Thailand visa

Last updated: 1st June 2010.

Thailand Visa Fees

All foreigners who apply for Visa on Arrival at designated checkpoints, will be exempted from Tourist Visa fee from 11 May B.E. 2553 (2010) to 31 March B.E. 2554 (2011). Such arrangement is for Tourist Visa only.

Thailand Visa Exemption

Nationals from the following list of countries will not be required to obtain a visa for Thailand:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America and Vietnam.

Thailand visa exemption is valid for a period of up to 30 days on each visit. Where foreign nationals enter the country at a checkpoint which borders a neighbouring country, they will be allowed to stay up to 15 days. The exception here is Malaysian nationals, who, when crossing the border from Malaysia into Thailand will still be granted 30 days.

Thailand currently holds bilateral agreements with Brazil, Korea and Peru. Passport holders from those countries are exempt from visa requirements and may stay in the Kingdom for up to 90 days.

Thailand Visa Exemption Requirements

A passport valid for 6 months.
Adequate finances for the duration of stay 10,000 THB per person, 20,000 THB per family.
An onward travel ticket within 30 days.

Usually immigration officials, will neglect to ask for any of the additional travel documentation, however some airlines may refuse to carry passengers without the supporting documentation.

Overstaying a Thai Visa

If you overstay a Thai visa, by less than 40 days, and are not caught, you must get a confirmed ticket to leave the country and attend at an airport or land border. You will be required to pay a fine of 500 THB per each day of overstay, up to 20,000 THB. Under these circumstances there should not be too much hassle, and you will normally be allowed to return to Thailand subject to the normal exemptions and visa requirements.

Where you have overstayed your visa in excess of 40 days, without being caught, you will need to attend an immigration office for clearance to leave the country. You should take a confirmed ticket to travel by air, leaving in less than 24 hours, and the fine of 20,000 THB. If possible you should also take a lawyer. Without these documents you will be detained, awaiting deportation to your home country.

If you are caught in Thailand with an overstayed visa, you will be removed to Bangkok, where the district court will charge you. A guilty plea will earn you a fine of 3000 THB per day of your overstay and 2,900 THB for each day spent in detention. You would then be deported, under court order, to your country of origin, and charged 20,000 THB. You will also be expected to pay the fare home + 800 THB airport transportation charge, if you can no longer afford this, loans are often available from the international embassies.

If you are not put off by your time in the Immigration Detention Centre, you will be pleased to learn that you are free to fly straight back out to Thailand.

Thailand Visa Extension

Where a foreign national enters Thailand under the visa exemption or visa on arrival schemes, an extension of a Thai visa will not normally be considered. The exception is in case of illness, injury or emergency. The simplest way to remain in the country is to carry out a ‘visa run’ by crossing the border to a neighbouring country, or purchasing cheap flights out and back. Upon returning to Thailand, you would be entitled to the same visa on arrival, or visa exemption.

Thailand Departure Tax

Departure tax is usually included in the cost of your travel ticket. There is no requirement to pay additional fees at the airport.

Order a visa through an agent

In the past, when I have had to order multiple visas or had to apply with complicated support documentation, (Russia), I have often employed the services of a dedicated agency. I have found that the extra cost is offset by the price of a train ticket to London, a couple of days of frantic roaming and hours of waiting in queues. I recently ordered my Russian, Mongolian and Chinese multiple entry visas through an agency and had them all back in my possession in about 14 days. It’s even easier than postal applications, you only have to send your passport once and they do the legwork, this is a lot faster and safer than sending your passport through the post multiple times to each embassy, by recorded delivery from home.

At present Visa HQ can arrange visas and support documentation for most nationalities and destinations worldwide.

Thailand Visa on Arrival

Passport holders from the following countries may obtain a visa upon arrival in Thailand:

Bhutan, China, Cyprus, Czech, Estonia, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Maldives, Mauritius, Oman, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Taiwan, and Ukraine.

Visa on Arrival is issued for a period of no more than 15 days, and will not normally be extended, except in cases of emergency.

Thailand Visa on Arrival Requirements

A passport valid for 6 months.
A fully paid onward travel ticket.
Means of living expenses 10,000 THB per person or 20,000 THB per family.
A completed application form.
One passport sized photograph.
The application fee of 1000 THB.

Usually immigration officials, will neglect to ask for any of the additional travel documentation, however some airlines may refuse to carry passengers without the supporting documentation.

Thailand Visa on Arrival Issue Points

The Visa on Arrival service is available at the following Immigration Checkpoints:

Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok
Don Muang International Airport, Bangkok
Chiang Mai International Airport, Chiang Mai
Phuket International Airport, Phuket
Hatyai International Airport, Songkhla
U Tapao Airport, Rayong
Mae Sai Immigration Checkpoint, Chiengrai
Chieng Saen Immigration Checkpoint, Chiengrai
Chieng Khong Immigration Checkpoint, Chiengrai
Betong Immigration Checkpoint, Yala
Sadoa Immigration Checkpoint, Songkhla
Samui Airport, Surat Thani
Sukhothai International Airport, Tak Immigration Checkpoint
Bangkok Harbour Immigration Checkpoint, Bangkok
Sri Racha Immigration Checkpoint , Chonburi
Mabtaput Immigration Checkpoint , Rayong
Nong Khai Immigration Checkpoint, Nong Khai
Samui Immigration Checkpoint , Surat Thani
Phuket Immigration Checkpoint , Phuket
Satun Immigration Checkpoint , Satun
Krabi Immigration Checkpoint , Krabi
Songkhla Harbour Immigraion Checkpoint , Songkhla
Chiangrai Airport Immigration Checkpoint, Chiangrai
Surat Thani Airport Immigration Checkpoint , Surat Thani

Thailand Visa Consular Applications

For applications at Thai Consulate, application forms and other useful information packs, can be downloaded here.

A statement has been issued by the Thai Consulate stating:

‘TOURIST VISA FEE EXEMPTION

Tourist visas issued between 11 May 2010 and 31 March 2011 will be issued without payment of the fee of £28 per entry. Other charges including £10 for issuing in person and £8 postage still apply. Fees for non-immigrant visas and transit visas still apply.’