Tourist Visa to Thailand

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Last edited: September 05, 2017 at 14:50:36

Tourist Visa

The most common visa to Thailand is the tourist visa. You can get it in any Thai embassy or consulate all over the world.

Target group:  tourists and other visitors

Validity: One entry is valid for 60 days* and you can get it anywhere.
If you want more than one entry, the best is to apply in your home country. In theory, you can get up to 3 entries.
Some embassies / consulates also provide more than one entry, for example in Vientiane.

Extended validity:  While already in Thailand, you can extend this visa at the Immigration Office for THB 1,900 which will give you 30 days* extra.

NOTE: from May 10, 2014 you cannot extend your visa through a land border crossing anymore. You can only renew entry if you have a visa with more than one entry. In addition, it has been announced that from August 12, 2014 'visa runners' will be prohibited to enter Thailand, which suggests that multiple entry tourist visa will be much harder to obtain, and long-stay foreigners are encouraged to get non-immigrant visa instead.
In the recent past, a land border crossing with a tourist visa would give you 30 days extra, for some other countries only 15 days.
Exceptions are made for certain countries, based on bilateral agreements. Russians, for example, seem to be allowed back-to-back tourist visa if they can prove that they are in Thailand for tourism purposes (by showing flight tickets etc.).

Extension of stay at the Immigration office for all kinds of "tourist visa" can therefore be summarized:
- with a 'real' visa of 60 days that you got at an embassy: extension 30 days*
- with a visa of 30 days you got at the airport: extension 8 days*
- with a visa of 15 days you got at the border: extension 8 days*


WANT TO SAVE TIME & TROUBLE EXTENDING YOUR VISA? OUTSOURCE IT!


Renewing entry: If you have a visa with more than one entry, your new entry will start whenever you cross the border (unless you apply for a re-entry stamp at Immigration, in that case you can return to Thailand on the same entry).

Requirements:
standard requirements;
• in case of more than one entry: proof of your flights in and out of Thailand during the periods of your 2nd and/or 3rd entry (with air tickets fully paid), and sometimes proof of income or of sufficient funds.
Costs: about THB 1,000 per entry (= about EUR 23 or USD 30; amounts differ on country where you apply)

Other information: foreigners with too many succeeding entries of a tourist visa in their passport may get a warning that the next time they apply for a tourist visa, it will not be provided. This has happened to many foreigners, especially in Vientiane.

Example stay: You hold a tourist visa with 3 entries. How long could your maximum stay in Thailand be at minimum costs and maximum convenience?

Your first entry starts on the day you enter Thailand. It ends after 59 days. On the last day of this entry, you go to the Immigration office and purchase an extension at THB 1,900 which will give you another 29 days.
This entry then gives you a maximum stay of 59 days + 29 days = 88 days.

On the last day of the extension, you take the bus to Maesai for a border crossing. This is when your new entry commences.

You can repeat this for the last, third entry. Alltogether, the three entries then give you a maximum stay of 3 x 88 = 264 days, which is a little less then 9 months.

Total costs: visa with 3 entries at about THB 3,000 + 2 extensions at Immigration for THB 1,900 + 2 bus rides to Maesai at about THB 600 + 2 day passes to Myanmar at USD 10 = THB 9,000 + THB 3,800 + THB 1,400 + USD 20 = less than THB 15,000. Not bad for such a long stay.

Download the TM. 7 form for Extension of Stay in the Kingdom here

Tired of queuing up at Immigration? Outsource your visa trouble to us. Want to stay long term in Thailand? Get a 1-year visa with ease.


DISCLAIMER: This information was compiled from several sources and best-practises. Policies, prices and procedures of the Thai authorities change continuously. CM Locator accepts no liability for incorrectness of information here. Help us keep this information as update and useful for visa applicants as possible and& let us know if you find something has changed.


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CM Locator Posted on June 24, 2023 at 04:40:10
@Luke: For those passport holders of those countries which can enter Thailand on a visa-on-arrival, getting 30 days, they can also extend it at Immigration before those 30 days. You don't need to notify any embassy and you don't need any paperwork. Just fill out the form, make copies of your passport pages and pay the fee of THB 1,900 to extend with another 30 days. So total you get 60 days.
Mind you, you cannot arrive in Thailand repeatedly on visa-on-arrival.
Luke Posted on June 23, 2023 at 18:52:13
I'm looking to arrive in bkk on a 30 tourist visa but would like to extend to 60 days. It's this possible to do whilst in bkk immigration or so I need the relevant paperwork before arrival?
Luke Posted on June 23, 2023 at 18:51:13
I'm looking to come on the standard 30 day tourist visa. I have a UK passport
But I'd like to.extend it to 60 days whilst in Thailand.
Do I need to notify the thai embassy in the UK for the 60nday tourist visa before arrival to the thai immigration at bkk airport?
I'm getting conflicting reports
Maybe thanks

Luke
chan Park Posted on March 17, 2021 at 17:54:09
Hello, I am US citizen and want to get in Thailand after Apr 15 2021 after I done 2nd dose vaccinations. please inform that what kind of visa do I need for staying longest time? Hopefully Thai Gov will change quarantine period for people done vaccine shots. Please send me email for updated visa information. Thank you.
Alan Posted on March 05, 2019 at 08:54:39
Good aftrrnoon. I am holding Brunei Permanant Resident passport ICI. Do i need a visa to Thailand as tourist for one week. I am currently staying in China, with my wife sponsor visa of one year. I plan to go Thailand this week Saturday. I need your assistance. Thanks.