The history of Thai passports can be traced back to travel documents first issued during the reign of King Chulalongkorn in the late-19th century. The first passport regulations in Thailand were enacted in 1917, in order to ensure the country's security during World War I. A Thai passport booklet was first introduced in 1939 in Thai and French language which was changed to Thai and English in 1977. The first machine-readable Thai passports were introduced in 1993, and in August 2005 Thailand became only the second country in the world and in Asia to introduce biometric passports. In 2019, the validity of Thai passports was increased from 5 years to 10 years. A 3rd generation passport planned for release in mid 2020 will feature iris scan identification and be valid for 10 years. The number of offices available to apply for a passport will increase from 319 to 500.
Physical appearance
The ordinary Thai passport cover is dark red with the Emblem of Thailand emblazoned in the centre. The official passport has a blue cover, the diplomatic passport a red cover and the temporary passport a green cover. All types have the word "หนังสือเดินทาง ประเทศไทย" above the national emblem and the words THAILAND - PASSPORT below it. The biometric symbol is at the bottom of e-passports. The passport contains 66 pages.
Types of Thai passport
Certificate of Identity - Issued to a Thai citizen who has had a passport stolen, lost, or damaged for emergency return to Thailand.
Travel Document for Alien - Issued to non-Thai citizens who hold a certificate of Permanent Residence in Thailand for traveling abroad. The holder of this travel document must apply for a re-entry permit before leaving Thailand. A Travel Document for Alien will not be issued to a person who holds a valid passport from their country.
Temporary passport - Issued while waiting to get a new passport while abroad and when needed to travel to other countries.
Signature of bearer/ลายมือชื่อผู้ถือหนังสือเดินทาง
Machine Readable Zone starting with PNote
The request note inside a Thai passport states: Translation in Thai: This is stated in English only. All other information is printed in Thai and in English.
For some countries, Thai nationals may enter as tourists without an advance visa provided they can produce official documentation of lawful permanent residence abroad. In particular, Thai permanent residents of the United States or Canada can show their US Green Card or Canadian Permanent Resident Card together with their Thai passport in order to gain entry to many countries in Central America and the Caribbean. Notable example is Jamaica..
