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Can US citizens enter Thailand without a visa for a one-week vacation after an online tourist visa rejection?

Thailand Visa US Citizens Tourist Visa Visa Exemption Visa Application Issues Travel to Thailand

Sep 23, 2025

2 days ago

ORIGINAL POSTER

My husband and I just applied for the online tourist visa. We are coming in 2 weeks for a 1 week vacation. They rejected our visas because the pictures I uploaded weren’t good enough. It was a huge pain in the butt. My question is can we just show up with our documents and get in? We are from the US and paid the $40 each already

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The poster and their husband, US citizens, experienced a rejection of their online tourist visa application due to poor photograph quality. They are wondering if they can still enter Thailand with their documentation despite this rejection. Comments clarify that US citizens generally do not require a visa for stays less than 60 days and will receive a visa exemption stamp upon arrival. Advice includes the possibility of previous confusion regarding the nature of their application and suggests they do not need a visa for their planned week-long visit.

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Paul ****

You don’t need to apply for a tourist visa with a stubborn Embassy. You will be granted 60 days visa exemption upon arrival

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Nongnuch ********

you will not be "granted a 60 days visa on arrival" . . .this is complete hogwash. A visa-exempt entry will grant you a stamp that says "admitted until" a date 60 days away from the day of entry. This is a "stay permit" and not a visa, and most of all it is not a "visa on arrival"

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Paul ****

@Nongnuch *******

ok Hagrid

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Lynnette *******

why do so many guys find it hard to just accept they are wrong or made an error. . is it arrogance or stupidity? Or maybe both. Then use name calling to make themselves feel better, just pathetic.

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Paul ****

@Lynnette ******

pathetic is that I need to repeat that it’s not visa on arrival, with wasn’t even the point in my post, and that it was just wording, which I already corrected. Yes Sir Lynette it’s not visa on arrival I’ve genuinely tried to answer that they don’t need a visa then used wrong wording in my post saying “arrival” twice which should already trigger something in you instead of you happy trolling users that do mistakes while writing. You happy?

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Lynnette *******

several people, other than me, had to tell you were wrong after you insisted being wrong was irrelevant. Go rant at them.

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Paul ****

@Lynnette ******

I insisted? There’s no point talking to you

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Paul ****

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Lynnette *******

they won't get visa on arrival. They will be given an entry with NO visa.

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Paul ****

@Lynnette ******

whatever you name it either way they don’t need to apply beforehand for visiting 1 week

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Lynnette *******

it's not visa on arrival, if they turn up and follow signs for "visa on arrival" like you say, they'll be wasting their time.

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Paul ****

@Lynnette ******

what are you saying it’s on the way to the officers and there is list of countries that need visa on arrival on a big banner where’s the time or money wasted 😂 it’s NOT visa on arrival it wasn’t my point at all name it as you like it doesn’t matter

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Nongnuch ********

oh and it DOES matter how you call it, because this is a VISA ADVICE group and we don't like people giving WRONG advice

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Lynnette *******

It's not me naming it how I like. It's correcting your mistake. You shouldn't be giving incorrect information to people who are yet to travel.

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James **********

it does matter what you call it.

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Lynnette *******

@James *********

it does matter. One is an entry exempt of any visa the other is something relevant to a few countries, who must pay for a visa when they enter : Visa On Arrival. 2 different things.

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James **********

@Lynnette ******

uh? You talking to me?

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Lynnette *******

@James *********

FB glitch. Reply wasn't meant for you. 😆

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Paul ****

@James *********

then call it visa exemption and not a NO visa.

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Jay *****

visa exemption is just what it say exempt of a visa which translates to no visa on arrival

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Graham ******

@Lynnette ******

and money ;)

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Graham ******

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Bob **********

@Lynnette ******

they will get a 60 day exemption stamp for free and they can extend that for 30 more

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Lynnette *******

that's what I said. No visa. It's exempt entry because a visa is not needed. I already said they can extend this.

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Lynnette *******

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Jon *****

A little bit of research would have avoided all this.

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Timothy *******

Yes I think they call it Google

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Holger **************

@Timothy ******

Not that easy ..maybe Google lead them to the scam side

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Jon *****

@Holger *************

Ever considered reading reviews and taking time to deal with legitimate companies and sites, It's not that hard. They must be the last people on earth that don't know that a TDAC is free of charge. They seem to ask questions on Facebook after they have been ripped off or made a mistake. If they had asked first. People would probably be better off.

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Jon *****

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Jon *****

@Timothy ******

indeed it is 👍

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Jon *****

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James ********

You don’t need one

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Ralph *******

You may have been doing the TDAC. This is just the arrival card and there is no fee.

If it was the TDAC and you paid a fee then you have gone to a scamming site.

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Graham ******

no photos with the TDAC

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Nongnuch ********

your assumptions are wrong . . . . . they applied for the single entry 60 days tourist visa, paid the 40 USD application fee and got rejected

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Ralph *******

@Nongnuch *******

That information wasn’t available at the time I posted.

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Nongnuch ********

??? really?? The question says, they applied for the tourist visa (single entry 60-days tourist visa).The question, as of now, is as the following: "My husband and I just applied for the online tourist visa. We are coming in 2 weeks for a 1 week vacation. They rejected our visas because the pictures I uploaded weren’t good enough. It was a huge pain in the butt. My question is can we just show up with our documents and get in? We are from the US and paid the $40 each already" . . . . . . . . so, at some point the text was changed?

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Ralph *******

@Nongnuch *******

Yes. And how often have you seen posts saying they are applying for a visa but in fact they mean TDAC?

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Nongnuch ********

well, the threadstarter could not have applied for the TDAC and confused it with the application to a E-Visa online tourist visa, because the TDAC form doesn't ask you to upload any pictures. The threadstarter 100% meant they applied for the E-Visa tourist visa. However, I agree some readers in the groups are confusing the TDAC with applying for a visa, although the intro of the TDAC form explicitly warns everyone that this is NOT an application for a visa.

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Nongnuch ********

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Michael ********

exactly what i was thinking

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Rich *****

@Michael *******

, you don’t require a photo for that.

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Ralph *******

True.

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Ralph *******

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Ralph *******

What visa were you applying for? You don’t need a visa if you are visiting for 60 days or less.

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Adrian ******

a U.S. citizen generally does not need a visa for a tourist vacation to Thailand if the stay is less than 60 days. You will receive a 60-day visa exemption stamp upon arrival

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Jay *******

No visa needed for one week. You're good for 60 days like the previous post says

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Ryan **********

If you’re from the United States, you do not need a visa to enter you get 60 days upon arrival

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Graham ******

US passports get a 60 day Visa Exempt stamp on arrival

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Diane ********

I got 30 day they are cracking down on this

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Jared ********

you sure about that??? They changed it back to 30 from my understanding

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Paul *****************

....nope

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Graham ******

No they only talked about it

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Graham ******

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Jay *****

currently Thai immigration is cracking down on visa exemptions and border runs just an FYI

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Ralph *******

Cracking down on repeated exemptions. Still fine for genuine tourists.

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Dennis *********

for first time entering the country?? The OP said they were coming for a short vacation, nothing about an extended stay or a border run

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Jay *****

@Dennis ********

you will be fine

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Jay *****

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Graham ******

I know

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Graham ******

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James ********

Correct. Why apply for visa. I call bs on this one.

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Jim ********

I wouldn’t call BS. Some people think that’s what they have to do 🤷‍♂️

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Corey **************

maybe not bs, she just didn't know. No reason to be an arse.

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Dennis *********

@Corey *************

some people can’t help themselves.

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Dennis *********

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Magnus ******************

A visa its much better

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Ralph *******

@Magnus *****************

Why is it better?

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Magnus ******************

A Visa its a Visa. Thats show immigration thats you have correkt paper. And you can bee sure they not denied entrance to the Kingdom. With a Visa you can have your ticket back from Thailand in 90 days. Whit out only 60 days. With a Visa you dont need take cash with to the border. Whit out you need

*****

baht to show if they ask. If you have multiple entrance you dont need to worry if you do a border run. You can stay up to 8 months legally in Thailand if you handle a multiple entrance Visa correkt...

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Nongnuch ********

@Magnus *****************

not true. The E-Visa application requirements of most Thai Embassies worldwide read that you need to show 20,000 THB in your bank account since 3 months. That is NEW! And the requirement to carry at least 20,000 THB or equivalent in another currency IN CASH on you when you want to enter Thailand, is required on ANY visa from ANY foreigner. CHECK - E-Visa Online system, since February 2025

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Ralph *******

@Magnus *****************

A visa still doesn’t guarantee anything. Immigration can still choose to refuse entry.

Have an onward ticket dated 90 days after entry is still not valid on a 60 day visa. Otherwise it would be valid on a 60 day exemption.

The proof of onward travel is provided when you apply for the visa as is proof of funds.

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Magnus ******************

for immigration its tuesend times better if you have a really visa. Yes with visa you can have ticket back about 90 days. I think you are a Newbie in Thailand. I have already stay 28 years.

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Ralph *******

@Magnus *****************

I don’t think that’s the case. Your onward ticket must be within the visa period. You have to supply proof of this when you make the visa application.

No, I’m not a newbie. Been coming to Thailand for 10 years.

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Magnus ******************

Nope you have wrong! They accept 90 days when you make 60 days tourist visa. I help a friend last week with a Visa.

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Graham ******

@Magnus *****************

different Embassies have different requirements so what worked with one will likely not work with all

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Todd *********

@Magnus *****************

it’s irrelevant

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Magnus ******************

Nope

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Magnus ******************

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Garrett ***********

You sure they rejected it? Normally if there's a problem they tell what to fix.

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Corey **************

@Garrett **********

after the 60 days, you can get an extra 39, correct? Then after that, take a quick trip out of the country, then redo the whole process - is this right?

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Todd *********

@Corey *************

yes. It’s 30 not 39

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Corey **************

yep, sorry, fat finger... That damn 0 is too close to the 0 😁

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Corey **************

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