14 days.
1 - For Chinese citizens with People's Republic of China passports, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports or Macao Special Administrative Region passports only.
2 - For air arrivals only.

Electronic Travel Authorization

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According to government plans as of April 2024, the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system is expected to launch in a pilot phase by December 2024, with full deployment anticipated by June 2025. The ETA will be required for all visa-exempt travelers entering Thailand, regardless of their mode of entry (air, sea, or land). Applications will be submitted through the existing electronic visa portal and each entry into Thailand will require a separate ETA application, which is planned to be free of charge. It will enable holders to use automated gates at immigration checkpoints by scanning a QR code provided with their authorization. The ETA will not required by certain categories of travelers including holders of diplomatic passports, official passports, UN Laissez-Passer, and Border Pass users.[6]

APEC Business Travel Card

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Holders of passports issued by the following countries who possess an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) containing "THA" on the back of the card may enter Thailand without a visa for business trips for up to 90 days.[1]

ABTCs are issued to citizens of:[7]

Non-ordinary passports

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  Thailand
  Diplomatic and service passports
  Diplomatic passports

Holders of diplomatic, official or service passports issued by the following countries and territories are allowed to visit Thailand without a visa for a maximum period of up to 90 days (unless otherwise noted):[8]

D - Diplomatic passports only.
1 - 30 days

Visa exemption agreements were signed with Lithuania in June 2024 and Kyrgyzstan in September 2024 and they are yet to be ratified.[9][10]

Visa on arrival / Electronic Visa (e-Visa)

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Sample of Thai e-Visa

Besides traditional visa on arrival policy, 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.[11] It costs 2,000 THB.

The e-Visa application also became available from February 2019 in some of the consulates of Thailand abroad.[12][13][14][8][15]

External image
  Map of entry points with Visa on Arrival facility
Visa type eVisa eVOA VOA
Multiple Single Single Single
Duration of stay 60 days 15 days
Validity 6 Months 3 Months 30 days N/A
Visa-fee Depend on applicant's nationality and place of residence (cheaper than VOA) Standard: 2,560 THB

Express: 4,560 THB

Standard: 2,000 THB

Express: 2,200 THB

Processing time 3-10 working days Standard: 24-72 hours

Express: less than 24 hours

May take up to several hours (depends on how busy the visa office is at the moment)
Proof of funds 60,000 THB (upload proof online) 20,000 THB (upload proof online) Following items may be checked at port of entry:
  • 10,000 THB cash per person, or
  • 20,000 THB cash per family, or
  • Equivalent foreign currency
Extendable Yes No
Application submission thaievisa.go.th thailandevoa.vfsevisa.com Visa office at the port of entry

Eligible citizens

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Visa on arrival

e-VisaA

A - All nationalities are eligible for an e-Visa as long as they reside in one of the following countries by the time they lodge an application.
B - Although these countries are visa-exempt in general, their citizens may still have to apply for visa on arrival or e-visa if they are not allowed to enter without visa due to personal reasons (e.g. excessive stay or holding inappropriate travel documents).

Eligible ports of entry

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There are 48 immigration checkpoints providing visa on arrival, including:[26]

International Airport

# - Airport which accepts e-visa on arrival

Land and harbor checkpoint

Visa required in advance

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Citizens of the following countries and territories must apply for a visa at the Thai embassy or consulate in their home country.

Thai embassies or consulates abroad only accept applications of these citizens if they have a residence permit of the country they want to apply from.[27]

1 - Except Algeria, Congo-Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Libya, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa and Tunisia.

Transit

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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, Cebu Pacific, Eastar Jet, Golden Myanmar Airlines, IndiGo, Intira Airlines, Jeju Air, Jet Asia Airways, Jetstar Asia Airways, Jetstar Pacific, Jin Air, Juneyao Airlines, Lao Central Airlines, Tigerair Mandala, Norwegian Air, Orient Thai Airlines, Regent Airways, Shandong Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, South East Asian Airlines, SpiceJet, Spring Airlines, T'way Airlines, Thai Smile, Tigerair or VietJet Air.[1]

Those transiting through Don Mueang International Airport for less than 12 hours do not require a visa only when travelling on Thai AirAsia or Thai AirAsia X.[1]

Citizens of Pakistan are required to obtain a visa when transiting through Thailand at all times.[28]

Mandatory yellow fever vaccination

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Mandatory yellow fever vaccination for Thailand

Citizens of the following countries or citizens 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.[29]

Visa types

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General visa types

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  • 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

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  • 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

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Most visitors arriving to Thailand on short term basis were from the following countries of nationality:

This section is transcluded from Tourism in Thailand. (edit | history)
Country 9/2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
  China 5,254,764 3,521,095 273,567 13,043 1,251,498 10,997,338 10,535,241 9,806,260 8,757,646 7,936,795 4,636,298 4,637,335 2,786,860
  Malaysia 3,742,474 4,626,422 1,948,549 5,511 619,623 4,265,574 4,020,526 3,494,488 3,494,890 3,418,855 2,613,418 3,041,097 2,554,397
  India 1,536,196 1,628,542 997,913 6,544 263,659 1,996,842 1,598,346 1,415,197 1,194,508 1,069,422 932,603 1,050,889 1,013,308
  South Korea 1,382,785 1,660,042 538,766 12,077 262,017 1,890,973 1,796,426 1,709,265 1,464,200 1,373,045 1,122,566 1,295,342 1,163,619
  Russia 1,159,758 1,482,611 435,008 30,759 590,151 1,483,337 1,472,789 1,346,338 1,090,083 884,136 1,606,430 1,746,565 1,316,564
  Laos 899,576 919,401 502,124 733 380,207 1,854,792 1,664,630 1,682,087 1,388,020 1,220,522 1,053,983 976,639 975,999
  Taiwan 813,255 724,594 94,834 1,675 117,511 790,039 687,748 573,077 522,273 552,699 394,149 502,176 394,225
  Vietnam 786,032 1,033,688 468,393 1,794 132,127 1,048,181 1,028,150 935,179 830,220 751,162 559,415 725,057 618,670
  Japan 762,648 805,768 290,146 9,461 322,677 1,806,438 1,656,101 1,544,442 1,439,510 1,381,702 1,267,886 1,536,425 1,373,716
  United States 707,104 930,206 453,678 37,880 212,669 1,165,950 1,122,270 1,056,423 975,643 867,505 763,520 823,486 768,638
  Singapore 697,886 1,027,424 614,627 5,931 126,771 1,059,484 1,069,867 1,032,647 967,550 938,385 844,133 955,468 831,215
  United Kingdom 666,859 817,220 444,432 38,663 223,087 992,574 986,854 994,755 1,004,345 947,568 907,877 905,024 873,053
  Hong Kong 665,174 802,368 162,240 1,657 124,518 1,045,361 1,015,749 821,064 751,264 669,617 483,131 588,335 473,666
  Indonesia 648,650 762,118 235,632 2,577 99,530 710,494 644,709 576,110 534,797 469,125 497,592 594,251 447,820
  Germany 588,298 729,163 365,030 45,874 231,782 852,481 886,523 850,139 837,885 761,819 715,240 737,658 682,419
  Australia 544,569 687,745 336,688 9,577 123,827 767,291 801,203 817,218 796,370 807,450 831,854 900,460 930,241
  France 515,228 545,003 268,587 23,461 237,317 745,346 749,556 740,190 738,878 681,114 635,073 611,582 576,106
  Philippines 420,812 461,251 178,021 4,078 72,762 506,430 432,237 381,252 339,150 310,968 304,813 321,571 289,566
  Cambodia 414,920 583,708 379,665 4,914 165,027 910,696 948,824 840,871 674,975 537,950 550,339 481,595 423,642
  Myanmar 399,548 394,134 193,778 7,256 55,279 378,232 368,188 365,606 341,626 259,678 206,794 172,383 129,385
  Israel 194,091 217,084 146,293 14,038 29,444 195,856 188,788 173,673 161,579 141,031 138,778 134,874 129,551
  Netherlands 190,840 229,539 116,354 8,539 52,402 241,608 236,265 222,409 235,762 221,619 211,524 218,765 208,122
  Italy 181,425 191,983 85,254 5,322 60,602 272,374 279,905 264,524 265,597 246,094 219,875 207,192 200,703
  Saudi Arabia 172,575 178,113 96,389 467 4,227 30,006 28,337 33,531 24,834 19,168 12,860 21,452 17,084
  Canada 172,521 214,264 90,608 6,440 58,499 273,214 276,094 258,494 244,869 227,601 211,059 229,897 219,354
  Spain 146,525 153,458 87,400 3,514 25,904 188,997 181,880 179,584 168,900 150,995 116,983 123,084 113,141
  United Arab Emirates 136,235 138,934 65,857 4,061 7,492 130,158 128,270 137,218 130,941 124,719 117,907 123,926 113,547
  Kazakhstan 130,531 172,489
  Sweden 130,138 178,259 97,378 17,094 111,994 287,341 311,949 323,736 332,895 321,690 324,865 341,398 364,681
   Switzerland 122,139 156,337 81,180 11,429 52,361 192,130 207,471 209,528 209,057 206,480 201,271 199,923 191,147
  Poland 112,440 121,700
  Bangladesh 102,640 140,657 81,106 1,955 21,838 136,677 129,574 121,765 100,263 107,394 88,134 82,418 72,657
  Denmark 98,248 115,224 64,249 8,480 66,848 162,456 169,373 161,920 165,581 159,435 160,977 163,186 167,499
  Belgium 75,244 85,512 48,684 5,386 26,394 114,669 114,270 112,266 111,013 106,090 99,729 101,109 94,896
  Austria 74,018 88,706 42,683 5,486 36,381 111,428 116,656 104,784 100,373 97,869 100,968 106,278 94,667
  Norway 73,939 83,952 46,521 5,763 39,778 127,992 128,841 127,850 131,039 135,382 145,207 154,049 148,796
  New Zealand 68,612 85,897 35,900 1,151 15,709 112,680 116,726 117,962 111,595 112,411 108,081 118,395 113,871
  Finland 55,481 76,193 38,561 6,139 59,567 128,014 140,961 140,464 134,238 134,750 142,425 141,692 154,919
Total 26,088,855 28,150,016 11,153,026 427,869 6,725,193 39,916,251 38,178,194 35,591,978 32,529,588 29,923,185 24,809,683 26,546,725 22,353,903

Work permit

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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.[30]

One Stop Service Centre for Visas and Work Permits

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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 Center is located on Chamchuree Square Building, Floor 18, Phatumwan, Bangkok.[31]

Foreigners who are eligible to apply for visa extension and work permits

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  • Foreigner who is an executive or expert with privileges accorded to them by the following laws:
    1. Investment Promotion Act B.E. 2520 (1977);
    2. Petroleum Act B.E. 2514 (1971);
    3. Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand Act B.E. 2522 (1979);
  • Foreigner who is an investor.
    1. If investing not less than 2 million Baht, he or she will be granted a 1-year permit.
    2. 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

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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Thailand.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Phuket: Strict new immigration regulations mean crackdown on visa runs".
  3. ^ "Phuket: Coup leader calls for Immigration to relax 'out-in' visa clampdown".
  4. ^ "No more overstayers, no more corruption at Immigration – Hakparn".
  5. ^ "Summary of Countries and Territories entitled for Visa Exemption and Visa on Arrival to Thailand".
  6. ^ Thailand “accelerating” on ETA introduction
  7. ^ "ABTC Economy Entry Information" (PDF).
  8. ^ a b "Summary of Countries and Territories entitled for Visa Exemption and Visa on Arrival to Thailand" (PDF).
  9. ^ [1]
  10. ^ [2]
  11. ^ "Visa on Arrival".
  12. ^ "Thailand offers online visa applications from February".
  13. ^ "E-visas available from February 2019. China first country". 3 December 2018.
  14. ^ "China First to Benefit From Thai E-Visas Next Year". Archived from the original on 2018-12-04.
  15. ^ "Launch of Online Stickerless E-Visa Application Platform &Termination of Visa Application in Person and by Post". สถานเอกอัครราชทูต ณ กรุงเอเธนส์. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  16. ^ [3]
  17. ^ [4]
  18. ^ [5]
  19. ^ [6]
  20. ^ [7]
  21. ^ [8]
  22. ^ [9]
  23. ^ [10]
  24. ^ [11]
  25. ^ [12]
  26. ^ Royal Thai Embassy, Singapore. "VISA ON ARRIVAL". Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  27. ^ "สถานเอกอัครราชทูต ณ กรุงย่างกุ้ง".
  28. ^ "Thailand makes transit visa mandatory for Pakistani passengers".
  29. ^ Thailand Visa Information : List of countries which require International Health Certificate for Yellow Fever Vaccination.
  30. ^ "Thai Visas for Americans". US Embassy and Consulate. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  31. ^ "Thailand Visa Information : Non-Immigrant Visa "B" (for Business and Work) - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand". mfa.go.th. Retrieved 2018-09-08.
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