The Royal Thai Embassy at 248 Hill Street in Arcadia is Thailand's embassy in South Africa, and its visa district reaches well beyond it. Since 8 October 2024 it has taken e-Visa applications from residents of eleven countries in southern Africa and the Indian Ocean: Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
South Africans going on holiday do not need a visa. Since 15 September 2026 they get 30 days visa-free, not the 60 days the embassy's "Do you need a visa?" page still describes. Everyone else in the district applies online.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Official name | Royal Thai Embassy, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa |
| Address | 248 Hill Street (corner of Pretorius Street), Arcadia, Pretoria 0083 |
| Phone | +27 12 342 5470 |
| Fax | +27 12 342 3986 (the site header also lists 342 4805 as a fax number) |
| Visa email | [email protected] |
| Consular email | [email protected] |
| General email | [email protected] |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 09:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00 |
| Consular and visa section | Monday to Friday, 09:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:00 |
| Closed | Weekends and official/public holidays |
| Area covered | 11 countries (see below) |
| How to apply | Online only, at thaievisa.go.th; fees are paid on the portal |
| Tourist visa fee | ZAR 650 single entry / ZAR 3,100 multiple entry, last published on the embassy's undated, paper-era Tourist Visa page |
Which Areas This Mission Covers
The embassy's e-Visa announcement of 8 October 2024 names its district:
| Southern Africa | Indian Ocean |
|---|---|
| South Africa | Madagascar |
| Namibia | Mauritius |
| Botswana | |
| Zimbabwe | |
| Zambia | |
| Malawi | |
| Angola | |
| Lesotho | |
| eSwatini |
If you live in any of these countries, choose Pretoria in the portal. Residents of East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and others) use the Royal Thai Embassy in Nairobi instead.
Do You Need a Visa?
South African passport holders: no, for tourism of up to 30 days. South Africa is on the 30-day exemption list in force since 15 September 2026. Extend once in Thailand by up to 30 days for 1,900 THB (extension guide).
Mauritian passport holders: 15 days visa-free since 15 September 2026. Mauritius and Seychelles are the only two countries on the 15-day list.
Other nationals in the district (Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe) are on none of the current exemption lists and need a visa before travel. Namibians could once get a visa on arrival, as the embassy's page still says; visa on arrival is now limited to Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia.
For anyone entering on an exemption:
- Tourism only. Business or work needs a visa.
- Carry proof of 20,000 THB per person or 40,000 THB per family if asked.
- Land-border exemption entries are capped at twice per calendar year.
- File the Thailand Digital Arrival Card at tdac.immigration.go.th within three days before arrival.
Background: visa exemption and the 30-day rule change. Check your own passport with the visa finder.
Extra checks for some passports. The embassy's visa page lists a set of nationalities, including Kenya, India, China, Egypt and Pakistan, whose holders must be permanent residents of one of the eleven countries and must submit an original police clearance certificate no older than three months. Processing for these passports can take longer. Nigerian passport holders are told to apply to the Thai mission in Abuja where possible.
How to Apply
The embassy's "How to submit visa applications" page is short: residents of the eleven countries apply at thaievisa.go.th and no longer send passports or documents to Pretoria.
- Create an account at thaievisa.go.th and pick Royal Thai Embassy, Pretoria.
- Choose your visa type. The embassy handles tourist (TR), medical treatment (MT), transit, Non-Immigrant B, B/IB (work), ED and ED Plus, O (volunteer, spouse, dependant), O-A retirement, media, religious and official visas, and the DTV.
- Upload the documents the portal asks for. For a tourist visa, the embassy's Tourist Visa page also asks for bank statements of at least ZAR 11,000 per person for three months (single entry) or ZAR 110,000 per person for six months (multiple entry), proof of employment, and accommodation for the whole stay.
- Pay on the portal. The embassy's fee payment policy is online payment through thaievisa.go.th only.
- Email [email protected] with questions.
For the portal itself, see our Thailand e-Visa guide.
Fees
The embassy's Tourist Visa page lists ZAR 650 for a single-entry tourist visa and ZAR 3,100 for a multiple-entry tourist visa, excluding any agency fee. That page was written for paper applications and is not dated, so treat the portal's figure at payment as final. The embassy does not publish fees for other categories on its site. Fees are non-refundable.
Practical Notes
Tourist visa length. A single-entry tourist visa is valid for three months from issue and allows up to 60 days per stay. A multiple-entry tourist visa is valid for six months.
Documents not in English. Translate them into Thai or English and have them notarised.
Yellow fever. Applicants coming from or through yellow-fever areas must show a vaccination card, and the embassy's tourist visa checklist asks for a copy.
Holidays. The embassy lists its holidays on an "Embassy's Holidays" page linked from its Working Hours page. Check it before you plan a visit to the consular counter.
DTV since 31 August 2026. DTV applicants now apply where they are a national or permanent resident, with a criminal record clearance certificate. Residents of the district on work permits should confirm with the embassy before paying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do South Africans need a visa for Thailand?
Not for tourism of up to 30 days. Since 15 September 2026 South African passport holders get a 30-day visa exemption, down from 60. One extension of up to 30 days costs 1,900 THB in Thailand.
Which countries does the Thai embassy in Pretoria cover?
Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Can I hand in my passport at the embassy?
No. Since 8 October 2024 applications are online only, and passports and documents are no longer submitted to the embassy.
How much is a Thai tourist visa in South Africa?
The embassy's undated, paper-era Tourist Visa page last published ZAR 650 for a single entry and ZAR 3,100 for multiple entries. The portal shows the current amount before you pay.
Do Namibians need a visa for Thailand?
Yes, as of 15 September 2026. Namibia is not on the current exemption lists, and visa on arrival is now limited to Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. Apply online through the Pretoria embassy.
What are the Thai embassy's hours in Pretoria?
Monday to Friday, 09:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00. The consular and visa section works 09:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:00. The embassy is closed on weekends and public holidays.
Sources
- Royal Thai Embassy, Pretoria: Announcement on a new online e-Visa platform (8 October 2024)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Pretoria: Visa (how to submit, visa types)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Pretoria: Do you need a Thai visa?
- Royal Thai Embassy, Pretoria: Tourist Visa (fees, financial evidence)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Pretoria: Fee Payment Policy
- Royal Thai Embassy, Pretoria: Address
- Royal Thai Embassy, Pretoria: Working Hours and Holidays
- Royal Thai Embassy, Doha: Tourist Visa Exemption and Visa on Arrival (list effective 15 September 2026)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Brasília: Adjustment of supporting documents for DTV applications (31 August 2026)
- TAT Newsroom: New 30-day and 15-day visa exemption rules from 15 September
