Not for a short holiday. Australian passport holders may enter Thailand under the visa exemption scheme for tourism without applying for a visa in advance. You will need a visa if you are staying longer than the exemption allows, or if you are travelling for a purpose other than tourism — study, work, business, retirement or joining Thai family.

The visa exemption is currently 30 days. Thailand raised the exemption to 60 days in 2024 and the reduction back to 30 days was approved in May 2026, so you may still find older pages quoting 60. Because the effective date has been reported inconsistently, confirm the current position with Thai Immigration or the Royal Thai Embassy before you book — or ask us and we will check it for your passport and travel dates.

No, and this is the single most common misunderstanding we hear at the counter. Visa on Arrival is a separate 15-day scheme for a specific list of nationalities that does not include Australia. Australians enter under the visa exemption scheme instead, which is not the same thing and is granted for a different period.

At least six months remaining validity from your date of entry. Airlines check this at the departure gate in Perth, and a passport with five months left will stop you boarding regardless of your visa status. Check the expiry date on every passport in the family before you book, not the week before you fly.

Yes, in practice. Immigration may ask for evidence that you intend to leave within your permitted stay, and airlines routinely enforce it at check-in — you can be refused boarding without one. If you are travelling on an open-ended trip, talk to us before you book a one-way fare, because there are ways to structure the ticketing that satisfy the requirement.

Thai immigration can require evidence of accessible funds — commonly cited as 20,000 baht per person or the equivalent — although in practice Australians are rarely asked. Treat it as a requirement you should be able to meet if asked, rather than one you will definitely be asked about.

Yes, you need one. Every foreign national entering Thailand — by air, land or sea, with or without a visa — must submit the Thailand Digital Arrival Card. It replaced the paper TM6 card handed out on the aircraft. It is submitted online no more than 72 hours before arrival and it is free on the official Thai Immigration website. There are many look-alike sites charging a fee for it. If you are not confident, bring your phone into our office and we will complete it with you at the counter rather than watch you pay a stranger for a free form.

Yes — and online is now the only way. Paper applications have been discontinued and all Thai visas are lodged through the official Thai e-Visa system.

Canberra. Residents of Western Australia apply through the Royal Thai Embassy in Canberra, along with the ACT, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Only New South Wales residents apply through the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Sydney. Sending a WA application to Sydney is a common and entirely avoidable delay.

For a tourist visa application we will normally ask you for:

• A photograph on a white background
• Your passport, with at least six months validity remaining
• A mobile number and email address
• Your employment details
• Your airline e-ticket
• Proof of address — driver's licence, telephone bill or a utilities bill
• Your hotel booking, or a letter from your host in Thailand together with the host's identification

Bring what you have and we will tell you what is still missing before anything is lodged.

Allow 10 to 14 business days for processing. We recommend starting the application at least 21 days before departure, which leaves room for a request for further documents without putting your flights at risk. Applications started ten days before a family wedding are the one situation where we genuinely cannot help as much as we would like to — and we will not recommend booking non-refundable travel around a visa that has not been granted.

Usually yes, once. An extension is applied for inside Thailand at the Immigration Bureau — the main Bangkok office is at Chaengwattana, Soi 7 — and a government fee applies. The total permitted stay from your date of entry is capped at 90 days. Extension rules and fees change, so confirm the current position with the Immigration Bureau at the time you apply.

Arrange a visa before you fly, rather than planning to extend after you arrive. It is cheaper in effort, it removes the risk of being refused an extension, and it means your ticket dates match the stay you are actually permitted. Tell us how long you want to be there and why, and we will tell you which category fits — including when the honest answer is that you do not need a visa at all.

Overstaying is treated seriously. An overstay of less than 90 days attracts a fine of 500 baht per day, up to a maximum of 20,000 baht, payable before you leave. An overstay of more than 90 days can result in deportation and a ban on re-entering Thailand. An accidental overstay of a few days on a family trip is an expensive, stressful way to end a holiday — count your days from the date stamped on entry, not from the date you booked.

The long stay non-immigrant visa is aimed at retirees. To be eligible you must:

• Be aged 50 or over
• Have no criminal record
• Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
• Be free of the prohibited diseases specified by the Thai authorities

Employment of any kind is strictly prohibited on this visa. If you intend to work, freelance or run a business from Thailand, this is the wrong category and we will tell you so.

You will need to show either a monthly income of 65,000 baht or a bank balance of 800,000 baht, together with:

• Health insurance with minimum cover of USD 100,000 or 3,000,000 baht
• A foreign insurance certificate
• A medical certificate no more than three months old
• A criminal record clearance
• Proof of permanent residence, your passport biodata page and a photograph taken within the last six months

These are the figures and documents required at the time of writing. Requirements for this category change more often than most, so confirm them with us before you start collecting paperwork.

It is mandatory for the long stay visa, at the cover levels above. For a normal holiday it is not a legal entry requirement, but we consider it essential rather than optional — particularly for older travellers and for anyone connecting through several countries. A single medical evacuation from a Thai island costs more than most people expect, and it is the one thing we will push you on.