Visa regulations in Thailand change regularly, and it can sometimes be difficult to navigate the complexities of visa exemptions, extensions, online forms, and new procedures. This page provides a clear overview of the entry requirements for tourism in Thailand , as well as information on the main long-stay visas (retirement, DTV, studies, family, etc.).
The information below is updated in 2026. It is primarily intended for French-speaking travelers planning a tourist trip or a long stay in Thailand, without going into very specific or complex professional cases.
1. Do I need a visa to travel to Thailand?
For a purely tourist trip, the question usually boils down to:
- Is your nationality eligible for visa exemption?
- How long do you wish to stay there?
If you are French, Belgian, Swiss, Luxembourgish, Canadian (among others), you are among the nationalities eligible for a 30-day visa exemption . Upon arrival, immigration simply stamps your passport with a maximum stay date (30 days, including the day of arrival). You will not have a visa stamped in your passport, but you are legally authorized to stay in Thailand for this period.
This exemption is for short-term tourist stays . It does not allow you to work, study, or reside in Thailand long-term. If you fall under another category (retirement, remote work, studies, family, etc.), you will need a specific visa, which we will discuss further below.
For nationalities not eligible for this exemption, other options exist (standard tourist visa, visa on arrival, etc.). In these cases, prior application will be required at the embassy or via the e-visa platform.
2. TDAC: the digital arrival card (mandatory)
The blue TM6 form to be filled out on the plane or at the airport is a thing of the past. It has been replaced by the TDAC (Thailand Digital Arrival Card) , a 100% digital arrival form.
2.1 Who should complete the TDAC?
- All non-Thai foreign travelers who enter Thailand, by air, by land or by sea.
- With a few exceptions: people in simple transit without going through immigration, or certain border crossings with local Border Passes.
2.2 When and how to complete the TDAC?
- The TDAC is filling up online, via the official website of the Thai authorities.
- It is recommended to do so within 72 hours prior to your arrival (and at the latest a few hours before boarding).
- You will be asked for: your passport information, your travel dates, your first place of accommodation in Thailand and some health/safety questions.
In practical terms, TDAC replaces TM6: your entry information is now already known upon arrival , which allows immigration to cross-reference the data with other systems (repeat stay control, security, public health, etc.).
3. Stays of less than 30 days: the simplest case
If you are among the eligible nationalities and your stay does not exceed 30 days , this is the simplest case:
- You fill in the TDAC before leaving.
- You arrive with a valid passport and, ideally, a exit ticket from Thailand within 30 days.
- Upon arrival, immigration will affix a 30-day visa exemption stamp.
In practice, many travelers on a round-the-world trip or traveling around Asia first return to Thailand and then leave, for example, for Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam by land.
In this case, it is more difficult to get a “classic” exit ticket, but a simple bus ticket or low-cost flight ticket to a neighboring country is generally enough to reassure a somewhat zealous airline.
4. Extending your stay: the 30-day extension
If 30 days is not enough for you, you can apply for a 30-day extension locally, to reach a total of 60 consecutive days in the country.
4.1 Where and how to do the extension?
The extension must be requested from an immigration office . These can be found in most major cities and tourist areas (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Pattaya, etc.).
In summary :
- BUILD YOUR VIRTUAL TOUR TM7 duly completed.
- ID photo (4×6 cm format, often available on site).
- Passport + photocopy of the main page and the entry stamp.
- Application fees 1,900 THB, in cash.
There is now an e-Extension system , allowing you to submit your application online (via an official platform) and then go to the office only to have it stamped. This does not eliminate the need to go to immigration, but it does reduce the time spent there.
4.2 New limits on extensions
In the current context of stricter controls, Thai authorities remind the public that an extension remains a favor and that it is no longer really possible to chain several extensions together to remain for extended periods on a simple tourist visa. Therefore, expect a stricter interpretation of the rules , especially if you already have a history of repeated stays or successive extensions.
For a traveler who comes once, or even occasionally, a 30-day extension on a standard exemption remains a common and accepted case.
5. Visa runs and multiple stays: what will change in 2026
For a long time, many travelers used visa runs : leaving the country and immediately re-entering to trigger a new visa exemption. In a purely touristic and occasional context (for example, a loop through Southeast Asia), this remains possible. However, the authorities have very clearly decided to tighten restrictions on repeated entries without a clear reason.
5.1 Limits on land entries
Regardless of this recent tightening of restrictions, a rule already existed limiting visa-exempt individuals to two entries per year by land . The new guidelines move towards an even stricter interpretation of repeated entries, regardless of the mode of arrival (air or land).
5.2 “Classic” Multi-Stay Packages
For a traveler visiting Thailand for the first time, then traveling to other parts of Asia and returning a few weeks later to catch their flight from Bangkok or explore another region, there is, in principle, no problem . Immigration officials emphasize that these measures do not target "genuine" tourists, as long as the purpose of their trip remains coherent and reasonable.
6. Special cases: non-exempt nationalities and stays exceeding 90 days
If your nationality is not eligible for the 30-day visa exemption, or if you know you will need more than 90 consecutive days in Thailand, you will need to apply for one or more specific visas.
For non-exempt nationalities, the most common options are:
- le tourist visa requested in advance (e-visa or via the embassy) for a specific stay;
- le visa on arrival for certain nationalities, with specific conditions (duration often shorter than the exemption).
As soon as you move away from the “short tourist stay” model, it is generally more relevant to look at the category of visas adapted to your project: retirement, teleworking / DTV, studies, family, work, etc.
7. The main long-stay visas in Thailand
The list of possible visas is long. Rather than providing an indigestible catalog, here's an overview of the most common cases to help you identify which type of visa you need. For each application, you will then need to consult the specific requirements on the website of the embassy in your jurisdiction, as the details (documents, proof of funds) can vary.
7.1 Retirement Visa (Non-Immigrant O/OA)
Intended for people aged 50 and over who wish to live in Thailand without working. It mainly includes:
- Non-Immigrant O (Retirement) : often issued for 90 days initially, then extendable locally for a one-year renewable stay, under certain conditions.
- Non-Immigrant OA (Long Stay) : one-year retirement visa, sometimes issued directly at the embassy, with stricter requirements (particularly regarding health insurance).
The main common features:
- have at least 50 years ;
- justify a minimum resource level (for example: ~800,000 THB in an account or a mix of income/savings, depending on the type of visa);
- provide various supporting documents (bank statements, criminal record extracts, medical certificates as appropriate);
- for the OA, a health insurance with a minimum coverage amount is required.
There are also other schemes related to retirement or long-term stays (such as certain 10-year "long stay" visas) that require higher financial resources. These are aimed at a fairly specific audience.
7.2 DTV Visa (Destination Thailand Visa)
The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is a recent program designed primarily for remote workers, freelancers, teleworkers , and certain categories of long-term visitors. In theory, it allows for longer stays in Thailand, with visa durations of up to 5 years and extended stays per entry.
Key takeaways:
- visa multi-entry valid for several years;
- stays 180 days per entry, with the possibility of extension in certain cases;
- financial and professional conditions to be met (income, compatible activity, etc.);
- not designed to replace a classic work visa: it does not allow you to freely carry out any activity in the territory without additional formalities.
This visa is still being refined and is closely monitored by the authorities due to observed abuses (some networks are using it for illegal activities). Here too, it's essential to carefully review the exact requirements on the official website or consult a reputable professional before proceeding.
7.3 Education Visa (ED)
The ED visa is for people who come to Thailand to study (e.g., learn Thai at a recognized school, pursue university studies, etc.).
In theory, it allows you to stay for extended periods by regularly renewing your status. In practice, it is increasingly regulated: the authorities are cracking down on "fake schools" or purely administrative applications without any actual coursework. It is therefore important to go through reputable institutions , otherwise your visa may be refused or not renewed.
7.4 Visa O (family, spouse, etc.)
The Non-Immigrant O visa covers several family situations: spouse of a Thai national, family reunification, certain situations of dependency, etc.
It generally allows for a longer stay than a simple tourist visa, with the possibility of renewal. Here again, the required evidence (marriage, family ties, financial means) is strictly examined.
7.5 Visa B (work)
The Non-Immigrant B visa is the standard visa for working legally in Thailand. It must be obtained through your employer , who will provide some of the necessary documents. It is linked to a Work Permit , without which employment remains illegal.
If your plan is to come and work in Thailand, it is this type of visa (or more recent variants of long-stay visas for investors, executives, etc.) that you should be interested in, never a simple visa exemption or visa runs.
7.6 Re-entry permit
For long-stay visas (retirement, work, family, etc.), leaving the country can invalidate your status if no provision has been made. This is where the re-entry permit (authorization to return) comes in.
- It makes it possible Leave Thailand without losing your visa long stay.
- The question is either at the immigration office, or sometimes directly in certain international airports.
- It can be issued for a simple entry or for multiple entries, with variable fees.
If you have a retirement, work or other long-stay visa and are planning to travel back and forth, remember to check this point before leaving the country.
8. Obtaining your visa easily: should you use a specialist agency?
Between online platforms, forms to fill out, document scans and evolving rules, many travelers prefer to delegate the process to an agency experienced in Thai visa applications.
In practical terms, a good agency will:
- check your situation and direct you towards the appropriate visa (when a visa is required);
- help you to gather and check the parts requested;
- follow the online procedure on the official platforms;
- This will save you unnecessary back-and-forth trips in case of an incomplete or incorrectly formatted file.
If you don't want to delve into the intricacies of visas, this is a convenient solution, provided you choose a reputable intermediary who works well with official services.
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