Start Here
I am Somchai. I have been writing about Thailand for a long time, most of it from Chiang Mai, and most of it because people kept asking me the same questions badly.
Here is the short version of everything on this site.
Do this first
- Find out what you need to enter. There are 226 countries and territories on the country-by-country guide, each with its own entry. Since 15 September 2026 the rules are not what most of the internet still says.
- If you need a visa, apply for it now. It is an eVisa, online, and it takes longer than you think. Do not leave it for the week before.
- Read the arrival card guide now, not on the plane. It is mandatory for everyone, free, and has to be filed within 72 hours of landing.
Then decide how long you are here
| You are staying | What to sort out |
|---|---|
| Up to 30 days | Nothing, if your passport is in the right group. File the TDAC. |
| 30–60 days | Buy one 30-day extension at immigration, 1,900 baht. |
| 60–180 days | You need a real visa. Start the eVisa or read the DTV guide. |
| 6 months and up | The Destination Thailand Visa or one of the routes in the long-term comparison. |
What this site is
Thai immigration rules are published in a Royal Gazette notification, usually in Thai, and they change without warning. Everything else you will read is somebody’s memory of them. Every guide here carries the date it was last checked and a link to the source, and where the government has not published something I say so instead of guessing.
I am not a visa agency and I do not charge fees or sell applications. I am a person in Chiang Mai who has watched this system from the inside for a long time.