TB Immigration Info Brief 054/22: Visa Exemption – General
Reporter: RonnyLatYa
Summarized again. For tourist reasons, Dutch and Belgians can stay in Thailand for a period on the basis of “Visa Exemption”, ie a visa exemption. You do not need a visa then. You don't have to apply for it in advance. You get that automatically from immigration at passport control in Thailand. Upon arrival, the Immigration Officer will put an “Arrival” stamp in your passport with the date until when you are allowed to stay in Thailand. This period is therefore called the residence period. And that's all free.
The duration of a “Visa Exemption” is normally 30 days. However, the Thai government has decided to temporarily extend the “Visa Exemption” period. If you enter between October 1, 22 and March 31, 23, you will receive a 45-day “Visa Exemption”. It is the day of entry that counts to get those 45 days, not until when you stay. It therefore does not matter if your period of stay extends beyond 31 March. If you enter on March 31, 23, you will still receive 45 days, if that is April 1, 23, it will be 30 days. Or the Thai government had to decide later to extend the end date from 31 to 23, of course.
Check in with the airline and your visa
If you leave without a visa, an airline may ask whether you have a return or onward flight ticket. This must show that you intend to leave Thailand within 30 days (temporarily then 45 days). They have that right and they may even refuse you access to the plane if you cannot prove it. Usually, however, things will not go that smoothly and a solution will be found. There are also airlines that no longer require this. So inform yourself in time. The problem is often not society itself, but those who perform the check-in and are not always aware of what society prescribes. In case of discussion, it is best to bring in the supervisor of the company who then makes the final decision in accordance with the regulations of the company.
In principle, immigration can also request that ticket proof at passport control, but this is rather rare. Well, if they decide to subject you to a further check, whatever the reason may be
Extend stay period
A stay period obtained with “Visa Exemption” can be extended once at immigration by 30 days. That will cost 1900 Baht. You can apply at any immigration office where you are currently staying in the area. This is not possible at the airport. So you don't have to ask on arrival. You can leave and re-enter Thailand after your initial 30 (45) days or after your extension on a “Visa Exemption” basis. This is also called a “Border Run”. You will then receive another 30 (45) days, which you can then extend once again by 30 days. If you do that "border run" via a border post over land, you can do this a maximum of 2 times per calendar year.
In principle, there are no restrictions if this is done via an airport. But if you do that regularly, in the short term and always back-to-back, you will certainly be allowed to explain what you are actually doing here and why you are not taking a visa. Denying entry does not happen so quickly, but there is the possibility that a note will be placed in your passport that when you next come to Thailand and within a certain period of time you must have a visa. If I follow it on social media, Don Muang is a lot stricter on this than Suvarnabhumi.
Officially, the period of stay that someone may stay in Thailand on “Visa Exemption” is a maximum of 90 days per 6 months. However, I do not think that people apply this so strictly, but it cannot be ruled out of course.
Financial proofs
Someone entering Thailand may also be asked to prove that he/she has sufficient financial means. Sufficient means 10 Baht per person or 000 Baht per family. Rarely asked of the average tourist but possible. By the way, any currency is good. Doesn't have to be in Baht, but people usually want to see cash. You can also read this on the website of the Thai embassy. It pretty much sums up the above.
“You are eligible to travel to Thailand, for tourism purpose, with the exemption of visas and are permitted to stay in the Kingdom for a period of not exceeding 45 days. Therefore, you do not need a visa. However, please make sure that you are in possession of a passport valid for at least 6 months, a round-trip or onward air ticket, and adequate finances equivalent to at least 10,000 Baht per person or 20,000 Baht per family. Otherwise, you may be inconvenienced upon entry into the country.
Furthermore, foreigners who enter the Kingdom under this Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme may re-enter and stay in Thailand for a cumulative duration of stay of not exceeding 90 days within any 6-month period from the date of first entry.”
https://www.thaiembassy.be/visa/?lang=en
You can also read this on the website of the Thai Embassy:
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Thanks for this clear and complete explanation in Dutch Ronny!
This is also understandable for the many Thailand visitors (who do not have a Thai marriage and do not have the opportunity to emigrate), but who still eagerly look forward to their stay in their favorite Thailand every year, like me.
To avoid problems when checking in, you can apparently also use an onward ticket. This is an official flight ticket with which you can prove that you will leave Thailand by plane within 30/45. Once you arrive in Thailand, this ticket will be canceled free of charge. I have no experience with this myself. Only costs 15 USD. You will still have to apply for a Visa exemption or do a border run if you stay in Th for longer than 30/45 days. With a border run to Laos, for example, you pay about 1.500 Baht for a visa and you only need to submit a passport photo and passport and fill in a form (the same as when arriving in Th). If you apply for a 60-day visa in NL, you have to upload and send 8 or 9 data, so a lot of hassle. Are there people who have experience with such an onward ticket and if so can they perhaps give a little more explanation about this.
No experience with this, but here's a useful link: https://onwardticket.com/
Dear Ronnie,
I'm going to Thailand next week for a period of 6 weeks (42 days) and I also want to visit Malaysia by train for a few days (I don't know exactly when yet). Am I reading it right that when I return to Thailand I will get another 45 days instead of 30 visa exemption? Previously, I think it was 15 days over land, but that was a few years ago. I just want to check this just to make sure I don't run into any problems. Thank you in advance for your reply!
Visa Exemption is 1 days instead of 31 days between October 45 and March 30.
15 days is already several years ago. I thought for 2018 or something. There is now no longer any distinction between entry by land or via an airport.
You see it, Ronny, you can explain it as crystal clear as possible or you will get questions about it again…
On the e-visa site (https://thaievisa.go.th/), when completing a stay between 30 and 45 days, a Tourist visa of 60 days is still required. I can imagine this is confusing for some travellers. I think the problem lies in the fact that the site does not ask for the entry date.
Good morning. The ages of my husband and myself are 75 and 70 years... We are going for 79 days and can therefore enter without a visa and you will get the 45, we hope. Then a Borderrun for 45 days and our problem was solved. We are going from December 9 to February 28. They find it so difficult online, that's why. Would that cause a problem? Have no idea otherwise. Can't figure it out online.
Gr. Diny
Of course you are also eligible for those 45 days.
Border run and problem solved. Indeed. If you put it that way.
Have you ever made a border run?
That's not free. You also have to actually enter the other country. Simply leaving Thailand and returning is not enough.
In the case of Laos and Cambodia, you must obtain a visa from those countries. Can be done at the border without any problems. You do not need a visa for Malaysia.
But you also have to go to that limit of course. Depending on where you are, that could be something like half a day if you are in say Nong Khai, but it can also be a completely different story if you have to go from say Hua Hin, Pattaya or Chiang Mai. Especially from Chiang Mai since Myanmar remains closed for the time being.
Those will certainly not be cheap Border runs with 2 people and they will take the necessary time.
Of course, because you still have to make that border run, you can choose to stay in Laos, Cambodia or Malaysia for a few days and travel around there. You're there anyway. You can also fly to another country nearby, of course, and stay there for a few days.
Perhaps this is also an option for you to consider
Why not go 75 days? Actually about 4 days less.
You receive 45 days upon entry and you can easily extend this by 30 days at immigration. Will cost you 1900 Baht for an extension. 4 days less and you're done with all that border run stuff.
Your choice of course.