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Visa on Arrival Fee Temporarily Waived
According to the Ministerial Regulation of the Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Thailand dated 29 October 2019, Thailand will implement a temporary Visa on Arrival (VoA) fee exemption scheme for tourism purposes for staying in Thailand for up to 15 days, starting from 1 November 2019 till 30 April 2020.
Under the campaign, the 2,000 Thai baht Visa on Arrival fee is waived for eligible visitors. The campaign has been proven to increase tourist numbers in Thailand since the same scheme has been implemented in 2018 and early 2019. The new waiver will cost the government 10.764 billion Thai baht in lost revenue from the visa fee collection, but it is expected to generate 144.732 billion Thai baht revenue from tourism.
Nationals and/or holders of passports/travel documents of Bulgaria, Bhutan, China (excluding Hong Kong SAR and Macau), Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Uzbekistan and Vanuatu are eligible for VoA fee exemption. The said nationals and/or holders of passports/travel documents can apply in person for VoA at 48 designated immigration checkpoints in Thailand.
In the case of passengers arriving in Thailand via Suvarnabhumi Airport, Don Mueang International Airport, Chiang Mai International Airport, and Phuket International Airport, they can also apply for VoA online at:
https://extranet.immigration.go.th/voaonline/voaonline/VoaonlineAction.do
The required documents for VoA Application includes:
- Completed VoA application form;
- One passport-sized photograph 4 × 6 cm;
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Passport validity of at least 30 days at the time of applying for VOA;
Remarks: As a general rule and as per the recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), it is advised that a passport should have at least 6 months of validity for traveling abroad. Please check with the airline before traveling.
- Confirmed onward flight booking which departs from Thailand within 15 days;
- Proof of accommodation or hotel reservation in Thailand; and
- Having appropriate means of living or proof of funds (at least 10,000 Baht per person or 20,000 Baht per family).
Hello, I have booked my tour for Thailand between April 5-12, 2020 with Indian Passport but now the Thailand government has temporarily suspended the grant of visa on arrival at any international airport to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
1. What is the process to get a VISA now?
2. Should I apply online and
3. As visa fee was waived till April 30 initially before the suspension of VOA, is it still waived?
4. Is there any restriction on tourist activities during this period?
The visa on arrival has been canceled therefore you are required to secure a Thai visa from the Thai embassy or consulate in India. You may contact directly the Thai embassy. Please note that aside from the usual visa requirements, you are also required to submit a COVID-19 health certificate and health insurance for Thailand.
Hello. I am from Kazakhstan and kind of confused now, could you clarify: 1) do we have to pay 2000 baht for visa on arrival? 2) are we able to get VOA or should we make it in advance because of coronavirus? 3) if we have to make a visa in advance – is medical paper required saying I don’t have any coronavirus?
Visa on Arrival has been canceled. Therefore, if you wish to visit Thailand, you must apply for a Thai tourist visa from the Thai embassy in Kazakhstan. You may contact the Thai embassy for more information. Please know that in order to enter Thailand, you need to present a valid Health Certificate with a negative COVID-19 laboratory result issued within 72 hours of flight departure (applicable to all nationalities) upon check-in. The lab test and examination date must be clearly stated on the health certificate and health insurance document that provides at least USD 100,000 coverage in Thailand.
Hello, I am thinking of coming to Thailand in April and I would like to know if I could use the visa on arrival if I arrive on Saturday 11th of April (14:20) and I leave on Monday the 27th of April (12:45) – with a Romanian passport. That would be 16 days, so I guess I wouldn’t be able to use the visa on arrival?
Thanks in advance for your answer.
Hi Alina,
April 11th to April 27th is actually 17 days. Therefore, you need to apply for a proper tourist visa since you are staying for more than 15 days. You can apply for a visa at the Thai embassy or consulate near you.
I am confused about the tourist visa entry requirements to Thailand.
My husband and I both have passports that expire on June 14, 2020. We have round trip tickets to Chiang Mai for March 10th to March 25, 2020.
As short term (2 week) tourists, is it necessary for us to renew our passports now before traveling in order to have that 6 month plus window of time left on our passport?
Dear Mrs. Butters,
Since your travel to Thailand is still more than 6 weeks from now, you may apply for the new passports.
If you do not have enough time to renew it, you may travel with your current passport in March. The Thai immigration will allow you to enter as long as you stay for less than 30 days and you need to have a return flight to your home country because you may not be able to travel to other countries.
We are a group of 13 going to visit Phuket as tourists. I have booked 5 rooms in a hotel with a single name only. Is it ok for VOA or we have to put everyone’s name in a hotel booking?
Thanks.
If you are all arriving together, when you submit your visa on arrival forms at the airport, you can submit the hotel bookings under your name. BUT you need to be physically together so that the officer can take note that you are traveling as a group. Although you are a group, each of you will submit one visa on arrival form and one photo.