Visa / Entrance Requirements
ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: If you are a U.S. citizen tourist staying
for fewer than 30 days, you do not require a visa, but your passport must have at
least six months validity remaining. You may be asked to show an onward/return ticket.
If you enter Thailand by air without a visa, you are allowed to stay in Thailand
for 30 days per visit. If you enter Thailand by land without a visa, you are allowed
to stay in Thailand for 15 days per visit. If you enter Thailand without a visa,
you cannot remain in Thailand for more than 90 days during any six-month period,
counting from the date of first entry. After 90 days, you must apply for a new visa
at a Thai embassy outside of the country. You must pay a Passenger Service Charge
in Thai baht when you departi from any of Thailand's international airports. This
charge is now included in airline ticket prices at Bangkok's main airport, Suvarnabhumi
International Airport.
When you enter the country, Thai Immigration stamps your passport with the date
your authorized stay will expire. If you remain in Thailand beyond this date without
getting an official extension, you will be assessed an immediate cash fine of 500
Baht per day, up to a maximum of 20,000 Baht, when departing Thailand. Any foreigner
found by police to be out of legal status prior to departure (during a Thai Immigration
"sweep" through a guesthouse, for example) will be jailed, fined, deported at his
or her own expense, and may be barred from re-entering Thailand. Private "visa extension
services," even those advertising in major periodicals or located close to Immigration
offices or police stations, are illegal. A number of U.S. citizens are arrested
at border crossings each year with counterfeit visas and entry stamps they have
obtained through these illegal services.
HIV/AIDS Restrictions
Some HIV/AIDS entry restrictions exist for visitors to and foreign residents of
Thailand. However, these restrictions are generally not enforced. Please verify
this information with the Royal Thai Embassy before you travel.
Visa Overstays:
Malaysian immigration authorities routinely detain foreigners who overstay their
social visit passes (visas). In light of the arrests of several American citizens
in connection with immigration sweeps conducted by Malaysian police and immigration
authorities, American citizens should carry their passports (containing the Malaysian
entry stamp) with them at all times. Depending upon the nature of the violation,
detentions may last from a few hours to several weeks, pending a formal hearing.
American citizens are urged to check their visa status periodically while in Malaysia
and strictly follow immigration laws and regulations.
Thailand's entry/exit information is subject to change without notice. For further
information on Thailand's entry/exit requirements, contact the Royal Thai Embassy,
1024 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20007, telephone (202) 944-3600 (202)
944-3600 , or contact the Thai consulates in Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York City.
Visit the Royal Thai Embassy website for the most current visa information.
REGISTRATION/EMBASSY LOCATION:
If you are going to live in or visit Thailand, please take the time to tell our
Embassy or Consulate about your trip. If you check in, we can keep you up to date
with important safety and security announcements. It will also help your friends
and family get in touch with you in an emergency. Here’s the link to the Department
of State’s travel registration page.
Local embassy information is available below and at the Department of State’s list
of embassies and consulates.
U.S. Embassy, Bangkok
95 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Telephone: 66-2-205-4049, 02-205-4049 (within Thailand)
Emergency after-hours telephone: 66-2-205-4000, 02-205-4000 (within Thailand)
Facsimile: 66-2-205-4103, 02-205-4103 (within Thailand)
U.S. Consulate General, Chiang Mai
387 Wichayanond Road, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand
Telephone: 66-53-107-700, 053-107-700 (within Thailand)
Emergency after-hours telephone: 66-81-881-1878, 081-881-1878 (within Thailand)
Facsimile: 66-53-252-633, 053-252-633 (within Thailand)
