If you’re headed to Thailand after Cambodia, you won’t necessarily need to get a visa in advance. Thailand offers a 30-day visa-free stay for 56 nationalities that can be extended once for an additional 30 days for 1,900 baht, which is about $60. If you’d like to stay longer, or if you’ve already entered Thailand a few times, you’ll need to get a visa for Thailand in Cambodia.
Heading to Thailand?
How to get a visa for Thailand in Cambodia
If you are planning to get a visa for Thailand while you’re in Cambodia, there are two ways to do it. If it is your first Thai visa, you can take you passport to any local travel agent in Phnom Penh and they can get it for you. Most Cambodian travel agents will not deal with customers with multiple visas who may be trying to live in Thailand illegally. If you are thinking of trying Cambodia for a visa run from Thailand, know that the Phnom Penh embassy has a reputation for being quite strict.
If you get your visa directly from the Thai Embassy, it’s possible to get a 60-day tourist visa for Thailand in Phnom Penh for most nationalities, including Americans, Irish, British and Australians. Generally the visas issued are single entry, but some have reported getting double entry visas. Application forms are available online or at the embassy and you’ll need to supply a passport photo, but they can be obtained easily for $2 or less in Cambodia. With your application you’ll be asked to supply your proposed address in Thailand, your date and means of arrival, and proof of onward travel. You may also be asked to show evidence of financial savings of 20,000 baht per person or 40,000 baht per family, but a bank statement will suffice.
The visa takes three business days and costs $40 (remember that the embassy is closed for both Cambodian and Thai national holidays, and there are a lot of them). If you do not have the above information, particularly proof of onward travel, they will not issue you a visa. Those with multiple visas may also be asked for additional proof that they are traveling for the purpose of tourism and intend to return to their home country.
Royal Thai Embassy, Phnom Penh.
If you’d like to use a travel agent instead, one recommended agent is Cina Travel in Phnom Penh. The cost is $55, and you’ll need to deliver it before 10 a.m. to get it back in three days (because they need to get it to the embassy by 11 a.m.). They will only be able to get visas for those who have not had multiple previous Thai visas. You’ll need to bring proof of a hotel booking in Thailand, evidence of a flight out of Thailand to show you aren’t planning on staying, three months of bank statements, and a 4x6cm photo with a white background.
Also, citizens of certain countries including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and any country in Africa, will additionally need to prove that they have the right to live and work in Cambodia and show a copy of their work permit, employment letter, and a copy of business registration and tax patent of the company they work for.
In other words: Cambodia is not the place to get a visa if you are trying to live in Thailand illegally.
If you’re in Siem Reap, you will need to go to Phnom Penh for a visa. We checked with expat favorite travel agent, Sopheak Na Travel, and she explained that they no longer handle Thai visas for customers, and that people must apply themselves at the embassy. It’s possible other travel agents in Siem Reap may be willing to get a Thai visa for you, but it’s probably safer to just go to the embassy yourself.
Cambodian citizens get a 14-day visa-free exemption if they are traveling by air or plane.
You can only do two visa-exempt land border crossings to Thailand per year.
Things to know about crossing the border from Cambodia to Thailand
There are a few things that are important to know about going from Cambodia to Thailand. First, you can only cross overland (ie. by road rather than by plane) twice per year using the visa-free exemption mentioned above. They are very strict about this, and if you have more than two stamps in your passport, you will not be allowed to enter the country. If you have already crossed overland twice, you will need to go to the embassy and get a visa, or it may be easier and cheaper just to fly. You can enter Cambodia through the airport up to 6 times on a visa-free exemption.
There’s also a requirement that has long been on the books but has started being enforced more regularly, particularly at land crossings. It states that you need to have a passport with at least 6 month’s validity, proof of onward travel, and “adequate finances equivalent to at least 10,000 Baht per person or 20,000 Baht per family.” Although it is not specified that cash in hand is required (a credit card with a 10,000 baht limit should theoretically suffice) this is one way that they stop people from entering that they don’t want to enter.
I was once stopped at the Thai border at Poipet/Aranyaprathet and held for an hour with an officer who didn’t speak much English and kept shouting “pocket money! pocket money!” at me over and over. I was unaware of the requirements to enter, and sat there confused, having no idea what they wanted from me. When I finally pulled all of the cash I had on hand out of my purse, I was eventually allowed to enter (and they let me keep all of it).
It’s important to note that the current Thai government is cracking down on expats who are attempting to live in Thailand using successive tourist visas. If you are attempting to do a visa run or live in Thailand illegally, be prepared to be hassled at the border and potentially turned away.
For more details about Thai visas, check out Travelfish. I’m not going into every last detail here because this post is focused on visa issues for those traveling from Cambodia, but not Thai visa issues in general, which are covered on Travelfish.
Royal Thai Embassy, Phnom Penh
Hours for visa applications: 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Hours for visa collection: 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
196 Norodom Blvd, Phnom Penh
T: 023 726 306
thaiembassy.org/phnompenh
Cina Travel
129Eo Street 130, Psar Cha, Daun Penh, Phnom Penh
T: 023 998 775; 023 998 774
E: cinatravel@cinatravel.com.kh
Hi, I’m Cambodian but I’m holding a USA passport and I like to go visit Thailand for one week and come back. Do I need a visa to enter Thailand?
If you are traveling overland on a US passport, you’re allowed 15 days entry, usually.
Hi, PLease advise me contact details of Lucky/Lucky.
and also address will help, i plan to do a multiple entry tourist visa in Cambodia and come back to thailand
The contact details are in the blog post…
I plan to go to Thailand for 2 months at the beginning of Nevember. I need to apply for a 2 months tourist Visa. I read that i have to give a proof of minimum fund; about 1000$. Is it on 1 or 2 months ? What’s about the onward Ticket. re they strict about that ?
Hi I’m so confused,need help. I got double entry tourist visa in Laos,i got 30 days extension at Thai immigration chaengwattana after the 60 days. Total of 90 days now..My question is can I still get another 2 months extension if I cross the border or fly to Cambodia/ other country when I get back to Thailand? Coz I already extended my visa after 60 days at chaengwattana which they give me additional 30 days, supposedly I need to leave Thailand after 60 days to have another 2 months extension.need clarification before applying new tourist visa. Need help as my 30 days extension will expire on sept 15.
I’m sorry, I don’t know a lot about Thai visas, it might be better to ask an agent or someone in Thailand who would know more.
Hi Cazz
I think I can help you with your question and put your mind at ease.
Your first tourist visa has nearly finished because you have used the 60 days + 30 day extension on the first visa.
As a side note, that 30 day extension you got at Chaengwattana Immigration was for your first visa. Your second visa you have in your passport is not active yet and is still valid.
Before or on Sept 15 you will have to do a visa run to say the Cambodian or Laos border. You can exit Thailand and enter back into Thailand on the same day if you want {no need to apply for a new Thai visa because you have a valid visa already}. When you enter back into Thailand they will stamp and activate your second tourist visa.
Then before the 60 days expires on the second visa you can extend that second visa at an Immigration office for another 30 days. Giving you a total of 90 days on that second visa.
Depending on what day you do your required visa run and re-enter Thailand your second visa will allow you to stay in Thailand up to about December 14.
If you still wish to continue your holiday in Thailand after the second visa {90 days} is up, you will have to go to a Thai embassy or consulate outside of Thailand again to apply for another tourist visa {or two}.
Sorry for the long answer,but you said you are confused. Yes, you will be ok to get another 90 days when you do a run to a border because you have a second valid visa in your passport already.
So in a nutshell a person {like you} that holds a double entry tourist visa can get a total of up to 90+90 days from their visas with one visa run required to activate the second visa.
Hope that answers your question
I need to get a new visa for Thailand as my extension is about to run out. Can I get an ED visa or the 90day visa completed in under 3days?
Call Lucky Lucky and ask them.
from above comments, it is still not clear to me whether Lucky agency can issue nonimmigrant B visa for Thailand and if so what docs needed? I am UK citizen and will have employer request letter from Thailand.
Why don’t you call them and ask? (And share with the rest of us)
I make double visa in Laos,so after two monts i have to go out from Thailand and come back to take stamp. Can i go in Cambodia to take stamo or i need to go again in Laos?
Before your 2 months expires, just go to the Thai Immigration to get a 30 Day extension. You can take the BTS to Mo Chit. Get off the BTS and just take a taxi. It’s about 120 baht.
It will cost 1900 baht for the extension. Now you have 3 months.
You can go to Cambodia or Laos or anywhere… to just cross-over and then come back to Thailand. Do 2 months and get another extension. That’s how you do 6 months.
Is it possible to leave thailand with my departure card on my passport with my current visa,but on arrival in vietnam use a different passport with clean pages ( new ) then for my return to thailand
Hello!
Has anyone in the thread actually used Lucky Lucky or knows someone personally who has?
I plan to do a yoga retreat in Siam Reap and while I am there if possible I would like to get my Non Immagrant B Visa from the Phnom Penh for Thailand without having to go the embassy. But of course my passport is very coveted so I would just like to hear if anyone has personal experience handing their passport off to Lucky Lucky and getting it back :)
Thanks!
Heather
Yes I have processed my visa through this agency. It was quick and easy, but check first if you can process your visa through the hostel you’re staying at too. Hostel 88 uses this agency too and they can arrange to have it picked up and dropped off conveniently through the hostel. The prices stated here are inaccurate. I recently paid $65 for a single entry tourist visa with 2 day processing.
Hey any idea on how an African living in Phenom Penh can get Thai business visa?.
Clearly Thailand still gets all the darn attention!
But, I am living here in the Reap and loving it! (maybe we should keep the secret!)
I am headed to Siem Reap tomorrow and sure hope it’s nicer than Phnom Penh. So far I can’t say Cambodia is better than Thailand. I hope to be proven wrong!
Jay, I can see why you like it here. I am in Siem Reap now and find it much nicer than Phnom Penh. The weather is comfortable, not so humid, and the foreigners are very friendly. Not your typical Thailand tourists. I’m not much for bars.. I find it a little small here but I suppose if you get a nice house and keep yourself busy then you can live quite comfortably and travel to other destinations for a change of scenery.
If there are any digital nomads living in Siem Reap I’d love to hear from you. :)
There’s a Facebook group called Cambodia Digital Nomads: https://www.facebook.com/groups/digitalcambodia/