On 1^st October 2021, the Prime Minister of Thailand and the Minister of Interior jointly signed the Ministry of Interior Notification on Permission for Some Types of Foreigners to Reside in the Kingdom on a Special-Case Basis to extend the period for filing applications for the STV for one more year from 1^st October 2021 to 30^th September 2022.  The notification was published in the Government Gazette on the same date.

The Government implemented the STV in late 2020 to respond to the Covid-19 and to encourage foreigners to travel to and stay in Thailand to support the hospitality industry and the economy of Thailand.

The STV, aka the “Long Stay Visa”, is a single-entry visa with the valid term of 90 days from the arrival date of the holder.  The applicant must apply for the STV at the Thai embassy or Thai consulate at his/her home country and pay the THB2,000 application fee.

The STV applicant must comply with these major application requirements for the STV:

(1)   agreeing to be quarantined at one of the quarantine facilities and for one of the required periods (7, 10 or 14 days) determined by the authorities;

(2)   having evidence of payment for the costs of the stay facilities (rent, lease, purchase, hire-purchase of hotel rooms, condominium apartments, guest houses) during and after the quarantine period;

(3)   having purchased a health insurance against Covid-19 tests and treatments for the coverage amount of at least USD100,000, and a health and accident insurance in Thailand for the coverage amount of at least THB40,000 (around USD1,200) for OPD, and at least THB400,000 (around USD12,000) for in-patient treatments throughout the STV period.

The holder of the STV can ask for its extensions in Thailand twice for 90 days each.  The holder cannot apply for changing the STV to another type of visa.

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