If you’re planning on visiting Thailand then you need to be sure of visa requirements.
Luckily, most people can enter Thailand for 30 days without a visa. However if you’re wanting to stay a little bit longer then you do have other options.
I’m a regular visitor to Thailand and I’ve applied for the tourist visa before so I know how it works.
In this guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the 60 day tourist visa for Thailand including how to apply, how much it costs, how to extend it and more.
P.S. I update this page regularly to ensure the information is up to date. This page was updated for 2024.
30-day Tourist Visa Exemption
Passport holders of certain countries don’t need a visa when entering Thailand for tourism purposes and can stay in Thailand for a period of up to 30 days.
You’ll simply get a stamp in your passport and don’t have to pay anything.
Please note that between October 1 2022 and March 31 2023, the Thai government did extended this to 45 days in a bid to boost tourism following the pandemic but this has now reverted back to the original 30 days.
You can only use this scheme up to 2 times a year if you’re traveling by a land border and up to 6 times a year if you arrive at the airport.
Countries under this scheme include the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most of Europe (see the full list here).
There are currently 64 countries on this list so please check to see if your country is listed.
What You’ll Need:
Once you arrive in Thailand, head over to immigration.
Be sure to have the following documents:
- Proof of adequate finances for the duration of your stay – 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 baht per family. They rarely ask for this but have it prepared just in case.
- Proof of onward travel e.g. a plane ticket. A bus/train ticket should be fine but there have been reports of these being rejected. I was asked to prove this on my recent entry into Thailand.
- Proof of hotel or Airbnb stay. Again, I was also asked for this when I entered Thailand recently. I just showed a copy of my Airbnb confirmation and they accepted it.
If you are wanting to stay in Thailand longer than 30 days then you can apply for a visa.
There are 2 different tourist visas available that will give you 60 days in Thailand.
You do need to apply in advance. You’re not able to apply for either of them after you’ve entered Thailand.
Here’s a quick overview:
- SETV: single entry, 60 days only
- METV: multiple entry, 60 days each time
Single Entry Tourist Visa (SETV) – Overview
This visa will allow you to stay in Thailand for up to 60 days from the date of arrival.
This visa is valid for 3 months meaning once issued you must enter the country within 3 months else it will no longer be valid.
As it is a single entry visa, you can only enter the country once. Once you enter, you have 60 days before you need to leave.
You can apply for the single entry tourist visa in any country. I cover exactly how to apply for this visa below.
Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) – Overview
This visa is valid for 6 months from the date of issue.
As it is a multiple entry visa, this means that during the 6 months of validity, you can enter Thailand multiple times – you just can’t stay longer than 60 days on each visit.
So theoretically, every 60 days, you could just take a flight out of Thailand and come straight back to activate another 60 days.
You can only apply for a multiple entry tourist visa in your home country.
60 Day Tourist Visa Thailand Cost
Here’s how much the 60 day Thai tourist visas cost:
- Single Entry Tourist Visa (SETV) – $50 (£30)
- Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) – $200 (£150)
How To Apply For 60 Day Thai Tourist Visa
If you’re planning on using the 30-day visa exemption scheme then you don’t need to apply for anything. You will be allowed entry upon arrival and they will simply stamp your passport.
To apply for the tourist visa (either SETV/METV), you can do this online on the Thai E-Visa website.
You should submit your application at least 15 working days before your planned travel date however most applications will be processed within a few days.
Mine took 4 working days to be approved.
You can also apply at the Thai Embassy in the country you’re in. You can check the directory here to find the closest to you.
What Do I Need To Apply For A Visa – Required Documents
Required documents:
- Passport/travel document valid for at least 6 months.
- Photograph of yourself taken within the last 6 months.
- Return or onward journey ticket e.g. plane ticket showing travel out of Thailand.
- Evidence of adequate finances – at least 20,000 baht per person/40,000 baht per family. A bank statement or pay slip should be fine.
- Proof of accommodation e.g. a hotel booking, Airbnb booking, letter of invitation from a family member.
- Confirmation of legal residence in your country e.g. a passport, driver’s license etc.
I actually applied for the SETV recently and was approved. I will say that the whole application process is really annoying and appears to be way more complicated than it needs to be.
The first thing to know is that the Thai visa website uses the same application form for every type of visa.
This includes the tourist visas, students visas, work visas etc so the form includes a lot of irrelevant questions that don’t apply to tourists but it asks you anyway.
As an example, it asked me for the identity of the person inviting me to stay in Thailand.
As a tourist, nobody was inviting me to stay in Thailand so I was super confused about what they wanted me to upload.
I emailed the Thai embassy to ask what I was supposed to submit but I never received a reply unfortunately.
In the end, I just uploaded a blank document that says ‘I’m applying for a tourist visa so nobody is inviting me to stay’ and it was accepted.
It’s really annoying that they don’t tailor the form to each individual visa because I’m sure this confuses so many people.
My advice is that if the question doesn’t seem relevant and you literally can’t answer it then just upload a blank document and write the reason why you can’t provide it. I did this and it was accepted.
Important Information
After you arrive in Thailand, ensure you carefully check the immigration stamp so you don’t overstay your visa. The stamp will state the day you have to leave by.
The day of arrival counts as a day i.e. if your visa is valid for 60 days, the day of arrival will be day 1.
If you overstay your visa then you’ll have to pay 500 baht per day as a fine and you might be banned from re-entering Thailand for up to 10 years.
Extending Your Tourist Visa In Thailand
If you want to stay longer than your visa allows then you do have the option to extend your visa for 30 days by going to an immigration office.
You can also now apply for a visa extension online but after it’s approved you’ll still need to go to the immigration office to get the stamp.
It costs 1,900 Baht (£45/$55) to extend your visa for 30 days. The extension is available for all visa types including the 30-day exemption, the SETV and the METV.
- If you have the 30-day exemption, your stay will be extended from 30 to 60 days.
- If you have the SETV/METV, your stay will be extended from 60 to 90 days.
All you need to do is fill in a few forms so it’s pretty easy but it regularly takes a few hours due to how busy the immigration office is.
You can only apply for this extension once per visit.
What You’ll Need:
- Passport
- Completed application form for extension (TM.7 form)
- Proof of onward travel from Thailand
- 2 passport photos taken within the last 6 months
- 1,900 baht
There are immigration offices all over Thailand especially in the main tourist locations like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi etc.
Check out this helpful map for the closest office to you.
FAQs
Can I get a 90 day visa for Thailand?
There is no 90-day visa however if you want to stay for 90 days you can get one of the 60 day visas (either SETV or METV) and extend the visa for 30 days at an immigration office whilst in Thailand.
When do I need to leave?
Upon arrival your passport will be stamped with your arrival date and an expiry date.
Make sure you leave Thailand before midnight on the expiry date e.g. if your expiry date is the 9th August, you need to leave by 23.59 on the 9th August.
Can I apply for a visa in Thailand?
No, you cannot apply for a visa in Thailand. If you don’t have a visa when you arrive, you can get the 30 day visa exemption but cannot apply for the 60 day visa.
For the SETV, you can apply in any country outside of Thailand. For the METV, you need to apply in your home country.
Do I need to book an onward flight?
You may be asked for proof of onward travel when you arrive in Thailand. I was asked for this recently and had to show my plane ticket.
There have been some reports of people being denied entry if they have a bus, train or boat ticket rather than a plane ticket. It should be fine but I’d get a plane ticket to be safe.
To be honest, most of the time you won’t be asked for any proof but it is a possibility so it’s best to have something prepared or you could be denied entry.
A copy of your booking should be enough.
How can I apply for a Thai visa?
As mentioned above, you can apply online on the Thai E-Visa website. You can also apply in person at any Thai Embassy/Consulate.
Can I do a border run/visa run to get another visa exemption?
This used to be a really popular method of staying in Thailand. You could head to a nearby border, cross over and then cross back into Thailand activating another 30 day visa exemption.
Unfortunately, Thailand has cracked down on this and it is no longer possible. You can only enter Thailand on the 30 day visa exemption scheme twice a year via a land border.
You can still enter up to 6 times a year via an airport though.
If you have a METV, you can do a border run to re-activate your visa for another 60 days.
Can I be refused a visa extension?
Technically yes but this is very rare. If this does happen you will still get a 7 day extension. There are no appeals.
Can I extend my visa multiple times?
No, you can only extend your visa by 30 days once each time. If you leave the country and come back you could then extend it again.
Visa Exemption List
The below countries don’t need a visa to enter Thailand and can stay for 30 days. Exception: Cambodia and Myanmar can only stay for 14 days.
Andorra | Ireland | Philippines |
Argentina | Israel | Poland |
Australia | Italy | Portugal |
Austria | Japan | Qatar |
Bahrain | Kuwait | Russia |
Belgium | Laos | San Marino |
Brazil | Latvia | Singapore |
Brunei | Liechtenstein | Slovakia |
Cambodia (14 days) | Lithuania | Slovenia |
Canada | Luxembourg | South Africa |
Chile | Macau | South Korea |
Czech Republic | Malaysia | Spain |
Denmark | Maldives | Sweden |
Estonia | Mauritius | Switzerland |
Finland | Myanmar (14 days) | Turkey |
France | Monaco | Ukraine |
Germany | Mongolia | United Arab Emirates |
Greece | Netherlands | United Kingdom |
Hong Kong | New Zealand | United States |
Hungary | Norway | Vietnam |
Iceland | Oman | |
Indonesia | Peru |
And that’s it!
Thanks for reading this guide on the 60-day tourist visa in Thailand.
I try to update this page as often as I can to ensure all the information is still up to date but I’d still recommend checking with your local Thai embassy to ensure you’re eligible.
If you’re planning a trip to Thailand then you might wanna check out my ultimate bucket list for Thailand which includes all of the top things to see and do.