Thailand to launch eVisa in the UK, France, China, and UAE this year

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Thailand to launch eVisa in the UK, France, China, and UAE this year

By Chief Assignment Editor

 

Thailand eVisa will be pre-launched in four test countries before the end of the year

 

The Thailand eVisa will be pre-launched in four test countries before the end of the year: the United Kingdom, France, China, and the United Arab Emirates. One of the ways that travelers will be able to process their applications is through thailandvisa.net, a non-governmental website which provides travel advice and assistance to visa applicants.

 

Citizens of the four chosen countries will be able to apply online for the Thai Visa without going to a Thai embassy or consulate. The application process will be straightforward and will only take a matter of minutes to complete. Applicants will just need to complete the online form by answering a series of questions.

 

At the moment, citizens of the UK, France, and the UAE can enter Thailand for periods of up to 30 days visa-free and Chinese travelers can enter for up to 15 days with a visa on arrival. The new Thailand eVisa will allow these four nationalities to stay for periods of longer than 30 days.

 

Full story: https://www.eturbonews.com/231423/thailand-to-launch-evisa-in-the-uk-france-china-and-uae-this-year

 

-- eTN 2018-2018-08-28

 

[BigBadGeordie]

Excellent.

What could possibly go wrong!

How hard can it be.

Edited August 28, 2018 by BigBadGeordie

[ubonjoe]

It seems a wait and see attitude is required for the e-visa.

Wait to see if it happens and when.

Wait to see how many days it will be allow.

Wait and see what the cost will be.

And etc, etc and etc.

[PoorSucker]

If this is true, good news for visa runners. 

No more two visa exempt stamps per year, get an e-visa go to the border an get 60 days. 

 

It sounds to good to be true. 

[Snow Leopard]

Pay the Fee ?????

[overherebc]

46 minutes ago, PoorSucker said:

If this is true, good news for visa runners. 

No more two visa exempt stamps per year, get an e-visa go to the border an get 60 days. 

 

It sounds to good to be true. 

I'll go for it only being accepted at airports and everything else in place will stay the same.

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, Snow Leopard said:

Pay the Fee ?????

The amount is unknown at this time.

It will be paid for online using a credit or debit card (info on the website shown in the article).

[Orac]

Interesting stuff. A company, not affiliated with the Thai govt and registered in Majorca as a restaurant or food stand offering visas for Thailand.

 

http://www.expansion.com/directorio-empresas/amazing-thailand-sociedad-limitada_9393895_I58_07.html

Edited August 28, 2018 by Orac

[sammieuk1]

It looks so easy written down?

[Snow Leopard]

9 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The amount is unknown at this time.

It will be paid for online using a credit or debit card (info on the website shown in the article).

It would be a good thing if it's done and implemented correctly. I think no one would really mind paying a fee up front if they plan on coming in to stay longer than the 30 day SETV issued at the point of entry. Get it up front and avoid the immigration office visit whilst in the country for getting it extended. 

 

It would be even better if it was stored in the system properly as well.

Arrive at the airport E Gate.

Scan passport.

Enter the visa number.

Then enter the country.

 

US has this system now for visa exempt  on arrival. ESTA. Now all the airports i have gone through over the last few years have this system. IAH was the last that i know of to put in this system. 

[losername]

It works well for me when I visit Cambodia and I have never been asked for any extra "fees" when using eVisa.

[overherebc]

How I see it working.

Get E visa in UK.

'Fly' into Thailand. (only fly in)

Get 60? days stamp.

If you decide to go to Malaysia etc for a week or so get a re-entry permit to keep the remaing days valid. 

Any other other country visits then re-entry multi 3800baht.

Thailand is then the 'hub' for your holiday.

[ubonjoe]

25 minutes ago, Snow Leopard said:

I think no one would really mind paying a fee up front if they plan on coming in to stay longer than the 30 day SETV issued at the point of entry.

That is a 30 day visa exempt entry not a tourist visa.

[scorecard]

34 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

It looks so easy written down?

 

It can work, Vietnam has it operating already.

 

- Apply on-line, easy to complete, attach copies of your passport main page and a photo (which meets certain criteria, not difficult), pay on line.

 

- With 36 - 48 hours, if approved, you receive an e.visa certificate to download and print.

 

- Land at an international airport in Vietnam and walk direct to the main passport lines for 'International Passengers' (not the visa on arrival counter), give the passport officer your passport and your printed e.visa certificate.

 

- Immigration Passport officer enters your e.visa number on his/her screen.

 

- Within a few seconds the officer sees your approval, stamps you in.

 

- All done.

 

I've used it, it works, so easy and so quick.

 

But for Vietnam you have to also show your printed e.visa to the passport officer on departure. Easy. 

 

 

Edited August 28, 2018 by scorecard

[overherebc]

3 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

It can work, Vietnam has it operating already.

 

- Apply on-line, easy to complete, attach copies of your passport main page and a photo (which meets certain criteria, not difficult), pay on line.

 

- With 36 - 48 hours, if approved, you receive an e.visa certificate to download and print.

 

- Land at an international airport in Vietnam and walk direct to the main passport lines for 'International Passengers' (not the visa on arrival counter), give the passport officer your passport and your printed e.visa certificate.

 

- Immigration Passport officer enters your e.visa number on his/her screen.

 

- Within a few seconds the officer sees your approval, stamps you in.

 

- All done.

 

I've used it, it works, so easy and so quick.

 

But for Vietnam you have to also show your printed e.visa when you go to the passport lines on departure. Easy. 

 

 

Cambo' is the same.

[carabaothai]

Very good !

Because it takes time and it is expensive for People who don't live near the embassy. 

[dabhand]

India brought in an eVisa a couple of years back. Have used it and it works just fine and is restricted to certain arrival airports and nationalities with a limited number of entries allowed (two, I think) over a couple of months or so.

 

Simple process and no reason why this cannot be easily adapted for use by Thailand, although I guess the consulates might not be too happy with losing a source of income. 

[overherebc]

There is also the possibility it could be the beginning of the end of VE entries.

[Lovethailandelite]

And of course, it could be better to research and see exactly how this going to work from the Royal Thai Embassy in London rather than some obscure media outlet who failed to mention the fact that Kuala Lumpur has posted the exact same notice of intention as London. The bottom part missing states postal applications will still be accepted at Consulates in the UK and Ireland until further notice.

Edited August 28, 2018 by Lovethailandelite

[brain150]

Won't be long until the whole system gets run by AI - will be interesting to see how they get rid of

all the Immigration staff they will not need anymore.

 

Also 100% control of everything is just a step away.

 

And people think it will make things easier ... think again ! It's a nightmare to come. For all of us !!!

[brain150]

You might want to read this:

https://www.thailandvisa.net/privacy-policy/

 

Just in case you think your data is safe with the service ???

[Lovethailandelite]

Just now, brain150 said:

Won't be long until the whole system gets run by AI - will be interesting to see how they get rid of

all the Immigration staff they will not need anymore.

 

Also 100% control of everything is just a step away.

 

And people think it will make things easier ... think again ! It's a nightmare to come. For all of us !!!

Probably much like the opening hours for Consular services at the UK Embassy in Bangkok. Hence it takes weeks to get an appointment to get anything done.

 

Fax +66 (0) 2 305 8296. Consular services appointment times. From Monday 5 March 2018, public opening hours will be: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 8am – 11am and 1pm – 3pm.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

40 minutes ago, Lovethailandelite said:

And of course, it could be better to research and see exactly how this going to work from the Royal Thai Embassy in London rather than some obscure media outlet who failed to mention the fact that Kuala Lumpur has posted the exact same notice of intention as London.

What is mentioned in the OP of this topic is not the same as the info you posted. I suggest you read the article.

The info in the OP is about a online e-visa equal to a tourist visa that will not require a trip to an embassy or consulate. You will get an email that is equal to a visa in your passport after the application is accepted and the fee is paid online.

What you posted is about a online visa application to a embassy or consulate for all categories of visas.. Then you have to go to that embassy or consulate to complete the application and pay the applicable fee. Then return in a few days to pick up your passport with the visa affixed in it.

[Lovethailandelite]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

What is mentioned in the OP of this topic is not the same as the info you posted. I suggest you read the article.

The info in the OP is about a online e-visa equal to a tourist visa that will not require a trip to an embassy or consulate. You will get an email that is equal to a visa in your passport after the application is accepted and the fee is paid online.

What you posted is about a online visa application to a embassy or consulate for all categories of visas.. Then you have to go to that embassy or consulate to complete the application and pay the applicable fee. Then return in a few days to pick up your passport with the visa affixed in it.

Absolute rubbish. They have jumped on the back of the news reports regarding the notices I have posted, and set up, what can only be described as a Phishing scam from a travel agent registered abroad and has no affiliation with Thailand in any form. There is absolutely no intentions of issuing anything like this site is reporting.  I have just spoken with people that would know. You maybe silly enough to fall for these links from an unknown source which will eventually ask credit card details, the majority aren't.

[elviajero]

21 minutes ago, Lovethailandelite said:

Absolute rubbish. They have jumped on the back of the news reports regarding the notices I have posted, and set up, what can only be described as a Phishing scam from a travel agent registered abroad and has no affiliation with Thailand in any form. There is absolutely no intentions of issuing anything like this site is reporting.  I have just spoken with people that would know. You maybe silly enough to fall for these links from an unknown source which will eventually ask credit card details, the majority aren't.

It's not rubbish. UJ is spot on. I wouldn't rely on anything written on the London website or told to you by their staff either. They are often wrong.

 

There is a difference between an online application and e-Visa. They would not be calling it an e-Visa unless it was an electronic visa. It appears that tourist visa will at some point be available as e-Visas. I expect it will be sometime, if ever, before they will issue non-immigrant visas electronically; although submitting online applications is clearly what they are aiming for.

 

As usual these threads become nothing more than speculation. It's best to wait and see what the reality is. 

Edited August 28, 2018 by elviajero

[MikeN]

34 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

What is mentioned in the OP of this topic is not the same as the info you posted. I suggest you read the article.

The info in the OP is about a online e-visa equal to a tourist visa that will not require a trip to an embassy or consulate. You will get an email that is equal to a visa in your passport after the application is accepted and the fee is paid online.

What you posted is about a online visa application to a embassy or consulate for all categories of visas.. Then you have to go to that embassy or consulate to complete the application and pay the applicable fee. Then return in a few days to pick up your passport with the visa affixed in it.

If anybody follows the trail back to the contact info on the thailandvisa.net website mentioned in the OP it shows that a Felipe Ii in Ibiza is the guy behind it. I am wondering how Felipe on Ibiza knows about this supposed e-visa when I have heard nothing about it in the BP or Nation, normally the govt would be shouting this step to Thailand 4.0 from the rooftops like they do with other efforts to move into the 21st century.

Edited August 28, 2018 by MikeN

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, MikeN said:

If anybody follows the trail back to the contact info on the thailandvisa.net website it shows that a Felipe Ii in Ibiza is the guy behind it. I am wondering how Felipe on Ibiza knows about this supposed e-visa when I have heard nothing about it in the BP or Nation, normally the govt would be shouting this step to Thailand 4.0 from the rooftops like they do with other efforts to move into the 21st century.

It was announced earlier this year by the government that that they were planning a e-visa. So perhaps it is preliminary info from a business that is involved in the planning.

[lkv]

More "valuable" information from the offshore company's website that is not associated to the Thai Gvt but facilitates the pre authorisation:

 

"Thailand visa application for American citizens

 

Visa holders will be able to visit Thailand for up to 60 days. The validity of the Thailand visa is currently unknown and due to be announced shortly. As of when the information is available, it will be made clear and published on our website.

For some nationalities, there is the option of requesting a visa upon arrival in Thailand, although the visa upon arrival only has a validity of 15 days, as opposed to the electronic Thai visa which will be valid for 30 days."

________________

 

"The candidate will need to pay the visa fee in order to submit the application, and then the approved eVisa will be sent to the applicant by email. The Thailand visitor eVisa will remove the hassle of having to go to an embassy or consulate to obtain a Thai Visa. The visas allow visitors to stay in the country for up to 30 days."

 

Get it? ????

 

Edited August 28, 2018 by lkv

[MikeN]

10 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It was announced earlier this year by the government that that they were planning a e-visa. So perhaps it is preliminary info from a business that is involved in the planning.

OK, I never heard anything about that, but I still wonder how/why a travel agent based at a restaurant in Ibiza is “involved in the planning”. Could n’t they find anybody more reputable ?

Edited August 28, 2018 by MikeN

[elviajero]

16 minutes ago, MikeN said:

If anybody follows the trail back to the contact info on the thailandvisa.net website it shows that a Felipe Ii in Ibiza is the guy behind it. I am wondering how Felipe on Ibiza knows about this supposed e-visa when I have heard nothing about it in the BP or Nation, normally the govt would be shouting this step to Thailand 4.0 from the rooftops like they do with other efforts to move into the 21st century.

Thailand have been planning e-Visas for a few years. Whatever is happening now is the first step towards e-Visas for tourism. It may not be a full blown automated system to begin with, but that is definitely coming.