With the recent unveiling of the eVOA services to Thailand, how is Thai Immigration committed to making travel to Thailand hassle-free?

We are proud to offer the new eVisa On Arrival (eVOA) service, a new-age digital visa solution that became available for travellers from 14 February 2019 in collaboration with VFS Global. This solution will enhance the Thailand visa experience for travellers from 21 countries across the globe who will experience a faster and smoother immigration clearance process through dedicated eVOA Immigration counters at major Thai airports.

The benefits of the eVOA service for millions of travellers entering into Thailand are multifold. Simply put, travellers using this service do not have to wait in long queues for Visa On Arrival or fill up application forms or change currency at the airport to pay for the visa fees.

All they have to do instead is complete a simple online eVOA application form, upload documents and make the fee payment online, all before departure. This can be done via thailandevoa.vfsevisa.com from the comfort of their home or office, after which they will receive the eVOA in 24 to 72 hours by email. We are confident the eVOA service will help us achieve our objective of increasing tourism in Thailand, as it takes into consideration the all-important security aspect that allows pre-check of travellers prior the arrival and offers time to the Immigration Bureau for effective assessment.

What is the current total footfall of visitors to Thailand like? Do you expect the eVOA service will drive up the number of visitors?

We are fortunate to remain a preferred tourism destination for travellers the world over for several years. In 2017, Thailand welcomed a record 35 million tourists. In 2018, over 4 million visitors used the conventional, time-consuming Visa on Arrival service at Thailand airports. Chinese nationals accounted for the largest section of those who opted for Visa on Arrival at the Thai airports, with Indians as the second-largest nationality.

From the Immigration Bureau’s perspective, this digitised version of the visa application will enable the Thai Immigration authorities to focus on the security and merits of each application more effectively. Keeping in mind the growing traffic into Thailand, measures like eVOA will also dramatically enhance visitors’ experience at our airports so they can start their visit on a positive note. They do not need to carry physical copies of documents or photographs to Thailand or complete complicated physical visa application forms on arrival or pay visa fees in Thai Baht on arrival.

The new eVOA solution ensures a very simple and quick arrival process in Thailand – something every traveller wants after a long flight. Travellers can submit the application online on their own or via travel agents or any VFS Global Visa Application Centre. We are convinced that travel-friendly measures such as the eVOA will have a positive impact on further developing travel and tourism into Thailand.

What other plans are in work for driving up tourism in Thailand?

Currently, there is a waiver on Thailand visa fees until April 30, 2019 – we are confident this move will also drive up tourism into Thailand in 2019. During this period, travellers opting for the eVOA need to only pay the service fee to get the new convenient and time-saving immigration process. We are continuously working on introducing new ways to increase convenience for applicants at the airports and immigration. At the same time, with the assistance of visa domain experts like VFS Global, we will reduce the administrative burden on Thai Immigration operations, so that we can focus more effectively on the security and assessment aspects of the decision-making process.