If you go to the Land of Smiles and White Elephants for the first time, to Thailand, and bring a lot of souvenirs and vivid impressions from there, then one of the main questions that can excite you is whether you need a visa and what kind of visa is needed in Thailand.
Do I need a visa to Thailand?
You can answer this question in the light of the following circumstances:
- the purpose of your visit to the country;
- length of stay;
- citizenship.
Visa-free regime for Russians
If you come to Thailand to rest and the time of your stay in the country is less than 30 days, then you do not need a visa. At the airport, it will be enough to issue a migration card, in which it will be necessary to indicate the following information:
- Surname and first name;
- passport data;
- the purpose of your visit (leave, training, business, employment, transit);
- type of flight (direct, charter);
- type of tour (group or individual);
- type of accommodation (hotel, apartment, friends' house);
- your annual income;
- field of activity.
After filling out the migration card in your passport, you will be stamped with the date of arrival and indicate the maximum possible period of stay in the country, after which you will need to leave Thailand or you can extend your stay for a short time.
Thai laws allow you to stay in their territory three times for 30 days for six months. However, as soon as 30 days have expired, you will need to leave the country in order to be able to return here again. However, the rule of visa-free stay for 30 days is valid only for Russian tourists.
Visa on arrival for Ukrainians
For residents of Ukraine this period is 15 days. The visa can be issued directly at the airport and this service is paid - for registration it is necessary to pay 1000 baht (about 35 dollars).
Types of visas in Thailand
Visa to Thailand can be:
- long-term;
- tourist;
- student;
- working;
- business visa;
- for pensioners.
A long-term visa can be issued in the following cases:
- buy a ready-made business;
- to register a company;
- formalize a contract when applying for a job;
- to attend courses (language, highly specialized);
- to formalize marital relations with a citizen / citizen of Thailand.
A tourist visa can be issued both at the Embassy of Thailand in your country, and at the airport itself after your arrival. This will require the provision of:
- the international passport ;
- two color photographs 4 by 6 cm;
- 35 dollars;
- completed questionnaire;
- customs declaration.
The student visa is usually issued by the educational institution itself. At long courses it is necessary to extend it every three months.
A business or business visa is issued in case you are going to open your own business or get a job in a Thai company. A business visa can be issued for up to one year.
A pension visa is issued to persons over 50 years of age. At the same time, it is necessary to open an account with a bank and have at least 800 thousand baht (24 thousand dollars) on deposit as proof of the pensioner's solvency. It will be possible to withdraw this money only three months later. After 3 months, the visa can be extended for one year, but this service is paid and costs 1,900 baht ($ 60).
How to get a visa to Thailand?
Before making a visa to Thailand, it is necessary to prepare a package of documents for submission to the consular department:
- valid international passport;
- two color photographs measuring 3 by 4 cm;
- completed questionnaire;
- photocopy of passport pages with information;
- receipt for payment of the consular fee;
- a certificate from the place of work / study in English or its translation, which must be notified by a notary.
When issuing a visa of any type, it should be remembered that it is necessary to carry evidence proving the presence of at least $ 500 per person.
How to extend a visa in Thailand?
You can renew your visa at the immigration office in Thailand, paying a fee of 1900 baht (about $ 60).
But it will be cheaper to cross the border for visa-wounds:
- you leave the territory of Thailand, which is stamped in the passport;
- get a stamp on entering another country, stay there for a while;
- at the border post get a stamp on leaving this country;
- get a new stamp on the Thai border.
If you do not have time to renew your visa, then for each day of delay you will have to pay a fine of 500 baht (about $ 20). To visit Thailand, you need not only to worry about the issue of a visa, but also to have a passport that must be valid for 6 months after entering the country. Also, the document itself should be well read and look decent. If it is crumpled or stained, border guards on the Thai border may refuse to enter.