Thai passport
Thai passport is the passport issued to citizens and nationals of Thailand by the Passport Division of the Department of Consular Affairs within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thai biometric passports have been issued since August 2005.
History
The history of Thai passports can be traced back to travel documents first issued during the reign of King Chulalongkorn in the late-19th century. The first passport regulations in Thailand were enacted on 10 September 1917, in order to ensure the country's security during World War I. A Thai passport booklet was first introduced in 1939 in Thai and French language which was changed to Thai and English in 1977. The first machine-readable Thai passports were introduced in 1993, and in August 2005 Thailand became only the second country in the world and in Asia to introduce biometric passports. In 2019, the validity of Thai passports was increased from 5 years to 10 years.A 3rd generation passport planned for release in mid 2020 will feature iris scan identification and be valid for 10 years. The number of offices available to apply for a passport will increase from 319 to 500.
In 2024, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin discussed with the Belgian and German government in a push to get visa exemptions from member states of the Schengen area.
Physical appearance
The ordinary Thai passport cover is medium brown with the Emblem of Thailand emblazoned in the centre. The official passport has a blue cover, the diplomatic passport a red cover and the temporary passport a green cover. All types have the word "หนังสือเดินทาง ประเทศไทย" above the national emblem and the words THAILAND - PASSPORT below it. The biometric symbol is at the bottom of e-passports. The passport contains 66 pages.Types of Thai passport
Certificate of Identity - Issued to a Thai citizen who has had a passport stolen, lost, or damaged for emergency return to Thailand. Travel Document for Alien - Issued to non-Thai citizens who hold a certificate of Permanent Residence in Thailand for traveling abroad. The holder of this travel document must apply for a re-entry permit before leaving Thailand. A Travel Document for Alien will not be issued to a person who holds a valid passport from their country. Temporary passport - Issued while waiting to get a new passport while abroad and when needed to travel to other countries. Hajj passport - Issued to Thai Muslims for a pilgrimage to Mecca. Ordinary passport - Issued for ordinary travel, such as vacations and business trips. Official passport - Issued to individuals representing the Thai government or a government officer on official business. Diplomatic passport - Issued to members of the Thai royal family, top ranking government officials, and government officials in the field of diplomatic service.Cost of Thai passport
Ordinary passport is 1,000 or 1,500 Thai baht.Official passport is 1,000 baht.Diplomatic passport is free of charge.Hajj passport is 400 baht.Travel Document for Alien is 500 baht.Temporary passport is 296 baht.Identity information page
Thai passport includes the following data:- Photograph of the holder
- Type/รหัส
- Country code/ประเทศ
- Passport number/หนังสือเดินทางเลขที่
- Surname/นามสกุล
- Title Name/คำนำหน้าชื่อ ชื่อ
- Name in Thai/ชื่อภาษาไทย
- Nationality/สัญชาติ
- Personal No./เลขประจำตัวประชาชน
- Place of birth/สถานที่เกิด
- Date of birth/วันเกิด
- Sex/เพศ
- Date of issue/วันที่ออก
- Date of expiry/วันที่หมดอายุ
- Authority/ออกให้โดย
- Height/ส่วนสูง
- Signature of bearer/ลายมือชื่อผู้ถือหนังสือเดินทาง
- Machine Readable Zone starting with P
Note
The request note inside a Thai passport states:Translation in Thai:
This is stated in English only. All other information is printed in Thai and in English.
Visa requirements
Visa requirements for Thai citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Thailand.As of April 2025, Thai citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 82 countries and territories, ranking the Thai passport 59th in the world according to the Henley Passport Index.