18 Dec, 2024
New Thai E-Visa scheme will NOT affect tourists from 93 visa-free countries
Bangkok — Citizens of 93 countries eligible for visa-free access to Thailand can continue to travel as normal WITHOUT having to apply for the online E-Visa set to take effect as of 01 Jan 2025. The new scheme is only applicable to those coming for non-tourism purposes from the 93 countries as well as citizens of countries which require visas, for tourism and otherwise.
In other words, it is NOT a universally-applicable Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme.
It took three questions to get this clarified at the E-Visa announcement briefing held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 17 December. Essentially, Thailand will continue to grant unimpeded access for visitors from countries which generate roughly 90% of the kingdom’s tourist arrivals, thus ensuring the tourism targets and strategies for 2025 can remain in place.
The main change is that those requiring visas, by nationality or purpose of visit, will no longer need to physically apply at any of Thailand’s 94 embassies and consulates worldwide. This can now be done online, anytime and from anywhere.
If the system does not encounter any technological or bureaucratic hitch, it will make it far easier for citizens of nearby countries with large upper/middle-class populations such as Pakistan and Bangladesh to apply for visas. It will also provide easier access for residents in countries and secondary cities which do not have a Thai diplomatic presence, thus opening up potentially new sources of visitor arrivals.
The evisa website is available in 15 languages. Turnaround time is projected at four to five working days. The visa application can also be tracked online. The visa fee is non-refundable, even if the application is denied.
In their speeches, Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and Mr Worawoot Pongprapapant, Director-General, Department of Consular Affairs, MFA both noted that the E-Visa scheme was designed to maintain Thailand’s position as a top destination by facilitating access in an era of high competition for the tourist dollar. They offered assurances that it was secure and safe.
Said Mr Maris, “We understand that in a competitive global landscape, the ability to travel with ease is the critical factor for attracting foreign visitors whether they are tourists, business travellers, students, digital nomads or investors. He added, “At the heart of Thai foreign policy lies a commitment to strengthening ties with the international community, not just with the governments but also with the people.”
The system has been in the works since Feb 2019 when it was first introduced in Beijing just for the Chinese market. It was further expanded in Sept 2021 and will now go global.
Several questions arose. The first two, from a Russian journalist and the Brazilian Ambassador, both sought clarification about the visa-free access for their countrymen, with the Ambassador noting that if Brazilians don’t get visa-free access to Thailand, Brazil would have to take reciprocal action against Thai citizens. The third from a Pakistani diplomat asked about the visa fee payments process. The fourth from the head of the Airline Operators Committee at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport asked how the check-in staff at the various airline counters worldwide would be able to verify the visa issuance.
The final question was asked by this reporter to establish unequivocal clarification about the visa-free access for tourism by citizens of 93 countries. Click on the link to listen to the audio of the question and the reply.
On paper, the scheme sounds good. The E-Visa website itself makes considerable effort to explain the process, via both PDF manual and video formats.
However, it will inevitably run into complications at this early teeth-cutting stage, which is perhaps normal for all forms of online systems. A closer look at the website shows complex documentary requirements all of which will need to be verified to safeguard against fraud and forgeries. This editor also could not find a helpline contact for those seeking additional clarification.
Invariably, a whole new ecosystem of intermediary websites and middle-men will also emerge to help applicants handle the entire process — for a fee.
The bottomline is that the flow of tourists to Thailand from the 93 visa-free countries will continue unimpeded. New customer segments from new source-markets could also open up, especially in the African continent. A small minority of applicants will face technical or bureaucratic glitches but these should be overcome over time.
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