Check Thailand Visa Policy for your Country

Visa policy for Thailand

The visa policy of Thailand is formed by the regulations, laws and restrictions for foreign nationals that are planning to travel to Thailand.

On this page, travelers are able to check the visa requirements for their nationality to travel to the Southeast Asian nation. .

Thai visa requirements vary not only depending on the nationality of the visitor, but also on the amount of time the traveler is planning to spend in Thailand and the purpose of the visit.

Currently, the Thailand visa policy allows citizens of around 60 countries across the world to cross Thai borders visa-free for different periods of stay depending on nationality, from 14 days up to 90 days.

An additional 20 nationalities need an eVisa to travel to and gain entry to Thailand for shorts periods of stay for tourism purposes. The Thai electronic visa greatly expedites the application process by eliminating the need to obtain a visa through an embassy or consulate.

However, there are over 160 other nationalities that are required to obtain a visa in person at the nearest Thai embassy or consulate before their intended travel date.

When applying for a consular visa, applicants are requested to select the type of visa they need depending on the purpose of the stay, whether a tourist visa, business visa, transit visa, work visa, or study visa, or other visa option.

Below you will find a full list of Thai travel visa regulations. Check the different boxes to discover the requirements you need to meet to travel to Thailand according to your nationality.

Tourist Visa Policy for Thailand

The Thailand tourist visa policy states that there are a number of nationalities who are able to travel to Thailand for tourism without acquiring a visa for differing short periods depending on nationality.

However, citizens of all territories not included on the Thai visa-exempt country list need to obtain the correct travel documentation to gain entry to Thailand for tourism, which can differ between a tourist electronic visa (eVisa) or an embassy visa.

To obtain the Thai tourist eVisa, applicants can complete a quick and easy online form with personal and passport information to receive an approved electronic visa sent by email.

Once approved, the eVisa for tourism grants the holder a stay of up to 30 days in Thailand.

Those not eligible for the eVisa are required to obtain an embassy visa for tourism from the nearest Thailand diplomatic mission well in advance of their expected date of arrival, it may take several weeks for this visa type to be processed and approved.

Visa-free or eVisa travelers who need to visit the country for purposes other than tourism, are also required to acquire an embassy visa to do so.

See below for a complete explanation of the different visa types and requirements for each nationality to travel to Thailand.

Thailand eVisa

In 2018 the Thailand government implemented an visa program which allow applicants to obtain an electronic visa exclusively online and eliminates the need to travel to an embassy or consulate in person to submit an application, or queue for a visa on arrival.

There are currently over 20 nationalities across the world who need to have an approved eVisa to gain entry to Thailand.

Thailand’s online eVisa grants holders a single entry stay of up to 30 days for tourism purposes. Once approved, the eVisa is valid to enter Thailand for 30 days.

To apply for a Thai eVisa, it is necessary to complete a simple online form with personal, passport, and travel information.

To submit the form, the applicant is also required to upload images of the following:

The passport biographical page
The passport cover page
Airline tickets for both arrival and departure
Proof of accommodation in Thailand

The applicant’s passport needs to valid for at least 30 days from the expected arrival date in Thailand and contain a minimum of one blank page.

Once the eVisa for Thailand approved, it is sent to the applicant through email. Visitors need to print a paper copy of this document as it will be requested upon arrival.

Travelers are recommended to apply at least 5 working days before the intended arrival in Thailand to allow enough processing time to receive the approved online visa.

Eligible citizens who wish to spend more time in Thailand or need to visit the country for other purposes, such as to study or work, need to obtain an embassy visa to do so.

Check the list below to discover the e-Visa-required countries for Thailand.

Bhutan
Bulgaria
China
Ethiopia
Fiji
Georgia
India
Kazakhstan
Malta
Mexico
Nauru
Papua New Guinea
Republic of Cyprus
Romania
Saudi Arabia
Taiwan
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu

Thailand eVisa Info

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Thai eVisa Ports of Entry

Holders of an approved Thai electronic visa are able to enter Thailand by air at select ports of entry in the country.

Travelers are able to use a printed copy of their Thai eVisa to gain entry at any of the following International Airports in Thailand:

Don Mueang (DMK)
Suvarnabhumi (BKK)
Phuket (HKT)
Chiang Mai (CNX)

An online visa for Thailand is not valid for entry by sea or via land border checkpoints. Nationalities eligible for the eVisa will be required to apply for one of the other Thai visa types to gain entry for tourism via sea or land.

Embassy or Consular Visa Required

The visa policy of Thailand establishes that over 160 nationalities are required to apply or an embassy or consular visa to travel to the country, regardless of the purpose of visit or the intended length of stay.

In order to obtain this type of Thai visa, applicants need to contact the nearest government diplomatic office of Thailand and make a visa appointment.

Applicants are recommended to do this well in advance of the expected arrival date in Thailand to allow sufficient processing time to receive a correctly approved embassy visa.

Travelers are usually required to print and fill in an embassy visa application form to bring to the appointment, and select the type of visa they need, whether for tourism, business, transit, or study. If the traveler’s purpose is to work in Thailand, they will need to apply for a work permit.

Additional supporting documentation will also be requested, which varies depending on the visa option selected.

Once approved, the validity and period of stay permitted with a Thai consulate visa will depend on the purpose of the travel.

Browse the list below to discover if you need to obtain an embassy visa to travel to Thailand.

Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Armenia
Aruba
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bolivia
Bonaire
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Christmas Island
Cocos Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Curacao
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Federated States of Micronesia
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Iran
Iraq
Isle of Man
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Jersey
Jordan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kyrgyzstan
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Moldova
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Nepal
New Caledonia
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
Northern Mariana Islands
Pakistan
Palau
Palestinian Territory
Panama
Paraguay
Pitcairn Islands
Puerto Rico
Reunion
Rwanda
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Swaziland
Syrian Arab Republic
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Timor Leste
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
United States Virgin Islands
Uruguay
Vatican City
Venezuela
Wallis and Futuna
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

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Visa Not Required

Thailand visa regulations determine that there are some nationalities that do not need a Thai visa, whether an electronic visa or embassy visa, to gain entry to the country.

At the moment, there are under 60 countries whose citizens are not required to obtain any type of visa to travel to Thailand.

Thai visa law establishes that these passport holders can spend between 14 to 90 days in the country visa-free, depending on nationality, if they are planning to visit Thailand for tourism purposes.

The visa policy of Thailand also states that the majority of foreign citizens do not need a Thai transit visa to pass through the country to an onward destination under certain conditions.

Those transiting for less than 12 hours through either Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) and Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) do not need a visa, if traveling with certain airline companies.

Travelers on the Thai visa-exempt country list who wish to stay for a period longer than that allowed visa-free for their nationality are required to apply for an embassy visa from the nearest diplomatic mission of Thailand.

See below all the nationalities who are exempt of applying for a visa to visit Thailand.