Whether you enjoy sandy beaches, spicy food or malls where you can shop until you drop, Thailand has it all and more. If you’re planning to take a trip to the Land of Smiles, be it long or short, you might be wondering if you need a Thailand visa.
In this guide, we’ll tell you what kind of visas are available, what you’ll need to apply for them and more. We'll also introduce the Wise card, a handy travel companion to make seamless card payments when you're overseas.
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Unlike most places, Thailand is one of the countries that offers a very generous visa exemption to Filipinos. However, if you’re planning to stay for a prolonged period of time or if you’re heading over for work or to study, you will still require a visa.
For Filipinos who are travelling for tourist purposes and keeping the trip to within the maximum period of stay, a Thailand visa is not necessary. The visa exemption allows for a period of stay of up to 60 days, and can be extended for another period not exceeding 30 days. However, this extension is solely at the discretion of the immigration officers¹.
There are plenty of Thailand visas available for Filipinos, but the ones that are most applicable would be the tourist visa for tourism and leisure activities, a work visa and study visas.
If you’re looking to take a long getaway in Thailand, or to move there for employment or education, here’s what you need to prepare in order to get your Thailand visa application in order.
There is no need for a Filipino to apply for a tourist visa as there is a visa exemption for the Philippines for trips under 60 days, and this can be extended by up to 30 days, subject to approval from Thailand’s immigration office.
The requirements for a Thailand work visa are a little different depending on whether you’re looking to work as a teacher or not. For people who are working in a non-teaching profession, you’ll need to provide a letter of request regarding visa issuance from the employer in Thailand alongside either a copy of a Thai ID or Thai passport if the signatory of the letter is a Thai national, or a copy of a foreign passport, a valid Thai visa page and valid work permit if the signatory of the letter is a foreigner.
Additionally, you’ll have to provide the business registration of the company, the employment contract, a recent tax declaration of the company, labor certification or a copy of a valid work permit booklet or BOI approval, as well as own a valid passport that is valid for at least six months. You’ll also need a 35mm x 45mm passport photo that was taken within six months showing the applicant against a white background.
If you are working as a teacher, however, you’ll require the same letter of request from the employer, the copy of identification documents from the signatory of the letter and the business registration of the school in Thailand.
You’ll also need to have your employment contract ready, as well as approval / certification from the Ministry of Education in Thailand and a criminal record check (NBI Clearance). Certified true copies of your diploma and transcript of records will also be needed.
And of course, you must have a valid passport with at least 6 months of validity and a 35mm x 45mm passport photo that was taken in the last six months. Find out more about Thailand visa photo size and requirements
It’s incredibly easy to apply for a Thailand visa as a Filipino, thanks to the transition to an eVisa system. All visa applications must be submitted online via the e-Visa website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. Applicants are no longer required to physically submit applications in person at the Royal Thai Embassy in Manila.
You will have to create an account at the Thai e-Visa official website, then apply for an eVisa. You will have to select the type of visa you are applying for, which will most likely be a Non-Immigrant Visa for employment or study. You will then have to upload supporting documents that we’ve listed above, as well as fill in basic information required. You can then pay the visa fee and wait for it to be processed, with confirmation documents sent by email.
A tourist visa application costs 1,800 PHP, although there’s no need for a fee for tourists since FIlipinos can enter Thailand without a visa. For people who are looking to apply for a work or study visa, a single-entry non-immigrant visa application will cost 3,600 PHP.
The Royal Thai Embassy has the right to reject visa applications with no reason provided, and the visa fee is non-refundable.
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When preparing your photo for an eVisa application, you must take note of certain requirements. Firstly, the photo must be 40mm x 60mm or 472px by 709px in size. The applicant’s entire head must be shown, from the top of their hair to the bottom of their chin. The applicant’s head should take up around 70% of the photo’s total height. The applicant should have a neutral expression and be looking directly at the camera with their eyes open and mouth closed. The background should be white or off-white³.
The usual processing time is approximately 7-10 working days, but this is on a case-to-case basis depending on Thai Visa and Immigration policies. If the application is incomplete, the processing time can be extended and the applicant might be requested to provide additional documents or appear for an in-person interview at the Embassy.
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This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
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