Visa Information
Thai visa woes: From easy as pie to digital fly, book before you buy
Once upon a time, jetting off for a Thai visa was as easy as pie. A quick border dash to a nearby country, pop into a consulate in Laos, Malaysia, or Vietnam, and voilà! You'd be done and dusted, ready for an evening drink by...
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Thailand plans to extend 45 day visa free stays until year end
The Tourism Authority of Thailand will propose extending the 45 day visa exemption on arrival policy until the end of the year to boost tourism recovery. In September last year, Thailand’s Cabinet approved the temporary extension of visa on arrival and visa exemption on arrival for the High Season. Between October 1, 2022 – March …
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Welcome to Thailand, land of the Chinese dream
After years of pandemic misery, China‘s social media is alive with talk of Thailand, the land of the Chinese dream. The Chinese people are drawn to what they see as the kingdom’s slower pace of balanced life, and benefits such as cheap international schools. Influencers are painting a picture of a paradise where dreams come …
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Indian, Pakistani men latest busts in overstay crackdown
Police are continuing crackdowns on overstayers and have arrested an Indian and a Pakistani man in Patong, both with entry stamps that expired over a thousand days ago. Both were arrested on Phra Baramee Road in the popular Patong area of Phuket on Monday. The 35 year old Pakistani man overstayed his legal visa by …
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Thailand bans Ugandan visa overstayer for 5 years
Immigration police arrested a woman from Uganda yesterday morning in Pathum Thani province for overstaying her visa by 90 days. She is banned from entering Thailand for the next five years. At 9 am yesterday, Superintendent of Pathum Thani Immigration Pol. Col. Charoenpong Khantilo reported the arrest of a foreign visa overstayer. Pathum Thani Immigration …
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E-visas now available in 38 cities, 23 countries
Travelling to Thailand just got a little bit easier. E-visa services have now been launched by the Royal Thai Embassy and Consulates-General in 23 different countries. Some 38 cities around the world are now able to process applications and grant electronic visas for people to enter Thailand. The service is available in 19 countries throughout …
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South African man on 6-month overstay couldn’t afford to get home
A South African man was busted for an overstay of about six and a half months. The man was arrested in the Thalang district of Phuket and was found to have finished the stamp on his passport 196 days ago. When captured, he gave the excuse that he did not have enough money to get …
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Overstaying former pro footballer arrested for hawking lottery tickets in Thailand
Immigration police were suspicious when they came across a Chinese man roaming around Nong Khai province in northeast Thailand selling overpriced lottery tickets earlier today. Upon checking his documents, police found he had overstayed his visa by well over seven years (2782 days). Nong Khai Immigration Police arrested 33 year old Xiang Lix of Chinese …
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Polish overstayer wanted by Interpol arrested in Koh Samui, Thailand
Yesterday, Immigration Police arrested a Polish man in Koh Samui, southern Thailand, wanted on an Interpol red notice for assault and illegal possession of firearms. He had overstayed his student visa by 36 days, which was cancelled by immigration on November 3 because he didn’t attend classes. Surat Thani Immigration Police were patrolling the island …
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Miracle of birth – Barcelona refugees run for beautiful horizon
Spanish police are searching for 14 passengers who jumped off a commercial flight after an emergency landing and ran for the hills in a scene more like an Adam Sandler movie than a people smuggling operation. Pegasus Airlines flight PC652 from Casablanca to Istanbul was diverted to Barcelona’s El Prat Airport to make a forced …
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Thailand toughens visa policy to crackdown on illegal foreign businesses
Thailand is toughening its visa policies in an attempt to crackdown on illegal enterprises by foreign criminals. The move is on the back of police uncovering a number of illegal activities in the kingdom over the past few months. In particular, illicit businesses run by Chinese triads after the activities of Chaiyanat Kornchayanant, dubbed Tuhao, …
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Thailand’s 10 year LTR visa most popular among Americans and Chinese
American and Chinese nationals have made the most applications for Thailand’s 10-year Long Term Resident (LTR) visa since its launch in September, according to the secretary-general of the Board of Investment (BOI) Narit Therdstreerakul. Thailand introduced the LTR visa on September 1, 2022, to lure ‘high potential,’ talented foreigners and investors from around the world …
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Overstay crackdown uses facial recognition tech
Immigration offices around the country have been cracking down on foreigners overstaying their stamps or visas. A ten-day campaign from December 1 to December 10 is aggressively seeking out tourists who have remained in the kingdom long past the date stamped in their passports. And some provinces are using some creepy Big Brother technology to …
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Challenges of starting a business in Thailand as a foreigner
Sponsored Thailand is a rapidly developing country with a strong economy and plenty of opportunities for foreign investors. However, starting a business in Thailand as a foreigner can be challenging. Aside from the obvious challenges of language barriers and cultural differences, there are also a number of laws and regulations that must be followed, and …
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Thailand advises Indians to obtain visa prior to travelling to avoid long queues
The Royal Thai Embassy in India advised Indians to obtain visas from the embassy or consulate before travelling to avoid long queues at Bangkok‘s Suvarnabhumi Airport upon arrival in Thailand. International tourists have been flooding into Thailand since High Season began last month. For the first time in years, 50,000 foreign tourists passed through immigration …
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Korean woman arrested for 5 million baht theft, 6-year overstay
A lesson that never seems to be learned is that, if you’re illegally overstaying in a country, try not to commit crimes and bring attention to yourself. A South Korean woman was arrested in Bangkok for stealing a car, bag, and watch valued at over 5 million baht from a South Korean friend. Both the …
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Immigration police round up visa overstayers in Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand
Koh Pha Ngan island in southern Thailand is so idyllic that some foreigners just can’t bear to leave, even when their visa runs out. Yesterday, Surat Thani Immigration Police, and Koh Pha Ngan Provincial Police went on a tour of Thailand’s fifth-biggest island on the hunt for visa overstayers in the kingdom. Three foreigners were …
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Chinese man overstays visa in Thailand for 7 years over ‘cult’ beliefs
Immigration police arrested a Chinese man at a condo in Bangkok this morning who overstayed his visa by over seven years (2,662 days). He said he wanted to stay in Thailand because his religious beliefs are not accepted in China. In the early hours of this morning, plain-clothed immigration officials – one wearing a “rasta baby” …
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Thailand to issue one-year visas for medical tourists
Thailand is trying to attract more rich tourists by promoting itself as a destination for medical treatment, with hospital operators such as Bangkok Dusit Medical Services and Bumrungrad Hospital among the companies expected to profit the most from the new visa. The latest attempt to lure so-called high-quality visitors comes with just as many unfathomable …
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Younger Chinese expats the main applicants for Elite Visa
Thailand’s Elite Visa set its sights on attracting wealthy people to stay long-term in the kingdom. Chinese expats are taking the most advantage of it, but officials are surprised to see the average age of those applying for the long-term visa is dropping. About 20,000 Elite Visas have been approved so far to allow people …
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Thailand expands e-Visa service to 23 countries worldwide
Thailand just expanded its e-Visa service to nine additional embassies and consulates worldwide. A Thai visa can now be obtained online in 23 countries. Applications for all types of visas in Thailand can be done online through the e-Visa official website for passport holders of 23 countries. Instead of going to an embassy, simply create …
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Expats welcome online visa extensions?
The Immigration Bureau unveiled its online visa extension (e-extension) service on yesterday, billed as making the process less messy for expats and tourists who need more time in the country. Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas, the national police chief, said the e-extension would improve visa services by allowing visitors to lodge their requests online. The move …
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Chinese nationals top applicants for Thailand’s 10 year LTR visa
In September, Thailand launched the 10-year Long Term Resident (LTR) visa to attract foreigners with ‘high potential’ into the kingdom. Chinese nationals represent 60% of LTR visa applications made to date, according to Chinese media. Before the pandemic, Chinese nationals topped the list of foreign arrivals in Thailand every year, mostly arriving in big groups …
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Overstaying foreigners targeted in Pattaya club inspections
Pattaya police are continuing their crackdown on nightlife and entertainment venues, but now with a new target: overstaying tourists. In the wake of the meth-fueled daycare centre massacre, police all over the country have been raiding venues and parties and cracking down on drug use. They have also been checking clubs for illegal operations, such …
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Sales of Thailand Elite Card to Chinese nationals up 185%
The number of new Chinese nationals who have joined the Thailand Elite Card programme has risen steeply from 1,100 in 2021 to 3,100 this year, growth of 185%. Yuthasak Supasorn, chairman of Thailand Privilege Card, operator of the programme, said the number of new Chinese members had risen from 1,100 in 2021 to 3,100 this …
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‘Big Joke’ orders crackdown on foreigners who overstay in Thailand
Deputy Police Chief and former Chief of Immigration Big Joke is on the prowl for foreigners who overstay their visa time in Thailand. Not only that, but Big Joke will not stand for immigration officers who give out illicit visas in exchange for bribes, either. Pl. Gen. Surachate Hakparn, aka “Big Joke,” made the comments after …
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Two misses make a hit – a marriage made in Phuket
A former Miss Argentina and an ex-Miss Puerto Rico announced that they are married. Varela and Valentín met in March last year when both competed in the Miss Grand International beauty pageant in Phuket. Neither woman took home the top prize in the competition, but they both made it to the top 10. In a joint …
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Are you a digital nomad, or on the run?
I guess it is an age thing. As someone who left the parental home as soon as he could and headed for “as far away as possible,” I have serious misgivings about digital nomads. Do they even know what a nomad is? Well, let me tell you… A nomad has no “home” to “go back” …
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Starting a business and obtaining SMART Visa in Thailand is easy with Startup Booster
Sponsored Are you an entrepreneur looking to set up or expand your business in Thailand? Then joining the Startup Booster and obtaining the SMART Visa Thailand might be the perfect option for you! Thanks to its strategic position in Southeast Asia, Thailand is a popular destination for foreign investors, entrepreneurs, and expats to work, live, …
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E-visa and visa drop boxes in India will help tourism
Malaysia has just passed the one million mark for tourists entering Thailand, and officials are eyeing India as the next million-tourists source and hope that introducing e-visas will help. With more airlines planning to launch new routes from various cities in India to Thailand, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expect the number of Indian …
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Thailand to extend Smart Visa scheme to draw talent
Thailand is extending its Smart Visa scheme, aiming to draw in more talent to the kingdom. While the scheme used to cover 13 industries, the Thai cabinet yesterday approved extending the scheme to cover 18. Since 2018, Thailand has offered a SMART visa for foreigners who wish to work or invest in the following industries… …
