A thermal development apparatus comprises: a photothermographic recording material feed section that contains a supply tray in the photothermographic recording material feed section, the supply tray being for containing a photothermographic recording material; an exposure section that subjects the photothermographic recording material to exposure; a first conveyance section that conveys the photothermographic recording material from the supply tray to the exposure section; a thermal development section that effects thermal development of the photothermographic recording material; a second conveyance section that conveys the photothermographic recording material from the exposure section to the thermal development section; a cassette storage section that contains a cassette, the cassette being for containing a double-sided photothermographic recording material having image forming layers on both sides of the double-sided photothermographic recording material; and a third conveyance section that conveys the double-sided photothermographic recording material from the cassette to the first conveyance section.