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Non-Immigrant F — official duty

ThailandSpecial cases

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Thailand Read the five questions ↓

What exactly is the official special programme/status and why does it exist?

This is category "F" of the Thai Non-Immigrant Visa, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It exists so that a foreign national who is coming to the Kingdom to perform official duties enters under a purpose-specific permission rather than as a tourist or as an ordinary worker. It sits inside the ordinary Non-Immigrant Visa type, so the same fee, validity, period of stay and extension rules apply to it as to the other Non-Immigrant categories, unlike the separate Diplomatic, Official and Courtesy visas that the same page describes further down.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The page does not define 'official duties' or say which foreign or Thai bodies the duties must be performed for.

Which specific population, role, circumstance or historical/legal situation does it cover?

The page defines the population only by purpose: applicants who wish to enter the Kingdom to perform official duties. It does not restrict the category by nationality, by passport type or by employer, and it does not list the institutions whose staff qualify.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The page does not enumerate which roles or organisations count as performing official duties under category F.
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 1. REQUIREMENT
    - to perform official duties (Category "F")
  • 4. DIPLOMATIC / OFFICIAL VISA
    - Upon official request, Thai Embassies and Consulates-General may grant visas to diplomatic or official passport-holders who wish to assume duties at a foreign Diplomatic Mission or Consulate or International Organization in the Kingdom and to their family members.

What circumstance, event, relationship, nomination, invitation or status activates access?

Access is activated by the official purpose of the visit being certified. For category "F" the Ministry lists an Official Note certifying the purpose of travel issued by the government agencies, embassies and consulates, international organisations or state enterprises in Thailand. The documents to be submitted are contingent on the necessities and appropriateness of the purposes stated in the application form, so the certified official purpose is what opens the category.

See recorded sources
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
    - Official Note certifying the purpose of travel from the Government Agencies /Embassies and Consulates / International Organizations / State Enterprises inThailand. ("F" / "B" / "ED" / "M" / "R") - Letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour (To obtain this letter, the prospective employer in Thailand is required to submit Form WP3 at the Office of Foreign Workers Administration, Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour Tel 02-2452745, 02-2453209 or at a Provincial Employment Office in the respective province. Further information is available at www.doe.go.th/workpermit/index.html) ("B")
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 2.1
    2.1 The applicants must submit the following relevant documents depending on the purpose of their visit.
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 2.2
    2.2 The document to be submitted for non-immigrant visa application is contingent upon necessities and appropriateness of purposes stated in the application form.

What sponsor, authority, nomination, certification, evidence or other step must occur before the status can be obtained?

The applicant must obtain the Official Note certifying the purpose of travel from a government agency, embassy or consulate, international organisation or state enterprise in Thailand, and submit it with a completely filled out application form, a passport valid for not less than 6 months, a 4 x 6 cm photograph taken within the past six months and evidence of adequate finance of 20,000 Baht per person or 40,000 Baht per family. Foreign-language documents must be translated into Thai or notarised in English; consular officers may require more. Nationals of certain countries must apply only in their home or residence country or at a designated Thai Embassy.

See recorded sources
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 2.1
    2.1 The applicants must submit the following relevant documents depending on the purpose of their visit.
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
    - Visa application form completely filled out
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
    - Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months. The validity of 18 months is required for one year visa application.
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
    - (4 x 6 cm) protograph of the applicant, taken within the past six months
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
    - Evidence of adequate finance ( 20,000 Baht per person and 40,000 Baht per family )
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
    - Official Note certifying the purpose of travel from the Government Agencies /Embassies and Consulates / International Organizations / State Enterprises inThailand. ("F" / "B" / "ED" / "M" / "R") - Letter of approval from the Ministry of Labour (To obtain this letter, the prospective employer in Thailand is required to submit Form WP3 at the Office of Foreign Workers Administration, Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour Tel 02-2452745, 02-2453209 or at a Provincial Employment Office in the respective province. Further information is available at www.doe.go.th/workpermit/index.html) ("B")
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 2.7
    2.7 Documents in foreign languages must be translated into Thai. If translated into English, it should be notarized by notary organs or the applicant’s diplomatic/ consular mission.
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 7. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
    Nationals of certain countries are required to apply for a visa only at the Thai Embassy or Consulate-General in their home/residence country or at the designated Thai Embassy. Therefore, travellers are advised to contact the nearest Thai Embassy or Consulate-General to find out where they may apply for a visa to Thailand before departure.

What immigration status and rights result, how long do they last, can family be included, and what happens if the special qualifying circumstance ends?

The result is a Non-Immigrant Visa, single or multiple entry, valid for three months and for multiple-entry visas possibly one year. The holder is initially granted a stay not exceeding 90 days unless the Office of Immigration Bureau instructs otherwise, and qualified persons can obtain an additional one year stay permit at the discretion of the Immigration officer; anyone wanting longer than 90 days must apply through a Thai consular mission or the Office of Immigration Bureau in Bangkok. The official source does not state family rights for category "F" or what happens when the official duty ends.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The page does not state whether family members can be included in category F, nor the consequence of the official duty ending.
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 4. VALIDITY OF A VISA
    Single-entry and multiple-entry visas are valid for three months. Multiple-entry visas could also be valid for one year.
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 5. PERIOD OF STAY
    The holders of this type of visa are initially granted a period of stay in the Kingdom not exceeding 90 days unless otherwise instructed by the Office of Immigration Bureau.
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 6. EXTENSION OF STAY
    Those qualified persons can obtain an additional one year stay permit counting from the date of entry in the Kingdom pertaining to the Office of the Immigration Bureau's regulations on extension of stay. The extension of stay is at the discretion of the Immigration officer.
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 6. EXTENSION OF STAY (N.B.)
    N.B. Applicants wishing to stay in the Kingdom longer than 90 days have to file their application either at the Thai consular mission aboard or at the Office of Immigration Bureau in Bangkok located on Government Center B, Chaengwattana Soi 7, Laksi, Bangkok 10210, Tel 0-2141-9889 (or website at (http://www.immgration.go.th ) . The consular officer must refer the case to the Office of Immigration Bureau for approval. Upon receiving approval, the consular officer may issue the visa as instructed by the Bureau
  • 3. NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, 3. VISA FEE
    2,000 Baht for single entry and 5,000 Baht for multiple entries.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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