Thailand
Thailand is a Southeast Asian country on the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, with Bangkok as its capital. The country spans everything from Bangkok's temples and street food to Chiang Mai's hill country, the southern islands and Ayutthaya's UNESCO ruins. Most Western passport holders can enter visa-free for up to 60 days, extendable once by 30 days; other nationalities apply online in advance.
Thailand Visa & Immigration System
Thailand pairs one of Asia's most generous visa-exemption regimes with a fully digital arrival process. Most Western passports — the US, UK, EU states, Australia, Canada and New Zealand among them — enter visa-free for up to 60 days, covering tourism, business meetings and urgent or ad-hoc work, and the stay can be extended once by up to 30 days at a Thai immigration office. The one step nobody may skip is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC): since May 1, 2025 every foreign national completes it online before arrival, with registration opening three days before the trip. The passport itself must be valid for at least six months beyond the arrival date and hold at least one blank page — entry is refused on a passport that is invalid or reported lost or stolen — and immigration officers may ask to see an onward or return ticket or proof of funds for the stay. Travellers who need more time from the outset can arrange a multiple-entry visa in advance, good for stays of up to 60 days per entry. Employment and study are never covered by the exemption: both require the proper visa before travel. Overstaying is the system's hard edge — a fine of 500 baht per day up to a 20,000-baht maximum, with the risk of detention, deportation at the traveller's own expense and a re-entry ban of up to ten years. Two special cases are worth knowing: Thailand retains HIV/AIDS-related entry restrictions on paper, so affected travellers should verify current practice with a Royal Thai embassy, and dual nationals should review which passport they enter and leave on. A yellow-fever vaccination certificate is required only when arriving from a country with transmission risk.
Visa types
Tourism, sightseeing, visiting Bangkok temples and Grand Palace, exploring Chiang Mai and northern Thailand, beach vacations in Phuket and southern islands, business meetings, urgent or ad-hoc work purposes. U.S. State Department confirms U.S. tourists entering for fewer than 60 days do not require visa but must complete pre-arrival online registration. UK Foreign Office confirms visa-free entry allows 60-day stays for tourism, business, and urgent/ad-hoc work. Requirements include passport valid 6 months beyond arrival with at least one blank page, completed digital arrival card (mandatory from May 1, 2025), onward/return ticket or proof of financial means to support stay, and yellow fever certificate if arriving from countries with transmission risk. Extendable for additional 30 days through Thai immigration. Suitable for tourists visiting Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Chiang Mai temples, Ayutthaya historical park, Phuket beaches, Phi Phi Islands, Krabi, Koh Samui, and other attractions.
Guides
Thailand is Southeast Asia's most complete destination — a country where ancient temple spires rise above neon-lit cities, limestone karsts plunge into turquoise seas, and street-food carts rival white-tablecloth restaurants on flavour alone. Bangkok alone justifies the trip: the Grand Palace and Wat Pho anchor a city where centuries-old temples sit beside cloud-piercing skyscrapers, and Chinatown's Yaowarat Road becomes one of the world's great open-air food markets after dark. Chiang Mai, in the north, is Thailand's cultural heart — hundreds of temples, night markets, hill-tribe trekking and a cooking-school scene that draws its own culinary pilgrims — while Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle offer frontier atmosphere where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. The southern coast splits into two very different seas: the Andaman side delivers Phuket, Krabi's karst scenery and the Phi Phi Islands, while the Gulf side offers Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and some of the world's most accessible dive certification on Koh Tao. Ayutthaya and Sukhothai's UNESCO-listed ruins recall the medieval Siamese kingdoms, and an excellent domestic transport network — trains, buses and regional flights — makes the whole country easy to string together independently.
Thailand travel guide →
The full guide — Bangkok and the north, choosing your coast, the old capitals, and the two-week route.
Money in Thailand →
Baht, ATMs, cards and exchange — the practical money guide.
Eating in Thailand →
One-dish shops, night markets and the regional kitchens — how to eat the way Thailand does.
Getting around Thailand →
Sleeper trains, the budget-air mesh, weather-gated ferries and songthaews — how the country's shape decides your transport.
Health & safety in Thailand →
The real risks (traffic and water, not crime), the classic scams, hospitals and insurance, and the local laws that actually get enforced.
Cities & planning
Regions
Embassies & missions
Europe · 13
Americas · 7
Oceania · 2
Africa · 1
- AustraliaPhuket · Bangkok
- AustriaBangkok · Chiang Mai · Pattaya · Koh Samui +1
- CanadaBangkok · Chiang Mai
- DenmarkBangkok
- FranceBangkok · Hua Hin · Khon Kaen
- GermanyBangkok · Chiang Mai · Pattaya · Phuket
- GuatemalaBangkok
- ItalyPattaya · Bangkok · Chiang Mai · Phuket
- NetherlandsBangkok
- NorwayBangkok
- PolandBangkok
- PortugalBangkok
- Saudi ArabiaBangkok
- South KoreaBangkok
- SpainBangkok · Chiang Mai · Phuket
- SwedenBangkok
- SwitzerlandBangkok · Chiang Mai · Pattaya · Phuket
- United KingdomBangkok
- United StatesChiang Mai · Bangkok
Accredited missions for Thailand
Cultural institutes — Thailand
Language courses, exams, libraries and cultural programmes with a local branch.
Frequently asked questions
Most Western passports — including the US, UK, EU states, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — enter visa-free for up to 60 days, extendable once by 30 days at a Thai immigration office. A small group holds bilateral 90-day agreements instead: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and South Korea. Nationalities outside the exemption apply online through the official e-Visa portal before travel.
A mandatory online arrival registration for every foreign traveller since May 2025, replacing the old paper TM6 form. It is free and completed within three days before arrival — only on the official immigration site; Thai embassies warn about scam websites that imitate the TDAC and charge fees. It is not a visa and grants no right of stay by itself.
Exclusively online through the official e-Visa portal thaievisa.go.th — Thai embassies and consulates no longer take paper applications at their counters. Create an account, choose the visa type, upload documents, and pay by card; the approved visa arrives by email. Processing commonly takes two to four weeks depending on the mission, and fees are non-refundable.
Planning a trip to Thailand? Check what you need to enter and apply online in minutes.
Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.