Can a French citizen without residency apply for a 60-day visa on arrival in Thailand and what are the best visa options for a 6-month stay?

Aug 13, 2024
4 months ago
Florence ************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hi

I am french citizen without residency.

Can I apply for a 60 days on arrival visa?

Also I could get a DTV as a spouse as my husband is going to apply for a DTV learning muay thai

What would be the best option

We plan to stay 6 months

Thanks
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TLDR : Answer Summary
A French citizen without residency cannot apply for a visa on arrival but can enter Thailand with a 60-day visa exemption, which is granted free upon arrival. This traveler can extend their stay by applying for a 30-day extension at an immigration office. If planning to stay for about 6 months, it's advised to utilize the visa exemption and extensions rather than applying for a DTV (Dependent Visa), which requires proof of residency and must be applied for outside Thailand. Additionally, the spouse can apply for a DTV based on the husband's application but must do so at the appropriate Thai embassy.
DTV VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
John **********
If you are all only planning to stay for 6 months I don't see why any of you would apply for a DTV. Multiple entry tourist visa would be simpler if you are all in your home country, if not and you don't have recent history in Thailand then just use 2 visa exempt entries and extend both to get 6 months
Florence ************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John *********
we do have a business online but are just starting and have no real proof of income to show for by the time we will get to Thailand
Florence ************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John *********
because we have 2 kids and border runs are a whole thing. Also because we might want to come back to Thailand in the next 5 years. And we are in Bali now. Not planning on going back to ‘home country’ before heading to Thailand
John **********
@Florence ***********
your husband can apply for the DTV at the Thai embassy in Jakarta. Once his DTV is approved then the rest of the family also need to apply at the same embassy quoting his approval. The Thai consulate in Bali no longer handles visa applications
Florence ************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@John *********
yes we saw that we have to go to Jakarta. Would it possible to apply for his in the netherlands through his parents and me going to Jakarta or it has to be done same embassy 100%?
John **********
@Florence ***********
your husband must apply from the country he is physically in, if he applies while he is physically in Indonesia he must go to Jakarta. If he wants to apply in the Netherlands he must physically be in the Netherlands. His parents have nothing to do with it.
Tania ********
You get 60 days visa exemption for free when you arrive (no need for proof of residency). For the DTV or tourist visa that you apply for at the embassy you need proof of residency though
Tania ********
Sorry for the tourist visa at the embassy you just need to provide a residence address but no paper to prove it
Chris *********
fwiw, I've read that you don't need proof of residency for DTV but just proof that you are staying in the country from which you apply -- ie, a hotel booking
Florence ************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tania *******
you mean where we will be staying? Or residency as in country of origin?
Tania ********
@Flor****
as in country of origin. But I asked my partner again and he said that the last time when we applied for a tourist visa at the consulate in Penang they asked for the address but not for a proof of it (like id card, utility bill etc)
Florence ************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tania *******
ok. Thanks lovely for your advice
Pete *******
You could arrive visa exempt and get stamped in for 60 days. Then extend for 30 days at an Immigration office for 1900 baht. Then leave and re-enter for another 60 days and extend once again for 30 days. That gives you 6 months without having to apply for any visa.
Florence ************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Pete ******
that’s the other option. But it means a trip to Krabi from Koh Lanta for extension and a border run to KL with 2 kids. So financially potentially more costly and logistically more complicated
Brandon ************
You do not qualify to apply for a visa on arrival. You can get visa exempt, which is not any visa, it's a free 60 day entry stamp. You do not apply for it, you just present your passport to the immigration officer and receive the stamp.

If you want to apply for the DTV, you must wait until your husband gets his DTV first, then you can apply based on being a dependent of his DTV. You would have to remain in France, or whatever country you are in with a Thai embassy until you complete the process, as you cannot apply for DTV from within Thailand.
Florence ************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
thanks. That’s what I thought. What’s the cost if the VOA? Trying to figure out our best options financially. Border runs do costs us especially having 2 kids in tow
Luit *****************
@Florence ***********
The visa exempt is free as
@Brandon ***********
also tells, but when you want to stay about 6 months, you can extend the 60 days with 30 days once and that will cost you 1900 baht plus some extra for copies and pictures.

Then you have to leave the country before stay any longer. What this will cost depends on the way you organize this.

Then you will get 60 days free entry again if everything goes as planned an can extend again for 30 days paying 1900 baht.

The DTV is
*****
baht, but it will cost you quite a bitmore because Thai embassies have their own exchange rate. 😡

Two times 1900 baht is cheaper than cost of DTV, it should also be possible to add the cost of borderrun and still stay below the cost of DTV, but DTV is valid 5 years so if you possible visit Thailand again it might be a better idea to go for DTV.
Henrik *****
Differences between VOA and visa excempt
Henrik *****
Brandon ************
@Florence ***********
I just told you. It's not VOA. It's visa exempt and it's free.
Florence ************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
apologies. Yes I see that now. Thank you
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