Thai Immigration Laws
The Thai economy is heavily focused on tourism as a major source of revenue. As such, obtaining a visa to Thailand is not difficult. There are a number of different visas available, from short-term transit visas to extended-residency visas. The visa you should apply for will depend on whether you are entering Thailand for tourism or business. Thai visa laws are complex and change frequently. Talk with the Thai Embassy about the most appropriate visa for your activities in Thailand.
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Stays of Fewer Than 30 Days
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Stays of fewer than 30 days are covered by several tourist and transit visas. There are two types of transit visas: a 15-day visa and a 30-day visa. People from Bhutan, China, Taiwan, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Mauritius, Oman, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine qualify for a 15-day transit visa at any Thai airport or entry point.
Thirty-day transit privileges are available to people from Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America and Vietnam.
People from countries not on one of those lists must apply for a visa at a Thai embassy.
Stays of More Than 30 Days
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If you are planning on staying more than 15 or 30 days, you must apply for a formal visa. A standard tourist visa is good for 30 days and can be extended three times for a total of 90 days. Once it has been extended three times, it may be very difficult to get a new tourist visa. If you are planning on staying more than 90 days, a residence visa is the best way to go.
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Type B Work Visas
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Type B non-immigrant visas to Thailand are granted for people wishing to do business in and from Thailand. These visas are granted on a case-by-case basis. The duration of the visa can be quite long, depending on the nature of your business.
Type O Work Visas
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In some cases, a type O visa may be issued for people who are retired and planning long-term stays in Thailand. Type O visas can be issued for a number of other purposes, including medical treatment, family reunions or legal proceedings. Like the Type B visa, the length of stay will be defined by the business being done in Thailand. These visas are also issued on a case-by-case basis.
Type O-A Visa
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Type O-A visas are issued for people wishing to reside temporarily in Thailand. An O-A visa would be appropriate for people planning on retiring semi-permanently or permanently in Thailand.
Work Permits
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Work permits are a separate issue to visas. Although B class visas allow for work in a specified area, a general work permit is required to work in other areas. Certain areas of industry, such as agriculture or other industries considered critical to maintaining a healthy local economy, are not open to foreign workers.
Citizenship
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Obtaining citizenship in Thailand is very difficult. The process is long and quite expensive. To apply for Thai citizenship, you must be able to prove that both you and one of your parents were born in Thailand. One thing to be aware of is that without Thai citizenship, a person is not allowed to own land.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo: Natthawut Kulnirundorn, Open Photo (http://openphoto.net/gallery/image.html?image_id=9595)
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Comments
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ed sonner
Sep 11, 2009
I lived in Thailand for 17 years. This is a well written and accurate article.
