Every standard visa application for Thailand, from a two-week holiday to a five-year digital nomad visa, now runs through a single system: the Thailand e-visa portal at thaievisa.go.th. The Thailand e-visa replaced the old system of physical stickers and in-person appointments across all 94 Royal Thai embassies and consulates since January 2025. The portal is the same everywhere, but what each embassy accepts as proof, and what it charges, is not, which is where most of the confusion and most of the rejections start.
On this page:
| Section (Click to jump) | Summary |
|---|---|
| How the e-visa portal works | Learn how Thailand’s online visa system works, from account registration and passport scanning to payment, approval and downloading your e-visa. |
| Which visa category actually fits you | Compare Tourist, Non-Immigrant B and Destination Thailand Visa options to find the right visa based on your travel, work or long-term plans. |
| Document and photo specs that get applications flagged | Avoid common upload mistakes by following Thailand’s requirements for passport scans, photographs, financial evidence and supporting documents. |
| Why the same visa costs different amounts depending on where you apply | Find out why visa fees and financial requirements vary between Thai embassies and consulates, even for the same visa category. |
| The most common reasons applications get rejected | See the mistakes that most often lead to refusals, including insufficient financial history, weak supporting evidence and eligibility issues. |
| What happens after approval | Understand the final steps after your visa is approved, including downloading your e-visa and completing the Thailand Digital Arrival Card. |
| Start three months out, not three weeks | Prepare your finances and paperwork well in advance to avoid unnecessary delays and give yourself the best chance of a successful application. |
How the e-visa portal works
The application follows six stages. Registration comes first: a valid email, a password meeting the character requirements, and an activation link that expires after 30 minutes. Once in, the system asks for the country that issued your passport, where you currently are, and which embassy should handle the file. Applicants must be physically outside Thailand for the entire process. File from inside the country and the application is refused outright.
Personal details come from an OCR scan of your passport’s biodata page. Everything must match in English, with no hyphens, slashes or symbols. If your passport has no surname, leave the family name field blank and put your full name under “first name.” The system cannot always distinguish a zero from a letter O or an eight from a B, so check the OCR output before submitting.
After uploading travel and financial evidence, you sign a digital declaration, pay by card, and wait. Once approved, the E-Visa Confirmation Document arrives as a PDF. Print it for check-in and immigration in Thailand.
Which visa category actually fits you
Tourist visas (TR) come in single and multiple entry. Single entry allows up to 60 days on a three-month visa. Multiple entry gives six months’ validity with unlimited entries, still capped at 60 days each. Both need at least 20,000 baht in funds.
Do not confuse the Tourist Visa with visa-exempt entry. Thailand’s Cabinet approved reverting the 60-day visa exemption to 30 days on 19 May 2026, but the change had not been published in the Royal Gazette at the time of writing, so the 60-day stamp remained in force. The Tourist Visa is unaffected: applicants through the portal still get 60 days per entry. For a full breakdown of which nationalities qualify for which scheme, the complete entry guide covers every route into Thailand.
Non-Immigrant B covers paid work and teaching. Employment filings need a Ministry of Labour pre-approval letter, corporate registration documents, and a formal job offer. Teaching applications require an approval letter from the relevant education authority and a criminal background check. Both allow a 90-day stay on a three-month visa.
The Destination Thailand Visa is valid for five years, grants 180 days per entry, and can be extended once per entry for another 180 days at 1,900 baht. Every DTV applicant needs 500,000 baht in savings held for at least three months. The DTV splits into three tracks: Workcation for remote workers and freelancers, Soft Power for those enrolled in certified Thai cultural programmes, and Dependent for a holder’s spouse and unmarried children under 20. A full breakdown of DTV eligibility and what the Workcation track demands is covered in the digital nomad visa guide for 2026.
| Category | Validity | Max stay | Minimum funds | Key documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist, single entry | 3 months | 60 days | 20,000 baht | Flight booking, hotel confirmation, 3-month bank statement |
| Tourist, multiple entry | 6 months | 60 days per visit | 20,000 baht (maintained) | 3 to 6-month bank statements, travel itinerary, accommodation proof |
| Non-Immigrant B, employment | 3 months | 90 days | 30,000 baht | WP32 approval letter, employment offer, corporate registration |
| Non-Immigrant B, teaching | 3 months | 90 days | 30,000 baht | Education ministry approval letter, institutional contract, criminal clearance |
| DTV, Workcation | 5 years | 180 days, extendable once | 500,000 baht | Foreign employment contract, HR letter, or freelance portfolio |
| DTV, Soft Power | 5 years | 180 days, extendable once | 500,000 baht | Acceptance letter from certified institute or hospital |
| DTV, Dependent | 5 years | 180 days, extendable once | 500,000 baht (primary holder’s coverage) | Primary applicant’s DTV, marriage or birth certificate |
Document and photo specs that get applications flagged
Most uploads accept JPG, JPEG or PDF up to 3 MB. Photos are pickier: JPG only, capped at 200 KB. Passport scans must show all four corners of the biodata page and the two-line machine-readable strip. Cropped or blurry scans are rejected immediately.
Photos need a solid white background, taken within the last six months, full face, neutral expression, no tinted glasses, no headwear unless for religious reasons. Scanned prints and anything obviously edited are caught automatically. Bank statements must show your name and the bank’s stamp, covering three to six months depending on the visa type.
| Document | Formats | Max size | Must show |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicant photo | JPG, JPEG | 200 KB | White background, taken within 6 months, neutral expression |
| Passport biodata scan | JPG, JPEG, PDF | 3 MB | All four corners, 2-line MRZ strip |
| Signed declaration | JPG, JPEG, PDF | 3 MB | Signed, high resolution |
| Financial evidence | PDF, JPG | 3 MB | 3 to 6 months, applicant’s name, bank stamp |
| Proof of location | PDF, JPG | 3 MB | Utility bill, driving licence, residence permit or entry stamp |
Why the same visa costs different amounts depending on where you apply
The DTV’s baht base fee is 10,000 baht, but each embassy converts that on its own terms. Most European and North American posts land between US$300 and US$400, or roughly 350 euros. Wellington charges considerably more at around 2,000 NZD, or about 37,000 baht. Moscow requires the fee in cash, in US dollars, in person, within 14 days of filing, and turns away worn notes or anything printed before 2009.
Proof-of-funds thresholds also shift by post. US consulates want US$16,000, Eurozone missions want 15,000 euros, and London sets its bar at £11,000. None of these is a currency conversion of the 500,000 baht standard; they are independent local benchmarks. If applying from a country that is not your own, add proof of legal residence. Documents not in English or Thai need certified translation.
The most common reasons applications get rejected
Unseasoned funds are the biggest rejection trigger for the DTV. A large deposit right before you apply reads as borrowed money. Keep the funds untouched for at least 90 days. Crypto, stocks and property do not count regardless of their value. Workcation applicants get knocked back for thin evidence: a LinkedIn profile without contracts, invoices or an HR letter is not enough. Soft Power applicants fail when their provider is unaccredited, or the course is too short to justify a five-year visa.
There is also a tax issue. Spend 180 days or more in Thailand in a calendar year and you become a tax resident, meaning foreign income remitted into the country becomes taxable. The DTV bars local work, serving Thai clients, and holding a work permit. Violations risk cancellation, fines, and deportation. Getting the Thailand e-visa right the first time is considerably cheaper than the alternative
What happens after approval
The paper TM6 arrival card is gone, replaced by the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC). Every non-Thai national must file one online before arrival regardless of visa status. It collects flight details, advance passenger information, and your Thailand address before you land.
Start three months out, not three weeks
Whatever threshold applies, get the money sitting in the account at least three months before you plan to apply. Translating documents, getting them notarised, and saving scans correctly can happen in the weeks after.
Check the requirements of the embassy covering where you are based, track progress through the portal dashboard after filing, print the confirmation on approval, file your TDAC, and you will be through the airport faster than whoever is still filling out a landing card by hand.
The story Thailand e-visa 2026: full guide to fees, documents, visa types as seen on Thaiger News.
