Thai visa
terms decoded

Arrival/departure card — now mostly digital since 2024.

Address registration filed by landlord within 24 hours of your arrival/move.

Re-entry permit application — preserves your visa stamp when leaving Thailand.

Application form to change visa class inside Thailand.

Thai marriage registration confirmation — needed for Non-O Marriage visa.

Foreign Exchange Transaction form — proof your money came from overseas.

Mandatory address check-in every 90 days for long-stay visa holders.

Destination Thailand Visa — 5-year workcation visa, 180-day stays.

Long-Term Resident — 10-year BOI super-visa, 17% flat tax.

Non-Immigrant O — retirement, marriage, dependent, volunteer.

1-year retirement visa issued at home embassy. Insurance required.

10-year retirement visa for 14 specific nationalities. THB 3M deposit.

Business visa tied to a Thai employer + work permit.

Media visa for accredited journalists. PRD endorsement required.

Education visa — Thai language, Muay Thai, university.

BOI tech/startup visa, 4 years, work permit included.

Pay-to-stay long-term visa across 4 tiers.

Online application portal at thaievisa.go.th.

Lets you leave Thailand without voiding your visa. THB 1,000 single / THB 3,800 multi.

Extending your permission to stay in-country, usually at Pattaya Immigration.

Crossing a border to reset visa exempt stay. Land-border limits apply.

Staying past your stamp — THB 500/day fine, max THB 20,000.

Work permit certificate booklet (older format).

Royal Thai Police Immigration Bureau — runs all visa offices.

Board of Investment — issues LTR, SMART, and Non-B BOI-track endorsements.

Ministry of Education — must accredit your school for ED visa.

Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand — drone/aviation permits.

Tourism Authority of Thailand — DTV soft-power activity endorsements.

Council of Ministers decree — how visa policies often roll out before formal law.

2023 decree establishing 17% flat tax for LTR Wealthy Professional category.

Official Thai law publication where decrees are formalized.

District office — registers marriages, addresses, family papers.

Thai house registration book (blue Thai / yellow foreign).

International document legalisation — required for foreign marriage paperwork.

Permanent Residence — rare, ~100 spots/year per country.

Thai cultural activities accepted as DTV-