Introduction
Please Note: The situation with long term Visas is changing.
New regulations come in to force in June 2004 which will change
the requirements for 1 year visas and work permits. At the moment
it is not clear what exactly these changes will be. This DOES
NOT effect normal Tourists Visas.
Most visitors to Thailand will be granted a 30 visa on arrival
at the airport. If you wish to stay longer than 30 days you will
either have to leave Thailand and come back to get another 30
days or apply for one of the many visas available from a Thai
Embassy outside Thailand, BEFORE YOU ARRIVE. All visas are discretionary
so this guide should not be taken as gospel but it is a fair reflection
of what happens in most cases.
Once you are in Thailand you can usually get a
short extension to your visa. Commonly 7 days extra if your on a
30 day visa and 30 days extra if you are on a 60 day visa. You will
need to apply and pay for your extent ion a few days before your
visa expires. In Pattaya you can do this at the immigration office
in a small lane off Soi 8, opposite the Flipper.
Farangs frequently argue that it would benefit
the Thai economy if they could spend in Thailand the cash they must
fork out on visa runs abroad. But immigration sources say that regular
passing through airports and border posts is how they keep an updated
computer tab and, if necessary, question anyone they are looking
for. We ought to remember that Thai immigration laws are actually
very liberal. Provided, that is, we don’t abuse the kingdom’s
hospitality.
Tourist
Visa
If you don't want to get a
30 day visa "on arrival" you can apply for a Tourist Visa.
These are granted at Thai embassies or consulates abroad
and give you sixty days on arrival. They will often give you a double
or even triple entry visa if you ask! You can apply for an extension
at a Thai immigration bureau once in Thailand and will normally
be given 30 days extra.
If you have a double entry, 60 day tourist visa, you could apply
for a 30 day extension, leave the country after 90 days and then
return and be granted another 60 days with a probable 30 day extension
again. So conceivably one visa could last you for 6 months with
you leaving the country once in that time.
Different Embassies appear to have different policy's about granting
tourist visas. In Phnom Penh in Cambodia a 60 day double entry seems
to be very easy to get. Other Embassies are a little less liberal
in their interpretation of the rules
Non-Immigrant Visas
Also granted abroad, these entitle you to a stay of ninety days
but extensions beyond a bare two weeks can be difficult. Non immigrant
“B” is designed for those intending to conduct “business”
in Thailand, although the visa in itself is not a work permit and
should not be confused with such.
Non-immigrant “O”, meaning “other”, covers
categories such as those foreigners with Thai dependants.
For longer extensions, you will need documents such as current
evidence which prove you have transacted “business”
or really do have the Thai spouse you claim to have.
Incidentally, foreigners applying for a Thai driving licence must
have a current non-immigrant visa, either type, and must continue
to hold one to re-apply after one year.
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