Whenever I go to a Thai embassy or consulate outside Thailand, I meet several people applying for 60-day tourist visas for Thailand who don’t have the correct documents. At any Thailand embassy or consulate, if you don’t appear with the correct documents they won’t issue a tourist visa, resulting in a wasted journey to the embassy as well as possibly having to postpone your trip to Thailand. If you’re going to visit a Thai embassy or consulate to apply for a 60-day tourist visa, make sure you have all the following documents with you and you shouldn’t have a problem.
Passport – Obviously, you need to take your passport as you will give this to the Thai embassy official so a tourist visa can be affixed to it. Your passport must have at least six months left before its expiration date, as the embassy will not accept it with less. At most Thai embassies or consulates, it takes 24-48 hours to obtain a tourist visa, which means you’ll have to drop off your passport one day (with all the applicable documents) and pick it up again a day or two later. Check with each Thai embassy for their specific pick up rules.
Photocopy of Passport – To apply for a 60-day tourist visa for Thailand, you will also need a photocopy of the photograph page of your passport. Usually one only is needed, but I always take a couple as I was once asked for two. The embassies themselves will not photocopy the passport for you so, if you don’t have one, you will have to leave the embassy and go to find a photocopy shop before you can submit your application.
Photos – Most Thai embassies only ask for one photograph, but I have been asked for two before, so I always make sure I have a spare one. The photos should be head and shoulders, taken against a white or blue background, and be 4 x 6 centimeters in size. I have however taken larger ones, and they’ve always been accepted, just not anything smaller.
Return Air Ticket – Another document some Thai embassies require is an air ticket showing your flight leaving Thailand (I’m not sure why as I’ve never been asked for this when entering Thailand). If you’re planning on staying longer than the 60 days you can always book a flight then, as soon as you get to Thailand, cancel the flight and get a refund. Air Asia is good for this as, even if you book a cancelable flight, they’re still quite cheap.
Proof of Finances – I have never been asked for this at any Thai embassy I’ve applied for a tourist visa at, but some people report they have, so I always make sure I have it. Basically, you just need either cash in the total of 20,000 baht per person, or 40,000 for a family ($625-1,250), or a bank statement or bank book showing the same amount. This is simply to prove you’re not going to be a ward of the state when you’re in Thailand, although I’m not quite sure how they expect any westerner to live for up to 90 days (a 60-day tourist visa is renewable for an additional 30 days in Thailand) on $625?
Fee – Until April, 2011, the Thai tourist visa is actually free as the government is running a promotion. Normally it costs the equivalent of $30, which you will have to pay in the currency of the country you’re in (ie: in dollars in the US, in ringgit in Malaysia etc). You must pay the fee when you apply for the visa, and it is non-refundable if you are denied.These are all the documents you need to apply for a Thai tourist visa. The absolute necessities are passport, photocopy of passport, photos and fee (when a fee is being charged), with a return air ticket and proof of financial means things they may ask for.Plus remember, dress politely (no too-short shorts or skimpy tops), be polite and be prepared and you’ll soon have your Thai tourist visa in your hand.For more information on each specific Thai embassy, check out the Thai Embassies website.
More Information:Thai Embassies – Information about every Thai embassy or consulate with addresses and phone numbers
