Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Thai Visas
               

01.

What are the specific requirements for obtaining a visa for Thailand?

02.

Where can I obtain the Thai Visa Application?

03.

Where should I apply for my Thai Visa?

04.

Do I have to send my actual passport with my visa application or can I send a copy of the passport?

05.

I have a Federal Express/DHL/or UPS account. Can I enclose a label and account information for returning my passport and visa?

06.

What do you mean by "passport must be valid for at least six months?"

07.

How soon should I apply for my visa?

08.

How can I extend my visa while in Thailand?

09.

My passport does not contain any blank "Visa" pages. Can the visa be issued on the "Amendment" pages?

10.

I have an emergency and must fly to Thailand immediately. Can I obtain a visa from the Consulate in one day if I visit the Consulate in person?

11.

I had a visa issued by your office earlier this year and it expired before I could use it. Can I extend this visa?

12.

I plan to visit other countries around Thailand and I plan to be in Thailand for less than 30 days. However, my airline ticket shows more than 30 days in Thailand. Do I need to apply for a visa?

13.

What if I visit Thailand without a visa for 30 days and I decide to extend my stay beyond the 30-day period. Can I extend the "30-day-visa-on-arrival" in Thailand?

14.

I will be in Thailand on business for less than 30 days. Do I need to obtain a visa?

15.

I would like to seek employment while in Thailand. Your requirements for a Non-Immigrant Visa state that I must have a letter  from the company or institution I will be working - along with other documentation - with when I apply for the visa. If I don't have the required documentation for the Non-Immigrant Visa, can you issue a Non-Immigrant Visa so I can still look for work?

16.

My spouse is Thai and we will be visiting his/her family for more than 60 days. Can I obtain a Non-Immigrant Visa for visiting our relatives?

17.

When paying for the visa fee, may I pay by personal or company check?

18.

I will be visiting Thailand with my family. Can I send all of our passports and visa applications together in one envelope?

19.

Can I apply for a Visa for someone other than myself?

20.

If I am required to submit a copy of my airline tickets, can I submit the itinerary instead?

21.

At which Thai Immigration checkpoints can I obtain a "Visa on Arrival?"

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Visas for Thailand

 

[Top]

Where can I obtain the Thai Visa Application?

To receive applications by mail, please send a self addressed stamped envelope to:

Royal Thai Consulate General
Attn: Visa Section
611 N. Larchmont Blvd., 2nd Floor
Los Angeles, California 90004

You can download the visa application as an PDF IconAdobe pdf  file from Download Visa Forms Page |Click here| .  However, you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to view and print the PDF visa and passport applications. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, visit their web site at http://www.adobe.com/.

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Where should I apply for my Thai Visa?

See "Consular District" in Consulate Info.

[Top]

Do I have to send my actual passport with my visa application or can I send a copy of the passport?

You must send the actual passport with the required documentation for the Thai visa. When sending your passport by mail, we recommend that you use a a safer mail service other than regular mail (Registered Mail, Priority Mail, Express Mail, etc.). Also keep this in mind when you include the postage for returning the passport and visa to you.

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I have a Federal Express/DHL/or UPS account. Can I enclose a label and account information for returning my passport and visa?

Yes. You can use a courier service such as Federal Express, DHL, UPS, etc. for return mail of your passport and visa. However, make sure you have completed the label and all necessary information on the label and, if possible, include an envelope from the courier service.  MUST have an account number - credit card payment is NOT accepted.

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What do you mean by "passport must be valid for at least six months?"

Your passport must not expire within six months from the date you apply for the visa to Thailand.  This does not mean that your passport must be at least six months old. Please note that our office cannot issue the Thai visa if the passport will expire earlier than six months.

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How soon should I apply for my visa?

You may apply for the visa no earlier than 90 days from when you plan to enter Thailand. As the visa will expire in 90 days from the date of issue (six months if two entries are issued) you do not want to apply too early. Also, allow enough time for the visa to be issued (two business days if applying in person or ten days - not including mailing time - if applying by mail).

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How can I extend my visa while in Thailand?

You should apply to the Thai Immigration office before the visa expires. Whether or not the visa will be extended is strictly up to the Thai Immigration officer. For more information on extending Thai visas, please see the web site of Thai Immigration at http://www.immigration.go.th/ (Select "Required Documents" from English Menu > select "Visa Extension" from menu [click on folder icon] > and then select appropriate topic from resulting menu [click on document icon]).

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My passport does not contain any blank "Visa" pages. Can the visa be issued on the "Amendment" pages?

No. The visa will only be issued on a blank visa page. The visa page cannot have any type of marking, stamp, note, etc. If your passport does not contain a blank visa page, you must contact your embassy or appropriate passport agency which issues the passport of your country and request additional visa pages or a new passport. The Royal Thai Consulate General cannot add visa pages for you.

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I have an emergency and must fly to Thailand immediately. Can I obtain a visa from the Consulate in one day if I visit the Consulate in person?

Under such circumstances, you should contact the Consulate at telephone (323) 962-9574 through 9577 extension 230 during business hours and speak to the Visa Officer to make an appointment before coming to the Consulate. The issuance of the visa is up to the Visa Officer.  Please keep in mind that we receive many telephone calls at a given time and you may have difficulty getting through.  We do our best to answer all calls promptly.  You may also contact the Visa Section by E-mail at thai.la@mindspring.com but it is better to telephone your request for faster service.

[Top]

I had a visa issued by your office earlier this year and it expired before I could use it. Can I extend this visa?

No. If the visa expires, the Consulate cannot extend the validity of the visa. You will have to reapply for a new visa. You will have to resubmit all required documentation. (Single-entry visas expire within 90 days from date of issue).

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I plan to visit other countries around Thailand and I plan to be in Thailand for less than 30 days. However, my airline ticket shows more than 30 days in Thailand. Do I need to apply for a visa?

Yes. If your airline ticket shows more than 30 days in Thailand, you must apply for the visa before entering Thailand even if you plan to obtain an airline or rail ticket to a third country upon arrival in Thailand. If your airline ticket shows more than 30 days in Thailand and you leave without a visa to Thailand, there is a very good chance that the airline could refuse to allow you to board until you obtain a Thai visa.

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What if I visit Thailand without a visa with the intention of staying only 30 days but I decide to extend my stay beyond the 30-day period. Can I extend the "30-day-visa-on-arrival" in Thailand?

You must contact Thai Immigration before your the expiration date stamped in your passport when you arrived in Thailand. The extension is up to Thai Immigration. If you think you might stay more than 30 days, then we recommend that you obtain a Tourist Visa before entering Thailand.

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I will be in Thailand on business for less than 30 days. Do I need to obtain a visa?

Yes. The "30-day-visa-on-arrival" is for Tourism only. If you will be in Thailand on business which includes attending a conference, you must apply for a "Non-Immigrant - Category B" visa.

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I would like to seek employment while in Thailand. Your requirements for a Non-Immigrant Visa state that I must have a letter  from the company or institution I will be working - along with other documentation - with when I apply for the visa. If I don't have the required documentation for the Non-Immigrant Visa, can you issue a Non-Immigrant Visa so I can still look for work?

No. We cannot issue Non-Immigrant Visas for seeking employment. You would have to apply for a Tourist Visa and when you are hired by a company in Thailand, you may be required to leave the country and obtain an appropriate Non-Immigrant visa. Keep in mind that before you can begin working in Thailand, you must have a valid Work Permit. Your employer in Thailand should be able to help you apply for the Work Permit. For more information on Non-Immigrant Visas, please see " Non-Immigrant Visas."

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My spouse is Thai and we will be visiting his/her family for more than 60 days. Can I obtain a Non-Immigrant Visa for visiting our relatives?

Yes. You would need to submit a copy of your marriage certificate along with the other required documentation for a visa and state on the Visa Application that the purpose of your trip is "visiting family or relatives." Issuance of the visa is up to the Visa Officer.  Please see Non-Immigrant Visas Type O".

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When paying for the visa fee, may I pay by cash or by personal or company check?

Payment of visa fee must be in the form of Money Order or Cashiers Check ONLY. We cannot accept payment by cash, personal or company check.  If payment is made in the form of cash, personal or company check the visa will not be issued until we receive cashier's check or money order made payable to " Royal Thai Consulate General , Los Angeles".

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I will be visiting Thailand with my family. Can I send all of our passports and visa applications together in one envelope?

Yes. You can include all passports and all necessary documentation in one envelope and return envelope. You may also include one cashier's check or money order for the visa fees for all applicants. In addition, please write the name of the applicant on the back of their photograph.

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Can I apply for a Visa for someone other than myself?

Yes. When applying for a visa in person, the visa applicant is not required to apply by themselves as long as all required documentation is submitted at the time of the visa application. However, all visa applications must be signed by the applicant.

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If I am required to submit a copy of my airline tickets, can I submit the itinerary instead?

No. Itineraries will not be accepted in place of the copies of airline tickets.  However, itineraries showing e-tickets will be accepted.

Regulations are subject to change without notice.
Consular officers reserve the right to request additional documents as deemed necessary.
Consular officers assumes the right to deny or grant any type of visa to the applicant.

 

Last Updated on 01-Aug-2007