Thailand Visas for Families: What Changed in 2026 and Our 75-Day Plan

🛕 Our Thailand Story

Twelve years ago, Thailand bookended our first big trip. Bangkok was the very first stop, and Phuket was the last before we flew home. Marty and I were a couple with backpacks then, and visas were something we sorted in a queue at the airport.

This Christmas, we’re heading back to Thailand with Louie and Leo for about two and a half months: Chiang Mai first, then Bangkok. This time, the rules have changed.

In September 2026, Thailand cut visa-free stays from 60 days to 30. The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) got stricter too. So we sat down and worked out what actually works for a family of four staying 75 days. This guide shares what we found, what we chose and why. 🇹🇭

The short answer (rules checked 03-10-2026):

• Up to 30 days: most Australian, EU, UK, US and NZ families can enter visa-free for tourism.
• Up to 90 days: a Tourist Visa (TR) plus one extension is the simplest route.
• Six months or more: remote-working families should look at the DTV.
• Kids going to school in Thailand: they’ll need a student (Non-ED) visa, not a DTV.

Want the Bangkok side of our story? It’s in our Bangkok with kids guide.

✈️ Visa-Free Entry Is Now 30 Days

From 15 September 2026, travellers from 60 countries and territories can enter Thailand visa-free for up to 30 days. The change comes from an Interior Ministry notification published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026. The list includes Australia, all 27 EU countries, the UK, the US, Canada and New Zealand. The old 60-day exemption has ended.

A few rules matter for families:

• Tourism only. You can’t work on a visa-free entry, and that includes remote work.
• One extension. You can apply at an immigration office for up to 30 extra days. The fee is 1,900 baht (about €50) per person, and approval is at the officer’s discretion. A family of four pays around €200.
• Land border limit. Visa-free entries by land are generally capped at two per calendar year. Flying in and out doesn’t count towards this.
• Maximum stay. With the extension, you’re looking at about 60 days per entry.

Before you fly, every family member needs a Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC). You fill it in online within 72 hours before arrival on the official TDAC website. Always check the latest rules with the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs before booking.

🧭 Which Thailand Visa Fits Your Family?

The right visa depends mostly on two things: how long you want to stay, and whether you’ll be working. Here are the four main options for families in 2026.

1. Tourist Visa (TR)

Best for: families staying 31 to 90 days

You apply online through the Thai e-Visa portal before you travel. Unlike visa-free entry, the 60 days come with the visa itself, so there’s less uncertainty on arrival.

• Stay: 60 days
• Extension: one extension of up to 30 days at immigration, 1,900 baht per person
• Maximum stay: about 90 days
• Fee: varies by embassy, so check current details on the e-Visa portal
• Family: each person applies and pays separately, including babies

✓ Good for: a slow-travel stint of two to three months

✗ Not for: families who need to work remotely from Thailand legally over a longer stay

2. Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)

Best for: remote-working families planning long or repeat stays

• Validity: 5 years, multiple entries
• Stay: up to 180 days per entry, with one possible 180-day extension at immigration’s discretion
• Fee: 10,000 baht (about €260) per person
• Savings: 500,000 baht (about €13,000), and some embassies ask each family member to show this
• Family: spouse and unmarried children under 20

Two changes since 31 August 2026 affect families on the road:

• Where you apply: you now have to apply through the Thai embassy or consulate covering your country of citizenship or legal residence. Applying as a visitor in Vientiane or Kuala Lumpur no longer works.
• Police check: every applicant needs a police clearance certificate. Some embassies let children under 16 use the main applicant’s certificate instead, so check with yours.

✓ Good for: remote-working families spending six months or more in Thailand

✗ Not for: families without remote income from outside Thailand, or kids who’ll attend school there

3. Long-Term Resident Visa (LTR)

Best for: higher-income families committing to Thailand long term

• Stay: 10 years
• Income: most categories require at least US$80,000 a year
• Fee: 50,000 baht (about €1,300) per person
• Family: spouse and children under 20 can be included. Sources differ on how many dependants are allowed, so check current details with the Board of Investment (BOI).

✓ Good for: families planning a genuine long-term move with a high, well-documented income

✗ Not for: most nomad families, or anyone who wants to keep moving between countries

4. Thailand Privilege Visa (formerly Thailand Elite)

Best for: families who’d rather pay than prove income

Thailand Privilege is a paid membership, not a standard visa.

• Cost: from 650,000 baht (about €17,000) for Bronze over 5 years, up to 5,000,000 baht for Reserve over 20 years
• Family: the cheaper Bronze and Gold tiers are individual only. Adding family members is possible from Platinum upwards, at a significant extra cost per person.
• Check current details: tiers and promotions change often.

✓ Good for: families who want long stays without income or savings paperwork

✗ Not for: families on a budget, because it gets expensive fast once you add children

Visa Comparison at a Glance

Euro amounts are approximate, at around 38 baht to the euro (exchange rate checked 24-09-2026).

🗓️ Our Plan: 75 Days on a Tourist Visa

Two and a half months is an awkward length under the new rules. It’s too long for visa-free entry, and probably too short to justify the DTV. Here’s how we weighed it up.

Visa-free plus a trip out. We could enter on 30 days, extend once, then fly to Penang or Vietnam for a few days and come back. It’s cheap. But border officers can question back-to-back visa-free entries, and we didn’t love the idea of relying on that with a two-year-old in tow.

The DTV. It would cover us easily, but it means police checks, bank statements and applying through the right embassy. That’s worth it for families who come back often. For one 75-day trip, it felt like a lot of paperwork.

The Tourist Visa. This is what we’re going with. We’ll apply online for all four of us before we leave, then visit an immigration office around day 55 to extend. That gives us room if Leo gets sick or we find somewhere we want to stay longer.

It’s a plan, not a guarantee. We’ll update this section after the trip with how the application and extension actually went. 🌴

💻 Is the DTV Right for Your Family?

The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is Thailand’s long-stay visa for remote workers, freelancers and online business owners whose income comes from outside Thailand. It also covers longer stays for activities like Muay Thai training or Thai cooking courses.

It isn’t a work permit. You can’t work for Thai companies or Thai clients on it.

The DTV suits your family if:

• One or both parents work remotely for employers or clients outside Thailand
• You can show at least 500,000 baht (about €13,000) in savings, possibly for each family member
• You’re planning six months or more in Thailand, or several long trips over five years
• You can get police checks from your home or residence country
• Your kids will worldschool or study online, rather than attend a Thai school

It’s probably not worth it for a single stay under three months, like ours. It also doesn’t lead to permanent residency. For how Thailand’s option compares with other countries, see our nomad visa timeline.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Dependants: Bringing the Kids on a DTV

Your legal spouse and unmarried children under 20 can apply as DTV dependants. Each family member submits a separate application and pays the full fee. For a family of four, that’s about €1,040.

The money question: whether the main applicant’s savings cover everyone depends on your embassy. For example, the Royal Thai Embassy in London asks each dependant for evidence of THB 500,000, plus a police clearance and proof of permanent residence. Ask your own embassy before you apply, as this can change your savings requirement a lot.

What dependants usually need:

• A passport with at least six months’ validity
• Proof of relationship, such as a birth or marriage certificate
• A police clearance certificate, although some embassies let under-16s use the main applicant’s
• Proof of the main applicant’s DTV or application
• Financial evidence, if your embassy asks for it per person

Documents not in English or Thai usually need a certified translation. With dependant applications, it’s safer to send more paperwork than less.

✅ DTV Eligibility Requirements

The main applicant must be at least 20. They’ll need:

• Proof of remote work for employers or clients outside Thailand, such as a contract, freelance agreements or business records
• Bank statements for the last three months showing at least 500,000 baht (about €13,000)
• Proof of permanent residence in the country covered by the embassy you apply through
• A police clearance certificate, usually issued within the last six months
• A passport valid for at least six months

Health insurance isn’t on the official checklist, but you should still have it. Our health insurance guide for nomad families explains what to look for.

📝 How to Apply for the DTV, Step by Step

Step 1: Find your embassy

Work out which Thai embassy or consulate covers your citizenship or legal residence. That’s the only mission that will accept your application.

Step 2: Order police checks early

Police certificates can take several weeks, and some embassies want them legalised or translated. Start this first.

Step 3: Apply online

Submit everything through the Thai e-Visa portal. You must be outside Thailand when you apply.

Step 4: Pay the fee

The fee is 10,000 baht per person, usually charged in local currency. Every family member pays separately.

Step 5: Wait for a decision

Processing times vary by embassy and time of year. Allow several weeks, and don’t book flights until the visas are approved.

Step 6: Enter Thailand and keep up with reporting

You get up to 180 days per entry. If you stay more than 90 days in a row, you’ll also need to complete 90-day reporting with immigration.

🎒 Schools and Learning in Thailand

Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket all have international schools. Fees vary widely, so check each school’s current fee schedule rather than relying on averages.

Here’s the catch: the DTV isn’t a school visa. Thai embassy guidance says children whose main purpose in Thailand is attending school need a Non-Immigrant ED (student) visa, not a DTV. If your kids will be enrolled in a Thai school, talk to the school and your embassy before you choose a visa for the family.

Local Thai schools are much cheaper, but lessons are in Thai. They suit families staying long term with kids keen to learn the language.

Many families on shorter stays homeschool or worldschool instead. Chiang Mai has one of the most active worldschooling scenes in Asia, and you’ll find groups in our worldschooling hubs directory.

For the bigger picture, see our international schooling options guide and our guide to education and childcare for nomad families.

🧾 Tax: The 180-Day Rule

Spend 180 days or more in Thailand in a calendar year and you become a Thai tax resident. The count is cumulative. Leaving and coming back doesn’t reset it.

Under the Revenue Department’s Instruction Por. 161/2566, tax residents pay Thai tax on foreign income when they bring it into Thailand, for income brought in from 1 January 2024. Changes to this rule have been discussed, so check the current position with the Revenue Department before you rely on it.

On our 75-day trip, we’ll stay well under the threshold. If you’re planning a longer stay, get advice covering both Thailand and your home country. Our guide to managing money across borders covers the practical side of moving money as a family.

💶 What It Costs

Living costs vary a lot between Chiang Mai, Bangkok and the islands, and between local and international schooling. Rather than guess, we keep real family budgets in one place. See our cost of living comparison for 50+ nomad family destinations.

Don’t forget to budget for visas. Four DTVs come to about €1,040, and four Tourist Visa extensions add about €200 on top of the visa fees.

📍 Where to Base Your Family in Thailand

🌿 Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is the most popular base for nomad families in Thailand. Rents are lower, the worldschooling community is big and nature is close by. The catch is burning season, roughly February to April, when air quality can get very poor. Families with young kids or asthma should plan around it. Read more in our Chiang Mai family guide and our Chiang Mai vs Bali comparison.

🏙️ Bangkok

Life in Bangkok is busier and pricier than up north. In return, you get Thailand’s strongest hospitals and the widest choice of schools.

🌺 Phuket

Phuket was the last stop of our first trip. It’s easy to reach and has international schools, but day-to-day costs run higher than in the north.

🌊 Koh Lanta

On Koh Lanta, life is slower and simpler. It suits worldschooling families with younger kids more than families who need formal schooling.

Still choosing between countries? Our Thailand vs Vietnam guide compares the two. Our Malaysia guide covers an easy option for a trip out mid-stay.

⚖️ The Pros and Cons for Families

✓ What works

• Several visa routes for different stay lengths, from 30 days to 10 years
• The DTV’s five-year validity suits families who return often
• A large, established community of travelling families
• Good private hospitals in the main cities

✗ What to watch

• Shorter visa-free stays mean more planning for trips over a month
• Every family member pays every fee, including toddlers
• The DTV now needs police checks and applying from your home or residence country
• Some embassies want savings evidence for each dependant
• Kids attending school need a separate student visa
• Tax residency counts all days in the year, not per trip
• Burning-season air quality in the north

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How long can Australian and EU families stay in Thailand without a visa?

From 15 September 2026, you can stay 30 days for tourism. You can apply for one 30-day extension at immigration for 1,900 baht per person.

Can we stay two or three months without a DTV?

Yes. A Tourist Visa gives 60 days, plus one possible 30-day extension, for up to about 90 days.

Can we still apply for the DTV while travelling in Southeast Asia?

Usually not anymore. Since 31 August 2026, you apply through the embassy covering your citizenship or legal residence.

Do our kids need police checks for the DTV?

It depends on the embassy. Some let children under 16 use the main applicant’s certificate. Check with yours before applying.

Does each dependant need 500,000 baht in savings?

It depends on the embassy. The Royal Thai Embassy in London, for example, asks each dependant for evidence of 500,000 baht. Check with the embassy handling your application.

Can our kids go to school in Thailand on a DTV?

No. Children whose main purpose is attending school need a Non-Immigrant ED (student) visa, not a DTV.

Do we each pay the visa fee?

Yes. Every family member pays their own fee, including babies and toddlers.

Can both parents apply as main DTV applicants?

Yes, if both work remotely for employers or clients outside Thailand. Each parent then applies separately, and the children apply as dependants of one of them.

Can we work remotely on a Tourist Visa or visa-free entry?

No. Both are for tourism. The DTV is the visa designed for remote work for employers or clients outside Thailand.

Will we pay tax in Thailand?

Only if you spend 180 days or more there in a calendar year. After that, foreign income you bring in may be taxable.

Is Thailand safe for families?

Millions of families visit every year without problems. Road safety, heat and burning-season air quality are the real risks to plan for.

🌴 Our Takeaways

When Marty and I landed in Bangkok twelve years ago, nobody asked us for a police check. The visa side of Thailand has become more work, especially for families who want to stay longer.

It’s still very doable, though. Pick the visa that matches the length of your stay, not the one everyone talked about last year. For us, that’s a Tourist Visa and one trip to immigration.

We’ll report back in 2027 with how it went, and whether Louie found a football pitch. ⚽

Want to see what family life in Thailand looks like beyond the paperwork? Read our Thailand destination guide for families, or compare it with other options in our list of affordable countries for nomad families.

🔍 What We Couldn’t Confirm

We only use official government sources, so we’d rather tell you what’s missing than guess:

• LTR details: the US$80,000 income, 50,000 baht fee and how many dependants can be included. Check with the Board of Investment.
• Thailand Privilege prices and family add-ons. These change often, so check the current tiers.
• Whether every embassy asks each dependant for 500,000 baht. London does; others may not.
• Tourist Visa fees, which vary by embassy.
• Processing times for DTV applications.

🔗 Official Sources

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Thai e-Visa portal (DTV and Tourist Visa)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand
• Immigration Bureau: Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)
• Revenue Department: Instruction Por. 161/2566 on foreign income (PDF, Thai)
• Board of Investment: Long-Term Resident Visa

Last checked 03-10-2026. The visa-free change comes from the Interior Ministry notification in the Royal Gazette of 31-08-2026. DTV rules for dependants and students are from Royal Thai Embassy guidance (including London). Rules change often, so always check with the embassy handling your application before you apply.