Visa on arrival – Obtaining a visa upon entry into Thailand

The visa on arrival allows passport holders from 19* countries to enter Thailand under this scheme, provided they meet the following requirements:

  • The visit is solely for tourist purposes.
  • You need a confirmed return ticket to prove that you will leave Thailand within 30 or 15 days of arrival. Open tickets are not accepted. Overland travel from Thailand by train, bus, etc., to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia (including en route to Singapore), Myanmar, etc., does not count as proof of departure. You may be asked for your flight ticket upon arrival in Thailand. If you cannot present a flight ticket proving your departure within 30 or 15 days of arrival, you will most likely be denied entry.
  • You must also prove that you have sufficient funds of at least 20,000 THB per person during your stay in Thailand. A fee of 1,900 THB is payable upon arrival; this fee is subject to change without notice.

    • However, persons who are not eligible to enter Thailand under the "Visa on Arrival" and "Visa Exemption" schemes are advised to apply for a visa at the Royal Thai Embassy before their trip.

    *19 countries that are eligible to enter Thailand under the "Visa on Arrival" scheme:

    Bhutan, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Maldives, Mauritius, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Taiwan, Ukraine

    Visa exemption – Passport holders who can enter Thailand without a visa.

    The visa exemption scheme allows tourists from 48* countries to enter Thailand without a visa. They are granted a stay of up to 30 days, but only if they enter via an international airport.

    However, persons entering via a land border crossing from neighboring countries will be granted a stay of a maximum of 15 days.

    Under the new provisions of the visa exemption scheme, which came into force on December 6, 2008, passport holders from 48* countries are entitled to enter Thailand, provided they meet the following criteria:

  • You need a confirmed return ticket to prove that you will leave Thailand within 30 or 15 days of arrival. Open tickets are not accepted. Overland travel from Thailand by train, bus, etc., to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia (including en route to Singapore), Myanmar, etc., does not count as proof of departure. You may be asked for your flight ticket upon arrival in Thailand. If you cannot present a flight ticket proving your departure within 30 or 15 days of arrival, you will most likely be denied entry.
  • Furthermore, you must prove that you have financial resources of at least 20,000 THB per person during your stay in Thailand.

    • A fee may be charged to persons entering Thailand under the visa exemption scheme.

    Individuals traveling with a British travel document, a British identity certificate, or a British overseas passport cannot enter Thailand, regardless of their nationality. They are subject to visa regulations based on their nationality.

    *48 countries are permitted to enter Thailand under the visa exemption scheme:

    Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Monaco, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam

    Are you moving to Thailand? Watch this video.