A little advice for you on the tricky subject of Visas. This is like opening a minefield as the laws change from day to day, and from Consulate to Consulate, but here are a few tips and guides for Visas. This is written in May 2011 and assumes you’re British. Other Western European consulates have similar rules, but Americans have relaxed rules due to their special status.
There are four main types of Visa and a handful of special ones, but these are outside the scope of this article.
The first way to enter, and this is not a Visa, is the Permission to stay stamp, available on arrival at an airport. It’s simple. If you’re from Western Europe, Australia or America and have a valid passport with ample time before it expires, just turn up at the airport and you’ll get a stamp for 30 days. No fuss, no bother, simple. As I said this is not a Visa, but gives you permission to stay for 30 days. It’s issued through a Visa Waiver Programme. If you come in through a land border you only get 15 days. You can get a 7 day extension at a local Immigration Office, and that costs 1900B.
Next we’ll look at the Tourist Visa. Available from all good Consulates and Embassies, it gives you 60 days permission to stay. Some places will issue double entry or even triple entry ones. These will give you two or three entries. You can extend your stay using a trip to Cambodia (more of this later). All the 60 day tourist visas are extendible for an additional 30 days by visiting the local immigration and paying a fee (1900B). This will give you 90 days permission to stay in Thailand.
Now on to “O”, non-immigrant visas. These are also available from Consulates and Embassies and give a slightly longer stay than Tourist Visas. They are also needed if you want to visit many times or convert your Visa to another sort (maybe retire?) They grant you 90 days permission to stay in the Kingdom, and are available for periods of up to a year. There are single entry and multiple entry. I’d always recommend the multiple entry. Note they run for a year from the day you get the Visa, not from the day you get to Thailand. So don’t get one too early. If you’re staying a long time here, towards the end of the 90 day period, you can book a “Visa Run”. This is typically a day trip on a minibus to Cambodia. Most travel agents and many other places can book them for you. A bus will pick you up in the morning (typically at 6 am) and cart you off to the border. From Bangkok or Pattaya this is around 3 hours. All the paper work will be done for you. You just provide your actual passport; a photocopy of the entry stamp, your visa and the main page; and one or two passport photos. An hour in Cambodia at the Casino, lunch and you’re back on the bus home, with a stamped passport and another 90 days permission to stay. Easy! Now if you have a one year multiple entry “O” Visa you can do this on the last day the Visa is current. That will legally give you another 90 days stay, in other words you can get 15 months stay out of a one year visa. There are different rules for Americans, but they are more lenient and will give you longer. But you still have to do a Visa run every 90 days.
One additional word concerning the 90 day border runs. If you leave the Kingdom for any reason and come back, your 90 days starts again. For example if you’re here for a year, and want a pleasure trip to Cambodia after two months, the requirement to do a border run starts from the day you return. This sounds obvious, but you’d be amazed how many people get confused. I’ve even known people on retirement Visas worrying that their 90 day report to immigration would happen during a holiday. The 90 days is only a requirement for continuous stay in the Kingdom. Go out and it re-starts.
Finally there are “B” Visas, also known as Business Visas. These are given to people who want to conduct business in Thailand. This does not mean work. That’s a separate issue and very hard to get a permit for. I could write an article on that alone. Unless you’re thinking of setting up a business, and trading in or with Thailand I’d ignore this class. And while on the subject, don’t work while here. The penalties are stiff, even if the work is unpaid as you’re seen as taking a job from a Thai national.
There is also the retirement Visa. That too is another subject. But basically it’s a conversion of an “O” Visa, available to people over 50, and with a certain amount of money in the bank, or a confirmed pension. It saves you doing the 90 day border runs and is the best way of staying long term. With one of these you can stay for years without leaving the country and without renewing an “O” Visa. If you’re interested in knowing more about this contact me using the contact page.
As a final note, always check the stamp the Immigration Official gives you. If the entry or exit date is wrong (and either can be) you will have problems when you come to leave.
OK that’s it. This article is time dated as the rules and regulations do change. For the latest information, contact your local Consulate or Embassy. If you’re in England, I strongly suggest using Birmingham. In Europe, Amsterdam is good.
