Electronic visa on arrival facility for 20 economies
THAILAND launched an electronic visa on arrival (E-VOA) facility for passengers from 20 economies to increase convenience, safety and speed of processing.
Pol Lt General Surachaet Hakparn, chief of the Immigration Bureau said the department has teamed up with |VFS Global, Airports Authority |of Thailand, Thai Airways International and Thai Smile Airways to provide Thailand E-Visa On Arrival for tourists’ convenience.
Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan announced the E-Visa On Arrival facility at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
The move comes due to rising number of tourists every year, with 7 million getting visas on arrival, which has led to congestion and inconvenience.
The Immigration Bureau has joined hands with visa service provider VFS Global to help design and develop E-VOA and e-Payment.
The E-VOA will start in 20 economies: China, India, Andorra, Bulgaria, Bhutan, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Marino, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan to Taiwan.
VFS Global has also developed a fast-track service at Suvarnabhumi Airport, allowing passengers to hand in their passports without filling information to immigration officials for the visa.
Sumeth Damrongchaitham, president of Thai Airways International, said that E-Visa on Arrival will also be offered to customers of THAI and Thai Smile Airline to shorten travel time and procedure.
When passengers buy a |ticket through the website thaiairways.com or thaismileair.com and THAI’s mobile app, they can apply for Thailand E-Visa On Arrival from anywhere, any day and 24 hours a day by clicking on the menu “Thailand E-Visa On Arrival”.
They must fill personal and travel information with ePayment for visa through the website thailandevoa.vfsvisa.com.
VFS Global will inform the results with confirmation to the passengers’ e-mails within three business |days.
Zubin Karkaria, chief executive officer of VFS Global, said that the system would increase safety and speed for tourists who travel to Thailand, while keeping their information confidential with global expertise in visa requests.
VFS provides visa services in 27 cities in four countries.
