Taking a vacation should be easy and unrestricted. But when it comes to traveling through different countries, there can be certain restrictions that your passport may come across. This is why you need to have the Thailand visa for South African passport holders to avoid unnecessary trouble. If you are planning to travel to Thailand and you have a South African passport, you must apply for the Thailand visa before you make your trip.

One of the most sought after countries by South Africans is Thailand. The country’s tropical climate and beautiful landscape have made it such a popular choice for both family vacations and honeymoon trips. However, one of the biggest concerns for traveling to Thailand is the visa process. To bring you clarity on the matter, we’ve compiled an entire Thailand Visa For South African Passport Holders article with information from both us and other trustworthy sources. We will base our discussion today on – Thailand Visa For South African Passport Holders. But, other resources which you can find on our website include some frequently asked questions such as: thailand visa free countries 2022 and thailand visa on arrival

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Thailand Visa For South African Passport Holders

DO YOU NEED A VISA?

45 days visa exemption (until 31 March 2023)

South African passport holders (and certain other nationalities) can enter Thailand for 45 days visa free for tourism purposes.

Please note:

-Passport must be valid at least a minimum of 6 months.

-You must have a return ticket.

-You may apply for a 30 day extension on the stay, but it’s at the discretion of the Immigration Bureau in Thailand if it’s approved.

Thailand Visa Application

Citizens of South Africa

Citizens of South Africa are permitted to stay in Thailand up to 30 days if entering via international airport and up to 15 days if entering through a land border checkpoint from a neighboring country (Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia) under the Visa Exemption Rule.

Currently, Siam Legal visa services do not cover the local citizens and permanent residents of South Africa.

Please note that you must be in possession of the following if you wish to visit Thailand:

A valid passport.You will need a passport valid for at least 6 months following your departure date. It is also recommended that your valid passport have at least 2 remaining unused pages for any necessary entry and exit stamps that may be issued.
A confirmed travel itinerary
Proof of accommodation and funds of at least THB 10,000 per person and THB 20,000 per family.

Thailand Visa Option

For citizens of South Africa who are residing and staying in the UK, USA, Australia, Canada and some EU countries, please contact our 24/7 Customer Support or email us to find out how you qualify for other Thai visa options.

We may be able to assist you when you meet the eligibilities on the following:TOURIST “TR”

Tourism purposes only, not for business or employment purposes.
Duration of stay for 30 or 60 days.
Extension allowed for another 30 days.

EDUCATION (Non-immigrant “ED” Visa)

Study visits and training sessions in Thailand.
Term visa of 90 days travel (single entry) and then 1 year travel to Thailand (multiple entries).

BUSINESS (Non-immigrant “B” Visa)

Conduct business or employment by Thai company.
Term visa of 90 days travel (single entry) and then 1 year travel to Thailand (multiple entries).

MARRIAGE (Non-immigrant “O” Visa)

Married to Thai national.
Income of THB 40,000 or bank account of THB 400,000, or combination.
Term visa of 90 days travel (single entry) and then 1 year travel to Thailand (multiple entries).

RETIREMENT (Non-immigrant “O” or “OA” Visa)

Must be 50 years or older.
Pension of 65,000 THB or 800,000 THB in Thai bank, or combination.
Term visa of 90 days travel (single entry) and then 1 year travel to Thailand (multiple entries).

DEPENDENT/GUARDIAN “O”

Dependent or immediate family of foreigners holding non-immigrant visas.
Guardian or immediate family of a Thai child or student foreign child.
Term visa of 90 days travel (single entry) and then 1 year travel to Thailand (multiple entries).

Local citizens and/or foreign nationals settled in South Africa who wish to apply for any type of visa mentioned above must apply in person at the nearest Royal Thai embassy or consulate in South Africa. Please note that application procedures and fees may vary depending on your location.

Embassy Information:

For the information about requirements for other types of non-immigrant visa and for other purposes not listed above, kindly contact the Royal Thai embassy or consulate.

Royal Thai Embassy
248 Hill Street (Corner of Pretorius Street)
Arcadia, Pretoria

Phone:
(27-12) 342 4600 / 4506 / 4516 / 5470

Fax:
(27-12) 342 3986

Email:
info@thaiembassy.co.za

Office Hours:
09:15am – 11:30am (application submission only)
02:00pm – 4:30pm (collecting only)

Thailand Visa For South African Passport Holders

Getting a Thailand non-immigrant B visa, also popularly known as Thai non-B visa isn’t really that complicated. But, getting Thailand non-immigrant visa from South Africa is not as straightforward as many other nationalities.

A little bit of backstory first.

At the time I started pursuing English teaching positions in Thailand, I was at the other end of the world that was nothing like Thailand. Thousands of miles away. Top Tier Tutors, the tutoring company I had found when I was in university, was going so well.

At the same time, going to Thailand and living in South East Asia was something I had been rooting for a long time. Teaching English would allow me to do this. And a Thai non-B visa and a subsequent Thai work permit based on that visa would allow me to teach English legally.

How to apply Thailand tourist visa from South Africa

1
Step 1 : South African citizens can arrive at Thailand without a visa.

2
Step 2 : After arriving, South African citizens can go to Thailand immigration counter.

3
Step 3 : Show travel document like Original Passport or Travel document of South Africa.

4
Step 4 : Once you get entry stamp, you can enter Thailand and stay for the duration on your stamping.

Documents to Bring before Coming to Thailand

For the Thai Non-B visa, you need to submit the original police clearance certificate from your home country and a notarized degree. It’s very important that you get these done in your home country, otherwise you might need to fly back to your home country for this.

I got my police clearance certificate from South Africa before coming to Thailand. It’s valid for 6 months. If you are applying for the Thailand non-immigrant visa from South Africa, you would need to do it as well. Although the Thai embassy in Vientiane asks that it should be notarized, I didn’t do so and they were fine with it.

As per the degree, I got it notarized in South Africa as well. For this, I used a company called 123attested. They pretty much did everything and were relatively cheap.

Preparing the Documents in Thailand

AfterI entered Thailand as a tourist, I got myself into a whirlwind of documents. It took a lot of trips and effort to get them all together. I obtained all the documents related to the school in Thailand.

I got my Thai police clearance done

Thailand Visa Option

We may be able to assist you when you meet the eligibilities on the following:TOURIST “TR”

Tourism purposes only, not for business or employment purposes.
Duration of stay for 30 or 60 days.
Extension allowed for another 30 days.

EDUCATION (Non-immigrant “ED” Visa)

Study visits and training sessions in Thailand.
Term visa of 90 days travel (single entry) and then 1 year travel to Thailand (multiple entries).

BUSINESS (Non-immigrant “B” Visa)

Conduct business or employment by Thai company.
Term visa of 90 days travel (single entry) and then 1 year travel to Thailand (multiple entries).

MARRIAGE (Non-immigrant “O” Visa)

Married to Thai national.
Income of THB 40,000 or bank account of THB 400,000, or combination.
Term visa of 90 days travel (single entry) and then 1 year travel to Thailand (multiple entries).

RETIREMENT (Non-immigrant “O” or “OA” Visa)

Must be 50 years or older.
Pension of 65,000 THB or 800,000 THB in Thai bank, or combination.
Term visa of 90 days travel (single entry) and then 1 year travel to Thailand (multiple entries).

DEPENDENT/GUARDIAN “O”

Dependent or immediate family of foreigners holding non-immigrant visas.
Guardian or immediate family of a Thai child or student foreign child.
Term visa of 90 days travel (single entry) and then 1 year travel to Thailand (multiple entries).

Royal Thai Embassy, Kathmandu

Online Appointment

The Royal Thai Embassy will change the modality of the appointment system for the visa application. For the appointment from Monday, 10 October 2022 onwards, applicants will be requested to book an appointment date for the visa application via the following link: https://queue.mfa.go.th/en/Kathmandu/login . The aforementioned link will be accessible from 22 September 2022.
The current appointment system via e-mail will end from Sunday, 25 September 2022 at 23.59 hrs. and, henceforth, the request for visa application’s appointment will no longer be granted via e-mail.
Kindly note that applicants who wish to travel to Thailand from Thursday, 13 October 2022 onwards are requested to book an appointment via the above-mentioned link.

How do I apply?

– Go to https://queue.mfa.go.th/en/Kathmandu/login

> Register

> Create your personal account

> Go back to the main page

> Insert your passport’s ID (alphabets on passport’s ID must be included) and password (personal phone number)

> choose “Visa” on Service option

> Select the appointment’s time and date on the calendar to register.

– Kindly note that the said link can best be used through google chrome.

– It is recommended that applicants plan their trip carefully in advance and submit a request for a visa at least 10 WORKING DAYS prior to departure date.

– After registering for the appointment, applicants must submit all required documents in person at the Royal Thai Embassy, Kathmandu, during visa hours between 0900-1130 hrs. on the Embassy’s working days. (Applicant is allowed to create only 1 account per applicant.)

– Kindly note that the Embassy reserves the rights to use the applicants’ name list that is based on the Embassy’s data system.

For more information, please visit the Embassy’s website at www.kathmandu.thaiembassy.org , select consular service > visa

Consular Section
Royal Thai Embassy, Kathmandu