Thailand Visas - Do I need a visa for Thailand?
Thailand is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It’s also one of the easiest countries to visit as a foreigner. But if you don't know what to expect when applying for a visa, here is everything you need to know about Thailand’s different visas.
We have collected this information as a resource for you - so you have somewhere to start. This information should not be considered official policy or the final word on Thailand visas - please take some time to look up your country’s specific needs by visiting both the Thai Immigration and your local Thai Embassy’s websites.
How to Apply for a Thailand Visa
We recommend you finish reading our guide before you apply, but for those who already know they need a visa, you can start the process online at https://www.thaievisa.go.th/. The whole process is guided and you will be told exactly what you need to upload along with your application. Follow all instructions closely - if your submitted paperwork is not exactly what they asked for it can lead to a delay of a day or two while you correct and they review the new papers. Be sure to apply early so you don't end up missing any deadlines. Issued visas are usually good to use for 90 days. These 90 days have nothing to do with how long you are allowed to stay in the country - only that you have 90 days to enter Thailand once approved. What paperwork you need to submit with your application changes based on what kind of visa you apply for, but most will need at least some the following:
Travel documents - a passport that is valid for at least 6 months from date of travel, but we recommend you get it renewed 9-12 months before it expires.
Passport-style photos - if you are applying online you can get a friend to take these with your smartphone against a white wall. Just be sure you follow the picture guidelines.
Evidence of travel - proof for flight/travel in and out of the country paid in full. A reservation can sometimes be evidence enough but it is up to the agent you are dealing with.
Evidence of accommodations - proof of where you are staying/bookings.
Financial records to prove you can afford to support yourself - for a tourist visa this usually means a bank statement that shows at least 20,000 Thai Baht for yourself(about $600 USD) or 40,000 Thai Baht for a family.
Thailand Tourist Visa (TR Visa)
The majority of foreigners entering Thailand come on a Tourist visa. This visa will allow you to stay for up to a couple of months, depending on what country you are from and if you apply for extension. This is more than enough time to explore the country and most travelers have no need for a different visa.
To understand more about Thailand’s tourist visa, let's take a look at the process for U.S. citizens. They are able to stay in Thailand for 30 days without the need to apply for a visa ahead of time because U.S. citizens are visa-exempt. This means that Instead of having to apply for a visa before they leave, U.S. passports are stamped with an entry permit on arrival. It is possible for U.S. citizens to stay longer than 30 days if they apply for an extended visa before their trip or apply for an extension when inside the country. There are two other types of common tourist visas:
Visa-on-arrival
This is exactly as it sounds - you still get issued a visa but you can process it at the airport once you arrive. These will still require you to prepare paperwork and pay a fee of 2,000 Thai Baht before you can enter the country. Be sure to find out what is required before you leave home.
Standard tourist visas
A visa that must be applied for and issued before you leave for your trip. These days it is easy to apply online and you can get approved within a matter of days.
Other tourist visas do exist such as the STV which can allow you to stay in the country longer, but these must be applied for and issued before you arrive regardless of your country's standard visa process. You can easily check if you need a tourist visa online or start applying for one at https://www.thaievisa.go.th/. We also recommend visiting https://www.thaiembassy.org/ where you can select your country and be brought to the official Thai Embassy website. There you will be able to confirm if you are visa exempt, eligible for visa on arrival, or if you need to apply for a visa before your trip.
Before buying your travel tickets, please read the official requirements for citizens of your country. If your paperwork is not in order you can be refused entry at the airport and turned away. Also, be sure to know how long your visa is good for and do not overstay. There is a fine of 500 baht per day and you run the risk of being flagged in the system and being temporarily suspended from returning to Thailand.
While on a tourist visa you are not allowed to work or run a business in Thailand - this visa is only made for those visiting the country for fun. There are many freelancers/remote workers who use the tourist visa to live in Thailand while making money back home - please note that this is a grey area at best and likely requires a work permit even if most travelers just end up ignoring it.
Thailand Tourist Visa Extensions
There are a couple of different ways to extend your stay. Many visitors will take short trips to bordering countries such as Laos or Cambodia, spend a few hours or days visiting, then return to Thailand and get a new tourist visa/entry stamp. These are referred to as visa runs and they do work, but there are a few things to consider:
You need to make sure you can enter the country you are visiting. Each country may have different requirements, so do your homework and pick the country that is easiest to enter.
Repeated visa runs can be flagged and you may be rejected entry. This usually only happens to those who make many runs within a short period, but it is up to the immigration agent to decide who can enter. If you have only tried to re-enter Thailand once or twice then you should have nothing to worry about.
You can also apply for a visa extension while in Thailand. This involves a trip to an immigration office, filling out an application, supplying copies of your passport/additional passport-sized photos, and paying a fee of 1,900 Thai Baht. The whole process will take up a good chunk of your day, but it is fairly painless and easy.
Be aware that getting new tourist visas/renewals are not endless.
There is a limit to extensions - usually around 30 days per tourist entry at the maximum. It is possible to get more extensions, but you must first leave the country and return so you can renew your entry.
There is probably a limit to the amount of new tourist entries you can get within a year, but Thai visa policies change more than they should so the number is hard to nail down. Just know that if you plan on using tourist visas to make Thailand your second home, you may need to prepare for the worst-case scenario if you are starting to approach six months in Thailand within one year. It is also possible to get rejected well before then if immigration agents suspect you are abusing your tourist status.
Thailand Education Visa (ED Visa)
This is another common way to take extended trips to Thailand. By enrolling with a licensed school/instructor you are able to stay in Thailand for up to a year while learning new skills. The most common classes visitors take are Language, Boxing, Cooking, and Diving Your initial education visa will only be good for 90 days but you can renew for up to 12 months total. This means you will need to process paperwork and possibly visit an immigration office once every 2-3 months, but that is a small price to pay for staying 12 months in a foreign country. There are many schools that will supply all the needed paperwork when applying for this visa which makes the process much easier. Some of the better schools will even complete the regular paperwork on your behalf and make you immigration appointments throughout your stay. Let’s take a closer look at getting an education visa while studying Thai. An 8-month Thai Language course that includes classes, books/literature, paperwork processing, and immigration appointments will cost you in the neighborhood of 25,000-30,000 Thai Baht. Finding these schools is rather easy - search online for Thai Language visa and you will get lots of results from names such as Pro Language or Duke Language School(both of which are well-rated). All you really need to do is show up for class, go to immigration appointments when they tell you, and pass an aptitude test to prove to the government that you are actually taking the course. It is possible to find classes that are much cheaper, in the neighborhood of 10,000-15,000 Thai Baht, but you will probably be the one making sure you complete the needed paperwork and immigration appointments.
We don’t recommend the ultra-budget offerings because, at the end of the day, it is you who is responsible for your paperwork and you don’t want to put your trust in someone who is just trying to attract the cheapest travelers and has no incentive to offer additional service after they get your money. If you go this route then be sure to do plenty of research beforehand so you know what Thai immigration expects from you.
Our last tip on Education Visas is to stay on top of the process. Like we said, no matter who you hire it is you who is responsible for your stay. Even if you pay to have someone else prepare the paperwork, ask questions about the timelines and when paperwork is due. Don’t get lazy because immigration may not care that someone else didn’t do your paperwork for you.
Thailand Volunteer Visa (Non-Immigrant Visa "O" - Volunteer)
This can be a good option for those who want to travel while giving to those in need. You will need to find a non-governmental organization or foundation that has the needed licenses to sponsor volunteer visitors. The better organizations will have online applications that guide you through the entire process. Once you make your selection and decide to go, you can get up to 12 months of stay in Thailand that will give you the option to both see the beautiful country and do some good in the world. Volunteer visas are not made for frequent travel out of the country and will require you to apply for re-entry permits when you do want to travel to neighboring countries. If the officials think you are leaving the country too often you may have an issue securing re-entry.
Volunteer visas will let you work for the volunteer organization, but you won’t be able to legally work in any other capacity while visiting.
Thailand Work Visa (Non-Immigrant Visa "B")
Work visas are not really made for the casual traveler. These are visas that are granted to employees of companies registered in Thailand. It can be a local entity, or one of the many international companies that do business in Thailand. The visa itself does not give you the right to work anywhere, but it does enable you to get a work permit. Usually your employer would handle all of this for you.
This might sound like it is geared towards office professionals, but one of the more common people to go this route are teachers. Many, many English teachers come to experience Thailand while teaching children both in the cities and out in the countryside. This is very much a mutually beneficial exchange - visitors get to see another country and the locals get highly proficient/native speakers to teach their youth. If you want to visit Thailand, can speak an in-demand language, and are a certified teacher, this can be a fantastic option.
If you are thinking of starting a company just so you can visit Thailand for as long as you want, it isn’t quite that simple. There are regulations that govern how and when companies can issue work visas - the first one being a company must employ a certain number of Thai citizens before it can bring in a worker from a different country. So you COULD start a company in Thailand that gives you a work visa, but you would need to also hire a few Thai citizens first, that is after going through all the regulation, paperwork, and fees.
Thailand Family Visa (Non-Immigrant Visa "O" - Family Member/Dependent)
If you have a Thai spouse or are a parent or child(under 20) of a permanent Thai resident, this visa will let you stay in the country long-term while also giving you the ability to apply for a work permit. You won’t be a Thai citizen yourself, but this is about as close as it gets for most.
Family visas are not hard to get, but there is considerable paperwork and financial requirements. If you are marrying a Thai citizen you must prove you are able to financially support your family - at the time of writing this involves showing you have at least 400,000 Thai Baht (about $12,000 USD) in a bank account both when you apply and also every time you renew your visa. This requirement can be waived if you can get an official letter certified by your government embassy that proves you earn over a certain threshold every month, but not every country will issue this paper. The U.S., for example, stopped issuing this paper and the Thai government no longer accepts it from the U.S. even if the embassy would certify it (again, at the time of writing).
Thailand Elite Visa
This option is for those with serious expendable income. If you are willing to spend about $30,000 USD you get to visit Thailand whenever you want and as often as you want for the next 20 years. Elite Visas do come with perks such as included transportation from the airport and there are different packages, but that is the gist of it - pay a lot of money for the privilege to come and go as you please. Elite visas do not come with the ability to get a work permit, but chances are you already have business you can bring into the country if you are buying one of these.
Thailand Business/Investor Visa
If you happen to be a businessperson with the plan to bring lots of business or investment capital to Thailand, the country will welcome you with open arms. You just need to have your people fill out some paperwork and be able to prove you have the capital needed. This is not for the average traveler - investors need to bring 10 million Thai Baht into the country to spend on property development, bonds, or other similar ventures. These visas are selectively offered so they may or may not be available at any point in the future.
Hiring a Visa Agent
This is a decent option for those who are willing to pay someone to do all the research and gather the paperwork for you. Most of what they do you can take care of yourself, but agents who are based in Thailand also often come with contacts that will make immigration appointments easier. A good agent will take the work and worry off of your plate - this is what you are paying them for. Visa professionals can be found in any country, but contacting one based in Thailand will likely give the bets results. If you only need a tourist visa this is probably not worth the money, but if you need to apply for a Non-Immigrant "O" visa, or any that requires lots of paperwork, a good agent can absolutely be worth it. One word of caution - some agents will want to maximize your stay by getting you a visa you do not qualify for. A good example of this are agents who will get you a 12-month volunteer visa even though you have no plan of doing any volunteer work. It is best to avoid this because getting caught will probably mean you get kicked out and receive a temporary ban from returning to Thailand. Ask questions when working with an agent to make sure everything remains above-board. Thailand is already easy enough to visit - you probably don't need to break the rules to stay longer.
Summary
Visiting Thailand is extremely easy for the average traveler. Many travelers are visa exempt or eligible for visa-on-arrival and won’t even need to apply for a tourist visa before they arrive. Those that want to know more or need visas can easily find information or apply at https://www.thaievisa.go.th/.
If you are already in Thailand and want to extend your stay, it is also very easy. Prepare some paperwork, pay a small fee of 1,900 Thai Baht, and you get another few weeks in the beautiful country of Thailand (assuming you haven’t reached your extension limit).
Things can get a little more complicated if you need to apply for other visas such as permanent residence of a family member, but the instructions and requirements are all presented in online resources like the official Thai e-visa website linked above. There are also many affordable immigration attorneys/professionals in Thailand that would be happy to help.
Still in the planning stages of your trip and want to learn more about where to go and what to eat? Our Thailand Travel Guides are great for those just starting out or to make sure you don’t miss anything during your trip to Thailand.