Visa to Thailand – What You Should Know Before Flying

Visas

Visitors should check visa regulation at a Thai embassy or consulate before starting the journey. Tourist visas are allowed for 60 days stay from the date of entry in to the kingdom. A 30 days transit visa may also be issued to some visitors. People who are waiting for a work permit to be issued can apply for a non-immigrant visa that is good for 90 days. Immigration Information: Temporary visitors to Thailand for the purpose of pleasure who are exempted from applying for entry visas must be of the nationality of and holding valid passports or travelling documents issued by:

• Americas : Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, U.S.A.
• Asia : Bahrain, Brunei, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Turkey, United Arab Emirates
• Pacific : Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Western Samoa
• Africa : Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Yemen
• Europe : Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, U.K.

Persons meeting the above conditions are exempted from visas and are permitted to remain in the Kingdom for a period not exceeding 30 days, except for the nationals Republic of Korea, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden permitted to stay in Thailand for maximum 90 days from the day of entry.

Visa Requirements

Three types of visa are used in Thailand and each have different requirements. Read through the information below to ensure you have all the necessary documents.

Types of visa

1. Transit Visa
2. Tourist Visa
3. Non-Immigrant Visa

Transit

1. Valid passport or travel document
2. Visa application form, completely filled in
3. One recent photograph of the applicant (2 1/2 inches)
4. Plane ticket to exit Thailand, paid in full
5. Application fee of 200 baht per entry

Tourist

1. Valid passport or travel document
2. Visa application, completely filled in
3. One recent photograph of the applicant (2 1/2 inches)
4. Plane ticket to exit Thailand, paid in full
5. Financial statement and information on applicant’s profession
6. Application fee of 300 baht for a single entry

Non-Immigrant

1. Valid passport or travel document
2. Visa application form, completely filled in
3. One recent photograph of the applicant (2 1/2 inches)
4. Plane ticket to exit Thailand, paid in full
5. Letter of invitation from a company qualified to employ foreigners
6. Letter from a company stating the objective of the visit to Thailand
7. Commercial Registration Certificate and Certificate of Company Registration
8. Name list of the company’s shareholders
9. Certificate of Value Added Tax
10. The company’s detailed accounts and latest budget plan
11. Certificate of income tax (juristic entity)
12. Employment contract
13. Transcripts (non-education)
14. Letter of acceptance from the concerned universities or institutes
15. Certificate of marriage or its equivalents
16. Birth certificate
17. Identification card and a copy of work permit issued by the Ministry of Labour
18. Application fee of 500 baht for a single entry

N.B. Documents to be submitted for non-immigrant visa application are contingent upon necessities and appropriateness of purposes stated in the application form.

Period of stay in the kingdom according to visa categories

1. Thirty days for entrants applying for Transit Visa
2. Sixty days for entrants applying for Tourist Visa. Application for an extension of stay for 30 days can be made at the Office of Immigration Bureau
3. Ninety days for entrants applying for Non-Immigrant Visa. Qualified persons can obtain an additional 1-year stay permit from the date of entry, referring to the Office of Immigration Bureau’s regulations on extension of stay

Visas on Arrival

Visitors to Thailand may obtain visas for 15 days on arrival at:

• Don Muang Airport
• Chiang Mai Airport
• Phuket Airport
• Hat Yai Airport

Visitors wishing to stay in the kingdom for longer are advised to forward their request and supporting evidence to the Immigration Division, Soi Suan Phlu, Sathorn Tai Rd., Bangkok 10120 Tel: 287 3101-10

Applying for a visa at immigration checkpoints (visa on arrival)
Ninety-nine countries are on the Ministry of Interiorís list of countries whose nationals can apply for a visa at immigration checkpoints. Tourist visa is the only category of visa granted upon arrival at the immigration checkpoints and applicants are allowed to stay in the Kingdom for the period not exceeding 15 days under the following conditions:

1. The applicant is a national of one of the 99 countries listed in the Ministry of Interiorís announcement.
2. The applicant must produce a fully paid ticket to exit Thailand, usable within 15 days from the date of entry.
3. Visa on arrival is provided at the designated international ports and applicants should produce the application form to which his/her recent photograph is attached. The application fee is 300 baht

Tourist Visa

National from the following list of 99 countries may apply for visas at the following checkpoints : Don Muang Airport, Phuket Airport, U-Taphao Airport and Haadyai Airport, for the purpose of tourism for a period not exceeding 15 days. 1. Albania
2. Andorra
3. Antigua And Burbuda
4. Armenia
5. Azerbychan
6. Bahamas
7. Barbados
8. Belarus
9. Belize
10. Bhutan
11. Bolivia
12. Botswana
13. Bulgaria
14. Burkinafaso
15. Burundi
16. Cameroon
17. Cape Verde
18. Central African Republic
19. Chad
20. Chile
21. Colombia
22. Comoros
23. Costa Rica
24. Cote D’ Ivoire
25. Croatia
26. Cyprus
27. Czech Republic
28. Dominica
29. Dominican Republic
30. Ecuador
31. Equatorial Guinea
32. Esthonia
33. Ethiopia
34. Gabon
35. Gambia
36. Georgia
37. Grenada
38. Guatemala
39. Guinea
40. Guinea-Bissau
41. Haiti
42. Hondurus
43. Hungary
44. India
45. Jamaica
46. Kazakhstan
47. Kiribati
48. Kyrgyzstan
49. Latvia
50. Lesotho
51. Liberia
52. Liechtenstein
53. Lithuania
54. Malawi
55. Maldives
56. Mali
57. Malta
58. Mauritius
59. Moldova
60. Monaco
61. Nauru
62. Niger
63. Panama
64. Paraguay
65. Peru
66. Poland
67. Romania
68. Russian Federation
69. Rwanda
70. S. Christopher And Nevis
71. Saint Lucia
72. Saint Vincent And The Grenadines
73. San Marino
74. Seychelles
75. Sao Tome And Principe
76. Sierra Leone
77. Slovakia
78. Solomon Islands
79. Somalia
80. Surinam
81. Swaziland
82. Tajikistan
83. Tanzania
84. Togo
85. Tonga
86. Trinidad And Tobago
87. Turkmenistan
88. Tuvalu
89. Uganda
90. Ukraine
91. Uruguay
92. Uzbekistan
93. Vatican City State
94. Venezuela
95. Zaire
96. Zambia
97. Zimbabwe
98. People’s Republic Of China
99. Republic Of China

Before Arrival

1. Check your passport: All visitors must have passport on arrival to Thailand.

2. Check your visa

3. If you don’t have visa please contact Royal Thai Embassy in your country

4. Check flight to Thailand. And Planning Your Trip.

5. Confirm your hotel in Thailand.

6. Arrival Thailand: check terminal of the airport that you arriving.

7. Check your transportation to your hotel or your destination: Taxi Bus Train Domestic flight Coach schedule

8. Welcome to Thailand. Sending Thai postcard to your friend.

Departure Thailand

1. Confirm Your Ticket.
2. Check terminal of the airport that you departure.
3. You have to pay 500 B.- (Thai money only) for airport tax.
4. Custom notice.

Export of Antiques and Objects of art from Thailand

1. Buddha images, Bodhisattva images or fragments forbidden to be taken out of Thailand (With the exceptions only for worshipping by Buddhists; or cultural exchanges; or studying purposed. A license must be obtained from the Department of Fine Arts.)
2. A license must be obtained from the Department of Fine Arts in order that such objects of antiquity or objects of art, irrespective of whether they are originals or reproductions, may be taken out of the country.
3. Procedure for license application:
   1. Photography the front view of objects and make two postcard sized prints (not more than 5 pieces in one photograph).
   2. The passport of the applicant must be photocopied.
   3. Objects together with photographs and applicant’s passport with photocopy must be taken to :
      1. The National Museum, Bangkok
      2. The Chiang Mai National Museum, Chiang Mai

The Songkhla National Museum, Songlkhla at least five to three days before the date of shipment of departure of the applicant in order to process the application and for inspection.

Passports

All visitors entering Thailand must possess valid passports.

What to do if you lose your passport

Despite the awful sinking feeling that accompanies the loss of a passport when in a foreign country the first thing to remember is – Don’t Panic! The procedures for securing a replacement after your passport has been lost or stolen when in Thailand are as follows:

1. Report the loss to the local police station in the area the loss or theft occurred.
2. The police will issue a report documenting the loss ot theft and this report must then be taken to your embassy or consulate. ( For those countries which do not have an embassy or consular representation in Thailand, the Passport Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will handle the replacement.)
3. After receiving your replacement passport, it must be taken to the Immigration Bureau in order to obtain a re-stamp of your visa. The police report and a document from the embassy or consulate which certifys the new passport are also needed.

Immigration Bureau
Room 311, 3rd Floor, Old Building,
Soi Suan Plu, South Sathorn Road,
Sathorn District, Bangkok 10120.
Tel: 66-2-287-3911 or 66-2-287-3101/110 Ext. 2244

Passenger Service Charge Exemption for Passengers in Transit for less than 12 hours

Passengers wishing to take a quick tour of Bangkok or otherwise travel out of Bangkok International Airport and return for their onward flight within 12 hours of arriving, may apply for exemption of the 500 baht airport tax through the following procedures :

1. Fill in the Passenger Service Charge Exempt Requisition Form at service units in Terminal 1 (Before passing through Immigration points).
2. Present the necessary documentation :
   1. Passenger Service Charge Exempt Requisition Form
   2. Passport
   3. Valid airline ticket (departure flight must be within the 12-hour time limit)
   4. Completed Arrival/Department Card (TM. 6 Form)
3. Obtain an official signature and stamp at service counters, before passing Immigration at the arrival points.
   Keep these documents carefully during the transit stopover and present them upon departure, before passing Immigration at departure points.