Koh Tao Accommodation Booking

During the last couple of years it has become easier and easier to reach Koh Tao. There are lots of ferries going between Chumpon and Surat Thani on the mainland to Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao and next year two more boats are coming.

Bangkok – Koh Tao

By air and boat:
Bangkok Airways offers daily flight from Bangkok to Samui. For price, schedule and booking visit www.bangkokair.com. For boat from Koh Samui to Koh Tao please check the boat schedule or visit www.seatrandiscovery.com

By bus and boat:
The Seatran Discovery Company offers joint tickets from Bangkok to Koh Tao by bus from Khao San Road in Bangkok. Go in to any travel agency in Bangkok to purchase your ticket from Bangkok to Chumpon in V.I.P bus with air condition and by the high speed Seatran Discovery boats from Chumpon to Koh Tao. The price is around 850 Baht total and the bus leaves from Bangkok twice daily.

Singapore – Koh Tao

By air and boat:
Bangkok Airways is the only airline that offers daily flights from Singapore to Koh Samui. For price, schedule and bookings please visit www.bangkokair.com. For boat from Koh Samui to Koh Tao please see Seatran Discovery schedule.

BOAT TIME TABLE
Koh Samui	Koh Phangan		Koh Tao / Koh Nangyuan		Chumporn
Dept.	Arr.	Dept.	Arr.	Dept.	Arr.
08:00	08:20	08:30	09:40	10:00	11:45
12:00	12:20	12:30	13:40	15:00	16:30

Getting Visa

Before entering the Kingdom of Thailand make sure you have the right visa for the purpose of your stay.

Entry visa
You will automatically get this 30 day visa upon arrval in the airport. Before the 30 days are over, if you want to stay longer you will have to cross the border to get another 30 days. Another option is to go to any immigration office in Thailand to extend your stay with 10 days. The fee is 1,900 Baht.

Tourist visa
By applying for a tourist visa before coming here you can get 60 days upon arrival and another 40 days by visiting any immigration office in Thailand. The price for the tourist visa is around 40US$ and the extenson 1,900 Baht.
For more info please visit

Tourist visa
This type of visa will be issued to applicants wishing to enter the Kingdom for tourism purposes. You are not alloowed to work or conduct business with a tourist visa.

A tourist visa is valid for 60 days and can be extended 30 days at the nearest Immigration office. Fee 1,900 Baht (as per 2003-08-26).

Most western countries does not need a Tourist visa. Complete country list.

Questions about Tourist visa? Visit our web board

REQUIREMENT
This type of visa will be issued to applicants who wishing to enter Thailand for tourism purpose
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
- Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months
- Visa application form completely filled out
- One recent( 4 x 6 cm.) photograph of the applicant
- Air ticket paid in full
- Financial means (20,000 Baht per person and 40,000 Baht per family)
- Consular officers reserve the rights to request for additional documents as deemed necessary
VISA FEE
USD 25.00 per entry or equivalent (as per 2003-08-26)
(Visa fee may be changed without prior notice)
VALIDITY OF A VISA
The validity of a visa is three months.
VALIDITY OF A STAY
Upon arrival, visitors with this type of visa will be permitted to stay in the Kingdom of Thailand for a period not exceeding 60 days at any time.
EXTENSION OF STAY
Those who wish to stay longer or may wish to change their status of visa must file an application for permission at the Office of Immigration Bureau located on Soi Suan Plu, off South Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120 , Tel (662) 287-3101-10.
The extension of stay as well as the change of certain type of visa is solely at the discretion of the Immigration officer.
NOTE:
Passport holders of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Sudan, Algeria, Libya, Yemen, Egypt and Palestinian States are requested to file for application at the Thai Embassy/Consulate-General

Visa run to another country

If you need to leave the country because your length of stay is nearly expired, you must do a visa run.

You can either cross any Thai border by plane, foot, train or car. In the list to the left you find different solutions!

If you need a new visa, you must travel into another country and visit a Thai Embassy or consulate and apply for a new Tourist visa or Non-Immigrant visa.

List over Thai Consulates and Embassies

Questions about visa run? Please visit our web board!

Recently the Immigration warned foreigners to do visa runs via agents where they have their permanent residence (home country).

How to get a Thai work permit

First, you must have a Non-Immigrant visa to apply for a work permit.

Required fees for a work permit
Fee 750 - 3,000 Baht (depending on the length of your work permit)

Questions about work permits? Visit our web board!

A FOREIGNER WHO RECEIVES A WORK PERMIT MUST FOLLOW THESE REGULATIONS:

Carry the work permit with him/her or keep it in the office during working hours to show to government officers any time.
PENALTY : Anyone who violate this rule will be fined not more than 1,000 Baht .
The foreign must perform the work according to the work permit only to. If he/ she wants to do different work or change locality of working place, this change must be approved.
PENALTY : Anyone who violate this rule will be inprisoned not more than 1 month or fined not more than 2,000 Baht or both.
The foreign who wishes to continue working musto apply for an extension before the expiration date.
PENALTY : Anyone who violates this rule will be imprisoned not more than 3 months or fined not more than 5,000 Baht or both.
If his/her work permit is materially damaged or lost,The foreign must apply for substitute within 15 days from the date he/she knows about the damage or disappearance of the work permit.
PENALTY : Anyone who violates this rule will be fined not more than 500 Baht .
In case the foreign changes his/her first name, last name, nationality , address, or name of the working place, he/she must notify the Employment Service office to update the information as soon as possible.
After the to foreign resigns from work, the foreign must return the work permit within 7 days from the date of the resignation
PENALTY : Anyone who violates this rule will be fined not more than 1000 Baht.

EMPLOYERS WISHING TO EMPLOY A FOREIGNER MUST DO THE FOLLOWING

Do not employ the foreign without a work permit. Do not allow the foreign to perform work other than that which is specified in his/her work permit, or to work under any other conditions than those specified in the work permit.
PENALTY : Imprisonment of not more than 3 years or fine of not more than 60,000 Baht or both.
An employer who employs the foreign to work or transfers him/her to work elsewhere or allows the foreign to resign must notify the Nakhon Ratchasima Employment Service Office within 15 days from the employment, transfer or termination date
PENALTY : Anyone who violate this rule will be fined not more than 1,000 Baht .

NOTE:
All aliens engaged in any kind of work in Thailand must hold a valid work permit, issued principally by the Department of Employment of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare pursuant to the Alien Employment Act B.E. 2521 (A.D. 1978).
The term "work" is defined very broadly, covering both physical and mental activities, whether or not for wages or other remuneration. Working without a valid work permit even for a day is a criminal offense.

The validity period of a work permit is governed by the holder's immigration status, i.e. a work permit usually expires on the last day of the period of stay allowed by immigration officials as shown on the alien's visa. Aliens holding transit and tourist visas are not permitted to work.

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