🇹🇭Thailand Visa Photo
for $1

The official requirements

The size to get right is 40×60mm (4×6 cm) — taller and more rectangular than the 35×45 mm Schengen format, and different again from the US 2×2 inch square. The full spec used by the Royal Thai e-Visa portal and Thai embassies and consulates:

• Size: 40×60 mm (4×6 cm)
• Background: plain white or off-white, no patterns, no shadows, no furniture visible
• Head size: roughly 70% of the photo height, chin to top of head
• Expression: neutral, mouth closed, no smiling or teeth showing
• Pose: front-facing, head straight, both eyes open, looking at the camera
• Glasses: allowed, provided the eyes are clearly visible with no glare or reflection
• Recency: taken within the last 6 months
• Color: color photo

For a digital upload through the e-Visa portal the file is a JPEG, 472×709 pixels, up to 1 MB. The same spec applies whether you are applying for a Tourist Visa (TR), an Education Visa (ED), a Non-Immigrant B or O, a Retirement Visa (O-A / O-X), a Marriage Visa, the Smart Visa, or the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) launched in July 2024 for remote workers.

How to take a compliant photo

A modern phone camera handles the resolution easily. The 40×60 mm rectangle and the 70% head ratio are the things to plan for:

1. Stand 6–8 feet in front of a plain white wall, far enough out that you cast no shadow on it.
2. Light yourself evenly from the front — face a window for natural light. Avoid overhead light that shadows the eye sockets.
3. Have someone else take the shot, looking straight at the lens. Selfies distort the face and almost always crop the head wrong.
4. Crop to the 40×60 mm rectangle, sized so your head fills about 70% of the frame top-to-bottom. A 2×2 inch crop or a 35×45 mm crop will not fit — the proportions are different.
5. Export a JPEG at 472×709 pixels under 1 MB, or use a tool that crops to the Thai visa frame and exports a file the e-Visa portal will accept.

Why photos get rejected

Thai consulates and the e-Visa upload check reject a consistent set of problems. Each one, and the fix:

• Wrong size — the photo is not 40×60 mm. A reused passport-photo crop will not match; re-crop to 4×6 cm.
• Background not plain white — any tint, pattern, shadow, or visible furniture fails. Use a clean white wall or replace the background.
• Head too small — the face must take up about 70% of the photo height. A photo with too much space above the head is the most common framing mistake.
• Smiling — Thai visa rules require a neutral expression with the mouth closed. A natural smile that shows teeth is rejected.
• Head tilted or turned — must be a straight, front-facing view; no angles.
• Glasses glare — glasses are allowed, but reflection or glare hiding the eyes is a rejection. Tilt your head slightly or take them off.
• Headgear — hats, caps, headphones, and earbuds are not allowed. Only religious head coverings are accepted.
• Photo older than 6 months — it must reflect your current appearance.

What to wear (and not wear)

There is no formal dress code, but a few choices reliably cause a rejection.

Avoid: hats and caps, headphones or earbuds, a white or very pale top that blends into the white background, and uniforms. Heavy makeup that changes how you normally look is also risky for a biometric photo.

Fine: ordinary everyday clothing in a solid darker color, light everyday makeup, religious head coverings worn daily that leave the full face visible from forehead to chin, and prescription glasses — provided the lenses produce no glare and your eyes are clearly visible.

Thailand is hot, so an over-the-counter photo is often taken in a light shirt; pick a darker color than your wall so you don’t disappear into the background.

Where to get your photo

You can get a Thailand visa photo online or in person — and because most applicants are foreign nationals applying from outside Thailand, the options are global. The 40×60 mm size is the thing to verify whoever you use:

A general photo counter — especially in the US — often defaults to the local 2×2 inch passport size and will quietly hand you the wrong shape. Always state “Thailand visa, 4×6 centimetres” and check the print before you leave. Specialist photo studios and UK chains like Boots are used to international visa sizes and will get it right. An online tool that crops directly to 40×60 mm removes the size risk and gives you the JPEG the e-Visa portal needs, plus a print-ready sheet for any consulate that still wants paper.

Submitting your photo

How you submit depends on the visa type and where you apply.

Online (Royal Thai e-Visa portal) — Most applicants now apply through thaievisa.go.th, which has largely replaced paper visa applications at Thai missions worldwide. You upload one JPEG (472×709 px, up to 1 MB) as part of the application. The portal runs an automated check on the photo at upload, so a wrong size, head ratio, or visible background fails immediately.

At a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate — Where an in-person application is still accepted — typically for some Non-Immigrant categories or specific consulates — you submit one or two printed 40×60 mm photos attached to the application form. Glossy photo paper is expected.

Visa on Arrival — Nationals of eligible countries who arrive without a pre-issued visa present one printed 4×6 cm photo at the VOA counter at the airport. Carry a spare in case the counter rejects the first.

Whichever channel you use, the photo must meet every rule above. The size — 40×60 mm — is the one most applicants get wrong; everything else is standard biometric portrait.