Required Documents For Thailand Visa Application

Every foreign citizen who needs a Thailand Visa has to apply for one from the Thai Diplomatic Missions abroad. However, when you submit a Thailand Visa application, you need several supporting documents. The Thailand Visa requirements change depending on the purpose of your visit to Thailand, but there is a standard set of documents everyone must have.

Thailand Visa Requirements

Everyone, regardless of their purpose of travel, must submit these documents when they apply for a Thailand Visa:

• Your valid travel document/passport, with a validity of at least another six months and has at least two blank pages for the visa and entry stamps.
  • If you’re applying for a one-year visa, your passport should be valid for at least another 18 months.
  • Dimensions: 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm*
  • White background
  • Taken within the last six months
  • You must have a neutral facial expression, staring straight ahead
  • Your entire face must be fully visible
  • Headgear is only allowed for religious purposes and even then, only if it does not cover the face
  • Glasses are allowed only if they do not cover your eyes and do not have heavy frames

  * Some Thai Embassies or Consulates may require you to submit a differently-sized picture. If you are changing the category of your visa while in Thailand, the Immigration Department may also have its own Thailand photo size requirements, so it is important to ask beforehand.

  Thailand Visa Requirements for Tourism

  If you travel to Thailand for tourism, you need the following additional documents:

  • Proof of sufficient financial funds to cover the duration of your stay (eg. bank statements)
  • Proof of accommodation in Thailand, such as a hotel reservation or a letter of invitation from a friend.
  • If you are visiting family/friends in Thailand:
    • Proof of relationship
    • Letter of Invitation
    • Proof of employment:
      • Letter from your employer if you are employed
      • A self-assessment and/or your company’s registration document if you are self-employed
      • A letter from your school if you are a student.

      Thailand Visa Requirements for Employment Purposes

      The additional documents you need when you apply for a Thailand Work Visa are:

      • A Letter of Approval issued by the Thailand Ministry of Labour. Your employer in Thailand has to submit an approval request at the Office of Foreign Workers Administration in the Department of Employment of the Thai Ministry of Labour.
      • If you will work as a school teacher at a pre-university level:
        • Letter of acceptance from the educational institution
        • A Letter of Approval issued by a relevant Thai government agency, such as the Office of the Private Education Commission or the Office of the Basic Education Commission.
        • The school’s license or business registration along with the list of stockholders and the school’s profile
        • Your CV

        Thailand Visa Requirements for Spouses of Thai Citizens

        If you are applying for a Thailand Marriage Visa, you need the following additional documents:

        • Copy of the Marriage Certificate (legalized/notarized and signed by the spouse)
        • Copy of your Thai spouse’s passport and Identity Card (signed by the spouse)
        • Proof of your Thai spouse’s financial status. They must submit bank statements showing at least 400,000 Thai Baht in total or a monthly income of 40,000 Thai Baht

        Thailand Visa Requirements for Business Purposes

        The additional documents for a Thailand Business Visa application are:

        • A letter from your employer, which states your position, how long you have been employed, your salary, and the reason you’re visiting Thailand.
        • A Letter of Invitation from the company in Thailand
        • Documents proving correspondence with your business partners in Thailand.
        • Documents from the inviting company in Thailand, such as:
          • Their business license and business registration
          • The list of company stockholders
          • The company profile
          • The details of the business operation
          • The company’s balance sheets, Income Tax and Business Tax statements for the past year
          • The company’s location shown on a map

          Thailand Visa Requirements for Retirement Purposes

          If you are applying for one of the types of Thailand Retirement Visas, you need the following additional documents:

          • Proof you meet the financial requirements for a Retirement Visa, through one of the following (as is applicable):
            • Bank Statements and Letter of Guarantee showing the deposit in the Thai Bank.
            • Bank statements showing an annual income of no less than what is required.
            • *Bank Statements have to be certified by a Notary Public.

            Thailand SMART Visa Requirements

            If you qualify for a Thailand SMART Visa, you need the following documents to support your application:

            • SMART Visa application form, suited to the type of visa you are applying for
            • Police Certificate issued by the police authorities in your country of nationality and certified by a Notary Public.
            • If you are already living in Thailand: Police Certificate issued by the police authorities in Thailand.
            • Health Certificate issued in the past three months and certified by a Notary Public, proving you are not infected with one of the prohibited diseases (Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, Addiction (Drug/Alcoholism), or Third Phase Syphilis).
            • Copies of academic qualifications, certificates, or endorsements related to your area of expertise
            • Copies of publications, research projects, intellectual property and awards you may have
            • Proof of previous employment, such as a letter from your previous employer (not required for SMART Visa O)
            • If someone else is submitting the application on your behalf: include the power of attorney.

            Thailand Visa Requirements for International Students

            If you want to study in Thailand, you need the following additional documents:

            • A Letter of Admission from your school in Thailand, addressed to the Thai Embassy or Consulate in which you will apply.
              • Approval from the Ministry of Education, if the school is a private institute.

              Thailand Transit Visa Requirements

              If you’re lodging an application for a Thailand Transit Visa, the additional documents you need are:

              • If transiting through Thailand on your way to a third country:
                • Proof of onward travel, such as a paid and confirmed travel ticket
                • Visa for the third country, is a visa is required
                • A Letter of Invitation stating your participation
                • A Letter of Confirmation from the organization in your home country
                • A Letter of Confirmation from your employer, stating the purpose of entering Thailand
                • Proof of travel routes or permission to park, if applicable

                Requirements for Thailand Visa On Arrival

                If you are one of the foreigners who qualify for a Thailand Visa On Arrival, you need the following documents:

                • Your passport, which is valid for at least another 30 days from the date of entry
                • The printout of the Thai Visa On Arrival Application Form
                • A picture of yourself pasted on the application form
                • A confirmed return travel ticket, which is dated within the next 15 days
                • Proof of accommodation in Thailand. You must give a valid address in Thailand which can be confirmed, such as the address of a hotel or apartment. You can show your hotel reservation, for example.
                • Proof of sufficient financial means for the duration of your stay. You need 10,000 Thai Baht if you are traveling alone or 20,000 Thai Baht if you are traveling as a family.

                Keep in mind

                • This is not an exhaustive list of the required documents and only meant to serve as a guide. The visa officers handling your application can ask you to submit additional (or fewer) documents, as they see fit.
                • Several of the documents you submit may have to be legalized by the relevant government bodies in your country or the Thai Embassy before submission.
                • The documents you submit have to be either in Thai or in English, as requested by the specific Thai Embassy/Consulate. Those that are not already, have to be translated by a professional translator.