Do Australians need to apply for a visa before travelling to Thailand for longer than 30 days?

Sep 21, 2022
2 years ago
Rosie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hi!

I have a question about visas in Thailand so I’m hoping someone will be able to help me:

I have an Australian passport. I will be travelling in Thailand for more than 30 days, so from my understanding I will need a 60 day tourist visa.

Can I just get a 30 day tourist visa on arrival, and then extend it once I am there?

Or do I need to organise a 60 day visa prior to arriving?

I am very confused as there is a lot of info online but no direct answer!

Any advice is appreciated! Thank you 😇
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TLDR : Answer Summary
Australians do not need to apply for a visa before travelling to Thailand for stays of up to 45 days starting October 1st. They are stamped in for 30 days (or 45 days if arriving after the date) upon arrival. For those wishing to stay longer than that, a 30-day extension can be obtained at a local immigration office. However, travelers might consider applying for a 60-day tourist visa before arriving for convenience and to avoid issues with airlines regarding proof of onward travel.
Daniel ******
And what paperwork do you need to extend for another 30 days. Thanks.
Moon ******
You can get from October 45 day's or Thailand give easily 60 days at the embassy

I done it few times you just apply a come day after a collect it
Nick *******
@Ro***
Assuming you are going for more than 45 days, do yourself a favour and get a 60 day TV. It will negate any potential problems with the airline on way out. Also, it’s just wasted time and hassle at immigration office when extending your stay. The cost of the TV and extension are comparable, so no real advantage in not getting a TV.
Kool *******
What you get is all determined by whether you want to waste time at an immigration office, that can be difficult to find, and knowing what documents you need to get a 30 day extension when you are here, or just getting a 60 day tourist visa, and not having to worry about getting an extension. Vacation time can be prescuous so personally I would get a tourist visa before you travel so your vacation is all about the vacation, and not dealing with getting an extension.
Brett **********
What
@Brandon ***********
said. If you're arriving after October 1st and staying less than 45 days you don't need to do anything
Rosie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brett *********
thank you so much for the information!
Steve ********
As Australian you don't need a visa. You just turn up and are stamped in for 30 days (if you come after October 1st, you get 45 days). This stay can be extended a further 30 days by paying 1900 baht at an immigration office, so you get 75 days total
Chris *******
@Steve *******
and if he buys a tourist visa 60 day, before leaving Australia he can stretch to 90 days. 60+30
Steve ********
@Chris ******
Yes, it's all dependant on how long he intends staying. If it's less than 75 days, he can save $60 on the visa fee and the hassle of applying for the visa, and posting his passport to the consulate.
Graham ******
@Steve *******
but pay 1900B for the extension so the saving is not $60
Steve ********
@Graham *****
You still pay 1900 baht on a tourist visa extension, so you would still save $60 by not having a visa. So it depends how long he's staying
Brandon ************
There is no such thing as a 30 day tourist visa.

Australians qualify for visa exempt, which means you have NO VISA at all.

With visa exempt you get stamped into Thailand for 30 days (45 days starting October 1st) and while in Thailand you can get a one-time extension for 30 days from your local immigration office.

The only issue you may run into with this is that your airline might not let you board a flight unless you can show proof of leaving Thailand within the initial stamp (30 or 45 days), so you might want to purchase a cheap bus or train ticket out of Thailand to show at checkin, or google "onward travel ticket" for other options.
Rosie ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Brandon ***********
thank you Brandon. Greatly appreciated
Rc *******
@Rosie *******
just wanna add a suggestion on proof of exit out of Thailand. You could purchase a cheap bus or train to Malaysia and visit Langkawi Island or Penang Island spending a few days there before returning to Thailand by the same means of transportation too.
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