The following was written for those who are conducting research into Thai visa options and how the Thai visa process works as of February 2011.There are a multitude of Thai visa categories, but this brief article will only discuss those categories which are in common usage amongst foreign nationals in the Kingdom of Thailand. The Thailand tourist visa is quite possibly one of, if not the, most widely used Thai visa. The common Thai tourist visa is granted for a duration of not more than 60 days, but generally an extension may be obtained in the Kingdom provided a fee is paid to the Royal Thai Immigration Police. Many people who are not interested in working in the Kingdom of Thailand decide to apply for a Thai retirement visa or a Thai education visa. The Thai education visa is commonly utilized by those who wish to remain in the Kingdom while studying Thai. As a means of maintaining lawful status, this type of travel document is quite useful and, in many cases, comes with the added benefit of learning the Thai language. The Thailand retirement visa is often used by those over fifty years of age who can prove the required savings necessary to support issuance of a retirement visa in Thailand. The amount necessary to show in savings for purposes of obtaining a Thai retirement visa tends to fluctuate based upon Royal Thai Immigration regulations.Those individuals with family members in Thailand may be eligible for a so-called "O" visa. The Thai O visa category was designed as a sort of all-inclusive "other" or "miscellaneous" category. In a way, this type of visa is issued if there are no other visa categories available to the applicant. The aforementioned statement is not wholly true when it comes to family travel documents as the "O" visa was created especially for those alien nationals who have a family member living in the Kingdom of Thailand. In many instances, such a family member could be a Thai wife, husband, or child. Regardless of circumstances, the Thai "O" visa holder is sometimes restricted from obtaining a Thai work permit on an "O" visa unless said "O" visa was issued for the family member of a Thai national.One of the most sought out non-immigrant visa categories in the Kingdom of Thailand is the business visa. Large numbers of people travel to Thailand each year in order to undertake business related activity. Such people may use a Thai business visa as a means of entering and staying in the Kingdom. One of the many benefits of the Thai business visa is the fact that it provides a platform from whence to apply for a Thai work permit.In closing, it should be noted that many people who enter Thailand without a visa believe that they are being granted a "visa on arrival" when stamped into the Kingdom. In reality, this is probably not the case. Even though some nations are allowed to apply for a "Visa-On-Arrival" in the Kingdom of Thailand, the majority of Western visitors are granted a visa exemption to enter the Kingdom visa free and are therefore not technically in any kind of categorized visa status.
