All persons, other than those in transit and
citizens of certain countries, are required to
obtain a visa in order to enter Thailand.
Foreign nationals who intend to remain in Thailand
to work or conduct business must comply with visa requirements
in addition to obtaining a work permit.
Nationals of most countries will, without having to apply
for a visa from a Thai embassy or consulate in advance, be
given a 30 day-visa when entering Thailand, except for those
who are eligible for 90 day-visas. Nationals of countries
who are entitled to the 30 day-visa may be requested by the
immigration officials to produce an onward ticket to ensure
that they will leave the Kingdom within 30 days.
The Immigration Act provides
for several visa categories as follows:
Tourist visas are initially valid
for 60 days and are renewed at the discretion of the
Immigration Department. Renewals are normally granted
for periods of up to 30 days at a time.
Aliens who have obtained a Transit
Visa from a Thai embassy or consulate will be granted
a 30-day stay in the Kingdom. Extensions of stay are
normally granted for periods of 7 - 10 days.
Please Note: Transit, Visitor Transit
and Tourist Visa holders are not authorized to work
in Thailand.
The Non-Quota Immigrant category
includes, inter alia, former residents who have lost
resident status, but who have reapplied to resume their
residency and who have been able to demonstrate a convincing
reason to support the granting of this type of visa.
Members of the diplomatic or consular
corps, aliens coming to perform their duties in Thailand
with the approval of the Thai government, aliens performing
their duties in Thailand under an agreement between
the Thai government and a foreign government, heads
of international organisations or agencies operating
in Thailand as well as dependents of all the aforementioned
persons, including private servants of members of the
diplomatic corps, are exempted by the Act from the usual
visa requirements.
Aliens seeking a prolonged stay,
or those coming to work in Thailand, should obtain Non-Immigrant
visas for all family members prior to entering the Kingdom.
There are several categories of Non-Immigrant visas
which include, among others:
»
Diplomatic visa (D) - For
those employed by an embassy
»
Business visa (B)
»
Mass media visa (M) - For
accredited business or press representatives
»
Dependent visa (O)
»
Expert visa (EX) - For those
performing skilled or expert work
»
Investor visa (IM) - For foreigners
who set-up their companies under the Board Of Investment
BOI
»
Study/education visa (ED)
- For teachers.
»
Official (F) - Performance
of official duties involving the Thai government
»
Capital Investment (IM)
»
Investment (with concurrence of the
ministries and departments concerned) - BOI (IB)
»
Educational (ED) - For study
or observation
»
Missionary work (R)
»
Scientific research or training,
or study in an educational institution in the Kingdom
(RS)
»
Expert Work (EX) - Performance
of skilled or expert work
»
Sports (S) - Participation
in an officially recognized sports event
»
Others (O) - Others, including
marriage, dependents and retired persons
The advantages of a Non-Immigrant Visa include:
»
Entitlement of the holder to apply
for a multiple re-entry visa to Thailand from the
Immigration Division in Bangkok.
»
Subject to the regulations of the
immigration authorities, entitlement of the holder
to apply for permanent residence in Thailand.
»
Eligibility for issuance of a Work
Permit to the visa holder.
»
Eligibility for temporary visa renewals
while processing issuance of a long-term annual
visa.
Aliens are advised to strictly adhere to the rules
governing each visa category. They should report any
changes of address or status to local police within
24 hours.
In addition, foreigners residing in Thailand for more
than 90 consecutive days are required to register their
address every 90 days with the Immigration Bureau. This
requirement applies to all foreigners, including holders
of work permits and long-term visas. Failure to register
can result in substantial penalties.
Transit, Visitor Transit, Tourist and Non-Immigrant
Visas are issued only for the following purposes and
duration:
»
Diplomatic or consular missions (duration
as necessary)
»
Official missions (duration as necessary)
»
Tourism (90 days)
»
Sports (30 days)
»
Business purposes (1 year)
»
Investments which have received authorization
from the appropriate government authorities (2 years)
»
Investments or other businesses in
connection with investment under the Investment
Promotion Act as determined by the Board of Investment
(1 or 2 years, depending on the company's strength)
»
Transit (30 days)
»
Controllers or crews of a conveyance
entering a port or other locality in the Kingdom
(30 days)
»
Persons working as skilled laborers
or specialists (1 year)
In response to feedback from investors, the Board
of Investment organized the establishment of a one-stop
service center for visas and work permits. Through joint
cooperation with the Immigration Bureau and the Ministry
of Labor, the center can process applications or renewals
of visas and work permits.
Foreigners may also apply for permanent residence permits
for Thailand under certain conditions, such as investment
in a business or a condominium. Applications can either
be made to the Board of Investment or the Immigration
Department.
