 | | | | | | | | THAILAND EMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS IMMIGRATION INFORMATION
| One of the most important things for any travellers and yet forgotten by thousands of ardent travellers every year your passport is one thing you simply can’t leave home without. As well as remembering to take it with you, however, you also need to ensure that your current passport is valid for at least six months beyond the date of your return to your home country. You should also take at least two photocopies of the pages containing your photo and any other important information. Carry one on your person and one somewhere safe or if you’re really clever you could e-mail a copy to yourself or save it onto a floppy disk so you can access it at any time. Furthermore, in order to get into many countries on the stay abroad you will require a visa of some type, even if you are just visiting. This is usually an insert, stamp or sticker which is placed in your passport and the duration of its validity varies from place to place. If you do intend to work or study in the country to which you are traveling, however, you should organize your visa even further in advance as this can take longer to process. As well as your passport you should ensure that you have at least one other form of identification with you. This may be a driver’s license, birth certificate or any other form of ID which is acceptable worldwide. As with passports, bring at least two copies of all forms of identification in case of loss or theft. You should also find out where your embassy is in the country to which you are travelling as this will come in very handy for genuine emergencies. For example if you need to return home urgently or lose important documents or passports, your embassy should be able to help you out pretty quickly.  | VISA APPLICATIONS AND PASSPORTS | | | | | Restricted Entry | | Entry may be refused to people with long, untidy-looking hair who are dressed in a manner considered by the authorities to be 'hippyish' or offensive! | | | Passports | | Passport valid for 6 months beyond intended length of stay required by all except: holders of a Hong Kong (SAR) certificate of identity bearing a Thai visa issued in Hong Kong, and holders of a Vietnamese certificate of identity issued in Vietnam with a visa. | | | Visas | | Required by all except the following nationals for stays of up to 30 days, provided they are bona fide tourists with valid passports, hold a confirmed date return ticket and are entering by air, sea or by any other means of transport via the Thai/Malaysian border: (a) nationals of the countries referred to in the chart above; (b) nationals of Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Djibouti, Egypt, Fiji, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Norway, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu and Yemen; (c) nationals of Korea (Rep. Of), New Zealand and Peru for touristic stays of up to 3 months; (d) transit passengers continuing their journey within 12 hours, provided holding confirmed tickets and other documents for an onward journey and do not leave the transit lounge. | | | Note | | (a) The following nationals can obtain an entry visa on arrival at the immigration checkpoints at Don Muang (Bangkok), Chiang Mai, Phuket, Samui, Hat Yai, Utapao, Mae Sai, Cheing Saen, Cheing Kong, Betong, and Sadua airports, provided holding a confirmed ticket to leave within 15 days, a valid passport, 2 passport-size photos and that their visit is for tourist purposes only: Albania, Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China (PR), CIS, Colombia, Comoros Islands, Congo (Dem. Rep.), Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Jamaica, Kiribati, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Nauru, Niger, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Romania, Rwanda, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, San Marino, São Tomé e PrÃncipe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovak Republic, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Surinam, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The fee for this service is approximately US$15, which has to be paid in US Dollars or the Thai Baht equivalent; note this is subject to frequent change. Travellers should note that there are normally long queues at the immigration checkpoints. (b) Anyone intending to stay longer than 30 days must obtain a visa prior to arrival. | | | Types of visa and cost | | Tourist: £8 per entry. Non-immigrant (including business visits): $20. The length of stay is determined by Immigration Officers on arrival. It is possible to get a multiple-entry visa. When applying it is necessary to specify the number of entries required. The standard fee is multiplied by the number of entries and is payable in cash or by postal order only. Transit: $8. | | | Validity | | All visas are valid for 3 months from the date of issue. | | | Application to | | Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy). | | | Application requirements | | (a) Passport (valid for at least 6 months from date of application). (b) 1 completed application form. (c) 2 recent passport-size photographs. (d) Fee (cash or postal order only). (e) Confirmed onward or return ticket. If applying for a tranist visa, the ticket must indicate Thailand as point of transit. (f) Registered, stamped, self-addressed envelope for postal enquiries. (g) Valid international health certificate. (h) If requesting a non-immigrant visa for a business visit, a letter from the employer in country of origin and from the business partner in Thailand explaining the purpose of the visit is required. Visa extensions: (a)-(g), and (h) Copy of passport and additional fee. Nationals of Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Iraq, Iran, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Middle East countries and socialist countries must provide additional information. Contact Consulate for details. Yellow fever vaccination certificates are required for applicants who have visited or come from an affected area. | | | Working days required | | At least 2 days. | | | Note | | (a) The Royal Thai Embassy in London does not accept visa applications by post. (b) Visa application procedures vary depending on nationality. | | | Addresses | | Tourism Authority of Thailand | | Le Concorde Building, 202 Ratchadapisek Road, Bangkok 10310 Tel: (2) 694 1222. Fax: (2) 694 1220/1. E-mail: info1@tat.or.th (information section) Website: http://tat.or.th/ or http://tourismthailand.org/ | | | | | | Help to Visa Application Forms. How to find the right one(s)? Understand that we cannot provide forms, since this specific topic is too complex for a implementation in our websites. Each country uses its own specific application formulars for tourists, residents and/or workers. There are no general or multipurpose formulars for each country. Anyway you may search the needed forms in the Internet by using the search engines like, Altavista, Yahoo, Google, DMOZ, AOL, MSN, Lycos, Teoma. Search examples: Type your query and set - of course - for 'COUNTRY' the real country name you are looking for ... ... and good luck! Important remark: the [ + ] and [ " ] will reduce the number of the search results anyway. Type exactly like examples below or you copy and paste the search strings: If your search was successful, visit the consulate's, governments' or embassies' websites first. As per our investigation experiences most of the downloadable form sheets you'll find are built in PDF for Adobe's Acrobat™ Reader.  PASSPORT APPLICATIONS, RENEWALS Applying for a Passport You should apply for your passport several months in advance of your planned departure, making sure you fill in the dates of your upcoming trip in the appropriate place on the application. If you'll need visas from foreign embassies (find out by checking foreign entry requirements for the country you'll visit, allow more time. (It's very important to check those requirements. Imagine how disappointed you'd be if you were turned back on the day of your departure because your passport expires in three months and the country you're visiting requires it to be valid at least six months AFTER you return home! Also check on immunization requirements -- you may need to be inoculated before you can enter a country!) As a rule, it takes about 25 business days to process your passport application and get the document sent to you. Something to think about: Lines are longest at passport agencies from January to July, resulting in longer waiting times for applicants. You might want to avoid the crowds by applying through a nearby clerk of court or post office that accepts passport applications. Lost or Stolen Passport Losing your passport -- especially if you're in a foreign country -- can be scary. It's the most important item you carry with you, so it's best to keep it someplace secure (like in a money pouch you wear under your clothes). Another safety measure you can take is to make two photocopies of the photo ID page of your passport. Leave one at home with family or friends and keep the other in a different place from your passport, perhaps buried in the bottom of checked luggage. This could make all the difference in getting you on your flight home in the event that your passport is lost or stolen. It also makes getting it replaced much easier. Can I Have My Old Passport Back? Yes! Most people view their passports as important memorabilia and are eager to get them back. That's why your previous passport, marked "canceled," will be returned to you with your new one. | | More Resources | | | Forums |  | Expats Travel Forums First time users check out the FAQ for instructions on using this message board. You have to create an account before you can add and relpy to messages. This is a forum which gives people the opportunity to exchange information about travelling, as well as discuss various topics of interest. | Health | | Travel Health Care Plans - Travel safely to your favourite Destination. | Driving Directions | | General Driving Rules - Driving Information, Restrictions and Safety. | External Links | | Internet Cafe Directory | | Travel Resources - Provided by our visitors. | | Hotel Reservations | | Tour Bookings | More useful Tips for Travellers | | Make sure you have a signed, valid passport and visa, if required. Also, before you go, fill in the emergency information page of your passport! Read the Consular Information Sheets (and Public Announcements or Travel Warnings, if applicable) for the countries you plan to visit. Leave copies of your itinerary, passport data page and visas with family or friends at home, so that you can be contacted in case of an emergency. Make sure you have insurance, which will cover your emergency medical needs, while you are overseas. Familiarize yourself with local laws and customs of the countries to which you are traveling. Remember, while in a foreign country, you are subject to its laws! Do not leave your luggage unattended in public areas and never accept packages from strangers. While abroad, avoid using illicit drugs or drinking excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages, and associating with people who do. Do not become a target for thieves by wearing conspicuous clothing and expensive jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts of cash or unnecessary credit cards. Deal only with authorized agents when you exchange money or purchase art or antiques in order to avoid violating local laws. When overseas, avoid demonstrations and other situations that may become unruly. |  | | Travel-Island.com 2004, 2008 . Weather Channel | | |