Questions & Answers about Thai Visa

Q: Who can apply for a visa at the Royal Thai Embassy in Manama?

A: Bahraini citizens and those who possess residence permit in Bahrain.

Q: I would like to go to Thailand for vacation. Do I need a visa?

A: If you're a passport holder of Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme, you are eligible to travel to Thailand on tourism purpose without a visa and are permitted to stay in Thailand for a certain period. If not, you have to apply for a tourist visa or visa on arrival.

Upon arrival you may be asked to present round-trip air ticket and proof of adequate finance equivalent to at least 20,000 Baht per person or 40,000 Baht per family.

*Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme: Andora, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein. Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, Sweden, UAE, UK, USA, Vietnam

Q: Can I apply for a visa in Thailand?

A: No, all kind of visas (except Visa on Arrival) must be obtained outside Thailand prior to your arrival.

Q: Can I extend my tourist visa (TR) in Thailand?

A: Yes, you may apply for an extension of stay at any Immigration Office in Thailand where you may be permitted to stay for another 30-day period. You must do so before your stay permit expires, otherwise you will be fined for each day you overstay in Thailand and may be banned from entering the country again.

Q: The visa I received has a validity that does not match my travel dates. Do I have to go back to the embassy to fix it?

A: No, it does not need to be fixed. For a single-entry visa the validity of a visa means that you must enter the kingdom before the visa expires. The permit of stay starts once you arrive in Thailand. The length of stay depends on the type of the visa you have, 60 days for a tourist visa or 90 days for a non-immigrant visa.

Q: I want to work in Thailand. How should I go about getting necessary visa?

A: You have to be officially employed by a company in Thailand in order to apply for a Non-Immigrant “B” Visa

Application for a Non-Immigrant Visa category “B” (business) can only be done at the Royal Thai Embassy in Manama.

Q: I happened to lose my passport in Thailand. What should I do?

A: First, you need to go to a police station for a report of the loss. Then contact your embassy/consulate in Thailand for an issuance of new passport or temporary travel document. Finally, you need to bring the new passport or travel document to the Immigration Office for an endorsement.

In case that your country does not have an Embassy in Bangkok, please go to the Visa and Travel Documents Division, Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Chaengwattana Road in Bangkok, to apply for the Emergency Certificate (EC). You then need to bring the EC to the Immigration Office for endorsement before leaving the Kingdom.

You need to apply for a new visa on your new passport before coming to Thailand next time.

Q: What documents do I need to get married in Thailand?

A: You have to contact the office district where you wish to get married directly for the information. Different district office may require different documents. For example, some ask for the foreign certificates to be translated into Thai and some to English. However, all foreign and translated certificates must be legalized by the Royal Thai Embassy in Manama in order to be recognized in Thailand.

Q: Bringing money currency in or out of Thailand,How much and which currency?

A: Any person who brings or takes an aggregate amount of foreign currency exceeding USD20,000 or its equivalent out of or into Thailand shall declare such amount of foreign currency to a Customs Officer.

(Failure to declare upon bringing currency that exceeds the amount restricted by law or its equivalent out of or into Thailand or attempt at making any false declaration to a Customs Officer is a criminal offense)

For Thai currency (Baht), any person can bring total amount not exceed THB500,000 to any Thailand’s bounded countries and not exceed THB50,000 to any destination countries. More than that mentioned amount, you have to declare to a Customs Officer or exchange to others currency before depart from Thailand.

TOURIST VISA (TR)

This type of visa is issued to applicants who are currently residing in Bahrain and wishing to enter Thailand for tourism purposes only.

TR VISA CONDITIONS

• TR Visa is valid for a single entry into Thailand for tourism purposes only.
• TR Visa is valid for 3 months from the date of issuance. Travelers must enter Thailand within the said 3-month period. They will be allowed to stay in Thailand for a period of up to 60 days, counting from the date of entry. If the TR Visa holder breaches the entry conditions (for example, if he/she engages in work-related activities), the stay permit will be revoked and he/she will be prohibited from entering Thailand in the future.

SPECIAL TOURIST VISA (STV)

This type of visa is issued to applicants who are currently residing in Bahrain and wishing to enter Thailand for tourism purposes only.

STV VISA CONDITIONS

• STV is valid for a single entry into Thailand for long-term tourism purposes only.
• STV is valid for 3 months from the date of issuance. Travelers must enter Thailand within the said 3-month period. They will be allowed to stay in Thailand for a period of up to 90 days, counting from the date of entry.
• STV cannot be changed to any other type of visa during the duration of stay in Thailand.
• If the STV holder breaches the entry conditions (for example, if he/she engages in work-related activities), the stay permit will be revoked and he/she will be prohibited from entering Thailand in the future.

NON-IMMIGRANT VISA B (WORKING / BUSINESS VISA)

This type of visa is issued to applicants who wish to enter the Kingdom for the following purposes:

• Work in Thai companies or be on paid internship
• Work in Thai educational institutions
• Conduct business, e.g. short-term business visit upon invitation by Thai business counterparts
• Invest in Thailand (through ownership of condominium, deposit in a Thai bank, or Thai government bond, with face value not less than 3 million THB).

NON-IMM “B” VISA CONDITIONS

• B Visa is valid for a single entry for business-related purposes only.
• B Visa is valid for 90 days from the date of issuance. Travelers must enter Thailand within the said 90-day period. They will be allowed to stay in Thailand for a period of up to 90 days, counting from the date of entry. During the 90-day period of stay, if they wish to leave and re-enter Thailand, they are required to apply for a re-entry permit (single or multiple) before departure. If they leave Thailand without a re-entry permit, the current stay permit shall be considered void.
• Extension of visa is possible. Those qualified may obtain an additional one-year stay permit, counting from the date of entry to Thailand. The extension of stay is at the discretion of the immigration officer. Extension application can be made at the Office of Immigration Bureau (visit www.immigration.go.th for more information)
• If the B Visa holder breaches the entry conditions, the stay permit will be revoked and he/she will be prohibited from entering Thailand in the future.