The visa exemption rule enables you to enter Thailand without needing to apply for a visa at a local Thai embassy or consulate.
Thailand has an agreement with 93 countries that facilitates visa-free travel for tourist visitors.
In this guide I will run through the entry requirements to help you ensure you are compliant for your visit.
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What Is a Visa Exemption Stamp?
When you enter Thailand a visa exemption stamp will put in your passport by an immigration officer.
If you arrive by air or land, this stamp permits you to stay 60 days inside the country. The date of your entry and required leave date will be printed on the stamp.
There is no charge for this stamp. It is given to you when you hand over your passport in the immigration queue.
If you stay beyond 60 days, then you are considered to be on overstay and and you will be fined 500 Baht per day, with a maximum fine of 20,000 Baht. More on overstay here.
The visa exemption entry is granted a maximum of twice in a calendar year when entering over land or via a sea border. There is no limitation when entering by air.
For Malaysians entering by land border, there is no limitation on crossings per year.
Citizens of Korea, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, and Chile get a 90-day exemption at both airport and land borders.
An old Exemption Stamp: Entered on 8th Jan, given 30 days until 6th Feb. However, under the new rule visitors receive 60 days upon entry.
Participating Countries
The 93 countries allowed entry under the visa exemption rule are as follows:
| Country | ||
|---|---|---|
| Albania | Andorra | Australia |
| Austria | Belgium | Bahrain |
| Bhutan | Brazil | Brunei |
| Bulgaria | Cambodia | Canada |
| Czech Republic | China | Colombia |
| Croatia | Cuba | Cyprus |
| Denmark | Dominica | Dominican Republic |
| Ecuador | Estonia | Fiji |
| Finland | France | Georgia |
| Germany | Greece | Guatemala |
| Hong Kong | Hungary | Iceland |
| India | Indonesia | Ireland |
| Israel | Italy | Jamaica |
| Japan | Jordan | Kazakhstan |
| Korea (ROK) | Kosovo | Kuwait |
| Laos | Latvia | Liechtenstein |
| Lithuania | Luxembourg | Macau |
| Malaysia | Maldives | Malta |
| Mauritius | Mexico | Monaco |
| Mongolia | Morocco | Netherlands |
| New Zealand | Norway | Oman |
| Panama | Papua New Guinea | Peru |
| Philippines | Poland | Portugal |
| Qatar | Romania | Russia |
| San Marino | Saudi Arabia | Singapore |
| Slovakia | Slovenia | Spain |
| Sri Lanka | South Africa | Sweden |
| Switzerland | Taiwan | Tonga |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Turkey | Ukraine |
| UAE | UK | USA |
| Uruguay | Uzbekistan | Vietnam |
Requirements for the Visa Exemption Stamp
Even though you don't have to apply, there are still rules that apply to visa exemption entry.
- Your visit must be strictly for the purpose of tourism.
- Your passport has a validity of 6 months or more.
- You must have a confirmed return ticket to show that you are flying out of Thailand within 60 days of entry. Open tickets do not qualify. On arrival you may be asked to show proof of a return ticket. Traveling over land out of Thailand by train, bus, etc., to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia (including en route to Singapore), Myanmar, etc may be accepted as proof of exiting Thailand.
- You will need to be able to funds of at least 10,000 THB per person, or 20,000 THB for a family.
The Six Stamp Limit Rule
Despite the official law stating that there is no limitation to the amount of times you can enter by air in a calendar year, you may have read elsewhere that there is a six limit rule.
This rule is not set in law, but rather said to be a quota that triggers suspicion.
Apparently an immigration officer will be alerted when you reach a total of six in/outs in a year.
That doesn't mean that the officer will refuse you entry, but it does mean that he/she will look deeper into your travel history and may question your intentions.
I would advise people who intend on visiting more than a few times a year to consider getting a Tourist Visa, which is easily obtainable from an embassy or consulate in your home country. A multiple entry TV lasts for 6 months, with a maximum 60-day stay in any given visit. Tourist Visa details can be found here.
Your Country Not on the List?
Visa on Arrival (eVOA)
If your country is not listed above, you may be able to apply for a Visa On Arrival.
You can apply for an eVisa on arrival using iVisa. It's a quick service that cuts out the middle man.
Select your country of origin in the box to start the process:
Travel Insurance
You do not need travel insurance to enter Thailand, but it is sensible to take out a policy to cover any unfortunate circumstances.
If you incur medical expenses in Thailand the bill will not be covered by the state. You will pay out of your own pocket, so I recommend getting cover.
You may have an international health insurance policy that covers travel, so check that first.
If not, travel insurance is very affordable and covers medical emergencies and personal injury and accidents. It can also cover missed/delayed flights, and lost luggage.
I recommend the following two companies:
A Word on the Entry Requirements
Most people who have previously visited Thailand won't recall ever having been asked to show a return ticket, or to prove that they have funds of at least 10,000 Baht for their stay.
I certainly haven't. But that's because in Thailand rules are set but not always applied.
You might come across an immigration officer who is a stickler for the rules and works to the absolute word, and you might come across an officer who is less strict and actually smiles!
Moreover, sometimes rules get changed and the change doesn't filter down through the ranks for a long time (we've seen this in the case of requirements for marriage), meaning that some government officials are applying old rules and confusing foreign nationals.
Regardless of what you've heard from other people, or what's happened to you in the past, always read up on the requirements before you travel.
If you are entering on a visa exemption stamp, then make sure you are doing so for tourism purposes only, and that you have a confirmed return ticket to show that you are flying out of Thailand on a specific date.
If you don't have a return flight, use a service like Onewayfly to get one, without having to pay for the flight.
It might be worth carrying that 10,000 Baht, too, or the equivalent in foreign currency or travelers cheques, to prove that you have the funds required for your stay.
You don't have to carry it, though. You could show it at an ATM. As long as you can prove you have the amount you're good to go.
Extending Your Stay by 30 Days
If you enter Thailand on an exemption stamp, you will be given a 60-day stay. You can extend your stay for a further 30 days at an immigration office for a fee of 1,900 Baht.
Of course, you must do this before the 60 days expire.
You should set aside a whole day to get this completed, though it shouldn't take more than a few hours door to door. It will be far quicker if you get to the immigration office as close to opening time as possible.
Please note: Immigration reserve the right to extend your stay by less than 60 days and may give you 30, 15, or even 7 days.
It doesn't usually happen, but immigration can also refuse to extend your stay, if they suspect you aren't visiting for the purpose of tourism, or see another red flag in your application.
What Happens When You're Refused Entry?
What happens if you exceed the permitted number of land crossings and are refused entry to Thailand, or perhaps on your seventh in/out air crossing of the year an immigration officer decides not to let you in?
There are two things you can do:
- Return to your home country.
- Go to the nearest country and get a tourist visa from the Thai embassy, and then enter Thailand again.
The first option probably isn't the one you're going to want to take. The second option will usually rectify the situation.
However, if you have a dubious travel history and you've been flagged on the system, it is possible that you will be granted a tourist visa in a neighboring country but be refused entry again once you return to Thailand. In this situation, your tourist visa will be stamped with a “void” stamp.
This is certainly not a good situation, and in such a case you would have to try and obtain another tourist visa and try your luck again with another immigration officer.
A Final Word of Advice
If you are coming to Thailand on holiday for a specific number of days, and you know that you are definitely going to leave on that day because you need to get back home, then the exemption stamp is designed for you.
However, if you think you might want to stay longer than your allotted 60 days, you should consider a Tourist Visa, or, if you're a regular visitor, perhaps the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV).
Sure, you can extend the exemption stamp at immigration, as explained above, but it will interrupt your trip and require a day trip to immigration. Moreover, you don't want to end up on overstay: It's easy to forget what day it is when your life is a blur of beaches, bars, and restaurants.
Last Updated on
Jo says
And to be sure ..if it is 30 days I assume i can also extend but then for 30 days.
Thanks
Sep 29, 2022 at 8:34 pm
TheThailandLife says
Sep 29, 2022 at 9:56 pm
Jeff says
Sep 23, 2022 at 3:07 pm
JamesE says
Sep 23, 2022 at 9:54 pm
Roger Wayne Drummond says
Sep 24, 2022 at 6:05 am
Kay says
I have extended my exemption visa once for 30 days in order to get an education visa but have decided against it as I will leave the country two months after the date my visa was extended to which is 29 Sept 2021 (edu visas are canceled when you exit the country). Is there any way I could apply for a tourist visa while already in the country? What would you say are my options?
Aug 13, 2021 at 2:34 pm
Tom Richmond says
May 11, 2021 at 3:43 pm
TheThailandLife says
May 11, 2021 at 5:26 pm
Aaron says
Apr 20, 2021 at 6:19 am
TheThailandLife says
Apr 20, 2021 at 9:45 pm
Jay says
Mar 18, 2021 at 3:34 am
TheThailandLife says
Mar 18, 2021 at 3:38 am
wayne says
Jun 24, 2020 at 3:39 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jun 24, 2020 at 4:56 pm
Martin1 says
I guess there is a misunderstanding. Non-Imm. visa type O entitles one to stay in the kingdom until the visa expires. NO need to leave the country before that.
And I know that for sure as I have the same situation like Wayne: I stay in Thailand with such a visa.
It might be the case, that the very first time after the first entry one has to go to immigration to activate the full staying time.
But I can freely extend each and every year my visa type O without having to leave the country before 11-1/2 months are up.
Wayne should be aware though that 90 days reporting is required!!!
Jun 24, 2020 at 11:42 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jun 24, 2020 at 11:50 pm
Mike Baker says
Jun 25, 2020 at 8:22 am
TheThailandLife says
Jun 25, 2020 at 3:49 pm
Mike Baker says
Jun 25, 2020 at 8:22 pm
TheThailandLife says
Jun 25, 2020 at 8:34 pm
Jason says
May 06, 2020 at 1:00 pm
Mike Baker says
May 06, 2020 at 6:07 pm
Jason says
May 06, 2020 at 8:42 pm
James E says
May 06, 2020 at 11:30 pm
Dave says
If you are denied a 60/90 day tourist visa, will they put you in the system and automatically refuse your entry on the exemption.
I was told that one is allowed to do two Tourist Visas per year. I obtained my first one back in November. I flew to Phnom Penh to obtain the second one on January 13th. Technically, this should have counted as my first tourist visa for 2020.
The lady at the counter asked me why I didn't return to the States on the ticket that I'd given as proof on my last request I told her that I'd changed my mind about going home for Christmas and was instead heading back to the States for the Spring (March Madness).
She said that the consulate may refuse my Visa because of this....and they did.
I wonder if that will preclude me from entering at all.
I'd like to get back and collect my things before I head to the States. I also don't want to risk being deported.
I was thinking about heading over to Vientiene to try the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge border crossing but nervous that I'll be put on some kind of blacklist or have already been entered in the system as deny access.
I showed them proof that I was doing tourist things like taking Muaythai, etc and provided contact details for the courses and what not. Still denied.
Jan 19, 2020 at 2:35 pm
M says
Nov 14, 2019 at 10:00 pm