Visa On Arrival/Transit Visa

[AmeriThai]

What's the difference between a Visa on Arrival and a Transit Visa?

[Mario2008]

Look here for a partial answer to your question: http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2637.php

Your name suggests you are a US national, in which case you don't qualify for visa on arrival but for a (tourist) visa exemption. To use this you would need a ticket out of the country with a flight within 30 days of arrival.

[AmeriThai]

Look here for a partial answer to your question: http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2637.php

Your name suggests you are a US national, in which case you don't qualify for visa on arrival but for a (tourist) visa exemption. To use this you would need a ticket out of the country with a flight within 30 days of arrival.

Thanks Mario. I was looking at the websites of the Thai Consulate Generals in Portland Oregon and LA. The one in Portland primarily handles visas. In it they have miniscule information regarding visas and they show that they issue a Transit Visa for $30. It's hard to say when it was last updated.

I understand the visa exemption, but I guess I don't understand how it actually differs from a visa on arrival. And I don't really understand why the Consulate offers a Transit Visa. The only difference I can see is that a Transit Visa is essentially a document attached to your passport, whereas the visa exemption is stamped on arrival to BKK. Any thoughts? I briefly looked at the link earlier, then looked at it again when you posted it. Unless I'm reading it wrong, it looks like what they call "Visa on Arrival" is the same thing as a visa extension.

It's not really a bit deal, but I was kind of stumped by the Thai Consulate offering a Transit Visa and wondering why would anyone from the US actually need a Transit Visa for $30. Any thoughts?

http://www.thai-or.com/

[lopburi3]

Visa exempt entry is only available to about 40 countries and only about 15 are allowed Visa on Arrival (15 days) so that leaves a number of countries that need a visa for entry and not all of them are tourists so the transit visa is available for below reasons. That most US travelers would not choose it may be true but not all visas issued in the US are to them - many are third country nationals who may require entry to catch flights and such.

1. REQUIREMENT

This type of visa is issued to applicants who wish to enter the Kingdom for the following purposes :

- to travel in transit through the Kingdom in order to proceed to the country of destination or to re-enter his/her own country (category "TS")

- to participate in sports activities (sportsmen, sportswomen, etc.)(category "S") ***

[Mario2008]

Visa on arrival and visa exempt entry are not the same, for example when you fly in to Thailand a VOA gives 15 days and a visa exempt entry 30 days. For visa on arrival you also use another lane at immigration, to apply for it. There are more differences. If one qualifies and for which one depends on ones nationality.

A transit visa is for transit, not for holidays.

[AmeriThai]

Thanks Lopburi and Mario! The reason I was asking was because a friend and his wife (both US citizens) have expressed an interest in visiting Thailand, possibly to spend 1 to 3 months in the country. If the stay is up to 30 days, all they need is a valid passport and their outbound ticket, their passport will be stamped on arrival at the airport in BKK. They don't need to bother with the Consulate at all. If they decide to stay longer than 30 days, but less than 60 days, they'd need to apply for a tourist visa from the Consulate.

That said, I checked the webpage of the Royal Thai Consulate General office in Portland about tourist visas to be sure before offering any suggestions. That's when I saw they show transit visas ($30). The ($35) fee for a tourist visa is waived for for a single entry, although up to two additional entries can be purchased. It was the transit visa that threw me with no indication about the exemption waiver or visa on arrival. If you saw the Portland website, you can see there's not much info there. However, to be fair, they do point to the LA Consulate's website though. It appears the ONLY visas the Portland office handles are transit visas and tourist visas. I had considered that the transit visa was probably for foreign visitors in the US wanting or needing to go to Thailand for various reasons, but thought you guys could help clarify the confusion for me. You have, and I greatly appreciate the help.

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