How to Apply for a Thai Visa

Thailand now reopens. From April 1, 2022, all international travelers don't need to do nucleic acid test before departure as long as you're fully vaccinated.

Nationals of most countries are exempt from needing a tourist visa to enter the Kingdom of Thailand.

For others, there remain two ways of obtaining a Thai visa: Applying for a Visa on Arrival (VOA), which is limited to citizens of certain countries, or applying for a Thai visa in your country of residence.

Quick Facts

• Passport holders from 57 countries are exempt from obtaining a visa to visit Thailand.
• People from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, France, and Russia, among several others, can visit Thailand without needing to acquire a visa beforehand, for a period of up to 30 days in the country.
• People from China, India, Bulgaria, Bhutan, and Romania, among several others, can visit Thailand by acquiring a Visa on Arrival (VOA) for a period of up to 15 days in the country.
• For those travelers not eligible for the visa-exemption or the Visa on Arrival program, a Thai visa will need to be obtained from their country of residence before visiting.

10-Day Classic Thailand Tour First Touch of Thailand

Three weeks encompassing Vietnam A special shoutout to our last guide in Bangkok - Ms. Ka-Noon who spoiled us with her kindness and then got us through check in and security for our flight home in record time at that huge Bangkok airport. More Deby, Feb 2023

Three weeks encompassing Vietnam Three weeks encompassing Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. Albee Ning arranged everything perfectly. Not a flaw in the whole 3 weeks. Guides, flights (7 in total), hotels, private tours…everything was excellent. Travelling on a private tour gave us so much freedom to change our day if we chose to rest or go somewhere else. More Deby, Feb 2023

Three weeks encompassing Vietnam Asia Highlights is the way to go without any question. Next overseas trip will be booked with them for sure. Thank you for a wonderful and stress free vacation experience. More Deby, Feb 2023

Over the last 5 years we've used Asia… Over the last 5 years we've used Asia highlights twice. And both times we've had fantastic vacations. Would not want to do it any different when we travel to Asia from now on. Sharon was fantastic. She was a wonderful agent who helped us nail down our trip and make everything go as smooth as possible. More Todd Atwell, Feb 2023

Family Trip to Thailand Our trip to Thailand comprised three generations of the family , ten people and an age range of 4 to 70 so a potentially difficult brief.Our itinerary over two weeks involved four locations, and a number of different trips and tours.From out arrival at an extremely busy Bangkok airport Asia Highlights were terrific.In each location we were met by a smiling , knowledgeable and professional guide who simply made everything easy and stress free for everyone.Our transportation was clean and comfortable . Transport was always ready for us at the agreed time and the drivers were excellent.There were so many highlights enjoyed by all the age groups. The floating houses , railway market and elephant sanctuary were particular favourites.We had one minor glitch with the accommodation in Phuket which was immediately dealt with by Tip. I think we would have struggled to resolve the problem by ourselves. So, thank you Asia Highlights , Cathy, Tip and tour guides Tanny, Sam and Lisa. It was a memorable holiday and we will be back. More Roger Pyle, Feb 2023

Family Trip to Thailand So, thank you Asia Highlights , Cathy, Tip and tour guides Tanny, Sam and Lisa. It was a memorable holiday and we will be back. More Roger Pyle, Feb 2023

Trip of a lifetime from Asia Highlights! I recommend highly Asia Highlights as a travel company. Our travel consultant Albee took the time to connect with us during the planning process to make sure we were comfortable with our itinerary. When we arrived, we were met by our guide and all the details were attended to. They picked great hotels and tours. I often describe our trip as the trip of a lifetime! Would definitely use them again when we come back to Asia More Nancy Parker, Feb 2023

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Tourist visa exemption scheme (aka visa waiver stamp)

Passport holders from 57 countries, including the citizens of most European countries, Australia, and the U.S., can enter Thailand for up to 30 days without acquiring a visa beforehand.

Passport holders of the following countries/administrative regions may enter Thailand without a visa:

Key Features and Procedure:

• Bring your passport, and do make sure it's valid for at least 6 months.
• If you arrive at an airport, you will be allowed to stay for up to 30 days in Thailand.
• At land borders, citizens of G7 countries (the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan) and Malaysia are allowed to stay for a period of up to 30 days, while all other nationalities are allowed to stay for a period of up to 15 days in Thailand.
• The only document/form you need to fill in is the Thailand Arrival/Departure Card that will be provided to you on the plane or at the border.
• You may also be required to present Proof of Onward Travel either at the time of checking in for your flight to Thailand, or at immigration in Thailand. This is a confirmed air ticket out of Thailand or a return flight home within 30 days of arrival (train or bus tickets out of Thailand do NOT count; it must be a flight out of the country).

Those eligible receive an exemption each time they enter Thailand. If you make a trip outside the country within your 30-day period, your initial exemption is canceled and you receive a new 15 or 30-day exemption when you return.

This means you will receive a new visa-exemption each time you enter Thailand. The exemption is granted at most twice in a calendar year when entering overland or via a sea border, but there is no limit when entering by air.

10-Day Best of Thailand with Koh Samui Bangkok - Chiang Mai - Koh Samui

Two Ways of Obtaining a Visa for Thailand

Passport holders from countries that are not eligible for the visa-exemption scheme may apply for a Thai visa by either obtaining a Visa on Arrival (VOA), or by applying for a Thai visa from their country of residence.

Visa extensions and overstay penalties

Tourist visas, both single and multiple entry, can be extended once for each entry, for a period not exceeding 30 days. Tourists from visa-excempt countries also can get an extension. This requires a filled-in application form and a payment of the extension fee, currently 1900 Thai Baht, to be made at any Immigration Office. This can be done on or before the day the current period of stay expires.

If you exceed the number of days you??re allowed to be in Thailand and overstay, you will be fined 500 Thai Baht per day, with the maximum being 20,000 Thai Baht if you have overstayed for 40 or more days.

In addition, Thailand has introduced a ban on entering its Kingdom for foreigners that give themselves up at immigration, as follows:

• Overstay more than 90 days - Fine and 1 year ban from entering Thailand
• Overstay more than 1 year - Fine and 3 year ban from entering Thailand
• Overstay more than 3 years - Fine and 5 year ban from entering Thailand
• Overstay more than 5 years - 10 year ban from Thailand

13-Day Essence of Thailand Tour:

13-Day Essence of Thailand Tour Far More beyond Temples

Visit Thailand with Asia Highlights

Thailand is a beautiful tropical getaway all year round and you're bound to have a good time whenever you visit. Asia Highlights takes everything, including the weather, into consideration when designing the best possible itinerary for guests.

Tours typically start and end in Bangkok, and last approximately 13 days; visiting Bangkok, Khao Yai National Park, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, and Phuket.