thailand visa types

With a tropical climate and wonderful scenery, Thailand is a place that most of the tourists would not refrain from going to! It is now also one of the most popular and rising tourist nations among others and this has led to a lot of people going to view its beauty. But this trip might need you to have a visa and the right type of visa for you according to your country is what you need to take a look at. Here’s a quick look at the Thailand visa types to understand all the types and their functions.

Overview:

1. Thailand tourist visa

2. Thailand business visa

3. Thailand Marriage visa

4. Thailand transit visa

5. Thailand education visa

6. Thailand retirement visa

7. Thailand Permanent resident visa

8. Official purpose visa or a diplomatic visa to Thailand

9. FAQs

Visa Type of Thailand

Thailand tourist visa:

The Thailand tourist visa is a type of visa which permits a person for tourism purposes in Thailand. The visa also allows visiting family or friends who stay in Thailand. With the Thailand tourist visa, one can stay for a maximum period of 60 days. The Thailand tourist visa allows a person to have single or multiple entries. If a tourist visiting Thailand wants to change the type of visa, the person needs to submit an application form requesting the change of visa at the Office of Immigration Bureau situated in Soi Suan Plu in Bangkok. This visa is valid for a total of 3 to 6 months depending on the type of entry permitted. This visa can be extended for another 30 days. Tourism visas will be restricted only for the purpose of tourism and no other purpose like business or employment will be accepted.

Thailand business visa:

A Thailand business visa is issued for those people who wish to work in Thailand. These people can also make investments or conduct other businesses on this visa. There are in total three types of visa which are available:

• Business visa or type B visa

• Business-approved visa or B-A type visa

• Investment and business visa or IB type visa

A foreigner who wishes to work in Thailand must have a work permit ready before starting with the work. There are two types of entries available, single and multiple entries. Single-entry business visa is valid for a total of 3 months and the multiple entry visas are valid for a total of 1 year, also called a one-year non-immigrant visa Thailand. The single entry visa can further be extended after 90 days. A foreigner who wishes to apply for this type of visa is required to submit an employment verification letter, a valid Thai passport and other company documents to support the visa.

Thailand Marriage visa:

This visa is also called a non-immigrant O visa. This visa is permitted for those foreigners who have married a person who is a citizen of Thailand. This visa allows a stay of one year from the entry. There are some conditions that need to be followed in order to obtain the visa. The conditions can be stated as follows:

• There should be a copy of the income sources that will assist in at least two months of living in the country

• The foreigner should have no criminal records while applying for a marriage visa.

Once the expiration date is almost nearby, the foreigner need not leave the country to renew the visa and the renewal can be done within the country itself. The foreigner also gets permission to work in the country with this type of visa.

Thailand transit visa:

This type of visa has three different categories available under it. It can be stated as follows:

• TS type of visa: this visa allows the foreigner to transit through Thailand in order to reach another destination.

• S type of visa: this visa allows the foreigner to participate in any sports competition or other sports-related activities.

• C type of visa: this visa allows the foreigner who is a crew member to finish his or her duties entering the port, station, or a particular area in Thailand. 

There is a validity indicated on the initial page of the visa and this validity does not mean the time period in which the person can stay in the country, this time period indicates the time until which a person is needed to present themselves at the immigration checkpoint in Thailand. The validity of the Thailand transit visa is for 3 months and is a single entry visa. There are other types of visa which include two three or four entries into the country. This visa may range from 3 to 6 months in validity. The stay period however for this type of visa is only for 30 days and the foreigner cannot exceed this limit.

Thailand education visa:

This type of visa is given for the following reasons:

• A foreigner who wants to study in Thailand

• A foreigner who has come on a work-study tour

• A foreigner who has come for an observation tour

• A foreigner who has entered Thailand for the purpose of attending a conference or a training program

• A foreigner who has come to Thailand to participate in projects, seminars or internship related work

• A foreigner who has come to Thailand to study as a foreign Buddhist monk.

This visa is also known as a non-immigrant education (ED) visa. The visa allows a person to stay for a total of 90 days in the country on a single entry basis. This visa is also valid for one year on a multiple entry basis. The initial stay period granted for a foreigner meeting the above conditions is for 90 days and this can be extended by putting in a request to the Immigration Officer.

Thailand retirement visa:

This type of visa is permitted for a foreigner wishing to visit Thailand and is of age 50 years and above. This visa needs documents that will prove the age and the retirement facility. The document includes a pension certificate and proof of a security deposit that needs to be submitted. This security deposit must meet a balance of 800,000 baht or 22,500 USD. You can take a non-immigrant visa and then convert it into a retirement visa which will allow a stay period for one year. This visa is also available for renewal on a yearly basis.

Thailand Permanent resident visa:

For obtaining a permanent resident visa in Thailand, a foreigner should meet the following conditions:

• A foreigner must have stayed in Thailand for a total period of 3 consecutive years with a one-year visa extension. 

• The foreigner should be married to a citizen of Thailand and must have stayed for at least five years.

• The monthly income of the couples should be 30,000 baht or a total income of 80,000 baht if the person lives alone.

• The foreigner also needs to provide tax statements so that he or she can apply for a permanent residency visa.

Official purpose visa or a diplomatic visa to Thailand:

This type of visa is provided to an official or a diplomatic person who wishes to visit Thailand in order to finish some diplomatic work or organizational work. This visa is allowed for both the official and their family members. There are some documents that need to be submitted in order to get this visa. The document requirement can be stated as follows:

• A note or a document that is issued by the foreign government where the foreigner is a citizen of or from an international organization that states the identity of the foreigner.

• A note should also be attached which states the purpose of the foreigner to visit Thailand. 

This visa is provided only by request to the Royal Thai Embassy.

Thailand is a major member of the ASEAN also known as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. This place now has the second-largest economy in Southeast Asia making it one of the most attractive places for business purposes. With these types of visas available for a person to visit Thailand, you may choose the one that matches your requirement and the purpose of the visit. 

FAQs:

1. Are there any sites that will assist in the application for a Thailand visa?

A. touristvisaonline.com will assist as a travel agency for Thailand visas and will help in the application of a visa for Thailand.

2. What is the processing time required for a Thailand visa applied through Tourist Visa Online?

A. The normal processing time for a Thailand visa ranges from 5 to 7 days.

3. Can I live in Thailand if I marry a Thailand citizen?

A. By acquiring the Thailand marriage visa, a foreigner can stay in Thailand after marrying a Thailand citizen.

4. Is living in Thailand permanently possible?

A. If a foreigner wants to live in Thailand permanently, they should have lived for a total of 3 years in Thailand or should have married a Thai person for 5 years. This will help gain a Thailand permanent residency visa.

5. How can a foreigner enter Thailand?

A. A foreigner can take a look at the different Thailand visa types before applying for a visa to enter Thailand.