Thai tourist visa rejected: 8 reasons and how to fix them

Embassies may also refuse without giving a reason. How to read your e-Visa status (request, delay or refusal) is on the refusals hub.

What the embassies say about refusals

Pages from Helsinki, London and the MFA checklist are over 12 months old. The rules may have changed.

The common reasons, one by one

1. The bank statement does not meet the post's test

Amounts differ widely. A statement that works at one embassy can fail at another: Washington asks for USD 700 each month per person over 3 months, Moscow a closing balance of THB 20,000 or more, Singapore SGD 800.

What to do: find your embassy's amount and months in the funds table. Check that the statement shows your name, the dates and the balance in every month.

2. Flights and accommodation do not match

The MFA general checklist (December 2023) asks that tickets and accommodation match. If your hotel covers 10 nights but your tickets show 40 days, an officer sees a gap.

What to do: align the dates. If you stay with a Thai host, add the invitation letter and the house registration the checklist asks for.

3. You applied to the wrong embassy

Los Angeles lists applying from outside its area as a reason for denial. Canberra serves named Australian states and territories and Pacific nations. London limits the METV to people residing in the UK, Ireland and UK territories.

What to do: in the e-Visa form, choose the embassy that covers your current location. If you live abroad on a long-term pass or visa, show that proof. Singapore, for example, asks for a long-term pass.

4. Wrong visa type

A TR is for tourism. If you plan to work remotely, study or retire, the TR is the wrong tool.

What to do: choose the visa that matches your plan. See Thailand visa requirements and the METV.

5. Incorrect information or a mismatch

Helsinki states that applications cannot be amended. A spelling error in a name, a wrong passport number or a mistaken date can be a problem.

What to do: check every field against the passport page before you submit. If you spot an error after submission, contact the embassy.

6. Residence proof missing for non-citizens

Washington asks non-citizens for a green card or valid US visa and a hand-signed employment letter. Canberra asks for VEVO for non-Australian residents.

What to do: add the document that fits your status, in the format the post names.

7. Photo problems

London warns that a photo that does not reflect your current appearance may be refused. Sizes and background colours differ by post.

What to do: take a new photo, plain background, face fully visible, and follow the embassy's size. See tourist visa documents.

8. Missing documents for a minor or a family

Washington asks for a birth certificate, parents' marriage or custody documents, both parents' passport copies and a notarised consent letter from both parents for minors travelling alone (under 20).

What to do: collect every item before you start the form.

Your quickest fix

If your trip is 30 days or less and your passport is on the 60-country list, you may not need a visa at all. See after the 30-day change. The steps after a refusal, and the rules for every new application, are on the refusals hub.

Before you apply again

1. You know which of the eight causes applies to you.
2. Your statement meets your post's figure for every month it names.
3. Your flights and bookings match.
4. You chose the post that covers where you live.
5. Every field matches your passport.

Washington says the fee is non-refundable, so expect to pay again. Our tourist visa pre-check reads your documents against the post's list and flags mismatches. You apply and pay on thaievisa.go.th, and the embassy decides.