Thailand Tourist Visa

Thailand Tourist Visa

A tourist visa obtained from a Royal Thai embassy or consulate, preferably in a Western country, is your best and only legal option if you wish to stay in Thailand as a tourist for an extended period of time and do not qualify for
a Non-immigrant visa of either type.
Tourist visas are valid for sixty days - starting from the date of arrival in the Kingdom, but can be extended for 30 days at any Thai immigration bureau (extension fee 1900 Baht). Important update: Since October 2007 you will have to show an onward travel ticket as proof of your intention to leave the Kingdom within the next 30 days in order to get your extension!
Pattaya-Immigration.org
(download visa application and extension forms)

As the visa sticker or stamp clearly points out, "employment is strictly prohibited" with this type of visa, and work permits cannot be applied for.
If you wish to engage in business activities, however, a change of the visa type is possible - provided you qualify for a Non-Immigrant business visa
and can show the appropriate documents.

Tourist visas ("TR") can be applied for at every Thai embassy or consulate worldwide. However, as Thai consulates in Southeast Asian countries have become popular with frequent 'visa runners', most of them issue only single-
entry Tourist visas at the moment (double-entry visa available in Vientiane in the Lao PDR). Thai consulates in Manila and Phnom Penh prefer to provide visa services only for nationals of the Phillippines and Cambodia, so it's the most convenient option to obtain a tourist visa from a Thai embassy in your home country. Even double or triple-entry visas will be issued there without any problems. "Multiple-entry" tourist visas are categorically not available.
To download visa application forms please click here.
Visa Run To Vientiane & Tourist Visa Application

The documents required for tourist visa application generally include your passport, the visa application form completely filled out as well as a recent photograph. Further official requirements include an air ticket (return) and proof of financial means. For enquiries about documents required please contact your local Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in advance.

Visa fees for tourist visas vary slightly from country to country. The standard fee is $25 for single-entry visas respectively $50 or $75 for a double or triple-
entry tourist visa. Thai embassies in EU countries charge an unfair 30 € per entry whereas the consulate in Vientiane/ Laos currently charges 1000 THB for a single-entry tourist visa. Visa fees may be changed without prior notice.

Tourist Visa Long-Stayers!

If you have a single-entry tourist visa you will either need to leave Thailand and obtain a new visa after sixty respectively 90 days (if you have extended your visa at the local immigration) or, provided your visa history entitles you to do so, go on a so-called "visa run" and return to Thailand with a 30-days entry stamp (visa exemption). For more details on "visa exemption"/ "visa runs" please go back to Thai Visa Information.

When travelling with a double or triple-entry tourist visa a one-day "visa-run" to the Cambodian or any other border is fully sufficient in order to be granted another 60-days permission of stay; you will not have to apply for a new visa at a Thai consulate as long as your visa stays valid.
Please note, however, that multiple-entry tourist visas are valid for only six months (180 days!) starting from the date of issue and all entries must be made use of before the visa expires. Do not mix up the validity of the visa and the permitted duration of stay (per entry). That a tourist visa is valid for 180 days totally does not entitle the visa holder to stay in the Kingdom for 6 continuous months. Even when travelling with a double or triple-entry tourist visa you will have to leave Thailand after the first 60 or 90 days (if extended) in order to renew your permission of stay. For instance, if a triple-entry visa has been issued on January 2nd your third and last entry must be made before June 30th!

At the moment it is unclear how many consecutive tourist visas are issued by Thai consulates in the neighbouring countries. So far there is no rule that restricts the maximum length of stay in Thailand when travelling on "simple" tourist visas, in fact, there are foreigners who actually live in the Kingdom as official "tourists" for years already. Please note, however, that since October 2007 visa rules have become even stricter once more. As mentioned above, in order to get a tourist visa extended you will have to show an onward travel ticket that states you will be leaving Thailand within the next thirty days; at least Pattaya Immigration Bureau strictly enforces this uncomfortable new rule.
In addition - it is very questionnable how many consecutive tourist visas
you may apply for if you extend your visa at the local immigration. The best advice at the moment is not to extend your tourist visa at all, but to obtain a new visa from one of the nearby Thai consulates. Reportedly it's possible to obtain an unrestricted number of consecutive tourist visas at the Royal Thai Consulate in Vientiane/ Laos - provided you have not extended your visa (in which case you might get refused "sooner or later". Also double-entry TR/ tourist visas have been issued there recently (October 2007).
On the other hand, the Thai consulate on Penang (Malaysia) reportedly has restricted tourist visa applicants to 3 consecutive "single-entry" visas only.
If the consulate decides to restrict your visits they shall place a red stamp above your last tourist visa stating that future applications will get refused. The latest rumours from Penang are even worse. According to a thread on ThaiVisa, as from February 1st 2008 the Royal Thai consulate on Penang would only issue tourist visas to those applicants in possession of a (fully paid) air ticket departing from Thailand to an international destination not within the Southeast Asian region!
Due to their bad reputation the consulates in Pnomh Penh/ Cambodia and Manila/ Philippines should be avoided if you don't qualify for a non-immigrant visa of either category. If you want to avoid a long trip back home, your best option for a successful tourist visa application is a visa-run to either Penang or Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Singapore or (recommended!) Vientiane/ Laos. However, as "This is Thailand" (T.I.T.) you never know?!
Good luck to all long-stayers under 50 who have no prospects of getting married with a Thai national or engaged in a Thai business!

To read more on other types of Thai visa available and find out which one suits you best please click the links below.

Tourist Visa
Visa Run To Vientiane, Laos
Business/ Non-Immigrant Visa "B"
Retirement/ Non-Immigrant Visa "O-A" (Longstay)
Marriage/ Non-Immigrant Visa "O"

For updates on tourist visa regulations and visa-related forum discussions we recommend you to visit the Thai Visa Expat Forum. If you have a specific question just register as a member and post a new thread.

Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Directory of Thai Embassies and Consulates
www.thaiembassy.org (official website)

Back To Thai Visa Information

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