Thailand to North Korea visa requirements

A Thai (TH) ordinary passport holder needs a visa to visit North Korea (KP), and there is no independent route — the visa is arranged only through a North Korea-authorized tour operator as part of a guided tour. Note: as of mid-2026 the DPRK remains closed to tourists of all nationalities except Russian citizens, so this route is effectively unavailable to Thai travelers right now. North Korea requires Thai ordinary passport holders to obtain a visa in advance; there is no visa-free, visa-on-arrival, eVisa or ETA option, and independent travel is prohibited. Tourist visas can only be arranged by a state-authorized tour operator (e.g. Koryo Tours, Young Pioneer Tours, Uri Tours) working with the Korea International Travel Company (KITC), who coordinate approval with the DPRK authorities. The visa is normally issued as a separate tourist card (blue paper booklet) collected at a pre-tour briefing in China or Russia rather than a passport stamp; a full-page passport sticker is only available where a DPRK embassy processes it directly. Single-entry is standard. The visa fee itself is modest (roughly EUR 50-60 equivalent) but is bundled into the mandatory tour package cost, and approval typically takes about four weeks. CRITICAL CURRENT STATUS: Following a brief reopening in early 2025 and again in early 2026, the DPRK re-suspended tourist entry for all foreign nationals except Russian citizens (decision reported around 5 March 2026). No reopening timeline has been announced. A Thailand passport holder therefore cannot currently enter as a tourist regardless of visa willingness; this guide reflects the standard pre-closure process that would resume once borders reopen.