Visa & Passport
To enter Thailand, a passport valid for six months is required by all nationals referred to in the chart below
Note
Travellers coming from or have recently travelled through yellow fever-infected areas may be required to show a yellow fever vaccination certificate before being allowed to enter Thailand.
Nationality | Passport required | Return ticket required | Visa required |
---|---|---|---|
Australian | Yes | Yes | No |
British | Yes | Yes | No |
Canadian | Yes | Yes | No |
Other EU | Yes | Yes | No/1/2 |
USA | Yes | Yes | No |
Visas for Thailand are not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for touristic stays of up to 30 days if entering via an international airport. If entering by land, you will usually be granted a stay of 15 days (apart from nationals of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the UK and the USA, who will be granted a 30-day stay). All visitors must hold valid passports, sufficient funds and confirmed airline tickets to leave Thailand within the time allowed by their entry stamp. Exceptions to the visa requirements are:
1. Nationals of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Romania who may apply for visas on arrival for stays of up to 15 days.
2. Nationals of Croatia, who must apply for a visa in advance from the embassy
Nationals of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK are also eligible to apply for an ACMECS visa, which is a 90-day joint visa allowing entry to Thailand and Cambodia. It's only really worth obtaining this visa if you're planning on spending more than 30 days in Thailand however.
Nationals not referred to in the chart are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements.
Nearest consulate (or consular section at embassy).
Visitors to Thailand who wish to conduct business, work or study in the country can apply for a non-immigrant visa. This allows holders a stay for up to 90 days. In addition, to be able to work, visitors must hold a work permit issued by the Ministry of Labour.
Applications to the embassy must be made in person. You can usually pick up your visa the day after you drop off your application.
Proof of adequate finances for the duration of your stay in Thailand is required at the point of entry into the country (ie traveller’s cheques and/or cash equivalent to ฿10,000 per person and ฿20,000 per family). In practice, you are unlikely to need to show this, but be prepared nonetheless.
Visa-exempt nationals wishing to leave Thailand and re-enter the country after their initial 15 or 30 days may only stay for a maximum of 90 days in a six-month period.
Be wary of visa-run or visa extension services offering to renew your visa - these are illegal and each year a number of tourists are jailed, having turned up to border crossings with a fake Thailand visa or entry stamp in their passport.
Thailand visa extensions must be made before the current visa runs out. A lengthy overstay can incur a maximum penalty of a spell in jail before being deported and banned from returning to the country. If you wish to extend your stay, contact the Immigration Bureau (www.immigration.go.th).
Children travelling with one parent or alone must have a notarised letter of consent from one or both parents.
An incoming passenger can import up to two pets at one time.
These include all domestic animals such as dogs, birds, cats etc subject to the production of a required health certificate from their country of origin. Pets are still liable for the usual quarantine checks upon arrival.
Visa on Arrival
Securing Visas upon entry in Thailand
The VISA ON ARRIVAL allows passport holders of 19 countries to enter Thailand under this rule provided that they meet these requirements:
- The visit is strictly for tourism purposes.
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They must have a confirmed return ticket to show that they are flying out of Thailand within 30 or 15 days of entry, as appropriate. Open tickets do not qualify. Travelling overland out of Thailand by train, bus, etc to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia (including en route to Singapore), Myanmar, etc is not accepted as proof of exiting Thailand.
You may be asked to show your flight ticket on entering Thailand. If you do not possess a flight ticket to show you will be exiting Thailand within 30 or 15 days of entry you will be most likely to be refused entry.
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It will also be necessary to prove that you have funds of at least 10,000 THB per person and 20,000 THB per family during your stay in Thailand. A fee of 1,000 THB is payable upon entry and is subject to change without notice.
However, persons who are not eligible to enter Thailand under the VISA ON ARRIVAL and VISA EXEMPTION RULE are advised to obtain visas with the Royal Thai Embassy prior to their visit.
19 Countries eligible to enter Thailand under the VISA ON ARRIVAL rule:
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