Warden Messages

Notice of Thai Visa Policy Change

Date: September 26, 2006

The Thai Immigration Bureau recently announced a change in Visa Regulations that is scheduled to go into effect on October 1, 2006. This change will affect citizens of 39 countries, including American citizens, who are exempt from obtaining a Thai visa prior to entering Thailand. Effective October 1, 2006, American citizens who enter Thailand without a visa will be allowed to stay in Thailand for 30 days per visit as before. However, the total duration of stay in Thailand for American citizens who enter Thailand without a visa cannot exceed 90 days in any six-month period, counting from the date of first entry.

American citizens who wish to remain in Thailand for longer than 90 days during any six-month period will be required to obtain a valid Thai visa from a Thai Embassy or Consulate that is authorized to issue visas. The U.S. Embassy advises all American citizens who wish to obtain a Thai visa to contact the Thai Immigration Bureau for exact visa requirements and regulations. Persons who do not comply with the new visa regulations risk being denied reentry to Thailand at the border.

The U.S. Embassy has been attempting to seek clarifications and additional information from the Thai Immigration Bureau regarding the change in visa regulations. To date the Embassy has been unable to determine whether American citizens who have been in Thailand for 90 days or longer without a visa before October 1, 2006 will be considered to have reached their 90-day limit on October 1, 2006, or whether the 90 days will start from the first time the American citizen crosses the border into Thailand after the new regulation goes into effect. When/if the Embassy receives a definitive answer to this question we will post that information on the Embassy’s web site at: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/index.htm.

On a related note, while most border crossings in Thailand are open as normal, the September 19 coup in Thailand has caused intermittent closures at some border crossings. Border crossings into Burma are primarily affected by these closures, but the Embassy has also received sporadic reports of closures at some border crossings on the Lao and Cambodian borders. American citizens traveling by land to neighboring countries are advised to check at the border crossing point where they wish to cross the border to ensure that the border crossing point is open for business in both directions. Please note that in some instances a border crossing point has been open for business on the Thai side of the border, but closed on the neighboring side.