How to Apply for a Thai Tourist Visa

Foreigners wishing to travel to Thailand should apply to a local Thai embassy or consulate for tourist visas. Unless the country has signed a visa exemption agreement with Thailand, one must go to the embassy or consulate in Thailand to apply for a visa before entering the country or obtaining a visa on arrival.

Visa Exemption

At present, Thailand grants visa-free treatment to residents of 57 countries and territories.
All citizens of Western countries are eligible for visa-free entry, but the eastern part of the European Union (Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, Malta, and Cyprus) requires a visa, but they can get one on arrival.

List of passport nationalities that are eligible to enter Thailand without a visa:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Monaco, Mongolia, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam

Among them, people from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, South Korea, and Peru can visit Thailand for up to 90 days with visa-free entry. Passport holders of Cambodia and Myanmar can only stay for up to 14 days without a visa. Other counties are allowed to travel to Thailand without a visa for 30 days.

Documents required to apply for a Thai Visa Exemption:
1.    Make sure your original passport valid for at least 6 months
2.    Thailand Arrival/Departure Card completely filled out
3.    Round-trip air ticket or train ticket

Visa on Arrival

Passport holders from the below 18 countries and territories may apply for visas at the immigration checkpoints (listed below) on arrival for the purpose of tourism and will be granted to stay in Thailand for a period not exceeding 15 days.

List of countries and territories which are entitled to apply for a visa on arrival:

1. Bhutan: Kingdom of Bhutan
2. Bulgaria : Republic of Bulgaria
3. China: People’s Republic of China
4. Cyprus: Republic of Cyprus
5. Ethiopia Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
 6. Fiji  (Country in the jurisdiction of the Royal Thai Embassy, Canberra)
7. Georgia
8. India
9. Kazakhstan: Republic of Kazakhstan
10. Malta
11. Mexico : Republic of Mexico
12. Nauru
13. Papua New Guinea  (Country in the jurisdiction of the Royal Thai Embassy, Canberra)
14. Romania
15. Saudi Arabia:
16. Taiwan
17. Uzbekistan
18. Vanuatu  (Country in the jurisdiction of the Royal Thai Embassy, Canberra)

Documents required to apply for a Thai Visa on Arrival:

– Application form, fully completed (this form can be obtained at the designated ports of entry into Thailand as listed below)
– One recent photo
– Proof of means of living expenses at the amount of 10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family accordingly.
– Passport with at least 1-month validity and at least 2 blank pages
– Fully paid onward travel tickets which are usable within 15 days of the date of entry.
– Fee of 2,000 Baht (cash only in Thai Baht/nonrefundable)

Notes:

1. For your convenience, please prepare documents and have them ready when applying for a visa on arrival, or apply online in advance at https://www.evisathailand.com/ or  https://thailandevoa.vfsevisa.com/thailand/online/home/index

2. Visitors who enter the Kingdom with Visa on Arrival generally cannot file an application for an extension of stay, except in special cases of illness which prevent them from traveling. In this case, the application can be submitted to the Office of the Immigration Bureau. Please visit their website: http://www.immigration.go.th

Tourist Visa (Visa Stamp)

Citizens of countries that have not signed a bilateral visa waiver agreement with Thailand or are not eligible for a visa on arrival, are required to obtain a tourist visa in advance at the Royal Thai Embassy or a Royal Thai Consulate-General in their own country. One can apply for a single-entry tourist visa (30 days) or a multiple-entry tourist visa (60 days).

Thai Embassy and Consulates: http://www.thaiembassy.org/main/
Tel: (662) 643-5000

Documents required to apply for a Thai tourist Visa:
1.    Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months
2.    Visa application form completely filled out
3.    One recent (3.5 x 4.5 cm) photograph of the applicant, white background and no older than 6 months
4.    Air ticket or eTicket paid in full, indicating the date of arrival to and departure from Thailand 
5.    Financial means (copy of updated bank statement with a minimum balance of THB 20,000 per person, or THB 40,000 per family)
6.    Confirmed accommodation in Thailand under the applicant’s name
7.    Consular officers reserve the right to request additional documents as deemed necessary
8.    A prepaid return envelope with self-address