DOSSIER VISA THAILAND – introduction with 18 questions and overview of the most used visas

Questions about Thai visas regularly pop up on Thailandblog. Ronny Mergits (alias RonnyLatPhrao) thought this was a good reason to compile a file about it, and was helped by Martin Brands (alias MACB).

Below is the introduction of the dossier; the full version of the file deals with the details. This information is intended, on the one hand, for Dutch and Belgians who go to Thailand as a holidaymaker and stay there for a relatively short time, and, on the other hand, for pensioners or married Thais, who intend to stay longer. Visas for study, internships, voluntary work, and work in general are poorly treated. Given the often specific requirements, we advise you to contact the Thai embassy or consulate.

Eighteen frequently asked questions are briefly answered. This is followed by an overview of the most important visa types and main conditions for you; at a glance you will find a visa that is suitable for you.

Not relevant to most of you, but for the sake of completeness we report that we also pay little or no attention to the visa problems of 'digital nomads' and comparable groups of people who almost continuously ('back-to-back') have a visa extension or similar need. These groups know what this means. For them, www.thaivisa.com is a good website with lots of tips.

To apply for a Thai visa, you must go to a Thai embassy or consulate. To extend your visa (and other matters; it will be explained later) you must go to an Immigration office in Thailand. Although there are official laws, rules and regulations, it unfortunately often happens that a consular post or Immigration office uses its own interpretation, which means that additional material can be requested from you. Each officer also has the right to impose additional requirements if they deem it necessary.

Always keep in mind that the official who helps you may not (yet) be fully aware of all the rules. This can have dire consequences, and there is often little you can do about it. At large offices (such as in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai) people are more experienced than at provincial offices where English is often a very big problem. Be kind and respectful, because these are always important conditions for success.
Because this dossier is also posted on the website of the Dutch Association Thailand – Pattaya, it also contains some material that is specifically applicable in Pattaya; this is then explicitly stated.

Caution: This introduction is based on existing regulations. Thailandblog or NVTP accept no responsibility if this is deviated from in practice.

The full version of the downloadable Dossier Visa Thailand includes this introduction plus a detailed appendix. Click here for the full file. The dossier contains the following additional chapters:

Visa rules by main subject

• General, including period of validity and length of stay, working in Thailand
• Visa details
• Visa types and categories
• Costs per type of visa (July 2014)
• Applying for a visa, especially in the Netherlands and Belgium
• Issuance conditions per visa type
• Activate and extend a visa
• Visarun or a same-day return flight
• 'Annual Visa' 50 year olds and older or married to a Thai
• Basic documents, statements, certifications and legalizations
• Whereabouts notification, 90-day notification, re-entry, overstay
• Important: What should you pay particular attention to?
• Mandatory whereabouts notification and 90-day notification
• Mandatory re-entry permit
• Overstay is never allowed
• Other information
  • Arrival & Departure, Suvarnabhumi airport
  • Useful links
  • English texts of the requirements for 'Retirement Visa' and 'Thai Women Visa'

Read the full file as a PDF here

EIGHTEEN FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT VISA FOR THAILAND

The answers below provide a short answer to frequently asked questions from travelers who want to visit Thailand as a tourist or who want to stay in Thailand for a longer period of time. Short stays for tourist reasons can be done easily, and for just about everyone. Long stay, without complicated procedures, is actually only possible for those who are 50 or older, or who are married to a Thai, and provided they meet the applicable requirements. For almost all other foreigners, the length of stay in Thailand is in fact limited by definition (only the very expensive 'Elite Card' offers a solution, see visa/thailand-elite-membership/)

1 Do I need a visa for Thailand?
Yes. Thailand is a country where a visa is required for Dutch and Belgian citizens. But there is an exception to the visa requirement. Thailand has an agreement with certain countries whereby passport holders of those countries are exempt from the standard visa requirement (Visa Exemption) if they meet certain conditions. This agreement allows Dutch and Belgians who enter Thailand by plane for tourist reasons to stay in Thailand for an uninterrupted period of 30 days. If you enter by land, eg by train/bus/car, then that is 15 days.

This period can be extended once at Immigration by 30 days without leaving Thailand (cost 1900 Baht). Another possibility is to obtain a new Visa Exemption period by leaving Thailand; this can only be done once. If you have a Tourist, Transit, or Non-Immigrant Visa, you will be subject to the renewal rules that apply to those visa types.

Note: Someone who intends to stay in Thailand continuously for more than 30 days is actually still required to purchase a visa before traveling to Thailand.

2 I entered Thailand without a visa. Is the stamp I get at immigration a 'Visa on Arrival'?
No, the stamp in your passport upon entry is an Arrival stamp; everyone gets such a stamp. A Visa on Arrival is a visa type for passport holders of certain countries; The Netherlands and Belgium are not part of this, and we are therefore never eligible.

3 Where can I apply for a visa?
You do not need a visa for a short tourist stay; see question 1. For a longer stay, there is the Tourist Visa and, in limited cases, a Non-Immigrant Visa. These visas must be applied for at a Thai embassy or consulate = you must be outside Thailand. It is best to do that in your country of residence; usually that will be the Netherlands or Belgium. Success in other countries (eg in South-East Asia) is not always guaranteed in advance.

4 Do children also have to apply for a visa?
Yes, the same applies to children as to adults. If she
have their own passport, they must have their own visa. If they are in the parents' passport, the visa will be included therein. Children pay the same as adults.

5 Can I take a single flight to Thailand without a visa?
Yes, in principle yes, but an airline is responsible for the persons it transports to a country, and therefore has the duty & the right to check whether you comply with the visa requirement. Without a visa (= you use the Visa Exemption scheme) you can ask for proof that you will leave Thailand within 30 days, eg with another flight; see question 1. When buying a one-way ticket, ask what requirements will be set for you.

6 What is the validity period of a visa and what is the length of stay?
Period of validity and length of stay are often confused. However, there are two things that you should keep clearly separate:

a) The validity period of the visa is the period within which the use of the visa must start, including prepaid additional entries. This period is stated as an end date on the visa under Enter before…. For example, the validity period is 3 or 6 months or longer; this depends on the type of visa, and is completed by the Thai embassy or consulate. The end date is calculated in the Netherlands from the date of application, and in Belgium from the date of issuing the visa. Therefore, do not apply for the visa too early, because then the validity period will be as long as possible. Beware: if your visa type allows multiple entries, you must start the last entry before the Enter before ... end date!
b) The length of stay is the period that you are allowed to stay in Thailand after entering. The end date of the length of stay is entered by the Immigration Officer in the arrival stamp. This date depends on the type of visa and the maximum allowed period of consecutive stay for that type of visa. Make sure that the official enters the correct end date on the stamp! Whatever happens, never exceed this date.

7 I want to go to Thailand for tourist reasons and for longer than 30 days. Which visa do I need?
That's what the Tourist Visa is for. With a single entry (= 1 entry) you can stay in Thailand for 60 days; the visa is valid for 3 months. With a double entry you can stay in Thailand for 2 x 60 days, and with a triple entry this is 3 x 60 days; in both cases the visa is valid for 6 months. When applying for a double or triple entry, you must submit a travel plan in the Netherlands (not yet in Belgium). You must activate the 2nd and 3rd entry by crossing the border and entering Thailand again, for example with a visa run or a same-day-return flight.

Each entry (1, 2 or 3) can also be extended by 1900 days at Immigration in Thailand for 30 Baht. You can therefore theoretically extend your stay in Thailand with 3 requested entries to 3 x (60 + 30) = a maximum of 270 days. In that case, you must pay close attention to the period of validity of the visa (question 6-a). If this ends, you can no longer activate entry, because you must do so before the validity period expires!

8 I also want to go to Laos or Cambodia during my stay. Which visas do I need?
A visa is required for both countries, which can be obtained in the Netherlands or Belgium, in Bangkok, at the border (not always possible at national border posts), or at the airport of arrival. There is also a combined visa for Thailand and Cambodia.

Be careful when you leave Thailand: If you have a Tourist Visa single entry or a Non-Immigrant Visa O single entry, this has already been used on your first entry into Thailand. The length of stay you received then ends as soon as you leave the country = the remaining days cannot be taken with you to a subsequent entry (however, see Tip)! Upon a new entry you will then receive a Visa Exemption of 30 or 15 days (see question 1 and chapter 8). If you have a multi-entry Tourist Visa or a Non-Immigrant Visa O multiple entry (or OA), you will get a new length of stay of 60 or 90 days, or even 1 year (OA) respectively, regardless of how you re-enter Thailand (can be done by bus, plane, etc.).

Tip: You can keep the end date of your Tourist or Non-Immigrant entry by applying for a re-entry permit before you leave Thailand. Of course, this only pays off if there are still quite a few days left of your Tourist or Non-Immigrant entry. When you return to Thailand, you will then receive the same end date as the length of stay that you originally obtained upon your earlier entry. A (single) re-entry permit costs 1000 Baht.

9 What if I want to stay in Thailand for a longer period of time and my purpose is not a tourist destination?
If you meet the requirements, then a series of Non-Immigrant Visas are required, for example Non-Immigrant Visa B if you want to work or do business, Non-Immigrant Visa ED for study, and Non-Immigrant Visa O or OA to include family visit or at 'retirement' (50 or older). You can request a category that is in line with the purpose of your visit. You must of course meet the requirements that apply to a specific visa.

10 I just want to enjoy life and therefore want to stay in Thailand for a longer period of time. What kind of visa do I need?
If you are 50 or older, or have family in Thailand, apply for a Non-Immigrant Visa O. In the Netherlands, you must demonstrate monthly income of € 600 per person, or € 1200 in total if the spouse traveling with you has no income. The amounts are not clear for Belgium, but count on an amount that is close to € 1500/65000 Baht.

This visa is available as a single entry = stay up to 90 days, or multiple entry = stay up to 15 months, but within every 90 days you have to leave Thailand for a short or long visit to another country, for example with a visa run or a same-day-return flight (see question 7) to activate a new stay period of 90 days. Also possible at 50 or older is a Non-Immigrant Visa OA; there are higher requirements (Chapter 6-C). With OA you don't have to leave the country; report to Immigration every 90 days (question 14).

If you are younger than 50 and are not married to a Thai ('cohabitation' does not count), then only a Tourist Visa is possible for a longer tourist stay; see question 7 for this.

11 Can I stay in Thailand longer than 90 days or 1 year?
Yes, this is possible on the basis of age (50 or older), or (see question 12) on the basis of marriage to a Thai. As a basis you must have a Non-Immigrant Visa O or OA. If you have a Tourist Visa, it can be converted into a Non-Immigrant Visa O for 2000 Baht. If you can also meet the further requirements, you can extend your stay at Immigration each year by a maximum of 1 year.

An age-based annual extension is also known as a 'Retirement Visa'; cost 1900 Baht. A main requirement is that you must have a monthly income of at least 65.000 Baht, or a Thai bank account with 800.000 Baht, or a combination of both. With this extension, you never have to leave Thailand, but you must report to Immigration every 90 days (see question 14).

12 I am married to a Thai. Can I stay in Thailand for a long time on that basis?
Yes, you are also eligible for a 1-year extension of your Non-Immigrant Visa O or OA; this can be done every year as long as you meet the requirements. This is also called a 'Thai Women Visa'. Here too, the extension is possible with a Tourist Visa, which is then first converted at Immigration into a Non-Immigrant Visa O (2000 Baht).

You must have monthly income of at least 40.000 Baht, or a bank account with an amount of 400.000 Baht. There are the necessary additional requirements; see chapter 9. Again: with this extension you never have to leave Thailand, but you do have to report to Immigration every 90 days (see question 14). Cost 1900 Baht.

13 I have been granted a 1-year extension for my 'Retirement Visa' or 'Thai Women Visa', but I want to leave Thailand occasionally. Will this affect my renewal?
Yes, anyone who has received a year extension (see questions 11 & 12) must always have a re-entry permit before leaving Thailand. This can be a single re-entry (for 1 return), or a multiple re-entry (unlimited). Beware: Without a re-entry permit, your annual extension will expire and you will have to start everything all over again!

14 What is meant by the 90-day reporting obligation?
Every foreigner who stays in Thailand for 90 consecutive days must report to Immigration. This must then be repeated every 90 subsequent days as long as Thailand is not left. Like almost anywhere else in the world, the Thai government wants to know where you reside as a foreigner; there are fines. For Non-Immigrant O 'year visas': when you leave Thailand, the 90-day count ends; this starts again upon entry; your arrival = day 1.

15 Why can't I stay in Thailand for longer than 90 days?
This applies to Non-Immigrant Visas (except type OA) and Tourist Visas with an extension (= 60 + 30 days). It is an old rule that only costs you money (because you have to leave the country for a while, but you can return immediately) and also gives Immigration extra work. We would not be surprised if this is eventually replaced by a 90-day notification at Immigration (see question 14), but we are not there yet, so you really have to leave the country every 90 days!

Tip: If you have a Non-Immigrant Visa multiple entry, some Immigration offices will give you another 90-day period without you having to leave the country! This is not entirely in accordance with the rules, but it is legal. It is therefore worth asking about this possibility at your Immigration office.

16 Can I exceed the official length of my stay?
No, never = never! An overstay (as it is called) of your length of stay is prohibited in Thailand, no matter what you are told. You are breaking Thai law, because you are illegal in Thailand and can be fined up to 20.000 Baht and/or imprisoned for up to 2 years.
If you exceed 90 days or more, you may be denied entry to Thailand for at least 1 year; see chapter 14. Whatever you do, never exceed the allowed length of stay!

However, if you have to exceed the date of stay due to illness, strike, or any other good reason, please contact Immigration as soon as possible. You have nothing to fear in case of force majeure. By notifying Immigration in a timely manner, you are making known your good intentions, and you will be treated as such.

17 Can I work in Thailand?
Yes, but you must first have a visa that allows you to work, and just as importantly, you must also obtain a work permit afterwards; your employer will help you with this. In any case, never start working without a work permit, even if you have a visa that allows you to work!
Digital Nomads (= those who work in Thailand via the internet) can do that, provided it is not work for a Thai company/institution/person, or is paid by them. Of course they must always have a valid visa, including all the requirements attached to it; back-to-back Tourist Visas are not possible.

18 Do I have to carry my passport with me at all times?
No, but we recommend that you at least carry a copy of the passport pages with your photo and the latest stamp showing the length of stay allowed. This saves you a lot of walking during a possible check, because then you may be required to show the passport (later); that's nothing special. A Thai driver's license is also good.

What is the best visa for you?

The best option for you depends on the destination and your personal circumstances & wishes:

• The Visa Exemption scheme is suitable for a short period (30 days). This period can be extended once by 30 days without leaving Thailand. By leaving Thailand for a while, you can also obtain a one-time new Visa Exemption period (15 or 30 days; see Section 7-A); we do not recommend this last method if you want to use it to stay in Thailand for longer than 30 days. There is a chance that there will be a note in your passport that may cause problems on subsequent entries.

Advice: If you already know in advance that you will stay in Thailand for more than 30 days without interruption, don't be difficult and apply for a Tourist Visa.

• For a longer stay, use a Tourist Visa (triple = theoretical maximum 270 days) or a Non-Immigrant Visa O (you must be 50 years or older; valid for up to 1 year for multiple entry). A Non-Immigrant Visa OA is also possible, but has higher requirements.

• A Tourist Visa and a Non-Immigrant Visa O can be applied for at any Thai embassy or consulate; the best in your country of residence. In neighboring Thai countries it is not always certain that the application will be granted; the allocation rules for this change regularly ('today yes, not tomorrow'). The Non-Immigrant Visa OA can only be applied for in your country of residence.

• If you want to stay in Thailand for a long time or permanently, and you are 50 years or older, or married to a Thai person, and you can meet further requirements, you can apply for an extension in Thailand on the basis of a Non-Immigrant Visa O or OA. of 1 year, also known as 'Retirement Visa' and 'Thai Women Visa'. Both can then be extended for 1 year each time in Thailand. You then no longer have to leave Thailand. If you do, you will need a re-entry permit in advance.

• Different, strict rules apply to doing business/working (including voluntary work)/studying/internship in Thailand. That is a separate story that is only partly discussed in this document. See chapter 6.

• Whatever you do, make sure your stay in Thailand is always legal. Unauthorized stay (see question 15), or working without a visa that allows work plus a work permit, is never allowed and can have serious consequences!

• There is stricter supervision at all border posts and at airports to ensure that visa rules are used correctly. Don't try to be 'handy' by using rules that you know in advance are 'on the edge'. Sooner or later you could run into some really serious problems with that. Of course, tourists are highly valued, but they must abide by the rules.

Read the full file as a PDF here