Visa policy of Thailand

Visitors to Thailand must obtain an e-Visa unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries or citizens who may obtain a visa on arrival.
In May 2014, there was a brief crackdown on visa runs during 2014 Thai coup d'état, meaning that if foreigners wish to re-enter Thailand after their visa-free or visa on arrival period has expired they have to obtain a visa in advance, or remain outside Thailand at least for one night.
In August 2014, Thailand Prime Minister ordered the Immigration Police to be more flexible as the strict application of the law was affecting schools and the tourist industry.
On 31 October 2018 it was announced that within 30 days (by the end of November 2018), overstay visas will no longer be allowed, and there will be no remaining overstayers in the kingdom by that date.
Citizens of the following countries and territories may enter Thailand for business and tourist purposes without a visa for the following period:
A - May apply to extend their stay for an additional 30 days. B(xx) - Thailand has bilateral visa exemption agreements with countries with this mark for stays of xx days. For some countries where the length of stay in the agreement was only 14 or 30 days, if those countries are also in the 60 days visa waiver list, the length of stay will be lengthened to 60 days. For some countries where the length of stay in the agreement is 90 days, if those countries are also in the 60 days visa waiver list, the length of stay will be granted to 90 days as in the agreement. C - Thailand has bilateral visa exemption agreements with countries with this mark for stays of 30 days, limited to a cumulative maximum stay of 90 days within any 180 days. # - For ASEAN nationals, Thailand has bilateral visa exemption agreements with Laos and Vietnam for stays of 30 days, as well as Cambodia for stays of 14 days. 1 - For Chinese citizens with People's Republic of China passports, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports or Macao Special Administrative Region passports only. 2 - For air arrivals only.
According to government plans as of April 2024, the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system is expected to launch in a pilot phase by December 2024, with full deployment anticipated by June 2025. The ETA will be required for all visa-exempt travelers entering Thailand, regardless of their mode of entry (air, sea, or land). Applications will be submitted through the existing electronic visa portal and each entry into Thailand will require a separate ETA application, which is planned to be free of charge. It will enable holders to use automated gates at immigration checkpoints by scanning a QR code provided with their authorization. The ETA will not required by certain categories of travelers including holders of diplomatic passports, official passports, UN Laissez-Passer, and Border Pass users.
Holders of passports issued by the following countries who possess an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) containing "THA" on the back of the card may enter Thailand without a visa for business trips for up to 90 days.
ABTCs are issued to citizens of:
Holders of diplomatic, official or service passports issued by the following countries and territories are allowed to visit Thailand without a visa for a maximum period of up to 90 days (unless otherwise noted):
D - Diplomatic passports only. 1 - 30 days
Visa exemption agreements were signed with Lithuania in June 2024 and Kyrgyzstan in September 2024 and they are yet to be ratified.
Passengers transiting through Suvarnabhumi Airport for less than 12 hours do not require a visa, unless they are travelling on Angkor Air, Beijing Capital Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Eastar Jet, Golden Myanmar Airlines, IndiGo, Intira Airlines, Jeju Air, Jet Asia Airways, Jetstar Asia Airways, Jetstar Pacific, Jin Air, Juneyao Airlines, Lao Central Airlines, Tigerair Mandala, Norwegian Air, Orient Thai Airlines, Regent Airways, Shandong Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, South East Asian Airlines, SpiceJet, Spring Airlines, T'way Airlines, Thai Smile, Tigerair or VietJet Air.
Those transiting through Don Mueang International Airport for less than 12 hours do not require a visa only when travelling on Thai AirAsia or Thai AirAsia X.
Citizens of Pakistan are required to obtain a visa when transiting through Thailand at all times.
Besides traditional visa on arrival policy, from 21 November 2018 Thailand started issuing tourist visas valid for 15 days in a simplified procedure to visitors from the countries whose citizens are eligible for visa on arrival. It costs 2,000 THB.
The e-Visa application also became available from February 2019 in some of the consulates of Thailand abroad.
Thailand fully adopts e-Visa from 1 January 2025, making the visa application process simpler, faster and more accessible for foreign travelers.
A - Although these countries are visa-exempt in general, their citizens may still have to apply for a visa on arrival if they are not allowed to enter without visa due to personal reasons (e.g. excessive stay or holding inappropriate travel documents).
There are 48 immigration checkpoints providing visa on arrival, including:
Citizens of the following countries or citizens arriving from the following countries require an International Certificate of Vaccination in order to enter Thailand, unless they produce evidence that they do not reside in the following areas.
Failure to fulfill this requirement could result in refusal of entry into Thailand.
Most visitors arriving in Thailand on short term basis were from the following countries of nationality:
To legally work in Thailand, a foreigner must apply for a work permit. Work permit is a legal document that states a foreigner's position, current occupation, or job description and the Thai company he is working with. It also serves as a license to perform a job or an occupation allowed for foreigners inside Thailand.
A foreigner is eligible to apply for a work permit as long as he has a non-immigrant visa or a resident visa, has an available employer who will provide documents for work permit, and the occupation he will perform is not prohibited to foreigners.
The One Stop Service Centre for Visas and Work Permits was established on 1 July 1997 by authority of the Regulations of the Office of Prime Minister promulgated on 30 June 1997.
The objective of this centre is to simplify visa extension and permit issuance procedures to create a good investment environment. It aims to facilitate applications of visa extension and work permits (e.g., stay permission, re-entry permit, work permit).
The Center is located on Chamchuree Square Building, Floor 18, Phatumwan, Bangkok.