Passport Holders who can enter Thailand without a Visa

The VISA EXEMPTION RULE allows tourists from 48* countries to enter without a visa. They are granted a stay of maximum 30 days but only if entering Thailand via an international airport. However, persons, entering through a land border checkpoint from neighboring countries will be granted a maximum stay of 15 days.

Under the new provisions of the VISA EXEMPTION RULE effective December 6, 2008, passport holders of 48* countries are entitled to enter Thailand under this rule provided that they meet the following criteria:

1. The visit is strictly for tourism purposes.


2. They must have a confirmed return ticket to show that they are flying out of Thailand within 30 or 15 days of entry, as appropriate. Open tickets do not qualify. Travelling overland out of Thailand by train, bus, etc to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia (including en route to Singapore), Myanmar, etc is not accepted as proof of exiting Thailand.

You may be asked to show your flight ticket on entering Thailand. If you do not possess a flight ticket to show you will be exiting Thailand within 30 or 15 days of entry you will be most likely to be refused entry.

3. It will also be necessary to prove that you have funds of at least 20,000 THB per person during your stay in Thailand.

A fee may be levied on persons entering Thailand under the VISA EXEMPTION RULE.

Note that a person traveling using a “UK Travel Document”, a “UK Certificate of Identity”, or a “British National Overseas Passport”, cannot enter Thailand whatever their nationality. They are subject to visa rules concerning their nationality.

*48 Countries allowed to enter Thailand under the VISA EXEMPTION RULE:

1. Argentina
2. Australia
3. Austria
4. Bahrain
5. Belgium
6. Brazil
7. Brunei
8. Canada
9. Chile
10. Denmark
11. Finland
12. France
13. Germany
14. Greece
15. Hong Kong
16. Iceland
17. Indonesia
18. Ireland
19. Israel
20. Italy
21. Japan
22. Korea
23. Kuwait
24. Laos
25. Luxembourg
26. Macau
27. Malaysia
28. Monaco
29. Mongolia
30. Netherlands
31. New Zealand
32. Norway
33. Oman
34. Peru
35. Philippines
36. Portugal
37. Qatar
38. Russia
39. Singapore
40. South Africa
41. Spain
42. Sweden
43. Switzerland
44. Turkey
45. United Arab Emirates
46. United Kingdom
47. United States
48. Vietnam