Thailand Visas: Comparative Table Main Visas

February 1 2010 Categories: Thailand Visas, Thailand Visas & Work Permit 3 comments

This post conclude for the time being my series on visa. In this post I tried to make a comparative table showing the most commonly used types of visa, their benefits and requirements. Note that some of the visa I discussed here have already been discussed in several posts already. I just want to permit readers to compare different type of visa without to switch from one post to the other.

VISA COMPARATIVE TABLE

VISA TYPE	PURPOSE	DURATION OF STAY	EXTENSION	REMARKS
Visa ExemptionPhor 30 A Visa waiver	Tourist	*First Stay:* 30 days:*Subsequent Stays: Visa Run:* *15 days* If traveling by bus to neighboring countries Maximum number of bus trip allowed is 4. After this the foreign citizen must leave Thailand by plane. Exception: Citizens from Malaysia 30 days *30 days:* if traveling by plane. No limit to the number of successive trips	At Immigration:7 days Change of Visa Type possible if the visa is valid for 21 days at the moment when the application is filed and providing the applicant has all the documents required for the visa change	*Applicable to citizen of* Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Luxemburg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE, Britain & North Ireland, and USA.
Visa ExemptionPhor Phor 30 A visa waiver		*First Stay:* 30 days:*Subsequent Stays: 30 days*: Whether travelling by bus or by plane. No limit to the number of successive trips		*Applicable to citizen of*Hong Kong, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Russia, and Vietnam
Visa ExemptionPhor Phor 90 A visa waiver		**First Stay: 90 days:Subsequent Stays: 90 days:** whether travelling by bus or by plane No limitation of the number of trips	At Immigration: 7 daysChange of Visa Type possible if the visa is valid for 37 days at the moment when application is filed and providing the applicant has all the documents required for the visa change	*Applicable to citizen of* Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Korea (ROK) and Peru
TOURIST VISA
Tourist Visa	Tourist	*Duration of Stay*: 30 to 60 days	At Immigration 30 days maximum 90 days from first entrance	Note there is a crackdown on back to back tourist visas issued in neighboring countries. Thai Consulates are requested to check more carefully the purpose of visit and to reject abusive request
NON IMMIGRANT
Visa B	Work	*Duration of Stay:* 90 days	At Immigration *7 days* if no supporting documents *Up to one year* from first entrance if have all supporting documents	Company that support the application must have 2,000,000 THB capital, and four Thai EmployeesCompany must have real activities, paid VAT, social security, Income Tax on salaries and file a balance sheet every year Thai Employees are now subjected to interview at the social security office to check whether they are real employees or not Labor or Immigration may check on the employees status and visit the company from time to time
VISA O Investor	InvestmentNo less than 3,000,000 THB if entered Thailand before October 1 2006 and have renewed its visa in an uninterrupted manner since then *No less than 10,000,000 THB* if entered Thailand after November 2009	*Duration of Stay:* 90 days	*One year* if have evidence of the investment	Purchase a condominium or leased a house and landInvested in Fixed Saving Account DepositState Enterprise BondsCombination of all above
VISA ED	Studying in a government institution(school or university)Research in a university	*Duration of Stay:*90 Days	At Immigration7 days if no supporting documents *90 days* if you have supporting documents from a language school *One year* if you have support documents from Thai government High School or University or a private one that is recognized by the government	*Languages School or Thai boxing School cannot give you a one year visa contrarily to their* advertisement but only renewal every three months for a period of one year Parents who have minor children in Thai high school or university may obtain a Visa O and a one year extension of their Visa based on their children school stay providing that they can shows they have money to support themselves and children Minimum 500,000 THB. Deposited minimum 30 days before the first application three months before the subsequent application
VISA O Dependent	Family of a foreign citizen having a work permit or other legitimate cause to live in Thailand	*Duration of Stay:*90 Days	At Immigration7 days if no supporting documents *Up to one year* if have supporting documents	Spouse must be married and live togetherChildren less than 20 years and not married and live with their parents
VISA O Dependent	Father or mother of a child registered in a public or private high school in Thailand	*Duration of Stay:*90 Days	At Immigration7 days if no supporting documents *Up to one year* if have supporting documents	Funds must be deposited in fathers or mother name in a bank in Thailand Minimum 500,000 THB. Deposited minimum 30 days before the first application three months before the subsequent application
*VISA O Member of a Thai Family*	Wife / Children	*Duration of Stay:*90 Days	At Immigration7 days if no supporting documents *Up to one year* if have supporting documents	*Marriage Certificate + living togetherChildren less than 20 years*, not married and living with the parents Deposit minimum** 400,000 THB into a Thai Bank or have a work permit in Thailand and a salary of more than 40,000 THB/per month. *In the case of a Wife visa* the 400,000 THB must be deposited 2 months before the application Other cases may be considered in the future
*VISA O* Visiting a Member of a Thai Family	Wife / Children	*Duration of Stay:* 90 Days	At Immigration7 days if no supporting documents 60 days if supporting document	Marriage CertificateThis visa is applicable to those that cannot fulfill the conditions of the family visa

Note: This post is an excerpt of Rene Philippe Dubout next book: “How to Invest Safely Into Thailand” to be published in January 2010

About the Author:

The author Rene-Philippe DUBOUT is a lawyer since 1990 when he was admitted to Geneva bar (Switzerland). He practiced as a litigator there for 10 years until he moved to Thailand in 1999. In 2002 he founded with a group of Thai lawyers Rene Philippe & Partners Ltd a local law firm that specialized in Cross Borders Investments and Real Estate. He has been lecturing in several Thai Universities and a speaker to numerous conferences and seminars. He is the author of a must read book:”How to Purchase Real Estate Offshore Safely: The Case of Thailand”.

http//:www.renephilippe.com

Originally posted 2009-10-27 10:46:41.

3 Responses to “Thailand Visas: Comparative Table Main Visas”

Joseph Condra says:

12/01/2010 at 9:40 am

Excellent Blog, Rene–the clearest information I have been able to find on the web!

One question if you dont mind–say two foreign parents wanted to enroll their child in an international school in Thailand, because of the reputation of the school, even though the father would continue to work in other countries in the region as he does currently. I understand that the children could get Educational visas upon proof of enrollment, and that the parents could get O Dependent visas good for one year with 90 day duration of stay, if they deposit 1million THB in a bank account.

If the father then commuted regularly to other countries in the region for work–like weekly–would he have to get a reentry permit every time he departed?

Thanks and congratulations again on an excellent blog.
Rene-Philippe says:

12/01/2010 at 10:16 am

Dear Joseph
Actually the amount to be deposited is 500,000 THB under the mother or father name (if they are married) if not married each of them would have to fulfil the 500,000 THB commitment. The deposit permit to obtain a one year visa period ( U don’t need to leave every 90 days) Funds must be deposited minimum 30 days before the first application and three months before the subsequent application renewal second year. Fund must be left untouched during the waiting period. If the husband travel he only have to apply once a year for a multi re-entry permit
Regards
Rene
Joseph Condra says:

13/01/2010 at 4:06 am

Thanks very much. So to get visa for both married foreign parents based on two educational visas for two foreigh children, only one 500,000 THB is required to be deposited? That is even better than I thought. Perhaps a move to thailand might make sense….