Payment to enter Thailand ??

[stevemilo]

Hi there, does anyone know if you have to pay an entry fee to enter Bangkok ? My travel agent told me that from what she remembered she had to pay 500 Baht to enter but never had to fill out a entry immigration card ?? That doesn't sound right to me but please let me know if it's true. Thanks, Stevie

 

[simongr]

I paid the departuer tax on the way - and was glad to pay it I don't recall an entry tax.

 

[JohnK]

No need to pay a fee to enter Thailand. Not from Australia anyway. You automatically receive a 30 day visa. There used to be a 500 baht, now 700 baht, departure tax that needed to be paid at the airport but since February 2007 this has been incorporated into the cost of the airfare.

You will need to fill out an arrivals and departure card. The departure card is actually stapled to your passport with the entry stamp. If staying in a hotel they will take a copy of your passport identification page and the page with the entry stamp and the departure card identification number.

The questions on the arrivals/departure card are very basic.

 

[Mal]

Bangkok used to have a pay at the airport departure tax of 500 Baht.

This then rose to 600 Baht (I think), and these days is added to most/all air tickets.

So no more paying when you leave.

Paying on entry doesn't occur either, unless your passport belongs to a country that can apply for a visa on entry. Australian passports (and many others) get a visitor's permit free of charge on entry.

If you overstay in Thailand, then you are charged a certain amount per day in fines that you have to pay before leaving the country,

 

[JohnK]

If you overstay in Thailand, then you are charged a certain amount per day in fines that you have to pay before leaving the country,

Do not overstay your visa in Thailand. If caught before getting to the airport you will not be deported but sent to an immigration holding compound. I have read some of the stories on Thaivisa and it does sound like an enjoyable place to stay.

 

[Evan]

Heard bad things about over staying a visa in Thailand ! i would not do it.
I would never over stay and visa anywhere, not worth it.
Some countries you can extend in the country, like Singapore, for 2 weeks at a time.

May last trip towards end of last year the departure tax was paid and no entry tax or fee of any kind, just the usual sort of entry card.

E

 

[wrldtrvllr]

I was there just over a month ago and no, there is no entry payment required. Departure tax is 700THB but should already be collected on the air ticket. Just fill out the forms; customs is virtually non-existant over there. If you are stuck trying to find an "official" taxi at Arrivals to take you into town, head upstairs to Departures level and hop in one that's just made a drop off (and you save the 50THB that is levied otherwise)

 

[JohnK]

Heard bad things about over staying a visa in Thailand ! i would not do it.

Horror stories!

Some countries you can extend in the country, like Singapore, for 2 weeks at a time.

I think you can extend for a further 2 weeks whilst in Thailand. It costs around 1900 baht and a visit to the nearest Thai immigration office. Otherwise just do a border run, mainly Cambodia, to get another 30 day extension. You leave at 6:00am and are back by about 2:00pm and the cost including liunch is around 2,300 baht.

This should be more than enough otherwise get a 1 year multiple entry visa and do note that through any 180 day period you are only allowed to be in Thailand for 90 days. They do check your passport and count the days manually.

 

[oz_mark]

If you overstay in Thailand, then you are charged a certain amount per day in fines that you have to pay before leaving the country,

Having done this (can happen when a flight is delayed and you end up going through immigration the wrong side of midnight!), I copped a 100 baht fine.

 

[stevemilo]

Thanks guys for your quick responses. Apprecite it. Stevie

 

[bambbbam2]

and it does sound like an enjoyable place to stay.

Shouldn't this statement be the other way around?

 

[schomers87]

Horror stories!


I think you can extend for a further 2 weeks whilst in Thailand. It costs around 1900 baht and a visit to the nearest Thai immigration office. Otherwise just do a border run, mainly Cambodia, to get another 30 day extension. You leave at 6:00am and are back by about 2:00pm and the cost including liunch is around 2,300 baht. quote]

Or if you want to be really tight- catch the 6am train from Huamphlong station in Bangkok to the Cambodian border for 30 baht. Then just catch the afternoon train or one of the 20 or 30 different bus providers to get back to BKK.
That's what backpacking does to you!