Visa to Thailand

Who needs to apply for a visa to go to Thailand?

- Passport holders of countries that do not appear on the list below will require a visa before entering Thailand.

- Travelers entering Thailand for purposes other than tourism need a visa of specific type, i.e. non-immigrant visa.

List of countries NOT requiring visa: (Last updated on October 27,2007)
Passport holders of the following countries may enter and stay in Thailand without a visa for a maximum stay of 30 days for purpose of tourism only:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, *Brazil, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chili, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Qatar, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel,. Italy, Japan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Lao, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Monaco (effective 26 Oct 07), Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, U.A.E., U.K., U.S.A., Vietnam.

List of countries whose nationals are exempted from visa fees:

Rep.of Korea, Malaysia, *Philippines, Singapore, Tunisia.

List of countries whose nations may apply for visa at the Immigration checkpoints for the purpose of tourism for the period of not exceeding 15 days (Visa on Arrival)

Bhutan, China (including Taiwan), Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Maldives, Mauritius, Oman, *Peru, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine.
If you are not a passport holder of the above countries or you are going to go Thailand for other purposes than tourism, you need a visa. Click here to see what type of visas should you apply for.

What type of visas should you apply?

Transit visa

These types of visas are issued to persons who wish to enter Thailand for the following purposes to travel in transit through the Thailand.

The person in charge or crew of a conveyance coming to a port, station or area in the Thailand.

Tourist visa

This visa is issued to persons who wish to enter Thailand for tourism purpose only and wish to stay up to 60 days.

Non-immigrant visas

These visas are issued for applicants who wish to enter Thailand for the following purposes:
Non immigrant visa-B For the purpose of attending a conference / conducting business / working in Thailand.

Non immigrant visa-ED For the purpose of studying / coming on a work study tour or observation tour / participating in projects or seminars / attending training course / studying as a foreign Buddhist monk in Thailand.

Non immigrant visa-O-A For applicants aged 50 years or above wishing to go to Thailand for “Long Stay” at least for the period of 1 year.

Non immigrant visa-F For official purposes.

Non immigrant visa-O For other purposes, visiting family in Thailand, pension, etc.

A non-immigrant visa is the only type of visa that permits non-residents (other than embassy staff, consular staff or official visitors) to be gainfully employed in Thailand.

In addition, any person who holds a non-immigrant visa and wishes to work needs to apply for a work permit.

Visa application forms for this category need to be completely filled out, stating reasons for employment, and must include a letter of certificate from the company where the applicant is to work. A company profile should be also attached to the application.

Please note that a Consular Officer may deny an application if the reasons given are not fully supported. At present, a visa may be issued in the form of a sticker or stamp in the applicant’s passport. The visa will include details of the type and class. Each visa will show issue and expiry dates.