If you are planning on traveling to the Kingdom of Thailand you are going to need to obtain a visa. Below is a guide to give you some information on the process and requirements for entry. Please note this is only a guide and rules and regulations can change. Please verify any information in this article with the Royal Thai Embassy in your country BEFORE you travel.
Who should apply for a visa to visit Phuket, Thailand?
-People not on the list of countries with a visa exemption
-People wishing to stay longer than 30 days in Thailand
-People visiting Thailand for purposes other than tourism
Countries with Tourist Visa Exemptions
Thailand has a relationship with many countries that don’t require you to obtain a tourist visa when entering the country. They’ll simply stamp your passport at immigration and you are on your way.
The length of stay for these exemptions is 30 days if arriving by air, 15 days if arriving by ground from a neighboring country. They may require you to show proof you are leaving Thailand within the required time by showing a return ticket.
United States, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Iceland, Japan, Rep. of Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Monaco, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Czech Republic, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Poland, Slovak Republic, Slovinia.
Types of Visas
Applications and required documents for all visa types can be found on the website of your countries Thai embassy.
Tourist Visa
This type of visa is issued to people wanting to enter the Kingdom of Thailand for tourism purposes. Length of stay is typically between 60 and 90 days depending on Country of origin.
Transit Visa
The transit visa is issued to travelers who are traveling through the Kingdom on way to a final destination country, or those who need to re-enter their own country. They are also issued to people traveling to Thailand to participate in sporting activities.
Non-Immigrant Visa
These visas are issued to individuals who are coming to Thailand for non-tourism activities. Such things such as performing official business, conducting business, education, and film or journalism work.
These can be a little more difficult to get depending on your reason and may require you to provide more substantial documentation.
Length of stay for this visa type is typically 90-Days.
Non-Immigrant Visa – Long Stay
Often referred to as the retirement visa, the long stay visa is issued only to those over 50 years of age who have to plans to work or conduct business.
These visas are granted for a 1 year stay.
You’ll need to provide information that you have no criminal history, prohibitive disease, and the financial means to support yourself for the time you are in the Kingdom.
Visa On Arrival
Thailand has a list of 21 countries whose passport holders can get a visa on arrival, at designated airports or immigration checkpoints. The length of stay cannot exceed 15 days. This can be a good option for those countries not on the tourist visa exemption list that are looking to visit for less than two weeks.
Thailand Visa Costs
Visa fees are going to vary by country and your currency rates. They are quite reasonable and not cost prohibitive. As an example the cost of a U.S. Tourist visa is approximately $40. Sometimes when tourism is down Thailand will waive these fees for a short period of time.