Thailand Visa Requirements

Understanding Thailand visa requirements can be quite confusing and it is ever changing. The Thailand Immigration Office is located at the eastern part of Pattaya Beach, next to Bundhaya Resort. It’s open when the ferries to Langkawi are running. Travellers arriving from Langkawi will be guided through the immigration process by the ferry company. If you are traveling to Langkawi you will have to go through Immigration 1 hour before taking the boat. Make sure you are aware of the correct Thailand visa requirements before travelling to Koh Lipe.

Visitors from most countries can enter Thailand without a visa for up to 15 days – or 30 days if you arrive via a Thai international airport.

  • You cannot get a visa for Thailand on Koh Lipe. You should visit the Embassy in Penang if you want a longer visa than 15 days.
  • Valid travel documents and passports with an expiry of not less than 6 months are required to enter Thailand. For extended stays of more than 15 days on Koh Lipe (Thailand), ensure you obtain a valid visa from the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate closest to you before your travel to Thailand begins.
  • If you are already in Thailand, visit the nearest Royal Thai Immigration District Office, for an extension of stay if required.
  • The check-in counter at Telaga Harbour opens 1.5 hours before departure time. Passengers are required to present their Booking Confirmation Voucher and passports for immigration clearance. The counter closes 30 minutes before departure time.

Boarder Runs

Border runs have been interrupted due to the latest change in the Thailand visa requirements, concerning overland entry by Thai immigration. Immigrants entering Thailand by means of border posts at Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Malaysia without securing a prior visa will now be given only 15 days of stay in the country rather than the previous Visa on Arrival, which was valid for 30 days.

According to a spokesperson for the Thai Migration Bureau, the new policy was created to encourage immigrants to secure the correct visas beforehand – from a Royal Thai Embassy, prior to their arrival. The new guideline will also limit the quantity of back-to-back visa runs being made by immigrants to extend their stay.

Nevertheless, this modification just applies to visitors who have actually not acquired a visa ahead of time, and are getting in from the border by land. Those who arrive at the airport without a previous visa will continue to receive a 30-day stamp. Extensions at Thai Immigration after your Visa on Arrival has actually ended, still remain at 7 days, after which you must leave the country or pay the penalty and other sanctions for overstaying the visa.

The only exception to the new guideline will be Malaysian passport holders taking a trip from Malaysia, as they will continue to get the 30-day visa on arrival. Immigration authorities even more clarified that there is not a limit on the variety of times a foreigner may visit Thailand within the days allowed on the Visa on Arrival. The previous provision mentioning that visitors can not stay for more than 90 days within six months has currently been dropped.

A dose of good news waits tourists – following the new policy set by Thai Immigration, visitors can now come routinely to Thailand without limiting their stay within an overall of 90 days in a six-month period.

The constraint has currently been abolished so tourists can now visit Thailand as much as they desire, providing that they obtain a one month visa on arrival at airports and 15 day Visa on Arrival if they are taking a trip by means of land borders.

Nevertheless, immigration officials still advise that you know the Thailand visa requirements for your country and have the correct visa, prior to your arrival in Thailand. They also say that visitors doing back-to-back short visas are not the correct way to extend the stay in the country on a long-term basis.

For detailed information about the latest Thailand visa requirements we suggest you visit their website.