Nationals of 93 countries and territories (up from 57) are permitted to stay in Thailand without obtaining a visa for up to 60 days for tourism and business purposes. They may extend their stay for a period not exceeding 30 days and the extension application must be filed with the immigration office.
Before the maximum 90-day period is up, the foreign national must apply for a visa in Thailand if they intend to remain in the country.
If a foreign national needs to conduct necessary, urgent or ad hoc work activities as defined by the Employment or Labor Department, they must obtain an urgent work permit (UWP) by notifying the labor registrar in person at any international airport or labor offices in Thailand. The UWP takes one business day to process and will only be valid for 15 days, which is extendible for another 15 days with a 45-day cooling off period from the time the first UWP expires.
Separately, nationals of 31 countries may now apply for visa-on-arrival for tourism purposes at immigration checkpoints upon entering Thailand for a fee of THB 2000. They will be allowed to stay in the country for up to 15 days on a single-entry basis.
This alert, for informational purposes only, was prepared by Fragomen and originally published here. If you have any questions, please contact us.