Do I Need A Visa For Thailand
Are you planning to travel to Thailand? Awesome! Thailand is a beautiful country packed with adventure and wonders. It has 7,514 islands for you to explore, beaches to bathe on, and many famous landmarks to discover. But since you’re planning such an exciting vacation, I’m sure you’ve given a lot of thought on how to get there. Maybe you are wondering if you need a visa for Thailand or not. Maybe you’re even wondering how long it will take unless your passport is expedited. You don’t have to worry about it because I’ve got all the information laid out for you in this post!
Thailand is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. With its tropical climate, beautiful beaches, and rich culture, Thailand has long been a top destination for both short and extended vacations. But did you know that – depending on your nationality – you’ll need more than your passport to enter Thailand?
Do I Need A Visa For Thailand
Do I Need a Thailand Transit Visa?
Yes, if you typically need to have a visa for Thailand, then you must also apply for a Thailand Transit Visa if you’re transiting through the territory of Thailand on your way to a third country.
Do I Need a Thailand Airport Transit Visa?
Foreigners transiting in a Thai airport do not need to have a Thailand airport transit visa if:
- Their connecting flight is in less than 12 hours
- Their flight is booked on the same ticket
- They do not leave the international airport transit area
- Have the necessary documents for the final destination
Note: According to International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Timatic, this rule does not include Pakistan nationals or foreigners traveling through the following airlines: Angkor Air, Beijing Capital Airlines, Business Air, Cebu Pacific, Eaststar Jet, Golden Myanmar Airlines, Indigo, Jeju Air, Jet Asia Airways, Jetstar, Jetstar Pacific, Jin Air, JuneYao Airlines, Lao Central Airlines, Mandara Airlines, Norwegian Air, Okay Airways, Orient Thai Airlines, Regent Air, Scoot, Shandong Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Siberia Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, South East Asian Airlines, Spice Jet, Thai Smile Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, Trans Aero, Turkmenistan Airlines, T’way Airlines, Ural Airlines and VietJet Air.
Who Is Eligible for a Thailand Visa on Arrival?
Nationals of the following countries are eligible to apply for a Thailand Visa On Arrival:
- Bulgaria
- Bhutan
- People’s Republic of China
- Cyprus
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Georgia
- India
- Kazakhstan
- Malta
- Mexico
- Nauru
- Papua New Guinea
- Romania
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- Taiwan
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
How Do I Get a Visa for Thailand If I Need One?
If you are not exempt and you are not eligible for a Visa On Arrival, you have to apply for a Thai visa at a diplomatic mission office of Thailand (Embassy or Consulate) in your country. You have to:
- Contact the Thailand Embassy or Consulate in your country or the one nearest to you to make an appointment and learn about any specific visa application requirements.
- Collect the required documents for a Thai Visa.
- Submit the documents and pay the fee. Depending on which Embassy/Consulate you apply in, you can submit the application:
- In-person
- Through the post, in which case you have to enclose a pre-paid and self-addressed envelope
- Wait for the application to be processed
- Collect the passport and visa. If you applied by mail, they will be mailed back to you. If your Thailand Tourist Visa is approved, you have to enter the country within the time stated on your visa.
How to Travel to Thailand If I Don’t Need a Visa?
If you are from one of the countries that are exempt from Thai visas, you can enter with just your passport, which must be valid for at least another six months. You can stay for the duration that the visa-exemption allows (up to 14, 30, or 90 days). If you want to extend your stay beyond the period that’s allowed, you may be able to apply for an extension at the Thai Immigration Bureau office in Bangkok for a fee of 1,900 Thai Baht.
If you overstay without a formal extension, you will be fined. The fees start from 500 Thai Baht per day and may reach up to 20,000 Thai Baht per day if you overstay for more than 40 days.
However, in order to work or live in Thailand long-term, you will have to get the relevant visa from a Thailand Embassy or Consulate.
Can I Get a Thailand Visa Online?
For the moment, only citizens of a few countries can submit their Thai Visa applications online: China, Britain, and France.
That’s because, in December 2018, the Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it would launch a new electronic application system for Thai Visas in order to facilitate tourism. In February 2019, Chinese nationals became the first to be eligible for the Thai eVisa with British and French nationals joining them in April.
But in the following three years, citizens of all foreign countries with which Thailand has diplomatic relations are expected to become eligible for Thai eVisas. If you are eligible, you can apply for a Thai Tourist Visa online here, although you will still have to visit the office of a Thailand diplomatic mission to have the visa stamped on your passport.