Checked against the Thailand e-Visa portal (thaievisa.go.th) and Royal Thai Embassy fee pages. The visa exemption was cut to 30 days on 15 September 2026; the Tourist Visa (TR) was not shortened and still gives up to 60 days per entry.
The Thailand Tourist Visa (TR) is a tourist visa you apply for online before you fly, and it gives up to 60 days per entry. Since 15 September 2026 the free visa exemption gives most nationalities only 30 days, so the TR has gone from an optional extra to the standard route for anyone planning a trip longer than a month.
What changed in 2026
Four Ministry of Interior notifications published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026 took effect on 15 September 2026. They repealed the 60-day visa exemption introduced in July 2024 and replaced it with a 30-day exemption for 60 countries and territories, 15 days for Seychelles and Mauritius, and Visa on Arrival for Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. Our news report on the switch, 30-day exemption starts Monday, and the first week after the cut, cover what travellers actually saw at the counter.
The Tourist Visa itself was untouched. Royal Thai Embassy pages updated after the change still list a 60-day stay per entry for the TR. That is the whole reason this page matters now: the gap between the free stamp and the paid visa has doubled, from nothing to thirty days.
Two other 2026 rules apply whichever route you take. Everyone must file the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online within three days before arrival, and the visa exemption is tourism only — a conference, a factory visit or a contract signing is not tourism, and needs a Non-B arranged before departure. See our visa exemption guide and the detailed breakdown in Thailand visa-free stay cut to 30 days.
TR vs visa exemption vs DTV
Three routes cover almost every tourist and remote-worker trip. Pick by how long you are staying and whether you earn money while you are here.
| Visa exemption | Tourist Visa (TR) | DTV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stay per entry | 30 days (15 for two nationalities) | 60 days | 180 days |
| Extension inside Thailand | +30 days, 1,900 THB, once | +30 days, 1,900 THB, once | +180 days, 1,900 THB, once per entry |
| Realistic maximum | 60 days | 90 days | 360 days per entry, 5-year validity |
| Government fee | Free | About 1,000 THB single entry; about 5,000 THB multiple entry (METV) | About 10,000 THB |
| Apply before you fly? | No | Yes, online at thaievisa.go.th | Yes, online at thaievisa.go.th |
| Who it suits | Holidays of a month or less | One long trip of one to three months | Remote workers and soft-power activities, based here for years |
| Earning while here | No — tourism only | No — tourism only | Yes, for clients outside Thailand |
Quick rule of thumb
- Trip of 30 days or less, and your passport is on the exemption list — take the free stamp, apply for nothing.
- Trip of 31 to 90 days — the TR is the cheapest legal route, and 1,000 THB is less than the hassle of a border run.
- Living here, working remotely, or coming back repeatedly — stop buying tourist visas and look at the DTV, ED visa or Non-O retirement visa instead.
Who can apply
The TR is open to almost every nationality, including the ones that still qualify for the 30-day exemption. Applying for it does not waive anything: you simply arrive holding a visa instead of asking for a free stamp.
It matters most for three groups. First, the 21 nationalities that used the old 60-day scheme and were dropped from the list on 15 September 2026 — for them a visa is no longer optional. Second, anyone staying longer than 30 days. Third, travellers who want certainty before buying a non-refundable flight, because a visa granted in advance removes the argument at secondary inspection.
US, UK, Canadian, Australian, EU, Japanese, Korean and Indian passport holders all remain on the 30-day exemption list, and all can apply for a TR instead when the trip is longer. Immigration officers keep full discretion to refuse entry regardless of which route you take.
Fees, validity and stay
There is no single worldwide price. The government fee is set in local currency by each Royal Thai Embassy, so check the fee page for the mission handling your country before you budget.
| Type | Government fee | Visa validity | Stay per entry | Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single entry (TR / SETV) | About 1,000 THB (roughly USD 30–40) | 3 months from issue | Up to 60 days | One |
| Multiple entry (METV) | About 5,000 THB (roughly USD 150–200) | 6 months from issue | Up to 60 days per entry | Unlimited within validity |
| Extension of stay (in Thailand) | 1,900 THB | — | +30 days | Once per entry |
The trap in that table is validity, not stay. A single-entry TR issued on 1 November must be used by the end of January. Land on 20 January and you still get your full 60 days, running to late March — the visa only has to be valid on the day you enter.
How to apply on the e-Visa portal
Thailand runs tourist visa applications through its official e-Visa portal at thaievisa.go.th. There is no sticker in your passport and no embassy appointment for most nationalities; approval arrives as a PDF you print and carry. Allow roughly 5 to 10 working days, and longer around Thai public holidays.
Step 1 — Create an account and pick your mission
Register on thaievisa.go.th with the email address you actually check, because every status update goes there. You then select the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate covering your place of residence. This choice sets your fee, your processing time and your document list, so get it right the first time — it is not easily changed afterwards.
Step 2 — Choose Tourist (TR), single or multiple entry
Select the tourism category, then single entry for one trip or METV if you will enter several times within six months. If your planned trip is longer than 60 days, apply for the single-entry TR and plan the 1,900 THB extension inside Thailand rather than hoping for a longer visa.
Step 3 — Upload your documents
Scans must be legible and in the format the portal asks for. The full list is in the checklist below. The single most common rejection is a travel booking whose dates do not fit the visa: a 70-day round trip submitted against a 60-day single-entry TR will be queried or refused.
Step 4 — Pay online and wait
Pay the government fee by card on the portal. The fee is not refunded if the application is refused. Do not buy non-refundable flights until the approval PDF is in your inbox.
Step 5 — Print the approval and file your TDAC
Carry a printed copy of the e-Visa approval with your passport; airline check-in staff ask for it even though it is electronic. Separately, file the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online within three days before you land. These are two different things, and the TDAC is required of every arrival.
Document checklist
- Passport with at least six months of validity remaining from your date of entry, and a blank page
- Recent passport-style photograph, taken within the last six months, plain background
- Travel booking confirmation showing entry and onward or return travel inside the 60 days
- Proof of accommodation for the whole stay: hotel bookings, a lease, or an invitation letter from a host in Thailand
- Bank statement showing at least 20,000 THB per person (about USD 600), typically the last three to six months
- Proof of residence or immigration status in the country where you are applying, if you are not a citizen of it
- Government fee, paid by card on the portal
- Travel insurance — not required for the TR, but some missions ask for it and it is sensible anyway
Embassy-specific extras are common. Some missions want a cover letter explaining your itinerary, some want a police clearance, and some ask for proof of employment. Read your chosen mission's page on the portal before uploading anything.
Extending your stay
A TR can be extended once, inside Thailand, for a further 30 days. Go to the immigration office for the province you are staying in with form TM.7, one photograph, copies of your passport photo page, visa page, entry stamp and TM.6 or TDAC record, and 1,900 THB in cash. Allow a morning; busy offices like Chaeng Wattana in Bangkok and Jomtien in Chonburi run a queue system.
Go a few days before your stamp expires, not on the day. The extension is granted at the officer's discretion and it is refused often enough to be worth the buffer. Overstaying carries a 500 THB per day fine and, past 90 days, a re-entry ban — see our report on an overstay arrest in Phuket for what the serious end looks like.
Sixty plus thirty is ninety days, and that is where the TR stops. If you want more than that, the honest answer is a different visa rather than a new tourist visa every quarter. Repeated back-to-back tourist entries draw questions at the border, and the land-border route is now capped for most nationalities. Compare your options in the full Thailand visa guide or run the free Visa Finder.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Double the visa exemption: 60 days per entry instead of 30, since September 2026.
- Cheap: about 1,000 THB, less than one 1,900 THB extension.
- Approved before you fly, so you are not arguing your case at the arrivals desk.
- Open to almost all nationalities, including the 21 dropped from the exemption list.
- Fully online — no embassy visit and no passport posted away for most applicants.
Cons
- Needs planning: 5 to 10 working days, and the fee is not refunded if refused.
- Single entry means one entry — leave Thailand and the visa is spent.
- Tourism only. It does not permit work of any kind, remote or local.
- Hard ceiling of 90 days, and consecutive tourist visas attract scrutiny.
- Fees, document lists and processing times differ by embassy.
Common pitfalls
Confusing visa validity with length of stay
The three-month validity on a single-entry TR is your window to arrive. It is not three months of stay. People book a 90-day trip on a single-entry TR and discover that 60 plus one extension is the real ceiling.
Flight dates that do not fit the visa
The portal asks for a travel booking confirmation. If your return date falls outside the stay you applied for, expect a query or a refusal. Match the booking to the visa before you upload it.
Assuming the TDAC is included
It is not. The arrival card is a separate online filing, due within three days before you land, and it applies to visa holders and visa-exempt arrivals alike.
Treating the TR as a work-around for living here
Since 15 September 2026, enforcement around tourist entries has tightened: land-border exemption entries are capped for most nationalities, and the exemption is explicitly tourism only. If you are in Thailand most of the year, a tourist visa is the wrong instrument. Look at the DTV, ED, marriage Non-O or retirement Non-O routes.
Applying through an agent you found in a search ad
The official portal is thaievisa.go.th and the government fee is about 1,000 THB. Anything charging several times that for a single-entry tourist visa is marking up a form you can fill in yourself.
Sources and verification
- Thailand e-Visa portal, thaievisa.go.th — tourist visa categories, validity and stay, checked 19 October 2026
- Royal Thai Embassy and Consulate fee schedules — government fees by mission
- Royal Gazette, Ministry of Interior notifications published 31 August 2026, in force 15 September 2026 — visa exemption tiers
- Immigration Bureau order 327/2557 — the 30-day extension of stay and its 1,900 THB fee
- Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) official guidance
Last verified: 19 October 2026
Important note: Visa policies and fees change with limited notice, and individual embassies apply them differently. This page is for information only. Verify current requirements with the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate where you will apply, or with a qualified immigration professional, before you book anything.
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Take the free Visa Finder →Application route and final checks
Eligibility and documents checklist
Use the tourist category for a genuine visit. Prepare the passport, photograph, evidence of current location, accommodation, travel plans and financial documents listed by the responsible mission. Check that your planned dates fit the visa’s entry validity and the permission granted on arrival.
Applying through an embassy
First identify the Thai mission responsible for your current location. Select the correct visa purpose, gather its documents, submit through the official channel and pay the published fee. Respond to any request for more evidence, then check the approval’s entry conditions before travelling.
Already in Thailand
Ask immigration whether your case is an extension or an available change of category. An embassy application is not the process for someone currently inside Thailand. Bring the current passport and arrival records, address evidence and category-specific documents requested by the office. Apply before your current stay expires.
Fees in baht — checked 20 October 2026
The official immigration fee table lists a single-entry tourist visa at 1,000 THB. An embassy overseas collects its published local-currency fee, which may differ from a simple exchange-rate conversion.
Official fee reference — accessed 20 October 2026.
Common refusal risks
Check for missing documents, inconsistent names or dates, evidence that does not support the chosen purpose, and applications made through the wrong channel. Correct a requested deficiency before resubmitting. A complete checklist helps preparation but does not guarantee approval.