Thailand Visas

There are several different options for entry into Thailand. Your choice will depend on how long and often you want to travel to Thailand.

Non-visa Entry

For nationals of many countries, it is possible to enter Thailand at an international airport without applying for a visa before entering. It is a visa waiver scheme. Until recently, the scheme allowed for stays of up to 30 days. However, it is currently 60 days.

For this type of entry, all you need is a valid passport and proof that you have transportation organised to leave the country (this requirement is generally not enforced). You may also be asked to produce evidence for funds to pay for your expenses while in the country. Personally, I have never been asked for any evidence of leaving the country or for funds by Thai immigration.

You can extend your stay in Thailand for up to 30 days. This is not guaranteed, but I have never heard of anyone being denied.

The list of countries covered by this scheme:

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
Kosovo
Kuwait
Laos
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
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
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vietnam

There is some confusion on your status while in Thailand on this scheme. You do not have a visa. The scheme allows you to stay in the country without a visa.

Tourist Visa

You can apply for a tourist visa before you arrive in Thailand. However, for most travelling to Thailand, the 60 days provided under the visa waiver programs makes the tourist visa somewhat redundant. The information given here is for people who are not covered under the visa waiver program.

Tourist visas are issued for stays of up to 60 days. They can be extended for up to an extra 30 days. Like with the non-visa entry extension, you are not guaranteed to be given an extension. If you are going to Thailand for longer than 30 days, this is the minimum you should consider.

The personal and document requirements for this visa vary between embassies/consulates, so it is best to contact your nearest office for advice. This is also true for the multiple-entry visa that is discussed below.

Longer stays

If you would like to stay longer, you have several options. It is possible to get a multiple-entry visitor visa. Your visa will be valid for six months. Each stay is up to 60 days, and you will need to leave Thailand before returning at the end of each period. There is no minimum length of time that you stay out of the country before you can re-enter.

Once your visa and/or number of entries have expired, you can use the non-visa entry scheme to stay longer. You can either leave the country by air or land. If you depart and arrive in Thailand via an international airport, you will be given a 30-day stay. However, if you arrive at a land crossing, you may only be given 15 days. People from G7 countries (UK, US, Japanese, German, French, Canadian and Italian) may be given 30-day stays at land crossings. Be warned that recently, the authorities have taken steps to reduce the number of times an individual can repeatedly do this in an attempt to reside in Thailand.

There is another class of visas available for those wanting to spend an extended length of time in the country. These are the Non-Immigrant visas which are either single-entry or multiple-entry visas. Each stay is up to 90 days before a border run is necessary. The multiple entry visas are valid for 12 months. If you have a multiple entry visa and your timing is correct, and you do a border run on the last day that the visa is valid, you can stay for 90 days after the expiration of the visa. The availability of these visas has become very difficult for those under 50. For those 50 or over, the documentation requirements have become more strict. Reportedly these visas are no longer being issued in countries bordering Thailand.

Over-staying

Many people overstay their visas for various reasons. Most people seem to have no problem with this as long as they voluntarily leave the country, i.e., go to the airport or border crossing to leave the country. However, if you are caught in Thailand overstaying your visa, you are in for an unpleasant experience. You will find yourself in jail while preparations are made for you to be deported at your own expense. Do not overstay your visa!

If you overstay your visa and leave on your own accord, you may be required to pay a fine. There is no fine for an overstay of one day. For two days, the penalty is 1000 Baht and every day after that is 500 Baht.

Beware that the day you arrive and the day you leave is one day each. Also, if you go through immigration at 11 pm, but your flight is at 1 am the following day, it is the day that your flight leaves that is important.

Be warned that from the 20th of March 2016, over-stayers will be treated far more harshly than in the past. If you overstay by more than 90 days and present yourself at immigration on departure, you may be banned from entering the country for one year. If it is more than one year, the ban is three years; for more than three years, a five-year ban may be imposed. For overstaying by more than five years, the ban is ten years. The critical thing to remember is that you will only be fined for less than 90 days. However, there is a danger for those overstaying by even one day.

If you are asked to show your passport or arrested for something else and are found to have overstayed for even a day, you may be banned from returning to Thailand. If your overstay is less than one year, the ban is five years and if more than one year, it is ten years.

This is summarised in the table below. Don’t overstay!!