Visas, arrival cards and tickets for Thailand have dozens of middleman sites, and people keep asking in chats which one is the real one. This page collects the websites that visitors and residents actually use, sorted by task. We opened every link on 25 October 2026 and wrote each description from what we saw on the home page, not from other people’s reviews.
How we checked and how to read the tables
Each site was opened on 25 October 2026 in an ordinary browser, without signing in or paying, and we found the sections and texts we refer to. Sites that did not open during the check are not in the list. They may simply block automated checks, but we cannot confirm that they open for you. The check was made from Thailand, and we did not test access from other countries.
- Government. A Thai government site, the address ends in .go.th. Take rules, fees and deadlines from here
- Private. A publication, company or community. Useful for experience and convenience, but it is someone’s opinion, and some of these sites carry ads and affiliate links
- Language. The main language of the content. Thai government sites are often in Thai, with English only in some sections
Which websites are official: entry, visas and money
Every row below is run by the government. If a site asks for money for an arrival card or “express processing”, you are almost certainly on a copycat; how that looks is shown in our answer on the TDAC.
| Website | What it is best for | Language | Run by | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tdac.immigration.go.th | The free electronic arrival card (TDAC); the page also reminds foreigners of the 90-day notification rule | English | Government (Immigration Bureau) | Only the card itself. It is never paid, so a payment request means a copycat |
| thaievisa.go.th | Applying for a visa online: account, form, documents, fee payment, waiting for the decision | English | Government (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) | Not needed by everyone; a visa-exempt entry needs no e-Visa. Check the payment terms when you apply |
| immigration.go.th | Immigration Bureau news and announcements, service information, online services, FAQ, fees | Thai | Government (Immigration Bureau) | The home page is in Thai. On 25 October 2026 it announces an online stay extension through the operator VFS for selected visa categories |
| thaiextension.vfsevisa.com | Online stay extension: applying, tracking status, FAQ | English | Operator VFS Global, a partner of the Immigration Bureau (as stated on the page) | Only for selected visa categories. For a visa-exempt stay see our answer on extensions |
| mfa.go.th | Sections Consular Services, Thailand Visa Information, Information for Visitors to Thailand, embassy and consulate news | English, Thai | Government (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) | A ministry portal; the visa itself is applied for at thaievisa.go.th |
| moscow.thaiembassy.org | Royal Thai Embassy in Moscow: types of visas, applying for a visa, legalisation, forms, announcements | English, Thai, Russian | Government (Thai embassy in Russia) | Only for requests through the Moscow embassy; other countries have their own embassy sites |
| ltr.boi.go.th | The Long-Term Resident (LTR) programme: target groups and how to apply; the page warns about fraudsters posing as authorised agents | English | Government (BOI) | For narrow groups (high income, skilled professionals). See our LTR guide |
| bot.or.th | Daily official exchange rates, the weighted-average interbank baht rate | English, Thai | Government (Bank of Thailand) | An interbank rate; exchange booths and ATMs use a different one. See our exchange guide |
| rd.go.th | The Revenue Department’s VAT section on its English site | English, Thai | Government (Revenue Department) | Legal text, not a how-to. For the tourist refund steps see our tax free answer |
Weather, air, national parks and public transport
| Website | What it is best for | Language | Run by | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tmd.go.th | Thai Meteorological Department: 7-day forecast, warnings, storm tracking, earthquake reports, radar, satellite images, climate data; call centre 1182 | English, Thai | Government (TMD) | Heavy interface, and some bulletins may be in Thai only |
| air4thai.pcd.go.th | Air quality index by station, historical data, an “about air quality” section and FAQ | Thai, with a language switch | Government (Pollution Control Department, PCD) | Thai by default. For the north in the smoke season read it with our smog answer |
| iqair.com | Air quality index and PM2.5 by country and city: real-time data, history and forecast | English | Private (IQAir) | Readings from private sensors and stations; for the official picture use Air4Thai |
| portal.dnp.go.th | Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation: news, services, booking of park accommodation | Thai, with a switch to English | Government (DNP) | Booking runs in Thai, at nps.dnp.go.th. Check fees and closed seasons on the page of the specific park |
| nps.dnp.go.th | Booking and checking accommodation in national parks | Thai | Government (DNP) | Thai interface only, with a personal account login |
| railway.co.th | State Railway: timetables, train running status, online ticket booking, call centre 1690 | Thai, English | Government (SRT) | The address with the ?lang=en parameter showed a service error during our check, so enter from the home page. Double-check a booking at the station |
| airportthai.co.th | Airports of Thailand: Suvarnabhumi (BKK), Don Mueang (DMK), Phuket (HKT), Chiang Mai (CNX), Chiang Rai (CEI), Hat Yai (HDY) | English, Thai | Government (AOT) | Airport information, not an airline ticket shop |
| dlt.go.th | Department of Land Transport: international driving permit, Thai driving licence, online vehicle tax payment, call centre 1584 | Thai, English | Government (DLT) | Some services are in Thai only. Getting a licence is covered in our guide |
Guides and portals in English
| Website | What it is best for | Language | Run by | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tourismthailand.org | The official Tourism Authority of Thailand site: destinations by region, events, maps, food, shopping, the Plan Your Trip section | English, with international versions | Government (TAT) | Destination marketing; check prices and schedules with the carrier or hotel |
| entrythailand.go.th | A government portal: Tourism Service System, Travel Information for all provinces, Government Directory | English | Government | A short home page; some services open inside |
| tatnews.org | The TAT press office: releases, festivals and events, travel news | English | Government (TAT) | The agency’s own announcements, with no independent assessment |
| Wikivoyage, Thailand | A free travel guide written by volunteers: the country, regions, cities | English | Private (Wikivoyage community) | Quality varies, prices go out of date, check the edit date |
| Lonely Planet, Thailand | An overview of destinations, attractions and tips from the authors | English | Private (commercial publisher) | Sells bookings and subscriptions; take entry rules from government sources |
| Travelfish | An independent guide to Southeast Asia since 2004; the authors say they pay their own way and use no AI; a question and answer forum | English | Private | There is a sign-in and paid supporter option; check how much is free yourself |
| Phuket 101 | Phuket beaches, when to go, where to stay, trips with kids, couples or on a budget, tips from an author who lives on the island | English | Private (author site) | Phuket only, a personal view |
| It’s better in Thailand | Province guides, a list of the “100 best things to do”, best time to visit, an arrival guide | English | Private, owner not named on the home page | No update dates on the home page; check visa and border rules elsewhere |
Forums and communities: where to ask people
| Website | What it is best for | Language | Run by | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASEAN NOW | An English-language forum and news site: Thailand news discussion, visas and immigration, property, health, expat life | English | Private (community) | You need to register to ask. On 25 October 2026 the old thaivisa.com/forum address redirected to ASEAN NOW. Answers can be outdated or disputed |
| Reddit, r/Thailand | Questions from tourists and expats, a monthly FAQ thread (on 25 October 2026 the October 2026 thread was open) | English | Private (community, moderators) | Anonymous advice; a browser check may appear on first visit |
| Reddit, r/Phuket | Pinned threads on transport, weather and meeting other travellers, fresh Phuket questions | English | Private (community, moderators) | Phuket only, anonymous advice |
| Forum Vinsky (forum.awd.ru) | A large Russian-language forum about independent travel (as the site describes itself): visas, reviews, routes, resort weather | Russian | Private (community) | Users’ opinions, and the page shows ad blocks of booking services. Check the date of an answer |
Telegram chats and Facebook groups by city, visa, rentals and taxis are listed here without links: their quality varies, and a private message “with an offer” needs a careful reply. The rules for such chats are simple: do not prepay strangers, do not send passport photos, and check any visa advice against a government site.
Thailand news
| Website | What it is best for | Language | Run by | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok Post | Daily Thailand news, business, life, multimedia | English | Private media | Some content may require a subscription |
| Khaosod English | News, ASEAN, Bangkok, business, crime and courts, the Embassy Corner section | English | Private media | News without practical how-tos; take entry rules from the authorities |
| The Thaiger | A fast news feed, business, lifestyle, property, travel information | English | Private media | Check a story against the primary source before acting on it |
| Pattaya Mail | Pattaya news, business, what’s on, property, health, sport | English | Private media | Pattaya and its surroundings only |
| The Phuket News | Phuket’s English-language newspaper: news, events, classifieds, a directory | English | Private media | Phuket only |
| Nation Thailand | News and politics; the site calls itself Thailand’s most updated English news website | English | Private media | The site’s own claim, not an independent ranking |
| Thai PBS World | International news and stories from Thailand | English | Public broadcaster (Thai PBS) | One source of several; compare with other outlets |
| TAT Newsroom | Official releases, events and festivals, travel news | English | Government (TAT) | The agency’s view; check entry rules with the Immigration Bureau |
If you read Russian: we did not find an independent Russian-language outlet with a daily Thailand news feed. SiamGo (siamgo.ru) runs a journal and a “new rules” section in Russian, and Thaipedia publishes news in both languages on Thailand news and its Russian edition; every item is approved by the project owner before publication.
Property: government registries and big portals
The registries are in Thai, but they are what shows the facts about a project and a company. Private portals are handy for searching, but they are advertising: the price in a listing is an asking price, not a sale price.
| Website | What it is best for | Language | Run by | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| assessprice.treasury.go.th | Appraised value of land, condominiums and buildings; the page credits the Department of Lands and the Treasury Department | Thai | Government | Thai only, and the mobile version asks for portrait orientation. An appraised price is not a market price |
| datawarehouse.dbd.go.th | DBD DataWarehouse+: company data and financial statements, conditional search, a section on foreign investment | Thai | Government (DBD) | Thai only. A developer can be found by name or by its 13-digit number |
| eia.onep.go.th | Smart EIA Plus: the data centre for environmental impact assessments of projects | Thai | Government (ONEP) | Thai only, you must accept cookies |
| dol.go.th | The Department of Lands: the site’s entry page | Thai | Government (DOL) | An entry page, all content is in Thai |
| Thailand-Property | Sales and rentals, a condominium directory, a developer directory, an agent search | English | Private (listings portal) | Paid listings, so check the project in the registries |
| FazWaz | A marketplace: buy, rent, sell, a Projects section, advice, financing | English | Private (listings portal) | Asking prices, not sales; not a substitute for a legal check |
How to check a project in the registries is described in Can a foreigner buy an apartment and in the new developments catalogue.
Maps and transport
| Website | What it is best for | Language | Run by | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenStreetMap | An open world map with routes, detailed where people keep it updated | Multilingual | Community (non-profit project) | Detail and accuracy depend on the area, no place reviews |
| Google Maps | Searching for places and routes, place reviews | Multilingual | Private | Reviews are written by users and are easy to inflate |
| Longdo Map | An online map of Thailand, search by name, markers, adding places; by its description it updates every 15 minutes | Thai | Private | The interface is in Thai |
| Rome2rio | Routes between cities: plane, train, bus, ferry, car | English, Russian | Private | Shows route options, not a carrier’s timetable; check details with the carrier |
| 12Go | Tickets for trains, buses, ferries, transfers and flights | English, Russian | Private (booking agent) | An agent: compare the price with the carrier’s own site, as fees and terms can differ |
| Grab | Taxi, delivery and payments: the Grab app in Thailand | English, Thai | Private | You need the app and a local connection; see terms and prices in the app. More in our taxi guide |
| BTS Skytrain | Routes and fares, stations, timetable, lost and found | English | Private (the BTS operating company) | BTS lines only; the MRT metro is run by another company |
| Phuket Smart Bus | A bus from Phuket airport to Patong, Karon, Kata and Rawai: three routes, timetable, GPS tracking | English, Thai, Chinese, Russian | The Phuket Smart Bus operator, ownership not stated on the home page | These routes only; the page gives the price range as free to 100 baht |
Other ways to get around the country are in the Transport section.
Where Thaipedia fits in
Thaipedia is also a site on this list, and not a government source: a private guide run by an editorial team under Magosh Alshanskiy. How the project earns is described on the About page: we pass home-search requests to partner agencies with the visitor’s consent, and tour links are affiliate links and are marked. What we have now:
- Guides and answers with sources. Every fact links to its primary source and the date it was checked, and every page has a next review date. Topics: visas and entry, money, transport, daily life, health and safety
- Weather from TMD data. Thai Meteorological Department norms for 1991-2020 for Phuket in a month-by-month table
- A catalogue of new developments in Phuket and Pattaya. Projects are matched to government registries (the Treasury, ONEP and DBD), and every field shows its level of confirmation. A study built on this data: new developments in Phuket and Pattaya, October 2026
- News in two languages. An English feed and a Russian one, with every item approved by the project owner
What we do not have: the project is young, its first pages came out on 17 October 2026, Phuket and Pattaya are covered in the most detail, and the catalogue does not yet include Bangkok. We do not replace government sites: if our text differs from an official one, the official one is right, and you can report a mistake through the contacts page.
How to avoid middleman sites
- Look at the domain. Thai government site addresses end in .go.th (immigration.go.th, thaievisa.go.th, tmd.go.th). Subdomains such as tdac.immigration.go.th are genuine too
- Never pay for the arrival card. The TDAC is free, and a payment request means a copycat
- Do not arrive via search ads. Type the address yourself or take it from the tables above
- Check the date. For a site with no publication date, treat prices, deadlines and rules as unverified
- Separate opinion from rule. A forum or chat suggests where to look, and the official source decides
This page is rechecked every 30 days, because links and site sections change.
FAQ
Which website is the official one for a Thai visa?
The e-Visa is handled at thaievisa.go.th, the site of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs: you create an account, fill in the form, upload documents and pay the fee there. Official Thai government addresses end in .go.th, while lookalike sites that charge for processing are agents or copycats. Whether you need a visa at all depends on your nationality and the length of stay, see our answer on visa-free stays.
Where can I fill in the TDAC for free?
Only on the Immigration Bureau's own site, tdac.immigration.go.th, which is titled Official Thailand Digital Arrival Card, No Fees Required. If a site asks for money, it is a copycat. The confirmation arrives by email, and a submitted card can be corrected under Update Arrival Card.
Where can I read news about Thailand in English?
The main English-language outlets are Bangkok Post, Khaosod English, The Thaiger, Nation Thailand and Thai PBS World, plus Pattaya Mail and The Phuket News for local news. Official announcements from the tourism authority are on tatnews.org. Treat any news about rule changes as unconfirmed until you find the primary source.
Where do I check weather and air quality in Thailand?
The Thai Meteorological Department at tmd.go.th has forecasts, warnings, radar and satellite images, and a call centre on 1182. Air4Thai publishes the air quality index by station, and the private service IQAir is handy for comparing cities. In the smoke season in Chiang Mai and the north, check both.
Can I trust forums and chat groups about Thailand?
As a hint, yes; as a source of rules, no. Forum and Reddit answers come from people's own experience, and a year-old answer about visas is easily out of date. Check any rule, price or deadline against a government site or the date of the post.
Do all these websites open from Russia?
We checked them from Thailand, so we cannot promise access from Russia. Facebook and Instagram have been blocked in Russia since 2022, so Facebook groups are not available without workarounds. If a Thai government site does not open, try another browser or network and avoid paid mirror sites.
Sources
- Immigration Bureau of Thailand. Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), No Fees Required
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. Thai E-Visa, official website
- Immigration Bureau of Thailand. Main site
- Thai Meteorological Department (TMD). Weather forecast
- Air4Thai. Air quality by station
- Bank of Thailand. Daily Foreign Exchange Rates
- Tourism Authority of Thailand. Official website
- TAT Newsroom. Official press office
- BOI. Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa Thailand
Found an error or outdated fact? Tell the editors, we will fix it and update the check date.