Hello Nodocephale and welcome to the Thailand forum.

As a French passport holder you will have no problems entering Thailand under the Visa Exemption Scheme (VES). Under the VES you will be allowed to stay in Thailand for up to 30 days. The VES is free of charge.

If you and your girlfriend need to extend your stay beyond the original stay duration you will need to visit the local immigration office and apply for an extension which will cost you.

Regarding your girlfriend (who I assume holds a Bulgarian passport), she will require a visa. There are 2 options:

a) Obtain a Visa on Arrival (VoR) at HKT on arrival. IMPORTANT – VoA are only issued for a maximum of 15 days stay.

There is a specific (well signed) kiosk on route from the gate to the immigration area. You can accompany her during the application process.

Your girlfriend will need to complete an application form, present a completed arrival/departure card (issued on the plane), possess a return ticket 15 days or less, proof of funds for her stay (not less than 10,000 Baht) and have a 4x6cm head and shoulders photo.

The fee for a VoA is 2,000 Baht, but this is liable to change without notice. The process should only take a few minutes but waiting time will depend upon the number of people making an application. Once her passport has been stamped with the VoA you can both then proceed to the immigration desks in the main hall.

b) Obtain a Single Entry Tourist Visa from the Royal Thai Embassy in Paris prior to departure. See details http://www.thaiembassy.fr/ I think you will find that it is cheaper and will allow up to 30 day stay.

I would recommend your girlfriend obtaining a visa prior to departure for the following reasons:

i) Given your route CDG-DOH-HKT, I assume you will be flying with one of the 3 middle east airlines (probably Qatar). If she does not have a visa to enter Thailand in her passport it is possible that they may question her at check in or prior to boarding at CDG. Although they should know that she is eligible for a VoA, they may forget or be unaware of VoA and this can cause unwanted stress when you least need it. There should not be a problem at DOH as you will both be in transit, but the same problem may arise at the gate prior to boarding.

ii) As mentioned above the fee for a VoA is 2,000 Baht. Unfortunately there are numerous reports that immigration officers are charging much more. Some people have suggested that asking for a receipt which sometimes brings the fee back to normal but arguing will get you nowhere. They have the upper hand.

Hope you both have a great visit.