Most Western passports get a 60-day visa exemption on arrival in Thailand, extendable by 30 days at an immigration office for 1,900 baht. You must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online within three days of arrival. Passports need six months' validity.
The short version
- 60-day visa exemption for most EU, UK, US, Australian and Canadian passports.
- TDAC digital arrival card must be filed online within 72 hours of arrival.
- Passport valid for at least six months, plus an onward ticket.
- 30-day extension costs 1,900 baht at any immigration office.
Who needs a visa
Citizens of most European countries, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can enter Thailand visa-free for up to 60 days, with a possible extension of 30 days at an immigration office.
Nationals of around 90 other countries can apply for a 60-day tourist visa (TR) online before travel. Check the Thai e-Visa site for your passport — rules change, and airlines do enforce them.
At the border
You need a passport valid for six months, proof of onward travel, and an address in Thailand (your first hotel is fine). Immigration may ask for proof of funds.
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) must be completed online within three days of arrival. It is free; any site charging for it is not official.
Extensions and overstays
A 30-day extension costs THB 1,900 at any immigration office and takes an afternoon. Overstaying is THB 500 per day and can result in a ban.
If you are staying longer than 60 days, plan the extension into the trip rather than doing it in a panic on the last day.
The five things that actually cause problems
In practice, almost every entry problem we hear about is one of five things. The passport is under six months from expiry. The TDAC digital arrival card was not filed, or was filed more than 72 hours before landing and therefore expired. There is no onward ticket, which immigration can and does ask for. The traveller is on a passport that requires a visa and assumed otherwise. Someone overstayed a previous visit and did not clear the fine.
None of these are hard to avoid. Check the passport first, since it is the one thing you cannot fix at the airport. File the TDAC inside the 72-hour window — the official site is free and the paid 'assistance' sites selling the same form are a nuisance rather than a scam. Book a refundable onward flight if your plans are loose, and screenshot it.
Overstays are fined 500 baht a day up to 20,000 baht and can result in a ban. If you have overstayed, pay at the airport immigration desk before the passport window rather than after — the fine is the same but the process is shorter.
