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Thai Visas

Last updated 2007-10-26

The Thai visa system is complex and causes much debate and discussion amongst foreigners living in Thailand. With every change or amendment, there are usually countless expats who are vocal in their annoyance at how 'unfair' it is, or how 'inconvenient' the system is, especially for those who have to do a visa run on a regular basis (see below). In reality, Thailand is one of the easier countries to stay long term and when compared to the entry requirements of European countries for example, there is little to complain about when staying in Thailand.

The visa rules change quite often and it is difficult to maintain an up to date set of pages as a result, besides which, all of the information you need on the visa rules is readily available on Thai government websites (See: http://www.mfa.go.th/). The purpose of this section is to summarize the fundamentals and to describe the various routes and methods of renewing your visa on what is widely known amongst expatriates as the 'Visa run'.

Visa Run

Many people have to get their visa renewed on a regular basis and this means a trip to another country. If you're in Thailand with a multiple entry Non-Immigrant visa, it's as simple as crossing any border and coming straight back again every 90 days or less (as long as your visa remains valid). If you're in Thailand making use of the 'Visa on Arrival', you only have 30 days and should be aware that the days of continuous back to back VOA's are over. Long term, you'll have to rely on other visa types.

Whatever the case, for most foreigners the visa run is a part of their life in Thailand. See the pages listed below for the various visa run options.

If you need specific advice or information, you can ask one of our experienced expats in our Thailand Forum