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Video: Here’s how Thailand’s new e-Visa on Arrival works


webfact

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Video: Here’s how Thailand’s new e-Visa on Arrival works

 

ev1.jpg

 

Last month Thailand officially launched its e-Visa on Arrival (E-VOA) application system.

 

The new system will cut processing times to little more than one minute and is seen as key to halting the recent decline in Chinese visitors to Thailand.

 

The service is run by Thai Immigration in cooperation with the SAMART Group who recently shared a video explaining how the e-Visa on Arrival application process works:

 

 

The e-visa on arrival application is available to eligible nationals those from China and India who arrive at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket airport, Chiang Mai airport and is also expected to be made available at Krabi airport in the coming months.

 

Applications can be made on https://www.evisathailand.com/

 

Currently the E-VOA is available to nationals from Andorra, Bhutan, China, Ethiopia, Fiji

India, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

 

Brits and French amongst first to get Thailand e-visas

 

Meanwhile, Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier this week announced that in addition to E-VOA, Thailand will start accepting online visa applications from next year.

 

From February 15th the new e-visa service will be available in Beijing and then in other Chinese cities from March 1st.

 

From April 1st the e-visa service will be launched in Britain and France before being rolled out to all Thai embassies and consulates within the next three years.

 

The new e-visa service will enable foreigners to apply for 60 day tourist visas online with payments made by credit card, QR code and Internet banking, with Thailand’s K-Bank providing payment support.

 

When launched, e-visa applications will be made via https://www.thaievisa.go.th/ but foreigners will also still be able to apply for a tourist visa in person at a Thai embassy or consulate.

 

The current requirements for a tourist visa:

 

  • Passport or travel document with a validity not less than 6 months
  • Completed visa application form
  • One(1) recent 4x6cm. photograph of the applicant
  • Evidence of onward travel out of Thailand
  • Proof of financial means (20,000 baht per person/40,000 baht per family)
 
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-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-12-06
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1 hour ago, webfact said:

From April 1st the e-visa service will be launched in Britain and France before being rolled out to all Thai embassies and consulates within the next three years.

E-Visa rolled out to Embassies?

 

Kind of defeat the purpose of E if I have to do it at the Embassy, or the the E for Embassy ???? 

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1 hour ago, kekalot said:

quite random random countries

On the contrary, it is not a random list. These are the countries who do not qualify for visa exempt entries but do have the opportunity to obtain a visa on arrival in Thailand. It is a long standing category used by Thai immigration.

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So that's a nice simple and accessible way to apply for visas. Much like visa applications sent from the Thai consulate website for Hull, in UK. This came about quickly (since the Chinese accident and visitor slowdown) which demonstrates how nimble the gov can be when it comes to retention of tourism. Now going over to any other visas, non b , non o and marriage visas. Adding a new page, same form and a few extra form fields could streamline the applications and thus invite a time to collect from relative immigration location. This beats flights, hotels and a forest full of paper and ever changing checklist. Wondering how long if ever they might introduce that or if not and the reason why Cheangwattana is preferably backed up to the roof with stacks of paper and people. Mind is well and truly boggled as to make a site with forms like that is not a big job for any half savvi web bod. Assuming these applications are going to well mannned administration teams, there is no reason why the other visa apps cant follow.

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I would welcome simplification of visas. I just obtained my retirement visa for the forth time in many years. This was the first time I got it while in America. (I spend six months here in Thailand and six in USA) I read the rules online which require:

application form

statement from Thai bank

police record from USA 

passport

200 dollars

sent to either LA or DC consulate with return envelope prepaid postage.

i have a fixed account in Bangkok Bank with 800000 baht. Immigration wants a letter from the bank stating the current balance. I called the bank who told me I would need to come to the bank with my passport and bank book. I told them I was in America and could they email it to me. They said no they cannot email the statement. (Catch 22) I tried to call the LA consulate but had difficulty getting thru to a person. The phone system said punch 4 to talk to a person but then replied that 4 was an invalid selection. (Catch 23?)

i finally discovered punching 0 got me to a very nice woman who told me to just send a copy of my bank book in liew of the bank statement. Since my account is a fixed account I cannot get access to remove money without physically going to the bank with my bank book. This shows immigration that no money has been removed. A fixed account does not support an atm card. I have another account for that. It goes up and down where the fixed account keeps 800000 baht.

Since I have no police record the online police site showed no record.

i sent everything to LA and waited about 2weeks and then called again to ask if all was well with my application. They wanted a better statement from the police, but let that pass. I got my visa and here I am.

i hope this might help someone. I welcome this new online system.

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Thai cyber security was sketchy to start, opening a new access point for cyber thieves comforts me. I will surely be happy to provide all of my personal information into the trust of Thailand"s ironclad security systems. 

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The government has shied away from using tech because it has a large effect on corruption.  It wipes out a lot of the middleman, and much information is recorded to be verified later.

I see them trying to make built in loopholes, but I hope the keep moving with the tech in all areas.

 

If they would only pay some experts to do it????

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Good step.
Just how long will the queue be at the new counter if all Chinese arrive on an e-visa ?
How long will the IO scan every single passport ?
How long to find a page convenient for the new large stamp ?

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10 hours ago, bluesofa said:

From the narration: "As you can apply for a visa on arrival before you travel"

It's therefore de-facto, not a visa on arrival.

You saw right through the gobbledygook, good for you. It is NOT a visa is correct, only an electronic application. My last TR Visa I had to take a copy of my bank statement to the consulate showing at least $700 in the bank. Did they waive that requirement? 

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Cambodia has had this for at least 5 years. Like all these things a heap of fact finding missions to Europe and the USA etc for some high ranking officials and well paid consultants when they could have spent 2 days in Phnom Pehn for very little cost

ost.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/6/2018 at 10:30 AM, Happyfarangguy said:

Visas are easy enough. They might focus more on deporting the trash who have been there for years on overstay. 

Hey come on, not everyone is TRASH as you refer to them, some have been here a long time and doing everything legally but now they are to sick or infirm to make the trip over borders etc and are spending the remaining years of their lives in abject fear of being caught and having nowhere to go to after deportation.

 

So slow it down a little bit buddy and have a care for those who have given their monetary value to the Thai government in the time they have been living here, most of them have lifted a Thai woman or even a ladyboy out of the poverty inflicted upon them by the rich, but they get no recognition or respect for this.

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