Why is Thailand visa needed?
Thailand Visa is required for Indian in order to visit the country whether for tourism or work purpose or if you are transiting from Thailand while traveling to some other place. For Indians, tourist visa for up to 30 days of travel can be issued on arrival at any of the ports of Thailand. People also keep inquiring about the process of Bangkok visa for Indians, however, you must know that there is no such thing as Bangkok visa, you just need to get a Thai visa.
Thailand Visa Eligibility
| Visa Category based on Purpose of Travel |
Who is Eligible? |
|---|
| Type B |
People traveling for business, attending conferences or to teach at school or scuba institutes, or to attend Thai massage courses |
| Type D |
Diplomats from foreign countries |
| Type ED |
Students traveling for academics, vocational courses, attending conferences or training events or to study as a Buddhist monk |
| Type EX |
Skilled workers and specialists traveling for work related purposes |
| Type F |
Expats traveling to perform official duties either from the military or the government |
| Type IB |
Investors investing in the country as per the established laws |
| Type IM |
Investors working in coherence with the concerned Thai ministries and government departments |
| Type M |
Film producers, journalists, and other media professionals who have acquired required permissions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thailand |
| Type O |
People traveling for NGO work, medical treatment, to be a sports coach recognized by the Thai government, to be a contestant or participant or as witness to a court proceedings |
| Type O-A |
Retirement visa |
| Type R |
People traveling to perform missionary work or any other religious work in coherence with the relevant Thai ministries and government departments |
| Type RS |
People traveling to conduct scientific research in a recognized institute |
| Type S |
People participating in official sports events |
Visa eligibility of Thailand depends on various factors, like:
Country of Residence:
Based on your country of residence, you will be issued the short-term visa on arrival for either 14 days or 30 days or 60 days or 90 days. For different countries, there are different set of eligibility rules.
Purpose of Visit:
Based on the purpose of your visit, you would need to check the eligibility criteria.
Type of Employment:
If you are business personnel, you can apply for Type B visa. If you are a skilled worker, you are eligible under the Type EX visa. If you are a media professional, you can apply under the Type M visa. Based on your profession and employment, you can check your eligibility.
Thailand Visa Application Process
Basic Types of Thailand Visas
There are two basic types of Thailand visas that foreigners can avail:
This includes short term visit visa from 14 to 90 days, long term visa, transit visa, and courtesy visa.
This includes special categories of visas issued to different people based on their profile, purpose of travel, and duration of travel. Such a visa can be issued to students, sports personnel, government personnel, military officials, business people, skilled workers, media personnel, retirees, scientists, teachers, etc.
- General Visa
- Non-Immigrant Visa
Process for different types of visas
Short-term tourist visa generally does not require any process as such, till you actually arrive in the country. Upon your arrival in Thailand, you can visit the immigration desk and get your visa issued. Such a visa for Indians would be valid for 30 days.
Process for long term and non-immigrant categories of visa would require you to apply in advance before visiting the country. The Thai embassy has recognized two agencies in India to carry out the application process on behalf of candidates. These agencies are VFS Global and Cox & Kings. You can contact one of these agencies and sort out the documents as well as the visa application process. Otherwise, you can download the application form, submit it to the embassy or consulate along with relevant supporting documents and then wait for the visa. The visa will be either approved or rejected within a timeline of 3 days from the application.
The process of application for long term and non-immigrant categories can be completed online as well as offline based on your convenience.
Where to apply for Thailand Visa?
Offline Application:
Offline application can be made by visiting any of the VFS Global Thailand Visa Application Centres. You can download the application form from the website of VFS Global and submit it at any of the offline centres along with your photo and relevant supporting documents. VFS Global has application centres in Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Chandigarh, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Kolkata and Kochi.
Online Application:
You can also apply for Thailand visa online. You will need to visit the website of VFS Global Thailand page. You can fill the form here and submit it online along with your basic personal details. Once you submit the form, you will need to select one of the Thailand Embassy and Consulates for the application process based on your location within India. The Royal Thai Embassy is in New Delhi, whereas there are Royal Thai Consulate Generals in Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata.
Visa on Arrival:
For short-term tourism related purpose of traveling up to 30 days in Thailand, you do not need to apply before you reach the country. Once you land in Thailand, you would just need to visit the immigration office at the airport and furnish relevant documents along with return flight ticket in order to get the visa issued.
How to book Appointment?
There is no need of any prior appointment in order to apply for Thailand visa. If you wish to apply offline, you can just walk in to any of the above-mentioned Visa Application Centres of VFS Global and get the process done. If you wish to apply online, you can just fill the form and submit the application. In case of visa on arrival, you can just stand at the queue (if at all) at the immigration desk of the airport through which you entered Thailand.
How to Check Status of Thailand Visa
The status of your Thailand visa application can be checked online from the track your application page on VFS Global website. You will need to enter your passport number along with your date of birth in order to avail the status check feature.
Thailand Visa Document Requirements
The basic type of visas required for visiting Thailand include general visa and non-immigrant visa. General visa is issued to people wanting to travel to the country for short term, long term, on courtesy, or for transit. Non-immigrant visa is issued to people wanting to travel to the country with specific purposes including but not limited to studies, business, sports, arts, science, teaching, training, military duty, government duty, international organization duty, journalism, producing a movie, religion, etc.
Documents Required for Tourist or Transit Visa:
- Passport with a validity of at least 4 months and with at least 2 empty pages
- Visa application form duly filled and signed by the applicant
- Two color photographs as specified by the Royal Thai Embassy
- Visa fee receipt
- Confirmed onwards and return flight ticket
- Proof of accommodation in Thailand in either hotel or a friend or relative’s place. In case you are traveling in group, you would need to present the details of all the travellers with passport numbers, travel plan and places of travel within Thailand
- In case staying with friends or relatives, you would need to present an invitation letter along with their passport number. In case your friends or relatives are not Thai, their work permit should be valid for at least 6 months
- Proof of sufficient funds
Thailand Visa Requirements for Non-Immigrant Visa for Business, Sports, Media (Type B, S, M)
- Filled visa application form duly signed by the applicant
- Checklist document duly filled and signed by the applicant
- Appointment confirmation on an A4 sheet
- Original passport that must be valid for at least 6 months
- Two photocopies of the biodata of the applicant
- Two color photographs
- Flight ticket booking
- Proof of sufficient funds – either 6 months bank statement or EPF slips or fixed deposit certificates
- Letter from the sponsor along with his financial, ID, and address proofs
- Original marriage certificate (if applicable)
- Original birth certificate
- Original company registration certificate (if applicable)
- Letter issued by the applicant’s employer explaining the sanctioned leave of absence and/or the official purpose of Thailand visit (if applicable)
- For sports visa, you would additionally need an official letter from the Ministry of Sports in Thailand to grant you permission of participating in the sports event in the country
- For media visa, you would additionally need an official letter from the Ministry of Tourism in Thailand to grant you permission of making a film or conducting specific media activities within the country
- In case of a journalist, you would additionally need to provide proof on your agency being registered with the Thai government or a specific state
- In case you were issued visa earlier and did not use, you would need to provide an explanation letter on the reasons the previous visa was not used
- In case your name is different in any of the documents you have furnished, you would additionally need evidence to verify your identity
Documents Required for Education Visa (Type ED)
- Filled visa application form duly signed by the applicant
- Checklist document duly filled and signed by the applicant
- Appointment confirmation on an A4 sheet
- Original passport that must be valid for at least 6 months
- Two photocopies of the biodata of the applicant
- Two color photographs
- Flight ticket booking
- Proof of sufficient funds – either 6 months bank statement or EPF slips or fixed deposit certificates
- Original marriage certificate (if applicable)
- Original company registration certificate (if applicable)
- Original birth certificate
- Letter issued by a registered institute confirming the admission along with the details of the course
- Letter issued by the current employer of applicant granting leave to attend training/seminar/conference (if applicable)
- Proof of education of the applicant with all important marksheets
- If the applicant is less than 18 years in age, he/she would need to furnish all important details of parents including their marriage certificate, consent letter duly signed, copies of their biodatas and passports, etc.
- In case your name is different in any of the documents you have furnished, you would additionally need evidence to verify your identity
The above Thailand visa documents are to be furnished to the relevant embassy or consulate in correct order and with a checklist.
Thailand Tourist Visa
What is Thailand Tourist Visa?
Thailand tourist visa is handed over to Indians upon arrival to the country through any of its port. The immigration department at these ports function 24*7 so that any visitor can avail tourist visa right upon arrival.
Duration of Thailand Tourist Visa
The duration of Thailand tourist visa would depend on your nationality. For a small group of countries, Thailand does not even require a visa. For another small group of countries, Thailand allows 90 days of tourist visa on arrival. For another set of countries, it allows 60 days of tourist visa. However, for most of the countries, including India, Thailand allows up to 30 days of tourist visa on arrival. This tourist visa can be extended once for 30 more days at an additional visa fee of 1900 Baht.
Eligibility Criteria for Thailand Tourist Visa
There are no pre-defined eligibility criteria for Thailand tourist visa as such. However, you are deemed to be eligible if you are able to produce the relevant requested documents. In special cases and under special visa categories, the eligibility will be checked on the basis of your profile, financial proof, and other types of proofs of evidence. For example, you will need to be a Thai government approved participant in order to participate in a sports tournament or a movie production stint in the country.