The Thailand expat forum for Travel, Lifestyle and Fun.

Thetyim

Nomenclature for types of visa and permissions to stay for Thailand.

The basic entry/visa types of interest to most readers are listed below. For full information you may want to read the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website

Initially, we will attempt to explain the differences between visas and ‘permission to stay’ stamps. These are often confused.

A visa is fundamentally a document (affixed into the passport) issued to a foreigner by the Thai government allowing said foreigner to travel to the Kingdom and normally be granted permission to stay for a prescribed period. Visas can only be obtained outside of the Kingdom from a Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate (usually). A visa has a validity period which denotes the period within which the visa may be used to apply for entry. The validity period is NOT the length of time you will be permitted to stay in the Kingdom using said visa.

A ‘permission to stay’ stamp is entered into your passport upon arrival into the Kingdom. Whatever visa you hold, you will always receive this stamp. It will include the date of entry and date when you MUST leave the Kingdom or make alternative arrangements. The ‘length of stay’ will be dependent on what type of visa one holds. Once inside the Kingdom, this stamp is sacrilege, your visa is now effectively irrelevant until you re-enter the country.

30 day entry stamp : for the majority of passport holders, this is a 'permission to stay 30 days' stamp only obtained (free of charge) at a port of entry into the Kingdom and is issued without the need for a visa. At the discretion of the immigration officer this may be extended for up to 7-15 days at an immigration office after which time the holder must leave the Kingdom. This is NOT a visa.

3 month validity, single entry tourist visa: pre-obtained at a Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate and will result in the holder obtaining a 60 day 'permission to stay' stamp upon entry. If required, this type of visa may be extended by 30 days at an immigration office, but after that time the holder must leave the country. After one entry, the visa is “used”.

6 month validity, 2 to 4 entry tourist visa: pre-obtained at a Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate and will result in the holder obtaining a 60 day 'permission to stay' stamp upon entry if from a 30 day visa exempt entry country (listed below) or 30 days if not. If required, this type of visa may normally be extended by 30 days at an immigration office, but after that time the holder must leave the country. The holder may then return to the Kingdom and will obtain a second 60 day 'permission to stay' stamp which can also be extended as previous and then the holder must leave. After the stipulated number of entries the visa is “used”.

3 month validity, single entry non-immigrant visa: pre-obtained at a Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate and will result in the holder obtaining a 90 day 'permission to stay' stamp. This visa can be extended up to one year for specific reasons and with the required documentation (see 12 month extensions).

12 month validity, multi entry non-immigrant visa: pre-obtained at a Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate (usually) in your home country and will result in the holder obtaining a 90 day 'permission to stay' stamp upon entry. Each time the holder enters the Kingdom whilst the visa is valid, he/she will obtain a further 90 day 'permission to stay stamp'. Such visas can be issued for students/work/family etc. but normally require supporting documentation. This visa can also be extended up to one year for specific reasons and with the required documentation (see 12 month extensions).

Note: a 12 month validity, multi entry non-immigrant visa may also be obtained from some Royal Thai embassies outside your home country if you can provide evidence of your marriage to a Thai citizen (marriage certificate).

12 month extension of stay with a non-immigrant visa: If you are holding a non-immigrant visa, you have the option of extending your stay by 12 months based on either retirement (50 years old or over) or support to a Thai citizen, work, education and such. This may only be accomplished at an immigration office inside the Kingdom and certain criteria have to be met. Such extensions consist of a stamp in your passport detailing “issue date” and “permitted to stay until” date.

Note 1: If you are residing in the Kingdom under an extension and wish to leave the Kingdom at any time, then you will need to obtain a “re-entry permit” to avoid losing the extension and the subsequent need to re-apply (i.e. applying for a new non-immigrant visa and then extension of stay).

Note 2: If you are residing in the Kingdom under an extension of stay it is a legal requirement that the holder reports current address to an immigration office using form TM.47 (in person or by registered mail) every 90 days. Re-entering the Kingdom is the equivalent of a 90 day report.

Note 3: If you are in possession of a valid tourist visa or a 30 day visa exempt entry stamp and qualify for extension of stay and plan on doing so, you may be permitted to change to a non-immigrant visa at an immigration office inside Thailand. This change of 'status' has certain restrictions depending on your particular circumstances therefore you should check with an immigration officer first.

The information given above is for guideline purposes only. Each individual’s circumstances may differ to such an extent that a definitive description of the procedures involved is virtually impossible to present. And, the final decision on visa application/issue or entry into the Kingdom will always be at the discretion of the immigration officer.

List of visa exempt countries (September 2007):

Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Brunei, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Oman, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, United Kingdom.