Thailand Visa 2025: New Non-Immigrant Categories
Thailand has announced a sweeping overhaul of its non-immigrant visa system, reducing the number of categories from 17 to just 7, effective August 31, 2025.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the restructuring is aimed at simplifying the application process and reducing overlap among visa types. While the categories have been consolidated, eligibility rules and documentation requirements remain unchanged.
New Visa Categories
The restructured system groups existing visas into the following categories:
- F – Official
- B – Business (including old B, B-A, IM, IB, EX visas)
- ED – Education and research
- M – Mass Media
- O – Others (including O, O-A, O-X)
- L-A – Labour
- O L-A – Other labour-related visas
Impact of the Change
- For applicants, the system is expected to be more transparent and user-friendly, reducing confusion over which category applies.
- For businesses, schools, and sponsoring organisations, the change could streamline visa processing and lower administrative hurdles.
- For Thailand, the reform reflects a broader effort to modernise immigration procedures, making the country more attractive to foreign students, professionals, and investors.
Officials emphasised that the restructuring is an administrative reform rather than a policy shift, meaning current qualifications and processing standards remain in place.