More changes to Thailand visas for expats and tourists

As Western tourism and expat arrivals shrink, the Thai Embassy in London is making it even more difficult to visit the former Land of Smiles.

The Thai Embassy in London has announced new visa requirements for tourists and expats heading for Thailand. Following this month’s earlier announcement that applicants living in Britain and Northern Ireland must now apply online for their visas, the embassy has now posted new rules for those needing single entry tourist visas or several other non-immigrant visas.

The first notable change is that multi-entry Non Immigrant Type O visas will no longer be issued at London’s Royal Thai Embassy. This visa type is useful for expatriate professionals married to Thais and working in the oil and gas sector, as it allows them to leave and return multiple times in a single year. Options for this expat category are tourist visas and visa-exempt entries, but those with multiple entries may well be refused entry by immigration officials at airport or on borders.

Single entry tourist visa rules are now updated, with applicants needing to present a confirmed air ticket, proof of a hotel booking or other accommodation and proof of financial status such as bank statements, a sponsorship document or proof of earnings. Also required is proof of residency in Ireland or the UK as non-nationals, such as a long-stay visa or residence permit. Requirements for 30-day visa exemption visits seem the same.

For those arriving with or without their families to work or volunteer in Thailand using the Non-O single entry visa, the list of copies of certification is long and can be found on the embassy’s website. For expat retirees choosing this option, a copy pension statement or one month bank statement showing pension receipt is required. For those over 50 years of age and not yet in receipt of a pension, a bank statement showing no less than £10,000 deposited for a period of three months before arrival is required.