The Thai Tourist Visa is the most used visa in Thailand when it comes to visiting the Kingdom. More tourist visas are issued by Thai Embassies than any other visa. The government has over the past 2 years encouraged visitors to obtain a tourist visa before coming to Thailand.
Many tourists still arrive in Thailand on a visa on arrival. For the past 2 years the government has however clamped down on visa abuse and have made certain changes to the immigration rules. Before once crossing a land border you would be allowed 30 days stay in Thailand. That however was changed to 15 days stay only. These rules have remained the same over the past 2 years. I you plan on coming to Thailand crossing a land border then it is best to obtain a tourist visa beforehand. If you are coming to Thailand by air you will still obtain your 30 days visa on arrival at the airport however you would not be able to extend your stay in Thailand without doing a 'visa run'. This means you leave Thailand on a day trip and return the same day to obtain 15 days extra at the land border.
It is better for you to obtain a tourist visa if you are looking at staying in Thailand for more than 1 month. The tourist visa is usually single entry and it will allow you to stay in Thailand for 2 months when you enter Thailand. This can be extended at Thai Immigration for a fee of 1,900 Baht to stay another 30 days. All in all you will be able to stay in Thailand for 90 days or 3 months before you actually need to leave.
The tourist visa does not allow you to work in Thailand and the visa is usually stamped - employment not permitted. You may look for work however converting a tourist visa to apply for a work permit is a costly process and usually cheaper to obtain a Marriage Visa or Business Visa for employment purposes.
If you are in double about which visa you should apply for then speak to any of our attorneys in person at any of our office in Thailand. Better yet speak to us live on live chat on our main website or call our tollfree US or UK telephone numbers. Apply for your tourist visa today online!
Speak to us today about your tourist visa.