Thailand Visas, Permits and Immigration

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Any foreigner looking for entry to the Kingdom of Thailand for investment, medical treatment, study, mass media, business, employment, and religious or other purposes is required to apply for a visa from the Consulate General or the Thailand Embassy. A foreigner should have travel documents or a passport validated by the Royal Thailand Government. You must also comply with conditions implemented by the Immigration Act B.E.2522. The Royal Thai Consulate Generals and Royal Thai Embassies have the right to issue visas to a foreigner traveling in Thailand.

Thailand Immigration Laws

Under the Alien Employment Act, a foreigner cannot make any act of service or work unless a work permit is issued by the Ministry of Labor or the Department of Employment of Thailand. This act also concentrates in deporting any illegal foreigner who works without a permit issued by Thailand immigration.

The Labor Protection Act of the Civil Commercial Code (CCC) is primarily responsible for managing the labor protection of immigrants who work and live in Thailand. These immigration laws of Thailand are focused on every aspect of the employees’ immigration concerns such as overtime wages, female and child labor, working hours, employee welfare, sick leave, employee social security, remuneration, and employee termination or resignation.

Types of Non-Immigrant Visas

Single Entry Visa

All types of visas allow a single entry visa in Thailand. It is valid for three months from the date of issuance and allows the visitor to enter Thailand with a single entry status. For an additional visit, foreigners will be required a new visa that may be acquired from the Thai Embassy or Consulate outside Thailand. This single entry visa can be extended for thirty days without necessarily leaving Thailand by applying for an extension at the Thailand Immigration office.

Multiple Entry Visa

Multiple entry visas are valid 12 months from the date of issuance. It allows you to enter Thailand on many occasions, and you are required to stay in Thailand for up to 90 days. Multiple entry visas can be extended up to 15 months.

Thai Work visa

If you want to work legally in the territory of Thailand, you must have a non-immigrant business visa and work permit. You should have a visa before applying for the work permit. If you intend to work in the Republic of Thailand, you also need to get the visa before actually arriving in Thailand. You must possess the work permit before you begin to work.

Retirement Visa

If you are over fifty years old and want to retire in Thailand, you should get a retirement visa. The requirement to obtain this retirement visa is a criminal clearance. This means you must not have any criminal record whatsoever. The local police should verify your clearance to acquire a form from them. A medical certificate from your physician is needed to check the presence for communicable diseases such as TB and AIDS.

Official or Diplomatic Visa

The Embassies and Consulate Generals of Thailand may grant visas to officials or diplomatic passport holders who want to assume duties at the foreign Consulate or Diplomatic Mission or International Organization in the kingdom of Thailand. This is also issued to their family members traveling with them.

Tourist Visa

In Thailand, tourist or TR visas can be granted for sixty days or up to thirty days depending on the nationality of the applicant. All citizens of nineteen countries having an agreement with the Thailand immigration can obtain a visa upon arrival. The fee for entry is about 1,000 Bath. The requirements for this visa are listed below:

Proof of sufficient funds for the duration of stay
Travel documents or passport valid for not less than six months
Recent photograph of the applicant with a size of 4 x 6 centimeters
Confirmation of an onward or return ticket

Types of Immigration Permits

Work Permit

Most foreigners who work in Thailand are subject to the Alien Employment Act H.E.2521. The term “work” is identified very broadly covering the mental and physical aspects of the job. Working without a work permit even for a day is an illegal offence.

Residence Permit

Foreigners with a residence permit can permanently live in Thailand without documents required for a work permit. They are not required to apply for an extension of a temporary stay in Thailand. The annual quota before granting the permanent residency in Thailand is a maximum of one hundred people per country. Residence permit holders have a number of privileges allowing them to:

Purchase a condominium or house without having to transfer cash from abroad.
Apply for naturalization in agreement with the law
Apply for an extended stay or permanent residence for a non Thai family member
Have a Thailand nationality granted to a child who is born in Thailand.

Re-Entry Permit

A re-entry permit allows foreigners to re-enter Thailand and use the remaining days stated on their visas. If such re-entry permits were not acquired, the visa will automatically be cancelled regardless whether the permit has yet to expire or otherwise. For you to make easy travel schedules, this re-entry permit can be obtained from Chiang Mai, Phuket, Don Muang Bangkok, Sukhothai International Airport or other designated immigration checkpoints in Thailand.

Change of Visa

The Thailand government gives foreigners, particularly those who have not applied for non-immigration visas before arriving in Thailand, the ability to change their visa should they want to stay longer in Thailand. This process can be done in Thailand. A foreigner qualified for a change of visa should enter with a transit or tourist visa granted by a consulate abroad or the Thai embassy. Foreigners should apply for a change of visa not less than 30 days before their current visa expires.

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