Thailand Visa provisions

stay a little longer...

There are different types of visa for Thailand, with most travelers using Visa Exempt Stamp (formerly Visa on Arrival) should be sufficient. Here we present this and other Thailand visas.

IMPORTANT: For all visas, a passport is required, which is valid for at least six months upon entry and has at least one empty double page!

Residence Permit for 30 Days - with Visa Exempt-Stamp (formerly Visa on Arrival)

From October 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 you get a 45-day residence permit upon entry.

Germans, Austrians and Swiss are among the compatriots who are allowed to stay in Thailand for 30 days without a visa. Upon entry, you will get a stamp in your passport both at airports and at land borders, showing the date of entry and the latest date on which you must leave the country.

***TM.6 has been temporarily phased out. It is currently not known whether and when the Arrival/Departure Card will become mandatory again. *** JAnyone entering the country must, before going to the immigration counter, Arrival / Departure Card (TM.6) to fill in both parts. In airplanes, the personnel distributes these cards before landing, at land borders they are available for removal. The arrival part is kept by the official at the Immigration counter, he stamps the Departure part with your date of entry and puts it in your passport. Make sure that the departure part really stays in your passport, because you have to give it back when leaving the country. ***TM.6 has been temporarily phased out. It is currently not known whether and when the Arrival/Departure Card will become mandatory again. ***

There is a possibility that the airline at the check-in counter (rather rare) or the officer at the immigration counter (rather likely) will ask you to prove that you intend to leave Thailand before your residence permit expires. For example, a booked return flight or a ticket for onward travel to another country. Evidence of adequate financing of your stay in Thailand may also be required. That's 20.000 baht per person, or 40.000 baht per family.

Before the 30-day period expires, you can extend your stay by a further 2021 days at any immigration office, since 30 also directly on Koh Phangan. To do this, fill out the form "Extension of Temporary Stay in the Kingdom" (TM.7). You also need a passport photo, copies of your passport (identification page, page with current entry stamp) and the copy of the Depature Card. You must do this in person before your residence permit expires and, of course, you must have your original passport with you. The cost is 1.900 baht. Photos and copies can be made on site for a fee.

NOTE: Visa Exempt over a land border is only possible twice a year.

Residence permit for 60 days - with tourist visa

You can basically apply for a tourist visa at any Thai embassy, ​​but of course the easiest way is in your home country. The documents required and the costs may vary from embassy to embassy, ​​even within the same country. Basically, you will have to prove that you left the country on time (e.g. with a plane ticket) and sufficient funds to finance your stay (20.000 Baht/person or 40.000 Baht/family). Also take into account that a hotel reservation may be required for the entire period. From November 22, 2021, visa applications (D/A/CH) are only possible via the “E-Visa Online System”. You should also consider whether you need a single or multiple entry visa.

Visa applications: https://thaievisa.go.th/

Single entry

The Single Entry Visa is valid for 90 days from the date of issue and entitles you to one entry into Thailand. Your residence permit is 60 days and can also be extended by a further 30 days at any immigration office.

Multiple entry

The visa is valid for six months from the date of issue and entitles you to enter Thailand an unlimited number of times during this period. With each entry you can stay in Thailand for 60 days and you can extend it by 30 days at any immigration office.

Thailand Visa Tourist Visa

Visa Run

If you entered the country with a visa exempt stamp, have already extended your stay by another 30 days and still haven't had enough of Thailand, then you can do a so-called visa run. This is easy to arrange from Koh Phangan. For example, Mr. Kim has been organizing visa runs for many years, his office is in Thongsala, near the walking street.

It lends itself to, after Malaysia to drive because the border with this country is closest. There is a Thai consulate on the Malaysian island Penang, the journey time is about 12-15 hours.

The following day you can apply for your tourist visa at the Thai Consulate General in Penang. Many guesthouses in Penang will do this for you for a small fee. It is also possible to get the visa back on the same day by paying a surcharge. Otherwise your passport will be returned the following afternoon with your visa stamped.

NOTE: Since 2014, the Thai government has continued its efforts to Abusive use of tourist visas to stop, always reinforced. We reported here. It is no longer possible to do a border run with a visa exempt stamp and thus get a 30 or 60 day residence permit again.

The Thai embassies and consulates in neighboring countries only have one limited number of tourists visas per day out. How many is regulated differently everywhere. You may also be refused a tourist visa if your passport shows that you have already been in Thailand for a long period of time via a visa exempt stamp and/or tourist visa. Most of the time, the officials are kind enough to grant you at least a seven-day extension of stay to sort out your affairs.

New visa requirements Thailand Visarun

TIP: In view of all the new regulations, and because a visa run is not really much fun either, we strongly recommend that you think about how long you want to stay at home and apply for the appropriate visa there.

Overstay rules

For a long time, for an overstay, ie the stay in the kingdom beyond the period authorized by the visa, one administrative penalty 500 Bath per day, but not more than 20.000 Bath. Next most of the time nothing happened. With a certain risk was and is always connected, since you can come in a police check with visa exceeded directly in deportation liability.

Since July 2014 you have to expect in addition to the costs from 90 days overstay, to one Blacklist to be set and not allowed to enter Thailand for at least a year! If you stay longer in the Kingdom without a valid visa, you may face entry barriers of up to 10 years.

Without a valid visa you are staying in Thailand illegally, this is not a trivial offense, but a criminal act before the law of the Kingdom of Thailand!

TIP: Do you have yours? Residence permit nevertheless exaggerated, speak to immigration. Be polite, apologize, pay the administrative fine and say thank you on top of that. 99,9 percent of the time you will get an extra seven days to get your affairs in order.

It is very important that you do not be bold at the counter when leaving the border or at the airport before you go to the immigration office. The bureau will send you back there anyway, because he can not collect the administrative penalty from you and will not wave you by any means.

Residence permit for 90 days - with non-immigrant visa

A non-immigrant visa can be applied for at a Thai embassy, ​​preferably in your country of origin, for various purposes. It is more than advisable to inquire at the embassy beforehand whether the desired visa type will be issued and what documentation is required.

Non-immigrant visas also include visas for employment purposes, to live with your Thai spouse, or for medical treatment. Different documentation is required for all different types of visas and again you have to decide whether you need a single or multiple-entry visa.

The Single-entry non-immigrant visa 90 is valid from the date of issue and entitles you to one time entry and stay in the Kingdom of 90 days during this period. The Multiple-entry non-immigrant visa is valid for one year from the date of issue and entitles you to unlimited entry during this period, whereby you may stay 90 days in Thailand with each entry.

We will introduce you below Education and Retirement Visa in detail before.

NOTE: If holders of a non-immigrant visa want to leave and re-enter the country within their approved period of stay, a Re-entry permit to be applied for at the immigration office. If you do not, your residence permit will be forfeited, so your visa is no longer valid!

Thailand visa-NonImmOA-M

Non-immigrant "ED"

This visa is for educational purposes, including language schools and Thai boxing schools. However, these schools must be recognized by the Thai Ministry of Education. You must submit a letter of enrollment from the school, a letter from the school addressed to the embassy, ​​the school's certificate, and funds from at least 20.000 Bath.

NOTE: Immigration officials are required and authorized to check that you are actually going to school. This is also an innovation to prevent the improper use of visas.

Visa extension

The educational institute where you are studying usually knows whether, for how long, under what conditions and with which documentation you can extend your education visa and will help you with this.

Non-immigrant "OA"

This is called so-called Retirement visa and can only be applied for in your country of origin. The basic requirements for this are diverse and each embassy also cooks its own documentation soup. Please inquire in advance what you need, here are the basics:

  • Applicant must be 50 years or older
  • Extract of the criminal record
  • population register extract
  • Health certificate (leprosy, tuberculosis, elephantiasis, syphilis, drug addiction)
  • Health insurance with coverage of 3.000.000 baht. (When choosing the insurance company, make sure that a “Foreign Insurance Certificate” can be issued.)
  • Bank letter showing a balance of at least 800.000 Bath, or proof of income of at least 65.000 Bath per month, or a combination of account balance and income

With the non-immigrant "OA" visa, you can stay in Thailand for a year, but every three months you have to go to Thailand address Report go to your local immigration office.

As the Wife or husband If you are a non-immigrant "OA" holder, you can apply for a non-immigrant "O" visa under the same conditions (proof of finances is required by the spouse), even if you are not yet 50 years old, with presentation of a marriage certificate. This entitles you to stay in Thailand for three months and can be extended up to one year before the deadline.

NOTE: You can enter with a Visa Exampt-Stamp or tourist visa and switch to a non-immigrant “O” visa within Thailand, provided you meet the requirements. Currently, health insurance is not required for category “O”.

Thailand visa-NonImmOA-M

Visa extension

Under the following conditions, you can extend your "Pensioners Visa" annually:

  • Bank confirmation via at least 800.000 Bath in a Thai bank account (at the first renewal the money must be 60 days, at any further renewal 90 days before application to the account), or a proof of income of at least 65.000 Bath per month, or a combination of account balance and income.
  • Residence certificate in Thailand
  • Google Maps expression with identification of your residence
  • Health certificate (from a hospital)
  • Proof of valid, adequate health insurance (OA)
  • Marriage certificate (for wives and husbands)

A word at the end

There are many different visa types, you can change or extend your visa type in Thailand (some only outside of Thailand). Of course you can do it on your own, but we still recommend one, at least the first time and TIMELY Visa Agency to include You save your nerves and get to know the processes. For example, where do you get certain documents and how long does it take, whether they need to be translated and who is allowed to translate, whether they need to be certified or super-certified, especially with multiple-entry visas, whether they are used correctly, how long are which documents valid…..questions upon questions. In the meantime, you collect information and exchange ideas with other people in your visa situation, so that next time you can confidently take care of your own affairs.

ONE LAST TIP: When dealing with government officials in Thailand, dress appropriately (that is, cover your knees and shoulders) and always be polite and friendly. Even if you're legitimately upset about something, if you're already worn out from waiting hours, whatever...don't get loud and angry. With this you walk against a wall made of solid steel with Thais and you lose their respect. This is one of the biggest differences in our cultures, and it also causes the most problems.

All information on this page is without guarantee! In the past, changes to the visa regulations in Thailand were made regularly, and more or less without prior notice and transitional regulations, which is why it cannot be guaranteed that the information given here is correct!