Duration of Stay

The expiry of permitted stay is granted at the border station at arrival to Thailand in line of the type of visa. The permitted stay is not limited to the validity of the visa and may cover beyond the expiration date of the visa. The latest day to leave Thailand is stated by the entry stamp (finally) permitting the stay.

Some visa extensions will give you an entry stamp of only 90 days stay in Thailand even you are not requested to leave Thailand before 90 days but instead doing a 90-Day report. This is the case for Non B and Non O extensions as the original visa only gives you 90 days stay permit.

Visa and length of stay per entry:

• Visa on Arrival: 15 days
• Visa Exemption: 14, 30/45 or 90 days depending upon nationality
• Tourist Visa: 60 days of (each stay) and 60 days (single entry) or 6 months (multiple entry) validity
• Non-Immigrant B, ED, O Visas: 90 days of stay and 90 days (single entry) or 1 year (multiple entry) validity
• Non-Immigrant IB: 1 year stay and 3 years validity.
• Non-Immigrant OA Visa: 1 year of (each stay) and 1 year of validity
• Non-Immigrant OX Visa: 5 years of stay and 10 years validity (cannot stay longer than validity)
• Smart Visa: 4 years stay and validity (cannot stay longer than validity)
• Residents Visa: 10 years of stay and validity (cannot stay longer than validity)
• Elite Visa: 1 year of stay (to be renewed at Immigration) and 5, 10 or 20 years validity

Single/Multiple Entry

There are two kinds of visas:

• Single entry giving the permission to enter Thailand ONE time without getting a new visa (or exempt).
• Multiple entry giving the permission to enter Thailand multiple times within the validity of the visa.

To make allowed to leave and re-enter Thailand on a single entry visa, you will need to obtain a re-enter permit (or multi-enter permit) at the Immigration.

Visa Extension

Most visas are possible to extend inside Thailand for both validity and duration of stay.

There are a variety of different types of visa extensions:

• 30 days tourist extension (per entry)
• 60 days family extension (per visa)
• 1 year extension to Non-Immigrant Visa (forever)
• More...

Long-stay extension has beside other requirements also financial requirements.

There is a fee of 1,900 THB.

Requirements

For any kind of visa you will need:

• Valid passport covering the validity of the visa applied for
• Address on Accommodation
• Financial means to cover your stay. If not part of the visa requirements, then on arrival 10,000 THB per person or 20,000 THB for family. (For 60-Day tourist visa the figures are 20,000 and 40,000 THB.)
• Do not suffer from a disease listed by the Thai government as prohibited/restricted from entrance to Thailand

There will be a fee.

Availability

Visas are issued by:

• Embassies abroad
• Consulates abroad
• Immigration Offices all over Thailand
• Special appointed offices in Thailand or abroad for Special, Smart, Residents and Elite Visas.

Embassies and Consulates abroad are only issuing a limited collection of the most normal visas, while Immigrations in Thailand at least in theory are entitled to issue any kind of visa, but for instance Tourist Visas and Non-OA Visas are rarely issued inside Thailand.

Visa Extensions are only granted by the Immigrations inside Thailand. Immigrations will rather extend an existing visa over issuing a new visa.

Most visas are today issued using the eVisa system, but still issued and your application processed by Embassies and Consulates around the world (in the country the one you are planning to enter Thailand from (if not your country of nationality).

Every 90 Day

Most visas requires you to either report to Immigration or leave country every 90 day.

Leave country every 90 day

Most long term visas acquired at an Embassy require you to leave country every 90 day. It counts for almost every kind of Non Immigrant multiple entry visas. For multiple entry Tourist visas the requirement is every 60 day.

90-Day Reporting

Instead of leaving country every 60-90 day, most visa extensions require you to report to Immigration every 90 day, which can be done:

• At the Immigration
• By registered mail
• Online

Overstay

If you stay Thailand longer than your stamp in your passport entitles you to do, you will be on overstay.

An overstay in Thailand will have 3 consequences:

• 500 THB fee per day overstaying
• Being prohibited from entering and staying in Thailand for a period of time depending on the length of overstaying.
• An "overstay stamp" in your passport, which will give you a number of "fun" when applying for new visas, extensions and/or crossing borders.

The penalty will become more severe if arrested.

Children below 14 years of age are not subject to an overstay fine or a travel ban from Thailand.

Cancelation of Visa

To issue a new visa any previous visas must have expired or been canceled.

Any visa or extension thereof must be canceled if the requirements to issue the visa is not valid any longer. I.e. if the visa was issed on the ground of marriage, and the marriage is not valid any longer, the visa must be cancelled. Same with any (other) criteria for issuing a visa.

The most common situation causing problems with no cancellation of a visa is the Non-B visa or extension of a Non-B visa. If you have got a Non-B visa based on employment and this visa or extension is not being cancelled when leaving the job as basis for the visa and you just leave Thailand, then you will get problems getting a new long-term visa of any kind until the Non-B visa has been properly cancelled.

If not properly cancelled and then expired, then you will face a fine of 20,000 THB to be paid before applying for any other new visa.

Most Thai Embassies will only cancel a visa issued by themself. I.e. a visa or extension issued inside Thailand must be cancelled at the Immigration in Thailand.

Immigration Act