A long-tail boat in the lagoon at Ko Phi Phi Le, Thailand

Who needs a visa for Thailand?

South-eastern Asia · Bangkok

Photo: Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Of 198 nationalities, 97 enter Thailand with no paperwork at all. The rest: 15 can get a visa at the border and 86 must be approved before they travel.

Government fee
$40
Stay permitted
A single-entry tourist visa is valid for 3 months from issue, and a multiple-entry one for 6 months. Each entry allows a stay of up to 60 days, which can be extended once by 30 days. (Royal Thai Embassy, Washington DC)
Apply on the official Thailand government site

This is the government's own portal. We are not paid to send you there.

Checked 18 October 2026 — read the fees and rules on washingtondc.thaiembassy.org

What Thailand asks for

  • Passport biodata page, with the passport valid for at least 6 months from travel
  • A photo of the applicant taken within the past six months
  • Proof of where you currently live, such as a driver's licence, bank statement or proof of stay
  • Flight itinerary into and out of Thailand
  • Proof of accommodation in Thailand, such as a booking or an invitation letter
  • Bank statements for the last three months

Worth knowing

  • The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) is free. You file it only at tdac.immigration.go.th, within 3 days before you arrive. Any site that asks for payment is not the Immigration Bureau.
  • Every traveller must file the TDAC on each entry, whatever their visa type and even if they are visa-exempt. It is not a visa.
  • Thai e-Visa applications are made and paid for only at thaievisa.go.th. The visa fee is non-refundable, even if the application is refused.
  • Details cannot be changed after you submit. The Abuja embassy says incorrect information, including a typing error, will lead to refusal.

Photo requirements

We have not yet read the photo rules for Thailand on an official page, so we print no sizes. Photo rules we have checked, and official links for the rest

Resize a photo in your browser. It is never uploaded.

How long your passport must be valid for Thailand: see passport validity by country.

What do you need?

Who needs what

Visa free 97

Nothing to apply for and nothing to pay before you travel.

eVisa (electronic visa) 86

A real visa application, made online instead of at an embassy. It is assessed, it takes days rather than minutes, and it can be refused.

Visa on arrival 15

Issued at the border rather than beforehand. Bring the fee in cash in the currency the border post accepts. It is a permission, not a guarantee.

Guides for Thailand

About Thailand

Region
South-Eastern Asia
Capital
Bangkok
Population
71,619,863 2025 · 20th of 197
Size
513,120 km² 50th largest of 199
Density
140 per km²
Language
Thai
Currency
Thai baht THB
Borders
Cambodia Laos Malaysia Myanmar

Capital, area, languages and currency from the open country dataset, pulled 21 September 2026. Population from the World Bank, series updated 13 July 2026. Density is calculated from the two figures above.