Short-stay visas

Tourist and Transit Visas

Short-stay visas

Many foreign citizens require a visa to enter Thailand for a short stay of up to three months. For all types of visa we recommend you consult the Thai embassy in your country of residence to ensure you have the current information.

Tourist Visas

Tourist Visas are issued to applicants who wish to enter Thailand for tourism purposes. A tourist visa is valid for 3 to 6 months and can contain one or multiple entries. Visa fees will be charged on each entry. From the date of arrival in Thailand, travellers will be permitted to stay for a maximum of 30 or 60 days.

For a tourist visa application you will need:

  • Passport or travel document with validity of at least 6 months
  • Visa application form completely filled out
  • Recent (4 x 6 cm) passport photo
  • Evidence of return journey from Thailand (air ticket paid in full)
  • Evidence of adequate funds (10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family)

If your application form is not completely filled out the Thai Embassy may reject your visa and the visa fee will not be returned. The embassy may also request additional documents or ask for an interview.

After collecting your passport and issued visa, check the visa carefully to make sure it is consistent with your application. If there are any doubts, you must clarify them immediately otherwise there will be no chance to change your visa status at the Thai border.

Transit Visa

You can apply for a transit visa if you wish to cross Thailand in order to proceed to another country. Transit visas are valid for 3 months and you will have to pay the visa fee, each time you enter the country. As with everywhere, transit and tourist visa holders are not permitted to work. Nationals of certain countries must apply for a visa only at the Thai Embassy in their residence country.

Check the website of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs  to find out what documentation you require for transit visa applications.

Further reading

Does this article help?

Do you have any comments, updates or questions on this topic? Ask them here: