Phuket
Visa on arrival or exemption for my passport?
Hostel blogs call every entry “visa on arrival.” The free exemption stamp and the paid Visa on Arrival are different products, and mixing them up costs people money at the desk.
They are not the same product
| If thaievisa / your mission says | You are | Not |
|---|---|---|
| Visa-exempt on the live list | Exemption at the desk (30 days for most ordinary passports since 15 Sep 2026) | VoA. Do not pay a 2,000 THB VoA queue |
| On the live VoA list | Paid VoA at a designated checkpoint | Exemption. Cash as posted — explainers still cite 2,000 THB |
| Neither | e-Visa before you fly | A laminated “visa service” in arrivals |
| Checking an old country list | The live list on the mission site | A 2024 chart of 93 names |
Visa 2026 covers the 60-to-30 change and who it hits. VoA is the paid list. Run thaievisa.go.th the week you book. This is not legal advice.
Nationality and whether you already have a stamp. Then believe the desk.
