Starting from February 14, 2019, Thailand is offering a simple and more convenient visa service that is available for travelers from 21 countries. The eVisa On Arrival (eVOA) is aimed at boosting the country’s tourism sector and becoming a more attractive destination. Most likely, hotels in Bangkok and other destinations in Thailand will become even more packed with tourists this year.
From now, tourists who arrive at the Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueng airports in Bangkok and airports in such destinations as Chiang Mai and Phuket can experience a fast and simple visa on arrival service. The Immigration Bureau of Royal Thai Police and VFS Global, the developers of the new system, hope that it will promote tourism and make Thailand a more attractive destination for tourists who do not have time for long visa paperwork.
Thailand is a popular destination for leisure travel. Moreover, Bangkok is one of the major business hubs in Southeast Asia. More than 25 million tourists visited Thailand in 2017. The country had a visa on arrival program at airports, but it was time-consuming and not very convenient. Still, more than 4 million visitors used this system last year. The new visa is much easier to obtain. Moreover, tourists do not need to stand in long queues, fill up large application forms, and have local currency at hand.
Together with eVOA, Thai authorities offer the online Express eVOA that is suitable for travelers who need to visit Thailand urgently. This visa type has a faster processing time, but it has an extra service fee. The eligible applicants will get their Express eVOA within 24 hours. The Immigration Bureau of Royal Thai Police expressed their delight with the new program. They hope it will increase the number of guests to the country and boost Thailand’s hospitality system. They wanted to create a truly hassle-free experience for guests from 21 countries, and so they partnered with VFS Global, the largest specialist for governmental and diplomatic missions in the world. eVOA is convenient for tourists and the Immigration Bureau who can do a security check on all arriving guests.
Travelers need to do these steps to obtain their visas: visit thailandevoa.vfsevisa.com; fill a simple application, upload documents, and pay the fee online. The e-visa will be available on arrival or sent to email within 24-72 hours. Here is the list of 21 countries that are available for eVOA: Andora, Bulgaria, Bhutan, P.R. China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.