Thai Visa... From Thailand Tourist Visa to Work Permit

To start off, you should know that you can use several different companies and services to get the specific Thai visa you need. However, the price you pay and service you get can vary greatly, especially once you're in Thailand.

So be careful who you use and how much you pay so you won't get cheated. If I have some Thailand visa things that I cannot do personally and need help I usually turn to companies like Sunbelt Asia because I trust them and their prices are pretty fair.

Thai Visa Note: Below, I list links to the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington D.C. because the entry and stay requirements are basically the same for all countries expect where noted.

Most people will receive a basic Thailand travel visa for 30 day entry upon arrival at a Thai international airport. This visa is good for tourism purposes with no advanced paperwork needed. This type of entry is called a Thailand Tourist Visa Exemption, which basically means you don't need an official tourist visa for visiting Thailand for 30 days. You can basically hop on a plane and enter the country and they will stamp your passport for 30 days provided you have at least 10,000 baht (about $300 usd) in your pocket. Hopefully you have more than that but still I don't remember them ever checking or asking upon entry.

This link shows the countries that are allowed the Tourist Visa Exemption.

Strangely enough, Brazilians, Koreans and Peruvians can stay in Thailand for 90 days on a Thailand Tourist Visa Exemption. I guess that's why I see so many Brazilians in the country.

If you need more time in Thailand then you can apply for an actual Thailand Tourist Visa which will allow you to stay for another 30 days. You can only stay 60 days max on a tourist visa, the last 30 days on visa exemption, plus the next 30 days on a Thailand Tourist Visa.

To do this you must go to the Immigration Bureau Office located on Soi Suan Plu, off South Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120 and pay 2000 Thai Baht. You'll also need to fill out some forms, show proof of air ticket back to your country, and show financial evidence of 20,000 Baht a person.

If you enter through a bordering country like Cambodia then you will be permitted another 15 days of stay. This is a big change from the past as many foreigners used to make border runs for 30 day extensions forever. Now it's 15 which means you'll spend more money and time getting your extension. Thailand is trying to cut down on foreigners living in the country illegally so staying on a Thailand travel visa is getting harder.

Obviously you're not allowed to work nor do business on any tourist visa.

For more information on tourist visas, visit the Royal Thai Visa Embassy web site.

Non-Immigrant Thailand Visa

Non-immigrant status is for people who want to stay or work in Thailand. There are many types of non-immigrant visas. The following is a full list of categories and a direct quote from the Royal Thai Embassy Website,

• To conduct business / to work: (Category B).
• To study, to come on a work study tour or observation tour, to participate in projects or seminar, to attend a conference or training course, to study as a foreign Buddhist monk: (Category ED).
• To work as a film-producer, journalist or reporter: (Category M).
• To perform missionary work or other religious activities with the concurrence of the Thai Ministries or Government Departments concerned: (Category R).
• To conduct scientific research or training or teaching in research institute: (Category RS).
• Other activities: (Category O) as follows: To stay with the family, perform duties for the state enterprise or social welfare organizations, to receive medical treatment, to be a sport coach as required by Thai Government, to be a contestant or witness for the judicial process.
• To stay after retirement for a person who over 50 years old or older: (Category O-A).

I would like to talk a little about Category B, O and O-A as most people fit into these categories and it's what I have the most experience with.

The first Thai visa I ever received was a Thailand tourist visa as do most people. After my long holiday I realized I wanted to stay and possibly live in Thailand so I had to find out what visa I needed to do that.

After a little research back in the States I had decided that I wanted to teach in Thailand but I needed a TEFL Certificate at a minimum in order to do that.

I had visited many Thailand TEFL school web sites and settled on one named, Text and Talk Academy. The great thing about this academy, which others probably do as well, is that they set up the one year multiple entry Category B visa for you. I just choose the location I wanted to be taught at, paid for the class, and they had me mail my passport to the Royal Thai Consulate in Houston, TX for the Category B stamp. I did all this while I was still in the U.S.

The Category B allows you work in Thailand, conduct business in Thailand, or in my case teach in Thailand for 1 year. You're also free to check in and out of the country any time during that one year.

Once you finish your school it's fairly easy to find a teaching job. However, it's a little more difficult to get the school to support your work permit as they must then report to the government about you, which costs them time and money.

Some places charge you a great deal of money for just the Category B stamp but I got it for free for going to a TEFL class that I needed anyway.

The next Thai visa I received was "Thai Wife" Category O. I got this visa once I was married and living in Thailand. It allows you to stay in Thailand for 1 year but you must check into the immigration office every three months. During this one year you can choose to get a single entry every three months for $65 usd or you can get one year multiple entry for $175 usd. I always choose the latter.

By the way, getting married in Thailand is easy, you just need to know what office buildings to go to.

To get the Category O visa you need to show at least 400,000 Thai Baht in the bank that was sitting there for at least 60 days in your name or can provide proof of 40,000 Thai Baht a month income. There are also a few other restrictions as well like sitting in the immigration office all day and watching the paint peel off the walls.

You can renew this Thai visa every year but you have to start the process all over again. I believe once you've tortured yourself through this for 5 straight years you only have to check in once every 5 years. I've heard others talk about this but for me it was just a legend as I never made it thus far.

After the Thai wife visa I went back to the Category B visa. The reason I did this was because I opened my business, Eternal Crest, as I mention in the business in Thailand section. I opened this company as a Limited Liability Partnership with my Thai wife.

I obtained a work permit under my company and was able to freely do as I wished. The work permit looks like a small passport.However, setting up the company and getting the work permit did require some foot work. I also had to show proof of things like how many Thais worked for me, taxes, business location, etc. It's a little more tedious than setting up a business in the States but it is doable.

To the left was my tax card for Eternal Crest business.

I never got a Category O-A Thai visa as I'm not old enough...yet, but I did have many friends and acquaintances who did.

Generally a type O-A applicant needs to be 50 years or over, have 800,000 Thai Baht in the bank or 65,000 Thai Baht monthly income, have no criminal record, and have no sickly diseases like Leprosy, TB, etc.

The visa is good for one year and you have a choice of getting a single entry 3 month or multiple entry 1 year. It's the same as I stated above under Category O "Thai Wife."

For more information on all non-immigrant Thai visas please visit, Royal Thai Embassy non-immigrant section

A few side notes:

If you're doing any Thailand visa paperwork in the country it really helps to have someone who speaks Thai to help you out. You don't necessarily need a Thai person but it does help but again don't get cheated!

If you plan on staying and living in Thailand don't forget to bring your birth certificate, educational records, criminal background checks, and other important paperwork. You may need medical exams but that's one of the beauties of Thailand, medical care is good and cheap so you can get it done there.

A great deal of Thai immigration information handling is still done on paper and files do get lost on occasion so be patient and remember the customs of Thailand.

Some people think that Thailand is a place that criminals can go and hide out. Not so! A few might come for vacation but the documents, criminal history checks and the constant checking in with immigration offices and authorities makes as difficult or more difficult to escape the law as it would be living in a Western country.

No matter what Thai visa I had obtained I always was checking in and being checked. My wife came to the States and was checked in ONCE by immigration at the San Francisco Airport and hasn't been checked since.

For U.S. and Thai visa information on bringing your Thai girlfriend, fiance, or wife to the U.S. then click here.

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