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Why are Thailand's visa rules so complicated, and could a flat fee system be better?

Thailand Visa Rules Visa Fee Structure Non-Immigrant Visas Visa Exemptions Expat Community Visa Administration Tourist Visas

Nov 19, 2025

18 hours ago

Alan *****

ORIGINAL POSTER

I don’t know why Thailand  bothers with these  baffling visa rules. It’d be easier & Thailand would make more money if they just charged everyone on entry a certain amount. ie  say a 1000 per month, the longer you stay the more you pay.   It makes sense to me 😎

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The conversation centers around the complexities of Thailand's visa regulations, with a suggestion that a simplified flat fee system could improve both the user experience and revenue for the country. Many comments express frustration over the existing system while some highlight the benefits of the current visa options. There's also a discussion about how often the rules change and whether the Thai system can effectively manage a new fee structure.

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Kevin **********

Is there a Thai Visa course available with the monthly changing amendments?🥴

17 hours ago

Colin ********

Thailand can have any visa system they wish. Just stop changing it!!!!

17 hours ago

Lynnette *******

What visa rules? They've got several types of visas and even a 5 year DTV so people can stay 6 months at a time. There are entries with no visa, for 2 to 3 months and can repeat for another entry if 2 months. . Pretty good really. Not many countries let you stay 5 months with no visa.

18 hours ago

Gianpaolo ******

@Lynnette ******

i agree with you!I have been living in Thailand for 12 years. The first two years I had an ED visa, but then, after the second visa renewal, the school prepared the documents for me late, and I was overstayed for 4 days! From that moment on, I decided that I had to be the architect of my own destiny, so for the next 10 years, I always entered with a tourist visa! But objectively, it's not fair; you can't live in Thailand or in and other country for 10 years on a tourist visa! However, after my last entry in February, after the Christmas holidays spent with my mum and dad in Italy, immigration didn't want to let me in. After 2 hours of begging and crying from my girlfriend, who had come to Italy with me, they let me in with the promise that I would get married, and I did. However, I had already decided that this year, after 7 years of living together, I would get married. I just had to bring forward the date by a few months (I wanted to do it in October, but I did it at the end of March)!

15 hours ago

Bent *************

@Lynnette ******

Not many countries depend so much on revenue from tourists as Thailand does.

17 hours ago

Reply to

Bent *************

Sean **********

Personally, I don’t think Thailand has the abilities to administrate such a program. So how do Visa exempt entries work?

So assuming someone applies for a tourist visa for 90 days you charge him for 90 days 3×1000 using your example and then they stay seven days.

I don’t get how that works

18 hours ago

Todd *********

@Sean *********

you pay on exit. Swipe passport. And swipe credit card. Board plane

8 hours ago

Sean **********

@Todd ********

this can work. Colombia 🇨🇴 has a similar exit tax. Just a single $ number.

Logistically it creates its own problem with long lines waiting for the exit tax booth while people who forgot to save $$$ to leave try to figure out where to get the required cash (credit cards where not an option when I was last there)

8 hours ago

Reply to

Sean **********

Alan *****

ORIGINAL POSTER

Well why would they apply for 90 days when they only want to stay for 7

18 hours ago

Sean **********

@Alan ****

I never tried it, but I believe E visa for tourism is automatically 90 days

17 hours ago

Mikkel *******

@Sean *********

no.. it is a 60 day visa. You have the option of extending for 30 days inside Thailand, but that's not included in the visa.

16 hours ago

Sean **********

@Mikkel ******

ok numbers still do not work 60 day visa or visa exempt 2 x 1000 for someone arriving for a 2 week vacation.

12 hours ago

Reply to

Sean **********

Adam *****************

If I travel to Thailand every 6 weeks and stay for 2 or 3 weeks, this will take me over 90 days in 12 months. Do I need to get a different visa?

18 hours ago

Steve *******

@Adam ****************

in your case, there won't be any issues.

10 hours ago

Kim *********

@Adam ****************

different visa? you don't have a visa when you do that - you enter visa exempt

17 hours ago

Adam *****************

@Kim ********

so even though I will spend more than 90 days per year, being separate times and going back to my home country in between, I can just do the online 30 day visa?

17 hours ago

Lloyd *********

There is no "30 day visa", online or elsewhere.

15 hours ago

Mikkel *******

@Adam ****************

there is no online 30 day visa. There is a 60 day tourist visa you can buy at a Thai embassy before travelling, and there's a 60 day visa exempt entry if you come with no visa.

16 hours ago

Reply to

Mikkel *******

Alan *****

ORIGINAL POSTER

No No matter where you come from you pay per month.

17 hours ago

Adam *****************

@Alan ****

i don't mind paying, I just want to know if I can spend more than 90 days per year the way I travel?

17 hours ago

Adam *****************

@Alan ****

how much is it per month?

17 hours ago

Reply to

Adam *****************

Tony ********

@Adam ****************

do you return to your home country after each trip?

17 hours ago

Adam *****************

@Tony *******

yes

17 hours ago

Tony ********

@Adam ****************

you should be fine as you return home for 6 weeks.

Immigration are targeting visa runners who enter on a 60 day tourist visa, do an extension for 30 days and then do a visa run to get another 60 days.

17 hours ago

Stephen ********

@Tony *******

I thought they were targeting those entering without a visa? 🤔

14 hours ago

Reply to

Stephen ********

Saradé *****

Is it how your own country operate?

18 hours ago

Todd *********

@Saradé ****

who cares? Why do you think we all leave our home countries??

9 hours ago

Reply to

Todd *********

Barhoumi *******

I wanna see your reaction if Thai people can go to UK without visa and have to pay 25£ monthly and stay as long as they want...

18 hours ago

Todd *********

@Barhoumi ******

why would anyone WANT to go the UK? You gotta seriously angry at your life

9 hours ago

Kamran *********

@Todd ********

8 hours ago

Reply to

Kamran *********

Stephen ********

@Barhoumi ******

I'd love to see the UKnreduce their visa application fee reduce from £127 🤷‍♂️

14 hours ago

Hieb *******

@Barhoumi ******

The first visa my wife applied for my home country was valid for 10 years. The second visa my wife applied for my home country was valid for 10 years. The initial application was about 30 years ago. I wonder if I could get a 10 year visa based on marriage for Thailand.

15 hours ago

Reinhard ********

@Hieb ******

In Germany the second aplication for my wife was for 3 years.It was denyed.She got it for lifetime.

11 hours ago

Hieb *******

With non-o marriage, you can apply for 60 day visiting family extension after the initial 90 days. This would be an advantage of Non-o marriage over tourist. But with the 400,000 Baht requirement it's not realistic. If the requirement was lower, then it would be a good option for many. Similar to the one year multiple entry dependent visa they no longer offer. That was a good visa for many.

10 hours ago

Hieb *******

@Reinhard *******

To get a 90 day Non-O visa based on marriage, equivalent of 400,000 Baht must be shown. That is extreme for 90 days. Maybe 60,000 for a 90 day visa would be more realistic. When you apply for the 1 year extension, then the 400,000 Baht is required. I'm guessing many would choose the visa exempt option for visiting family for this reason and most likely also do border bounces to extend there stay if required. Easy to get a visa in Thailand if you have alot of money but something as important as taking care of family is not always easy.

10 hours ago

Reinhard ********

@Hieb ******

For a 90 day stay ,you don't need the Visa based on marriage.A tourist visa is endough.60 days+30 days extention.Allso you don't need 400k.in a bankaccount.You only need proof of your embassy or consulate that you have an income from abroad of

*****

Thb a month.

10 hours ago

Reply to

Reinhard ********

Barhoumi *******

@Hieb ******

But they can't get a 60 days visa exemption same farangs in their country

15 hours ago

Reply to

Barhoumi *******

Alan *****

ORIGINAL POSTER

If they come here on holiday why not charge them per month

17 hours ago

Markie ******

@Alan ****

well seems the UK have a thing about other people arriving.

15 hours ago

Jim *******

Charging for long time stay has been in place since 2003, called "Elite Visa".

How would someone like you spit out 1.5 million THB for a 10 years term?

For people like you it must be peanuts and it works out as only 12,500 THB per month.

Hard to imagine those visa exempt abusers can even pronounce 1.5 million THB.

16 hours ago

Leo *******

@Jim ******

if you could pay for the elite visa in monthly installments I'd be all over that lol but you can't.

16 hours ago

Ray *********

@Leo ******

pay with a credit card if you don't have enough cash on hand.

10 hours ago

Reply to

Ray *********

Barhoumi *******

@Alan ****

so please start by giving them a 60 days visa free entry ☺️

17 hours ago

Reply to

Barhoumi *******

Todd *********

agreed, it absolute makes the most sense overall. Very simple to manage.

18 hours ago

Mikael **********

And why should people that get correct Visas be punished like that, please tell us?

18 hours ago

Matthew *********

@Mikael *********

maybe if thailand had a national standard and obey they law like in Japan. They make shit up as to theirr mood. Each office makes its own rules. People are sick of jumping tru hoops. People suggest abuse, bull shit. Foreigners spend way more than thai. Thais have no purchasing power. They need the tourist regardless how long they stay. Have a bigger fee for extensions. 300 to 500 baht on average for thai is not able to help stimulate economy. Let's be honest

*****

0 for retirement versus

*****

0 for marriage. Should be reversed. Cost more to take care of another person and their entire family.

*****

0 for digital visa. There is no rational to anything they do.

16 hours ago

Julian *******

@Matthew ********

what’s irrational is that if a foreign woman marries a Thai man there are virtually no requirements and no financial requirements. With Thailand not being part of the apostle convention and embassies like the uk refusing to certify marriage certificates, it’s a convoluted process that many aspects need to be repeated annually. They don’t care if you have children, the process is still unnecessarily complicated and decisions made on if the IO got laid the night before or the change of wind direction

15 hours ago

Matthew *********

@Julian ******

I totally agree. They absolutely don't care about the effects that their decision has on many thai families. Pain in the ass to always go to district office for updates marriage certificate. I had an IO tell me she didnt like my family pictures in the house and told me to take new pictures and smile. I told her to fuck off and she she can take care of my thai family. My wife scolded her and ask for police to file a complaint and then all the sudden the IO had a change of heart. And they talk about our deposit is to cover medical emergency bit why not drop it and make mandatory for health care. When I lived in Japan they use their brains to make policy.

14 hours ago

Reply to

Matthew *********

Todd *********

@Mikael *********

you are naturally obedient souls and god love ya, but it's a weird way to go

18 hours ago

Reply to

Todd *********

Brandon ************

Or keep it free and just be hard on those abusing the system, like they're doing now

18 hours ago