Thai Visa Requirements

To enter Thailand as either a tourist or for other reasons such as retirement or for business purposes, you will need a visa. 9 although for short visits as a tourist see 'exemptions' below.

Depending on the type of visa required you may need to apply to the Royal Thai Embassy or the Thai Consul before departing for Thailand.

The Thai Consul based in Hull, UK runs a very informative website at www.thaiconsul-uk.com. It is recommended that you visit this site before traveling to Thailand.

Types of visa applicable to UK citizens

Visa Exemption

Visa exemption applies to UK citizens who satisfy the following requirements:

Purpose of visit is strictly tourism.
Must be in possession of a confirmed flight ticket (e-ticket acceptable) to show they will be exiting Thailand within 30 days of entry. Open tickets do not qualify. Traveling overland out of Thailand to check-in for a flight from an airport in another country (Malaysia, Singapore, etc) is not accepted.
Having access to living expenses of 20,000 baht (approx £300) per person or 40,000 baht (approx £600) per family. It may be necessary to be able to prove this on entry.

You get a maximum stay of 30 days in Thailand and this is processed during passport examination at point of entry. You will need to complete a card which is normally provided by the airline during your outward flight. Have a pen handy to complete the form before arrival at Thai immigration.

Entry with Visa

Persons, whatever their age, intending to stay longer than 30 days at any one time must obtain a visa prior to going to Thailand from the Thai embassy or Thai consul. As a tourist you have a choice of visas depending on how long you wish to stay. The maximum stay is normally 90 days for any one visit, but you can apply for multiple trip visas.

If you have plenty of time and like to know the local ins and outs of visa rules in Thailand, try visiting www.pattayaexpatsclub.com/visainformation.htm. You will be amazed at the variety and detail offered on Thai Visas.