Pre Departure: Part 3- Passports and Visas

This is something that should be done ASAP!  It takes at least 6 weeks to get a passport.

It was kind of fun getting my kids passport pictures taken.  We got it done at Walmart, but almost anywhere does it if they have a photo department, just ask.

The next step is filling out the passport applications and making an appointment with the person that issues passports at your local Post Office.  NOTE:  When I called, they were booked for a month out!  I had to try another post office to get an appointment so don't wait till the last minute to get yours done.

For Visa information, I found this on the US Government's Travel Website: travel.state.gov. This is what it says about Visas:

ENTRY / EXIT REQUIREMENTS FOR U.S. CITIZENS: If you are a U.S. citizen tourist staying for fewer than 30 days, you do not require a visa, but your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the date of your entry into Thailand. Thai Immigration officials may ask for your onward/return ticket, and airlines may ask for this information when you book or check in. The U.S. Embassy and Consulate are not able to intervene with Thai Immigration or the airlines regarding their regulations and policies. If you are a tourist entering Thailand by air without a visa, you are allowed to stay in Thailand for 30 days per visit. If you are a tourist entering Thailand by land without a visa, you are allowed to stay in Thailand for 15 days per visit. Business travelers should check with a Royal Thai Embassy about visa requirements. You must pay a Passenger Service Charge in Thai baht (Thai currency) when you depart from any of Thailand's international airports; this charge is included in the ticket price for flights from Bangkok's main airport, Suvarnabhumi International.

When you enter the country, Thai Immigration officials stamp your passport with the date your authorized stay will expire. If you remain in Thailand beyond this date without getting an official extension, Thai Immigration officials will fine you 500 baht per day, up to a maximum of 20,000 baht (approximately $690 at baht 29:$1.00) when you leave Thailand. Make sure your passport is stamped with the date your authorized stay will expire before you leave the Immigration counter. Replacing a missing stamp later often requires a trip back to your original port of entry. If the police find that you are out of legal status before you leave the country (for example, during a Thai Immigration "sweep" through a guesthouse or in a popular a tourist area), you will be jailed, fined, and deported at your own expense, and you may also be barred from re-entering Thailand. These determinations are the legal responsibility of the Royal Thai government, and the U.S. Embassy or Consulate may not intervene in the application of Thai law. Private "visa extension services," even those advertising in major periodicals or located close to Immigration offices or police stations, are illegal. A number of U.S. citizens are arrested at border crossings each year with counterfeit visas and entry stamps they have obtained through these illegal services.

So if you are staying less than 30 days and you are getting there via airplane, it looks like based off of this info that you are good and don't need a Visa.  But I would check the site for updated info, just in case something has changed since I wrote this post.  Check here.

Since we are staying there longer than 30 days, my husband is getting a student Visa and I will update this better once we know a little more information about the visas the spouse and children of a student need.

I think that is about it!  Good luck!!