In order to promote tourism, the Immigration Bureau of Thailand has tied up with VFS Global to introduce the new e-visa on arrival (eVOA) service for travellers from 21 nationalities, including Indians from February 14, 2019.
This means that all eVoA holders are ought to receive a faster immigration service and experience more convenient arrival process at major airports in Thailand. Here, travellers will receive their pre-travel authorisation from the Immigration Bureau of Thailand prior to their departure.
Apart from this, some of the key benefits of the new eVOA service includes an online application submission and payment options; travellers don’t need to carry any physical copies like hotel booking confirmation or air-tickets, photographs and no cash in local currency is required at the immigration counter.
The new Thai e-visa application service comprises three steps:
STEP 1: Go to thailandevoa.vfsevisa.com. Share the application details and upload the necessary documents online. No physical passport submission is needed.
STEP 2: Pay the applicable fee using the payment gateway facility with Mastercard, Visa or Union Pay credit or debit card which is enabled to make international transactions or via Wechat or Alipay.
STEP 3: On the successful completion of the payment and once the application is processed with the pre-approved eVOA code, travellers can download and print out the eVOA application for reference and may even keep a copy of the file on their mobile phones.
If a traveller is looking for an urgent visa requirement to travel to Thailand, they can also avail online the ‘Express eVOA’ service for quicker processing – this is by paying an additional service fee, eligible travellers can get their eVOA decision within 24 hours for any short notice travel requirements.
Commenting on the launch of the new eVOA service, Pol. Lt. Gen. Surachate HAKPARN, Commissioner of Immigration Bureau, said, “With the eVOA service, we are proud to offer a new age digital solution which enhance the overall experience for the modern day traveller who seeks to visit Thailand from 21 countries across the globe.
“In our co-operation with the VFS Global, we aim to effectively meet the objective of increasing tourism to the country through this solution especially taking into consideration the all-important security aspect that allows pre-check of travellers prior the arrival, as it offers time to the Immigration Bureau for effective assessment.”
According to Zubin Karkaria, CEO, VFS Global, “It is an honour to work with the Immigration Bureau of Thailand and Thai Airways to ensure a more convenient and faster service for travellers to Thailand, while maintaining the security and integrity of the visa process.” thailandevoa.vfsevisa.com,
