If a Western traveler is visiting the Kingdom of Thailand, chances are that a tourist visa will not be needed. However, certain situations such as an extended stay may require an official visa which can only be obtained outside of Thailand.
Tourist Visa Exemptions at Thai Immigration Checkpoints
When entering Thailand, visitors from most Western nations can obtain a passport stamp which grants them entry for 15 or 30 days. A full list of nationalities eligible for a visa exemption is available on the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
If the tourist visa exemption is received at a land or sea checkpoint, a 15-day entry will be awarded. However, when arriving by air, a 30-day entry stamp will usually be given.
The exemption in itself is free. However, Thai Immigration officials may ask tourists applying for entry proof of sufficient financial means. Ten thousand bahts (approximately $300) must then be shown to the official, either in cash or in traveler's cheques.
It is worth noting that a visa exemption is not, in itself, a visa. Therefore, it can only be extended for a very limited amount of time (seven days) and it does not allow its holder to apply for a business visa while in Thailand.
Booking.com Applying for a Tourist Visa at a Thai Royal Embassy
For longer stays or for nationals from countries which are not allowed to receive a visa exemption, obtaining a tourist visa from a Thai embassy is mandatory.
Since it is not possible to apply for tourist visas while in Thailand, tourists wishing to visit the country should apply for one at a Thai embassy in their home country. It is, of course, also possible to get such a visa in any country which has a Thai embassy on its soil. However, visitors should be aware that some embassies in the South-East Asia region tend to be very strict when it comes to issuing visas. Thai embassies in Penang, Malaysia or Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for example, have a tendency to refuse issuing tourist visas to visitors who do not meet a strict list of requirements.
However, applying to a Thai embassy in the West is usually fast and pretty straight-forward. Consulates usually issue the visa immediately while embassies do so withing the next two business days.
Minimal paperwork is required. Travelers interested in applying for a tourist visa should contact their nearest Thai embassy in order to get a list of the required documents. In most embassies, a copy of the passport along with a completed application form and a few passport photos are all that is needed for a tourist visa application.
In order to promote foreign tourism in Thailand, tourist visas are free until March 2011. Booking.com
Tourist Visa Exemptions at Thai Immigration Checkpoints
When entering Thailand, visitors from most Western nations can obtain a passport stamp which grants them entry for 15 or 30 days. A full list of nationalities eligible for a visa exemption is available on the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
If the tourist visa exemption is received at a land or sea checkpoint, a 15-day entry will be awarded. However, when arriving by air, a 30-day entry stamp will usually be given.
The exemption in itself is free. However, Thai Immigration officials may ask tourists applying for entry proof of sufficient financial means. Ten thousand bahts (approximately $300) must then be shown to the official, either in cash or in traveler's cheques.
It is worth noting that a visa exemption is not, in itself, a visa. Therefore, it can only be extended for a very limited amount of time (seven days) and it does not allow its holder to apply for a business visa while in Thailand.
Booking.com Applying for a Tourist Visa at a Thai Royal Embassy
For longer stays or for nationals from countries which are not allowed to receive a visa exemption, obtaining a tourist visa from a Thai embassy is mandatory.
Since it is not possible to apply for tourist visas while in Thailand, tourists wishing to visit the country should apply for one at a Thai embassy in their home country. It is, of course, also possible to get such a visa in any country which has a Thai embassy on its soil. However, visitors should be aware that some embassies in the South-East Asia region tend to be very strict when it comes to issuing visas. Thai embassies in Penang, Malaysia or Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for example, have a tendency to refuse issuing tourist visas to visitors who do not meet a strict list of requirements.
However, applying to a Thai embassy in the West is usually fast and pretty straight-forward. Consulates usually issue the visa immediately while embassies do so withing the next two business days.
Minimal paperwork is required. Travelers interested in applying for a tourist visa should contact their nearest Thai embassy in order to get a list of the required documents. In most embassies, a copy of the passport along with a completed application form and a few passport photos are all that is needed for a tourist visa application.
In order to promote foreign tourism in Thailand, tourist visas are free until March 2011. Booking.com