Regulations covering the issuance of Thai visas are found in Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) section 5, 12 (1), 34 (15). Essentially, although every visitor to Thailand requires a valid passport, whether you need a visa to enter Thailand is dependent on the period of time you are expecting to stay in the kingdom and your nationality.
Visitors from a number of countries must obtain their visas before entering Thailand. Other visitors will be issued with a visa on arrival at an international airport, a border crossing, or an immigration checkpoint.
A limited number of countries have agreements with Thailand that enable their citizens to enter Thailand without a visa. Visas are issued either by consulates and embassies outside Thailand, or the Immigration Bureau of the Royal Thai Police within Thailand.
30-day visits:
Most visitors are able to stay in Thailand for up to 30 days without the need of a visa. This includes the citizens of the following countries:
Australia : Commonwealth of Australia
Austria : Republic of Austria
Belgium : Kingdom of Belgium
Brazil : Federative Republic of Brazil (visit of not exceeding 90 days permitted)
Bahrain : State of Bahrain
Brunei Darussalam : Negara Brunei Darussalam
Canada
Denmark : Kingdom of Denmark
Finland : Republic of Finland
France : French Republic
Germany : Federal Republic of Germany
Greece : Hellenic Republic
Hong Kong : Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Iceland : Republic of Iceland
Indonesia : Republic of Indonesia
Ireland : Republic of Ireland
Israel : State of Israel
Italy : Republic of Italy
Japan
Korea : Republic of Korea (visit of not exceeding 90 days permitted)
Kuwait : State of Kuwait
Luxembourg : Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Malaysia
Monaco : Principality of Monaco
Netherlands : Kingdom of the Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway : Kingdom of Norway
Oman : Sultanate of Oman
Peru : Republic of Peru (visit of not exceeding 90 days permitted)
Philippines : Republic of the Philippines
Portugal : Republic of Portugal
Qatar : State of Qatar
Singapore : Republic of Singapore
Spain : Kingdom of Spain
South Africa : Republic of South Africa
Sweden : Kingdom of Sweden
Switzerland : Swiss Confederation
Turkey : Republic of Turkey
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom : United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United States of America
Vietnam : Socialist Republic of Vietnam
60-day visits:
If you want to stay longer for a longer period you can obtain a two-month tourist visa from the Thai consulate or embassy in your country. However, if you are in Thailand and wish to extend your stay this can be done by obtaining a one-month extension from an immigration office (cost: 1,900 Baht).
Visits longer than 60 days:
People wishing to stay in Thailand longer than two months require a ‘Non-Immigrant Visa’ – this is not a tourist visa and a person must meet certain requirements before being granted one (e.g. having family members in Thailand, etc.). A ‘Non-Immigrant Visa’ is issued for three months and can be extended to one year under certain circumstances.
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