Thailand Visa For South African Passport Holders

The thing is, you can get the Thai non-B visa through the Thai embassy in South Africa before you leave if you already have a job lined up in Thailand. In my case, I came on a tourist visa for Thailand and then got a job, after which I had to do a border run for my Thai non-B visa. 

You will need to sign up at the website with your personal details and then you will be able to make an appointment up to 30 days ahead of time. Try to book in advance or as soon as you certain of your travel plans. And make sure to show up.

Touriangle is replete with all the relevant information you need on Thailand embassy appointment, Thai embassy Pretoria, do South Africans need a visa for Vietnam, do South Africans need a visa for Bali, do South Africans need a visa for Malaysia, and so much more. Take out time to surf through our catalog for more information on related topics. You don’t want to miss this!

Thailand Visa For South African Passport Holders

Getting a Thailand non-immigrant B visa, also popularly known as Thai non-B visa isn’t really that complicated. But, getting Thailand non-immigrant visa from South Africa is not as straightforward as many other nationalities. 

A South African passport holder wishing to holiday, live or study in Thailand should first find out how to get a visa for Thailand. Visas for Thailand run along the same lines as any other country with applicants required to apply for visas and then submit them to the relevant Consulate and/or Embassy.

Thailand Tourist Visa Requirements

Citizens of South Africa are permitted to stay in Thailand up to 30 days if entering via international airport and up to 15 days if entering through a land border checkpoint from a neighboring country (Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia) under the Visa Exemption Rule.

Currently, Siam Legal visa services do not cover the local citizens and permanent residents of South Africa.

Please note that you must be in possession of the following if you wish to visit Thailand:

  1. A valid passport.You will need a passport valid for at least 6 months following your departure date. It is also recommended that your valid passport have at least 2 remaining unused pages for any necessary entry and exit stamps that may be issued.
  2. A confirmed travel itinerary
  3. Proof of accommodation and funds of at least THB 10,000 per person and THB 20,000 per family.

45 days visa exemption (until 31 March 2023)

South African passport holders (and certain other nationalities) can enter Thailand for 45 days visa free for tourism purposes.

Please note:

-Passport must be valid at least a minimum of 6 months.

-You must have a return ticket.

-You may apply for a 30 day extension on the stay, but it’s at the discretion of the Immigration Bureau in Thailand if it’s approved. 

Please download the document hereunder for the nationalities where the Visa Exemption Scheme and Visa on Arrival Scheme apply. 

How to apply Thailand tourist visa from South Africa


Step 1 : South African citizens can arrive at Thailand without a visa.
Step 2 : After arriving, South African citizens can go to Thailand immigration counter.
Step 3 : Show travel document like Original Passport or Travel document of South Africa.
Step 4 : Once you get entry stamp, you can enter Thailand and stay for the duration on your stamping.

Documents to Bring before Coming to Thailand

For the Thai Non-B  visa, you need to submit the original police clearance certificate from your home country and a notarized degree. It’s very important that you get these done in your home country, otherwise you might need to fly back to your home country for this.

I got my police clearance certificate from South Africa before coming to Thailand. It’s valid for 6 months. If you are applying for the Thailand non-immigrant visa from South Africa, you would need to do it as well. Although the Thai embassy in Vientiane asks that it should be notarized, I didn’t do so and they were fine with it.

As per the degree, I got it notarized in South Africa as well. For this, I used a company called 123attested. They pretty much did everything and were relatively cheap.

Preparing the Documents in Thailand

AfterI entered Thailand as a tourist, I got myself into a whirlwind of documents. It took a lot of trips and effort to get them all together. I obtained all the documents related to the school in Thailand.

Thailand Visa On Arrival

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

Do You Need a Visa to Go to Thailand?

You need a visa to go to Thailand, as long as you are not from one of the countries whose nationals are exempt from visa requirements (below).

If you have an ordinary passport issued by one of the following countries, you can travel to Thailand without a visa for up to 90 days:

  • Argentina
  • Brazil
  • Chile
  • South Korea
  • Peru

If you have an ordinary passport issued by one of the following countries, you can travel to Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days:

  • Andorra
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Bahrain
  • Belgium
  • Brunei
  • Canada
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Indonesia
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Kuwait
  • Laos
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macao
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives
  • Mauritius
  • Monaco
  • Mongolia
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Oman
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Qatar
  • Russia
  • San Marino
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • Vietnam

Embassy Information:

For the information about requirements for other types of non-immigrant visa and for other purposes not listed above, kindly contact the Royal Thai embassy or consulate.

Royal Thai Embassy
248 Hill Street (Corner of Pretorius Street)
Arcadia, Pretoria

Phone:
(27-12) 342 4600 / 4506 / 4516 / 5470

Fax:
(27-12) 342 3986

Email:
info@thaiembassy.co.za

Office Hours:
09:15am – 11:30am (application submission only)
02:00pm – 4:30pm (collecting only)

Thailand Visa Option

For citizens of South Africa who are residing and staying in the UK, USA, Australia, Canada and some EU countries, please contact our 24/7 Customer Support or email us to find out how you qualify for other Thai visa options.

We may be able to assist you when you meet the eligibilities on the following:TOURIST “TR”

  • Tourism purposes only, not for business or employment purposes.
  • Duration of stay for 30 or 60 days.
  • Extension allowed for another 30 days.

EDUCATION (Non-immigrant “ED” Visa)

  • Study visits and training sessions in Thailand.
  • Term visa of 90 days travel (single entry) and then 1 year travel to Thailand (multiple entries).

BUSINESS (Non-immigrant “B” Visa)

  • Conduct business or employment by Thai company.
  • Term visa of 90 days travel (single entry) and then 1 year travel to Thailand (multiple entries).

MARRIAGE (Non-immigrant “O” Visa)

  • Married to Thai national.
  • Income of THB 40,000 or bank account of THB 400,000, or combination.
  • Term visa of 90 days travel (single entry) and then 1 year travel to Thailand (multiple entries).

RETIREMENT (Non-immigrant “O” or “OA” Visa)

  • Must be 50 years or older.
  • Pension of 65,000 THB or 800,000 THB in Thai bank, or combination.
  • Term visa of 90 days travel (single entry) and then 1 year travel to Thailand (multiple entries).

DEPENDENT/GUARDIAN “O”

  • Dependent or immediate family of foreigners holding non-immigrant visas.
  • Guardian or immediate family of a Thai child or student foreign child.
  • Term visa of 90 days travel (single entry) and then 1 year travel to Thailand (multiple entries).

Local citizens and/or foreign nationals settled in South Africa who wish to apply for any type of visa mentioned above must apply in person at the nearest Royal Thai embassy or consulate in South Africa. Please note that application procedures and fees may vary depending on your location.

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