Tourist Visa Exemption

Information about who will be granted "permission to stay" in Thailand...

Passport holders from some countries are granted a "permission to stay" stamp in their passport on arrival at an international airport, under the "tourist visa exemption" rule for tourism purposes only. They are granted "permission to stay" for no longer than 30 days and must have a confirmed flight ticket for departure within that time. If arriving by land, "permission to stay" is granted for not longer than 15 days except for Malaysian nationals who will be granted a "permission to stay" for not longer than 30 days. After entry into Thailand, and at the immigration officer's discretion, it is sometimes possible to get a seven day "extension of stay".

Visitors under the tourist visa exemption rule may stay for longer than 90 days in any six-month period.

 

Visa on arrival

Passport holders from a further 19 countries are granted a visa on arrival which is valid for only 15 days. They are granted "permission to stay" for not longer than 15 days and must have a confirmed flight ticket for departure within that time.

Further information from;

· Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

· Tourism Thailand

· Thai Embassy

Tourist Visas

For longer stays it is possible to apply for a tourist visa from a Thai Embassy or Consulate overseas. This allows a 60 day visit for tourism only, with a possible 30-day "extension of stay". The tourist visa will have a three or six month validity during which time it is possible for the holder to enter Thailand and get a 60 day "permission to stay" stamp. A multiple-entry visa which allows 3 entries of 60 days each, is also available.

Foreigners residing in Thailand must already report to immigration every 90 days, an order known as TM47.

Further information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Those wishing to extend their visa for a further 30 days must contact the Immigration Bureau. The visa must not have expired.

For the contact and location details of Immigration Offices in Bangkok

 

TM30

Changes to Thailand’s Immigration Act in March 2019 mean there is now a clause requiring all foreigners to let the authorities know where they are staying at all times. This must be done by completing and submitting the TM30 form. The form is aimed to assist authorities in keeping track of foreigners (tourists and expats) whilst in Thailand.

The TM30 form must be completed by the owner of landlord to report the stay of guests within 24 hours of their arrival. Failure to do this will result in a fine. Hotels will automatically do this part of procedure.

TM30 registration can be done online. Users need to create a username and password to log on to the system for the first time.

The Immigration Act also required foreigners who visit another province for more than 24 hours to report to a police station despite having submitting the TM30 form.

For more information visit the Immigration Bureau website