Thailand is a great place to come on vacation. However, you can spend the whole winter here, if you have the desire and opportunity, or even more. But in any case, you will have questions: do you need a visa to Thailand at all, and if so, for how many months it is given, how to get a visa, and in general, what other options are there?.
The content of the article
- one Do I need a visa to Thailand - briefly
- 2 Stay options longer than 1 month
- 3 Entering and leaving Thailand
- 4 Visaran in Thailand
- five Tourist visa
- 6 Thailand visa for children
- 7 Do i need a visa for Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhs
Do I need a visa to Thailand - briefly
First, I will explain briefly, and then in detail..
Visa to Thailand for Russians is not needed!
All Russians, upon arrival at the border, are put in their passport with a stamp with the possibility of staying in the country for 30 days. No more, no less. It's free. Further, this stamp can be extended for 7 days (only 7!) At the local immigration office for 1900 baht, which is available in every Thai resort.
Thus, if 37 days are enough for you to travel, then you may not read further. Just get your airline tickets and fly to Tai. The main thing honey insurance don't forget, this is very important! Read my post on the link, you will understand. And running ahead, I will say that if the duration of the trip is 31-33 days, then you can not renew the stamp for 1900 baht, but pay the overstay at the airport upon departure, but about it separately below, is it worth it or not.
And if you are traveling for a longer period, then be sure to read the options for visas below..
Stay options longer than 1 month
- Stamp for 30 days. It is put in the passport upon entering the country, the validity of the passport must be at least 30 days from the date of arrival in Thailand! And not 6 months, as for a visa. Previously, there was a practice to travel every month to the border with a neighboring country, cross it, return, and put a new stamp. Such a trip in the common people is called Visa-run or Border-run. However, since August 2014, border wounds have been partially banned. Now you can enter by land a maximum of the second time, and 3 times by plane. But if there are gaps between the stamps (that is, you will be in another country for several days), the border guards will be more loyal to you. Stamp extended on the spot for 7 days, for a total of 37 days we get.
- Tourist single entry visa to Thailand for 3 months. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of the end of the trip. It is given for 60 days with the right to renew at the local immigration for another 30 days for 1900 baht. The visa itself is made at the Thai embassy in Moscow or in a country neighboring Thailand. How to apply for a visa in Moscow. At the very end of the visa, it can be extended for another 7 days.
- Multivisa for six months. Came to replace double-entry visas, which were canceled. Multivisa allows you to enter Thailand an unlimited number of times within six months. The maximum stay after each entry is 60 days, you can also extend your stay by 30 days in immigration for 1900 baht. A visa is issued only in the country of residence, that is, for Russians only in Moscow and St. Petersburg. More about multivisa.
- Student visa to Thailand for 1 year. Can be obtained on the basis of study at a language school, such as English or Thai. It is made in a neighboring country, better in Laos. It is given for the duration of your studies, but the maximum visa period is 1 year, then you need to do a new one. Every 3 months, the visa must be renewed for 1900 baht in immigration, you cannot go anywhere during the training (or, more precisely, you can, but with nuances). It is compulsory to study, and in general, with the latest tightening, the Sharshakins' schools are not quoted. The cost of an annual study visa is about 35,000 baht (25,000 baht itself, plus extensions, plus the initial trip for a visa).
- Business visa. I can't tell you anything about a business visa to Thailand yet, since the previous points are enough for us. It is done either on the basis of a real business, or fictitious through the appropriate help firms.
- Pension visa to Thailand for 1 year. It costs 5,000 baht. You need to be over 50 years old and have a Thai bank account in the amount of 800 thousand baht, and the funds must be there for at least 60 days before applying for a visa.
- Thai Elite visa. A very good visa for those who have money for it and who at the same time want to live in Thailand for a very long time. You can get a visa for 5-20 years for 0.5-2 million baht and forget about stamps, travel for a visa, study and other inconveniences for years. I myself thought about such a visa when I planned to come to Thailand for 5 years. More details.
There is a Re-Entry permit service for 1000 baht. It makes it possible to leave / enter without losing a visa (does not apply to Visa On Arrival), so to speak, pauses the visa. Drawn up before leaving Tay at any emigration office.
Entering and leaving Thailand
We talked about all the options for staying in Thailand, now about the entry itself. If you do not have a Thai visa, then upon entering Thailand you will be stamped in your passport for 30 days. It is advisable to have 20,000 baht per person (in dollars, for example) and a return ticket with you. They check very rarely (isolated cases), but they have the right. With a clean passport, I think you can not worry at all, the chance of verification is even lower.
If you received a visa in advance, then you will enter on a visa. Ditto, can check funds cash and return tickets.
Return ticket
Not everyone knows that even in Russia, when boarding a plane, you may be asked for a return ticket from Thailand or a ticket to a third country and not allowed on the flight if there is no ticket. The same can happen in Bangkok at passport control. But they may not ask. We were demanded at Domodedovo once, in Hong Kong, but there are no border guards in Thailand. In Thailand, they rarely ask, this usually happens when checking in for a flight in the country of departure.
What can be done with a return ticket? By the way, it may be required not only in Russia, but in any country from which you fly to Thailand. There are different options and they are described in the article. How to fly to Thailand without a return ticket. If you are going to buy air tickets, I recommend Aviasales.com and Skyscanner.com, we use them ourselves.
An example of filling out an immigration card
Even on the plane, you will be given an immigration card that must be filled out from all sides. Further, it will be stored in your passport until departure. Please note that some fields can be filled «from the bulldozer», for example, your profession or the hotel where you are going to stay. Here more details.
Sample of filling out a migration card to Thailand
On the other side
Extension of the 30-day stamp for 7 days
I want to note that the Russians are only extended the stamp for 7 days, and not 30, as reported in some media. There was some confusion, everyone was happy with the new rules about 30 days, but this was false information, so only 7 days, no more. It costs 1900 baht and is done at the local immigration office..
Overstay at check-out
For each day of delay on a visa or stamp (overstay) upon departure, you will have to pay a fine of 500 baht. If you are delayed for more than 21 days, then even imprisonment and blacklisting is possible.
Overstay for a couple of days should not cause any consequences, except for a fine. But there is infa that the conditions are getting tougher and it is better not to have oversteers at all, otherwise they may later refuse to issue a single-entry visa in Moscow (in Laos there is no such thing yet).
With overstay for children under 14 years old, a slightly different story, but read about it below, in the section about children..
Visaran in Thailand
What is visa run and border run
According to official information, only 2 stamps can be applied per year if entering by land. With air flights (stamp at the airport), there seem to be no such restrictions. Accordingly, bordering on land is also possible only 2 times. Let me remind you that earlier it was impossible for a single one and after one stamp it was always necessary to make a visa. But in fact, they may balk at the first, or may miss the third time, the human factor and the ability to give bribes on occasion.
For greater guarantees, you need to make tourist visas (even one by one) and not fool yourself.
A visa run, or another name for a border run, is a trip back to the border in order to get a new free stamp for 30 days. The name border run (from the word border) is logically more suitable for such trips, because it is to the border that they go, and not for a visa. But in a conversation or in the price list of a travel agency dealing with such trips, it is most often called visaran. The fact is that other foreigners (in particular Ukrainians) at the border do not receive a stamp, but a visa upon arrival for 15 days. Visarans are also called trips for a visa to the consulate of a neighboring country..
Entry by stamp 2 times a year, but I don't understand why Russia is not on the list
The embassy in Moscow hangs a warning about the ban on visaranes
Now it is unclear how many times you can swip (enter with a stamp). I believe that if you do not just cross the border back and forth, but stay for some time in another country (week, month), then a second stamp can be put, especially if your passport is not covered with stamps. We are talking about entering by land, since during flights there are usually no problems with stamping (well, if there are not a dozen of them). Also, in principle, they put a stamp after the visa without any problems (when you first entered on a visa, and then decided to make another stamp). Naturally, there are no guarantees that everything will work out, it will be decided by the officer at the border. It makes sense to constantly monitor the situation on social networks, who and how successfully traveled and through which checkpoint.
Where to go to visaran and how to do it
Actually, all 2 options for how to make a border run. Naturally, the cost of a boarder run, both independently and with the help of a travel agency, will differ depending on the place from which you are traveling and the degree of comfort that you need..
- On one's own. For example, from Phuket to Burma - you buy a bus ticket to Ranong. Then take a tuk-tuk to the pier, and then by boat to Burma. The opposite is also true. Cross the border with Burma in one direction, cross back, get a stamp for 30 days (most likely you will need to give another 1000 baht «present»), and drive back.
- With the help of travel agencies. Everything is the same, only everywhere in the minibus. You will be shown and told everything. The service costs depending on the city. For example, I traveled from Bangkok to Laos not for a stamp, but for a visa, with an overnight stay, I paid 3000 baht for everything. About 1,500-2,000 baht will be released from Phuket to Burma.
You can go to any country for a stamp, because the point is in crossing the border. But it is easier and cheaper to travel to visa-free countries neighboring Thailand and which are closer to your place of residence. Visa-free for Russians - Laos (stamp for 30 days), Myanmar / Burma (at the border of $ 10), Malaysia (stamp for 30 days), Cambodia (visa at the border for $ 20), Vietnam (stamp for 15 days).
- From Bangkok go to Visaran to Cambodia (Aranyaprahet or adjacent passages)
- From Chiang Mai they go to wizaran to Chiang Khong (border with Laos) or to Me Sai (border with Myanmar).
- From Pattaya go to Vizaran to Cambodia in Aranyaprahet or neighboring crossings, and to Vietnam.
- From Hua Hin they go to Wizaran in Ranong (border with Myanmar), or there are still crossings closer, but I do not know if they are open.
- From Phuket they go to Vizaran in Ranong (border with Myanmar), in Satun (border with Malaysia), in Hat Yai (border with Malaysia, crossing Sadao - Padang Besar).
- From Krabi they go to to Satun (border with Malaysia), in Hat Yai (border with Malaysia, crossing Sadao - Padang Besar).
- From Koh Samui and Phangan they go to wizaran to Ranong (border with Myanmar), to Hat Yai (border with Malaysia, crossing Sadao - Padang Besar), less often to Satun (border with Malaysia)
Tourist visa
Length of stay and one-time validity
When entering Tai on a single entry visa, you are given the opportunity to stay for 60 days. Further, this visa will be required renew at your local immigration office for another 30 days for 1900 baht. Thus, we get 90 days of stay in total. You can still extend it for 7 days again for 1900 baht (as a stamp), but this is rarely used by anyone.
In addition to the length of stay, there is also an entry corridor (or validity period). And sometimes there is confusion between these terms. As soon as you received a visa at the consulate, an entry corridor immediately opens from the VALID FROM date, that is, you can go from the consulate to the airport at least immediately. For single entry visas, the entry corridor is 3 months (for multivisa 6 months). That is, you have exactly 3 months from the date of obtaining a visa to enter Thailand, you can do this even on the last day. But after the entrance, it already begins «length of stay», which I wrote about above. Therefore, it is not worth doing a visa too early (and they will not give it). Your visa will say VALID UNTIL right on your visa - this is the deadline for entering the country..
Registration at the place of stay
At the beginning of 2017, the Thais had nothing to do and they figured out that everyone needs to go to immigration and register upon arrival. This was mainly done for those who live in private houses and apartments, rather than hotels, since hotel owners themselves have to register their guests. You need to come to the immigration with a lease agreement or a receipt for payment of a communal apartment or even with a business card of the owners and make a registration. If this is not done, then when the one-shot is extended for another 30 days, a fine of 5000 baht is rolled in..
But don't be alarmed. In fact, all this was checked only in Pattaya and at the beginning of 2017, and then they scored. At the moment, as I understand it, this is optional. Just in case, there was such advice: to go from Pattaya to Siracha or some Hua Hin to extend the visa there. But the advice to live a week at the hotel, well, so that the owner makes the registration, most likely will not work. Firstly, it is not known whether there are any deadlines for this registration, because you live for 3 months, and the hotel makes registration, probably only for a week. Secondly, hotel owners make this responsibility.
Rule of 90 days
In the summer of 2014, information was repeatedly leaked that it would be possible to stay in the country for no more than 90 days within six months. But so far, this rule does not apply, if it ever will. People live quietly on several one-off stays in a row, that is, in total staying in Thailand for much more than 90 days within six months. So nothing has changed yet. I am sure that as soon as the 90-day rule begins to operate, mass hysteria about this will begin on all social networks, that is, it will be difficult to miss the moment.
However, if you intend to reside in Thailand for a long time, it is better to take care of a student visa and other types of visas. Anyway, this question will arise sooner or later, since it is difficult to live forever on tour visas.
Multivisa for six months
On November 13, 2015, the double-entry visa to Thailand was canceled (the one-time visa remained). Instead of her now half-year multivisa without the right to renew, but with an unlimited number of exits / entrances within six months for 60 days. Details on the link.
It works like this. You enter for 60 days, then leave the country (make a visa to the border and back) and enter again for 60 days, then again, that is, 60 + 60 + 60, which is 180 days in total. You can enter more times, but only 180 days in total, and only 60 at a time. You cannot extend the multivisa. Also, no one bothers to go somewhere for a while between krats (like to see a new country), and not just to the border and back.
Applying for a Thai visa in Russia and other countries
Single or multi tourist visas can be obtained at the Thai consulates in Moscow and St. Petersburg. And the consulate in Vladivostok, unfortunately, does not issue more visas. Perhaps it is worth making a single-entry visa in Russia, at least, it is cheaper and takes less time than leaving Thailand to a neighboring country. BUT! It all depends on the current requirements of the Russian consulate, they change them, and the degree of complexity of processing some documents depends on this. Read the latest information below and decide for yourself whether you need it or not.
Follow the links to find a list of documents, an example of filling out a questionnaire, tips, as well as a discussion in the comments with the latest news from the consulate in Moscow. Constantly someone unsubscribes there about various nuances after obtaining a visa.
In addition to Russia, a visa to Thailand can be obtained in any country where there is a Thai embassy. One of the most common options is to travel from Thailand to Laos, as there is the most loyal consulate of all. You will not need a bank statement with the state of funds (and it is almost impossible to do it abroad), certificates from work, air tickets, etc. But a multivisa can only be made in the country of residence, that is, for Russians in Russia.
Websites of all Thai consulates in other countries
Thailand visa for children
If a minor goes to Tai not with his parents or with a legal guardian, then permission from the parents is needed, otherwise it will not be possible to leave Russia. If one of the parents is traveling with the child, then nothing is needed from the second parent.
To be as calm as possible, it is better to make a child a visa.
On the one hand, for children under 14 years old, the overstay is not subject to a fine. The child's passport was stamped, but the fine was not taken. Even the visas in immigration were not extended by the employees themselves. It is convenient that the child can not be dragged into the visaran, and you can get a little savings on visas. I myself have already flown several times with the child and then went with a large overstay with him, there were no problems.
On the other hand, in 2017-2018, information went that problems began to arise when leaving Thailand, if there was an overstay, as well as when issuing a tourist visa in Moscow, they say, then the whole family is wrapped up. But these cases are episodic, everyone made noise and calmed down. A bunch of people still do not issue visas to children.
Therefore, when asked whether you need to make a visa to Thailand for children, answer for yourself. I will not advise.
Do i need a visa for Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhs
The procedure for obtaining tourist visas for citizens of all countries is the same and I have described it here. But free 30-day stamps upon arrival are given only to Russian citizens. Therefore, CIS citizens need to make a tourist visa in their homeland (if there is an embassy), or in Moscow, or in a neighboring country with Thailand..
Only citizens of Ukraine and Kazakhstan have an additional opportunity to apply for a 15-day visa on arrival for 2000 baht (Visa on arrival, VOA) at the international airport. You can enter it once. Visa on arrival can then be extended for 1900 baht at the immigration office for 7 days.
The citizens of Belarus are a separate story, they have no opportunity to issue anything upon arrival and there is no embassy in the country. Therefore, they need to go either to Moscow and Kiev to get a visa there, or use the services of travel agencies for an additional fee. And of course, they can apply for a visa for themselves in neighboring countries with Thailand, like everyone else..
P.S. Good luck with your visa issues! And see you in Thailand 🙂
