Thailand Tourist Visa
For visits longer than the visa-free stay, or for nationalities that need a visa to enter. Here is how Thailand's tourist visa works in 2026.
What is the Thailand tourist visa?
The tourist visa is for leisure, sightseeing, visiting friends or family, and short medical trips. You apply for it before you travel, either through the Thai e-Visa portal or at an embassy, and it lets you stay for 60 days a visit, which you can extend by a further 30 once you are in the country.
It is separate from visa exemption, which lets many nationalities enter without any visa for a shorter stay, and from visa on arrival. Which of the three applies to you depends on your passport and how long you want to stay.
Do you need a tourist visa?
There are three ways to enter Thailand as a visitor. Most people use one of the first two and never apply for a visa at all.
| Entry type | Who it is for | Stay | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa exemption | Many nationalities, including the UK, EU, US, and Australia | Around 30 days, being reduced from 60 | Free |
| Visa on arrival | About 31 other nationalities | 15 days | 2,000 baht |
| Tourist visa, single entry | Anyone wanting longer, or not exempt | 60 days, plus a 30-day extension | Around 2,000 baht |
| Tourist visa, multiple entry | Frequent visitors over six months | 60 days per entry, valid 6 months | Around 5,000 baht |
The big shift for 2026 is that visa exemption is being cut to 30 days for most nationalities, so travelers who used to get 60 days free now reach for the tourist visa to stay longer. See our visa exemption page for the country list and the latest position.
Single entry and multiple entry
The single-entry tourist visa lets you enter once and stay 60 days, extendable by 30 at an immigration office, so up to 90 days in total. Once you leave, it is used up. It is the right choice for a single trip, and the fee is around 2,000 baht.
The multiple-entry tourist visa, the METV, is valid for six months and lets you enter as many times as you like, with each stay capped at 60 days. It costs around 5,000 baht and asks for more in funds than the single-entry visa. It suits people splitting time between Thailand and nearby countries over half a year. There is more detail on our multiple entry visa page.
Requirements and documents
The core set is the same for the single and multiple-entry visas, with the multiple-entry asking for more in funds.
Baht in funds
Per person, or 40,000 per family, that you may be asked to show on application or at the border.
Maximum single stay
60 days on the single-entry visa, plus a 30-day extension at immigration.
When to apply
Through the e-Visa portal or a Thai embassy, ahead of your trip. The visa is not issued on arrival.
You will also need a passport valid for at least six months with blank pages, a recent photo, proof of where you are staying, and an onward or return ticket. Immigration checks the onward ticket more strictly at land borders than at airports, so carry a printed copy either way.
The TDAC: required for every arrival
Since 2025, every traveler must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, the TDAC, within 72 hours before arriving. It is an online form on the official immigration site, it is free, and it replaces the old paper card. You fill it in, get a QR code, and show that at the border. This applies no matter how you enter, visa exemption, visa on arrival, or a tourist visa.
Extensions and the limits of a tourist visa
You can extend a tourist stay once by 30 days at an immigration office for 1,900 baht. Beyond that, a tourist visa has firm limits. You cannot work on it, paid work needs a business visa and a work permit. Overstaying is fined at 500 baht a day, up to a cap, and can lead to a ban.
The old practice of living in Thailand through endless "visa runs", hopping a border and coming straight back, has largely stopped working. Immigration now flags repeated back-to-back tourist entries and limits visa-exempt land crossings, and frequent visitors with long histories of tourist stamps can be questioned or refused. If Thailand is becoming a base rather than a holiday, a long-stay visa is the honest route.
How to apply
Most tourist visas are straightforward. We step in when a longer or repeated stay needs the right visa and clean paperwork.
Check whether you need one
Confirm whether your nationality is visa-exempt, eligible for visa on arrival, or needs a tourist visa, and whether the free stay is long enough for your trip.
Choose single or multiple entry
One trip points to the single-entry visa; coming and going over six months points to the METV. We confirm the funds each one asks for.
Apply before you travel
We prepare the application for the e-Visa portal or your embassy, with the funds, accommodation, and onward ticket in the form they expect.
File your TDAC and enter
Complete the digital arrival card in the 72 hours before you fly, save the QR code, and you are set for the border.
Tourist visa FAQs
The questions visitors ask most about coming to Thailand.
Do I need a tourist visa for Thailand?
It depends on your passport and how long you are staying. Many nationalities enter visa-free for a short stay, currently being reduced to around 30 days. If you want longer than that, or your country is not exempt, you apply for a tourist visa before you travel.
How long can I stay on a tourist visa?
The single-entry visa gives 60 days, extendable once by 30 for 1,900 baht, so up to 90 days. The multiple-entry METV is valid six months and gives 60 days per entry, also extendable, with no limit on the number of entries.
How do I apply?
Apply before you travel, through the Thai e-Visa portal or at a Thai embassy or consulate. You will need a passport valid six months, a photo, proof of funds, accommodation, and an onward or return ticket. The visa is not issued on arrival.
What is the TDAC?
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card is a free online form every arriving traveler must complete within 72 hours before arrival, whatever visa they hold. You receive a QR code to show at the border. It replaced the old paper arrival card and is the thing visitors most often forget.
Can I extend my tourist visa?
Yes, once, by 30 days at an immigration office for 1,900 baht. After that you would need to leave, though repeated back-to-back tourist entries are now scrutinised, so a different visa is better for longer stays.
Can I work on a tourist visa?
No. The tourist visa is for leisure only. Any paid work, including for a Thai employer, requires a business visa and a work permit. Remote work for foreign clients has its own visa, the DTV.
Do visa runs still work?
Not reliably. Immigration now flags repeated tourist entries and limits visa-exempt land crossings, so the old border-hop routine is being refused. For frequent visits over six months use the METV; to live here long term, use a long-stay or remote-work visa.
How much money do I need to show?
Around 20,000 baht per person, or 40,000 per family, may be requested when you apply or at the border. The multiple-entry METV asks for more. Funds should sit as a steady balance rather than a large deposit made just before applying.
Talk to our Bangkok team
A free, no-obligation call: thirty minutes with our Bangkok team to confirm whether you need a tourist visa, which one fits your trip, and if a long-stay visa would serve you better.
591 Sukhumvit 33, Watthana
Bangkok 10110