Thailand visa guide for expats
Which visa fits your situation, how long it lasts, what it costs and the reporting duties that come with it.
The essentials
- Visa-exempt entry gives most Western passports 60 days, extendable once by 30 days at immigration.
- The Non-Immigrant B is the standard route for employment; it pairs with a work permit issued separately.
- The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) targets remote workers and soft-power activities, 5 years multi-entry, 180 days per stay.
- Everyone staying past 90 consecutive days must file a 90-day address report.
- Overstaying carries fines from 500 THB per day and, past 90 days, multi-year re-entry bans.
The main visa categories
Thailand issues visas by purpose, not by nationality. Choose the category that matches what you will actually do while you are here — working on a tourist entry is the single most common cause of trouble.
| Visa | Who it suits | Initial stay | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa exemption | Short visits, scouting trips | 60 days | Free |
| Tourist Visa (TR) | Longer holidays | 60 days | ~2,000 THB |
| Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) | Remote workers, freelancers, soft-power activities | 180 days per entry, 5-year validity | 10,000 THB |
| Non-Immigrant B | Employment with a Thai employer | 90 days, extended yearly | ~2,000–5,000 THB |
| Non-Immigrant O (retirement) | Age 50+, with financial proof | 90 days, extended yearly | ~2,000 THB |
| Non-Immigrant O (marriage) | Married to a Thai national | 90 days, extended yearly | ~2,000 THB |
| Non-Immigrant ED | Study, including Thai language courses | 90 days | ~2,000 THB |
| LTR (Long-Term Resident) | High earners, wealthy pensioners, skilled professionals | 10 years | 50,000 THB |
Working legally
A visa gives you the right to be in Thailand. A work permit gives you the right to work here. They are two separate documents and you need both.
The usual sequence is: employer issues a job offer and supporting company documents, you apply for a Non-B at a Thai embassy abroad, you enter Thailand, then your employer files for the work permit at the Ministry of Labour. Once the permit is issued you extend the visa in-country to a one-year permission to stay.
Certain occupations are reserved for Thai nationals. Check the reserved-occupation list before you commit to a role.
90-day reporting
If you stay in Thailand for 90 consecutive days on a long-stay visa, you must report your current address to Immigration. The clock restarts every time you leave the country.
You can file in person at your immigration office, by registered post, through an agent, or online. The online system rejects late filings, so file inside the window that opens 15 days before and closes 7 days after the due date.
Missing a report attracts a 2,000 THB fine, which rises if you are caught at a later checkpoint.
Extensions and re-entry permits
Annual extensions are granted by your local immigration office, not by an embassy. Apply within the final 30 days of your current permission to stay.
An extension is cancelled the moment you leave Thailand unless you hold a re-entry permit. Buy a single (1,000 THB) or multiple (3,800 THB) re-entry permit before any trip abroad.
Overstay
Fines are 500 THB per day, capped at 20,000 THB. Being arrested on overstay rather than voluntarily presenting yourself is treated far more seriously.
Overstays of more than 90 days trigger a one-year re-entry ban; longer overstays escalate to three, five and ten years.
Official sources
Everything above is written from these. Rules change without notice, so check the relevant one before you book, pay or travel.
This page was last checked against those sources on 1 July 2026. Spotted something out of date? and we'll re-check it.