The process of visiting Thailand is very straightforward. The Visa on Arrival rule and The Visa Exemption scheme makes it possible for visitors from many countries to enter the kingdom without applying for a visa. Depending on the option, visitors can stay in Thailand up to 15 or 30 days.
The length of stay per time is 30 days for passport holders from visa-exempt countries.
In addition, for travelers from countries that can get Visa On Arrival, the length of stay is 15 days.
Need a couple of more days? You can extend your Visa once at the immigration offices for a fee of 1900 THB.
Plan to stay for longer? Check out our Long Term Visa GuideĀ for more information.
If you plan to stay and live in Thailand, check out the Thailand Elite Visa for 5-20 years visa, easy access, easy process for you and for your family.Ā
Before you can even begin to apply for a visa, Thailand’s government strongly recommends travelers purchase reliableĀ travel insuranceĀ during their visit in Thailand.
Do I Need a Visa?
As of now, Thailand is currently granting passport holders of various countries a way to enter the country without needing a visa. However, the visit needs to be a vacation that is 30 days or less. If this is the case, you don’t need to apply for a visa ahead of time. Check if you really need a visa with iVisa.
As stated above, the length of stay per time is 30 days for passport holders of the following countries who may enter Thailand under a tourist visa exemption scheme:
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Brunei
- Canada
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mauritius
- Monaco
- The Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Oman
- The Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia, Singapore
- Slovak
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- The UAE
- United Kingdom
- Ukraine
- United States
The length of stay per time is 15 days for passport holders of the following countries who may apply for a Visa On Arrival (VOA), you can also tryĀ iVisaĀ to make sure you get your VOA quickly and without any troubles:Ā
- Bhutan
- Bulgaria
- China
- Cyprus
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Georgia
- India
- Kazakhstan
- Malta
- Mexico
- Nauru
- Papua New Guinea
- Romania
- Saudi Arabia
- Taiwan
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
In addition, passport holders of the following countries may enter Thailand without a visa under a bilateral agreement:
- Cambodia (14 days)
- Myanmar (14 days)
- Hong Kong (30 days)
- Lao PDR. (30 days)
- Macau (30 days)
- Mongolia (30 days)
- Russia (30 days and VOA)
- Vietnam (30 days)
- Argentina (90 days)
- Brazil (90 days)
- Chile (90 days)
- Korea (ROK) (90 days)
- Peru (90 days)
Therefore, before you travel, it is best that you check ahead of time if your country is eligible for this rule and if your passport qualifies – you can check it here. If you plan to stay longer than the approved period – you need a visa, continue to the next step.
Apply for a Visa or E-visa
If you do not have a valid visa, you plan to stay more than 30/45 days in Thailand or a re-entry permit into the country, you will need to get a visa. The easiest choice is applying for tourist Visa (TR) for visiting Thailand up to 60 days (with possible extension to 30 more days). If you need any help with getting your visa, try iVisa.
There are other types of visa available like: Special Tourist Visa, Transit visa, Non-Immigrant visas, Diplomatic and Official visas.
Required documents for a Tourist Visa (TR)
- Passport or travel document with at least a six-month expiration date
- Form of visa application (completed)
- A photo of the applicant (passport photo size 4*6 cm)
- A copy of round-tripĀ air ticket or e-ticket
- A copy of bank statement (proof of financial means)
- A copy ofĀ Hotel reservation
To get a Thai e-visa you can visitĀ www.thaievisa.go.thĀ and apply for Thailand evisa. Applying for a visa online is mainly depended on you permanent residency or current location.
Countries eligible for the Thailand E-Visa:
- Algeria
- Aruba
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada
- China
- Congo
- Denmark
- Dominican Republic
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Grenada
- Guam
- Haiti
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Korea
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxemburg
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Vatican City
Your resident status in a country of which you are granted a residence visa to stay for more than six months.
On this website, you will need to fill in all the necessary information and upload all the required documents. This is so you can set up an account to submit your visa application with. It is important to note that the Royal Thai Embassy does not accept drop-offs nor does it accept walk-ins. Supporting documents need to be attached, and visa fees need to be paid, through a secure online portal.
Visa types and average costs | |
| Single entry Tourist visa (TR) | $40 |
| Multiple entry Tourist visa (TR) | $200 |
| Special Tourist Visa | $80 |
| Single entry non-immigrant visa (all types) | $80 |
| Multiple entry non-immigrant visa (all types) | $200 |
How to apply online?
- Create an Account
- Fill in Application Form
- Upload Supporting Documents
- Pay Visa Free
- Wait for Visa to be Processed
- Approval Visa send by email
If it’s still too complicated – check thisĀ PDF guideĀ made by thaievisa.co.th
The Embassy Will Process Your Visa
Generally, the embassy processes visas within 15 business days. When you first apply, your visa status will show āprocessing.ā Once issued, this status will change to reflect this. You can check the status of your visa on www.thaievisa.go.th, anytime.
If you want any more information regarding the status of the visa, be sure to check out the FAQs section of the website. It is a great way to learn more about the visa application process.
Once your e-visa application is approved, the applicants will be sent a confirmation email. Alternatively, you can also choose to download the approval from your account on theĀ thaievisaĀ portal. Regardless of your method, it is requested that you print this confirmation out.
This is because you will need to present it to the airline and the Thai immigration officials. It is their job to carry out checks on those who are visiting Thailand.
Is it possible to extend a visa?
To adjust your Thai visa category or extend it, you must apply to the Thailand Immigration Bureau.
Unlike other visas, Thai Visas On Arrival can’t be extended beyond 30 days.
While Visa extensions are typically issued to Tourist Visa holders for a period of 30 days, you can extend a Thai visa for an extended period of time, ranging from 90 days to a year, depending on what you are doing in Thailand. These extensions can be granted to holders of Non-Immigrant Visas for a long period of time.
Thailand Non-Immigrant Visas are usually issued by Thai Embassy or Consulates in your country for a period of 90 days. The Non-Immigrant Visa, however, allows you to apply for a visa extension to legally live in Thailand for up to one year once you are in Thailand. It is possible to reapply for a new visa extension before the current one expires.Ā
The easiestĀ and simplest way to get a long term visa is the Thailand Elite Visa. Check out ourĀ Long Term Visa GuideĀ for more information.
While this is just a general outline of how to apply for a visa to travel to Thailand, it is important to familiarize yourself with the nitty-gritty details of the whole process.
With that being said, have the most amazing holiday, pack all your important things and enjoy your luxury five-star hotel stay in Thailand. Wishing you all safe travels.
