Do I Need a Visa for Travel to Thailand?
Visa Exemptions:
If you meet all of the following criteria, then you do not need to apply in advance for a visa.
a) You are a passport holder from one of the 46 countries listed below.*
b) The purpose of your visit is strictly tourism.
c) You are in possession of a confirmed flight ticket (an e-ticket is acceptable) to show that you will be exiting Thailand within 30 days of entry.
Please note;
- Open tickets do not qualify.
- Travelling overland out of Thailand to check-in for a flight from a neighbouring country (Malaysia, Singapore etc.) does not qualify.
(In these instances you will need to apply for a visa from a Thai Embassy/Consulate in your home country prior to departure.)
d) You should have access to living expenses of 20,000 Baht (approx £300/$600) per person or 40,000 Baht (£600/$1200) per family. It may be necessary to prove this on entry to Thailand.
If you meet all the criteria above, you will be granted a visa exemption (sometimes known as permission to stay). This is very often (wrongly) referred to by travellers as a visa on arrival. There is no charge for this and on arrival in Thailand you will be granted a 30-day stamp. If you don’t meet all of the criteria, you are advised to contact your nearest Thai embassy or consulate and apply for the appropriate visa before you travel.
Under the visa exemption rule, passport holders from 46 countries (including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States and most European countries), are entitled to enter Thailand for a maximum period of 90 days in any 6 month period. If you are going to exceed this period you will need a visa issued by a Thai embassy/consulate outside of Thailand.
*List of 46 countries;
Argentina, Australia, Austria
Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei
Canada, Chile
Denmark
Finland, France
Germany, Greece
Hong Kong
Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy
Japan
Kuwait
Laos, Luxembourg
Macao, Malaysia
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway
Oman
Peru, Philippines, Portugal
Qatar
Russia
Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Turkey
United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States
Vietnam
(If your country is not listed, check with your nearest Thai embassy or consulate. Some countries have special arrangements with Thailand entitling their nationals to stay for up to 15 days under the separate scheme known as ‘Visa on Arrival’.)
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