GENERAL THAI VISA QUESTIONS

You can find there many informations about Thailand visa requirements and Thailand visa rules.

I want to stay in Thailand longer. How do I qualify for a Thai Visa?’

With a Thai visa, generally foreigners who would like to stay longer in Thailand and who want to obtain a long stay Thai visa have to fall into any of these categories:

• Married to a Thai National (Thailand Marriage Visa)
• Employed by a Thai company or Planning to start a business (Thailand Business Visa)
• 50 years old and above (Thailand Retirement Visa)
• Accepted at a university or a school (Thailand Student Visa)
• If you do not fall into any of these Thai visa categories, you can always apply for a Thai Tourist Visa and get to stay in Thailand for a maximum of 90 days.

I have a single entry Thai Business Visa, but I want to leave Thailand for a few days and come back again. What will happen to my Thai visa?

Your Thai Business Visa will be cancelled, and will be replaced with a 30-day stamp. It would be best that you secure a re-entry permit (or multiple entry permits) first before leaving Thailand. The same goes for the other types of long stay Thai visas. If your Thai visa is single entry, you need to secure a re-entry permit first so your current Thai visa will not be nullified.

How do I get a re-entry or multiple entry permits?

Subject to your visa type and the current Immigration regulations, you can obtain re-entry or multiple entry permits at the Thai Immigration office or an international airport.

How much is a re-entry and a multiple entry permit?

The government fee for single re-entry is 1,000 baht while that for multiple re-entries is 3,800 baht. It is advisable to request a multiple entry Thai visa if you expect to be travelling frequently out of Thailand. This allows you more than one entry into Thailand during your travels.

Can I open a bank account with a Thai Tourist visa?

Most of the Thai banks do not allow a foreigner to open an account on a Thai tourist visa. However, our firm can help you work thru specific banks which allow foreigners to open a bank account on a Thai tourist visa.

My Thai visa is already expired but I do not want to exit again because I need to stay just few days though. What is the policy with regards to overstaying my Thai visa?

The period of stay allowed is always stamped or written in the passport upon arrival in Thailand. You are responsible for checking your passport for the authorized length of stay. If you overstay in the Kingdom, you are subject to a fine of 500 baht for each day after the expiration date of your Thai visa to a maximum of 20,000 baht. This fine is normally paid at the airport or border checkpoint upon departure.
If you cannot or is otherwise unable to pay the fine – worst yet are caught for overstaying your Thai visa, you are subject to detention and deportation at the Immigration Detention Center (IDC).

If I overstay my Thai visa in Thailand, is it going to affect my next Thai visa application?

It depends. There are certain Thai embassies who check if you have an overstay record and sometimes they question you about this on your next Thai visa application, so it is better to be careful. We do not recommend you over-stay your Thai visa, for your own convenience. It is better to do a visa run if you need to extend your stay for a couple of weeks more. That’s the safest way to stay in Thailand a bit longer.

I am a bit confused. I already have a Thai tourist visa from the Royal Thai Embassy in my country. I understand from what is written in the visa stamp that the Thai visa is valid for 3 months. Does it mean that I can stay in Thailand for 3 months?

That is not correct. The validity of the Thai visa and the duration of stay is not the same. The 3-month validity of the Thai visa means that you must use the Thai visa within 3 months from the date of issue. The duration of stay is the period in which you are permitted to stay in the Kingdom granted by the Immigration Officer once you arrive in Thailand, that is, 3 months/90 days from the date of entry.

I will be taking an approved course for English teachers and will be teaching in Bangkok. I am coming from the US and do not have a Thai visa lined up prior to departure. Do I need a roundtrip ticket or return ticket or can I gain entry and obtain a Thai visa when I arrive if I have a one way ticket?

If you are flying to Thailand without a Thai visa it is recommended that you have a round-trip ticket. Since you said you will be studying for a Celta in Thailand, it is advisable to apply a Non Immigrant ED visa at the Royal Thai Embassy in the states prior to your departure. With this Non Immigrant ED visa, you can come to Thailand on a one way ticket.

My Thai Business Visa is about to expire in two months – what do I need to renew it? Is it at the Ministry of Labor or Immigration?

If you have a Thai work permit it is valid for one year but your address must be reported at Immigration every 90 days. As for your Thai Non-B business visa that comes along with your work permit, it needs to be extended at the Immigration Office. After one year, your Thai company can process the visa renewal at Immigration Office as well.

My Business Visa will expire soon and I cannot find an available flight before that time. Is the 7 or 30 days extension available at the immigration office as for the Thai tourist visa?

Yes, Thai Immigration has jurisdiction for extending your current Non B visa depending on your reason. Usually they give a maximum extension of seven days and you need to present an onward plane ticket.