Thailand Visa Guide

Visa Information

Visa Issuance:

1. Nationals of India with a normal passport traveling as tourists can obtain a visa on arrival at Bangkok (BKK and DMK), Chiang Mai (CNX), Chiang Rai (CEI), Hat Yai (HDY), Krabi (KBV), Phuket (HKT), Samui Int'l (USM), Sukhothai Int'l (THS), Surat Thani (URT) and Utapao (UTP) for a maximum stay of 60 days. They must have a confirmed return/onward ticket with a departure within 60 days from arrival date, a proof of accommodation, 1 recent passport photo and at least THB 10,000.- per person (or THB 20,000.- per family). Their passport must contain at least 1 unused visa page and the visa fee must be paid in cash only and in THB.
2. Nationals of India with an emergency passport traveling as tourists can obtain a visa on arrival at Bangkok (BKK and DMK), Chiang Mai (CNX), Chiang Rai (CEI), Hat Yai (HDY), Krabi (KBV), Phuket (HKT), Samui Int'l (USM), Sukhothai Int'l (THS), Surat Thani (URT) and Utapao (UTP) for a maximum stay of 60 days. They must have a confirmed return/onward ticket with a departure within 60 days from arrival date, a proof of accommodation, 1 recent passport photo and at least THB 10,000 per person (or THB 20,000 per family). Their passport must contain at least 1 unused visa page and the visa fee must be paid in cash only and in THB.

Additional Information:

1. ACMECS Single Visa issued by Cambodia and Thailand are valid for 90 days from the date of issue and are valid for a stay of 60 days in Thailand. Holders of visas issued by Cambodia (marked KHA) will be required to pay their fee for Thailand upon arrival in Thailand.
2. Visitors older than 12 years who have a visa must hold sufficient funds to cover their stay (at least THB 20,000 per person or THB 40,000 per family). Proof of funds includes Letters of Credit, vouchers, Miscellaneous Charges Orders (MCO) or well-known credit cards, which are honored in Thailand.

Passport Information

Passport Requirement: Passport required

Document Validity: Passports and other documents accepted for entry must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the arrival date.

If there would be a country worth living in forever, Thailand would definitely make it to the list. Why? Well, read on to find out.

Thailand has been carrying a ‘bona fide’ tag for being one of the most popular countries in Southeast Asia. It is a country filled with beautiful nature, contemporary skyscrapers, food markets with local cuisine and cultural landmarks owing to its heritage.

Did you know that Thailand’s Bangkok is fondly known as “Big Mango” by locals? This is simpluy because mangoes happen to be a delicacy in Thailand, and the is the tropical equivalent of New York City's "Big Apple".

It is a known fact that Thailand is one of the major backpacking destinations and certainly a favourite among the retirees. So, which is the best Thailand visa for you to explore the country wholeheartedly? Let’s find out.

Note:

The Royal Thai Cabinet has approved for the Thai visa extension for temporary tourism for a stay not exceeding 30 days, effective from 11th May, 2024 to 11th November, 2024. This is your chance to visit Thailand and explore the stunning coast, beautiful hills, and peaceful islands.

Thailand visa can be applied online through their official website if you opt for pre-visa. Or you can opt for visa offline through visa-on-arrival. However, keep in mind that you will need to stay in long queues at the Suvarnabhumi airport to get an offline Thailand visa.

Obtaining a Thai visa is a hassle-free process if you follow these steps:

• You need to create an account at the Thailand official e-visa website.
• Fill in all your information at the application form.
• Upload the required documents to support your visa.
• Pay visa fee.
• Wait for the visa to be processed.
• Your approved visa will be sent by email.

You can check your visa application status by logging in at the Thai e-visa website. To receive your detailed information, you can use your visa number or your passport number to check the status of your visa application.

If you are planning to visit Thailand, here are the different types of visa you can apply.

1. Tourist visa
2. Transit visa
3. Employment or Business visa
4. Long-stay visa
5. Smart visa
6. Non-immigrant ED
7. Non-immigrant F Visa
8. Non-immigrant O

This visa allows foreigners to enter Thailand for the purpose of tourism, leisure, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions), medical or even visiting friends who live in Thailand. This visa allows visitors to explore the country and soak in the history, nature and cultural beauty of the kingdom. An individual on a Thailand tourist visa is permitted to stay for up to 60 days. The visa can be extended further for a period of up to 30 days.

Documents for tourist visa

• A passport with at least 6 months validity
• Approx. 8 passport size photographs not older than six months
• Proof of return flight tickets
• Reservation of hotels
• Bank statement or proof of funds (at least 20,000 to 40,000 Baht per person)

Tourist visa validity

The validity of Thailand tourist visa is for 3 months or 6 months.

Stay duration of tourist visa

After you arrive at “The Land of Smiles”, travellers are permitted to stay for a maximum of 60 days. The visa can be extended to 30 additional days.

Extension of tourist visa for Thailand

Thailand is such a beautiful place so if you feel like you’re not ready to leave just yet, blame it on the city’s attractive atmosphere. From work opportunities, to settling down - the reasons to look at staying in Thailand could be many. To stay for a longer period in Thailand, or to change your visa type, you can file a request application with your concern to the Office of Immigration Bureau.

One way to explore a city within a limited timeframe is by choosing the transit visa. This is possible if you are travelling to another destination and have a long layover in Thailand.

Documents for transit visa

• Photograph taken within the last six months
• Proof of travel to third destination via Thailand
• Funds for Thailand not less than 20,000 Baht
• Visa for the third country or required travel documents

Transit visa validity

The validity of Thailand transit visa is for 3 months.

Stay duration of transit visa

If you apply for a transit visa for Thailand, you will be permitted to stay for a period of 30 days. A word of advice - For a transit visa, it is best to submit your visa application at least 15 working days before your date of travel to Thailand.

Extension of transit visa for Thailand

You can extend your Thailand transit visa on arrival to anywhere between 7 to 10 days at the Thai immigration office based on your nationality.

Thailand has two categories of employment visas - Non-immigrant B and Non-immigrant IB. As the name suggests, these visas are issued to applicants for work/business opportunities or investing in a company. But what is the difference between Non-immigrant B and Non-immigrant IB?

Non-immigrant B is for those candidates who can legally work in Thailand, including teaching. Non-immigrant IB is for those who can legally invest in certain projects under the Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI). These include export-promotion, utilising local raw materials, projects engaging the provinces to name a few.

Documents for employment visa

• Passport with validity of at least 6 months
• Approx. 8 passport size photographs not older than six months
• A letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour. The employer is required to submit Form WP3 at the Office of Foreign Workers Administration, Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour or at a Provincial Employment Office in the respective province
• Work permit issued by the Ministry of Labour (This is applicable to only those who have previously worked in Thailand)
• An employment contract mentioning the details of the work/salary/DOJ
• Educational records and letters of recommendation from the employer’s previous companies

Employment visa validity

Non-immigrant IB visa holders are granted three months, whereas, non-immigrant B single entry visa holders are granted three months, and multiple entry visa for three months up to a year.

Stay duration of employment visa

The employment visa holders are initially granted a period of 90 days. The visa can be changed to a year further instructed by the Office of Immigration Bureau.

Extension of employment visa

The employment visa for both non-immigrant B and IB can be extended upto a year. But there are certain criteria that needs to be met in order for the extension, specifically for category B. Some of the regulations for the extension of the employment visa category B are -

• The company must be Thailand registered
• The business must at least capitalise 2 Million Baht
• The employment ratio must be 4: 1, i.e., four Thai nationals and one foreigner

Thailand has long been associated as one of the best countries to spend your retirement in.  And most foreign nationals choose the islands to spend balmy days and nights. If you are at the age of 50 years and over, Thailand provides two non-immigrant category visas - Non-Immigrant O-A and Non-Immigrant O-X (which is for 10 years).

Non-immigrant O-X visa is for countries like Japan, Denmark, Australia, Finland, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. And for non-Immigrant O-A, a foreigner must be a permanent resident of the country where the application is submitted.

Documents for long-stay visa

For non-immigrant O-A -

• Passport with validity of at least 6 months
• 4 - 8 passport size photograph not older than six months
• Proof of finance, letter from the bank stating your funds/deposit not less than 800,000 Baht. Or an income certificate with your monthly income not less than 65,000 Baht.
• Certificate of criminal record and medical certificate. Both these certificates must be issued no longer than three months.

For non-immigrant O-X -

• Passport with validity of at least 6 months
• 4 - 8 passport size photograph not older than six months
• Certificate of criminal record and medical certificate. Both these certificates must be issued no longer than three months.
• Proof of finance, letter from the bank stating your funds/deposit not less than 3 Million Baht
• Medical certificate with clean health check from diseases like Covid-19, Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, etc.
• Health insurance of Thailand, not less than 40,000 Baht as outpatient and 400,000 Baht for inpatient.

Note: Under non-immigrant O-X, the candidate can sponsor their spouse and child under the age of 20 years.

Long-stay visa validity

For long-stay in Thailand, the visa is valid for one year under non-immigrant O-A and 5 years for non-immigrant O-X.

Stay duration of long-stay visa

The applicant is allowed to stay in Thailand for one year under non-immigrant O-A. Travellers with non-immigrant O-X visa are granted a permit of five years. After five years the candidate can apply for the extension of five years.

Extension of long-stay visa

Long-stay visas can be extended for 1 year for the non-immigrant O-A and another 5 years under non-immigrant O-X after the previous 5 years.

Since its launch, on February 1, 2018, the newly designed ‘Smart Visa’ has been attracting skilled workers. This visa is mainly targeting S-Curve industries like -

• Next-Generation Automotive
• Smart Electronics
• Medical and Wellness Tourism
• Digital
• Agriculture and Biotechnology
• Medical Hub
• Food Industry
• Robotics
• Aviation and Logistics
• Biofuels and Biochemicals

The smart visa programme is designed to enhance the country’s attractiveness in the field of science and technology, investors and start-ups.

To find out more, you can refer to the official website of Thailand

Studying in Thailand is one of the best ways to enter the country and delve into the culture and history. Millions of foreign students apply for a study visa in Thailand to some of the top schools and universities.

Documents for study visa

• Passport with validity of at least 6 months
• 4 - 8 passport size photograph not older than six months
• Letter from the school/university confirming your admission
• Registration certificate of the school/university
• Approval letter from the authority under the Ministry of Education

Study visa validity

For a study visa in Thailand, a single-entry visa is valid for three months.

Stay duration of study visa

Even though your course of study in Thailand is one year, you will be granted a visa of 90 days. Before your visa expires, you can extend the study visa at the Thailand Immigration Department.

Extension of study visa

Study visa in Thailand will provide you 90 days initially, but you can extend your visa by producing complete educational documents at the Thailand Immigration Department.

The category F is issued to foreigners with ordinary passports who are applying for official work with either government agency, embassy or international organisation.

Documents for non-immigrant F visa

• Passport with validity of at least 6 months
• 4 - 8 passport size photograph not older than six months
• Letter from the agency stating your purpose of visit

Non-immigrant F visa validity

For this type of visa, you will be granted a single-entry visa which will be valid for three months.

Stay duration of Non-immigrant F visa

The stay duration in Thailand with non-immigrant F is 90 days, unless instructed by the Office of Immigration Bureau.

Extension of non-immigrant F visa

The candidates wanting to extend their stay in Thailand for more than 90 days can file the application in Bangkok at the Office of Immigration Bureau.

Under the non-immigrant O visa, the candidate can enter Thailand to stay with their Thai family under the following circumstances. This is for those candidates who are not Thai but have family members of Thai nationality.

• If you are a spouse of a Thai nationality
• Children under 20 years of Thai nationality
• Adopted child of a Thai nationality
• Parent of a Thai nationality (When the child becomes a citizen of Thailand)

Documents for non-immigrant O

• Passport with validity of at least 6 months
• 4 - 8 passport size photograph not older than six months
• Bank statement/ sponsorship
• Proof of relationship to the Thai family like marriage certificate

To know more, click here.

Non-immigrant O visa validity

For this type of visa, you will be granted a single-entry visa which will be valid for three months.

Stay duration of Non-immigrant O visa

The stay duration in Thailand with non-immigrant F is 90 days, unless instructed by the Office of Immigration Bureau.

Extension of non-immigrant O visa

The candidates wanting to extend their stay in Thailand for more than 90 days can file the application in Bangkok at the Office of Immigration Bureau.

• From 26 September 2021, there is no need for e-visa applicants to submit documents and passport in person at the Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate.
• After the e-visa is approved, you will receive an email confirming your status. You only need to print a copy of the confirmed email to provide to the airline and the Thai Immigration officials.