Visa applications move to the Web

By The Nation

 

Image: Thaivisa

 

Chinese will soon become the first nationality able to apply and pay online for Thai visas, Chairi Archjananum, director-general of the Department of Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Monday.

 

The service arranged through Kasikornbank (KBank) would be globally available within three years, he said. 

 

The e-Visa system allows foreign nationals to apply online for visas, from completing the form to pay for the visa. 

 

Starting on February 15, the service will be available in Beijing and on March 1 in other cities in China. 

 

It will be available in Britain and France starting on April 1, and in all countries with Thai embassies and consulates within three years.

 

Chairi said more than eight million foreigners applied for Thai visas last year, of whom 85 per cent sought tourist visas, with Chinese travellers constituting the largest proportion. 

 

Citing the submission address www.thaievisa.go.th, KBank president Predee Daochai said it met world-class security standards. 

Fee payments will be supported by KBank’s electronic payment system to accommodate cross-border transactions in more than 126 currencies. 

 

Payments can be made via including credit card, QR code and Internet banking. Payment via QR code will debut in China through WeChat Pay, AliPay and China Union Pay.

 

In the future, he said, KBank would jointly support the development of Robotic Process Automation for verifying applicants’ information.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Tourism/30359745

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-03

"...KBank president Predee Daochai said it met world-class security standards. Fee payments will be supported by KBank’s electronic payment system to accommodate cross-border transactions in more than 126 currencies..." 

 

"Payments can be made via including credit card, QR code and Internet banking. Payment via QR code will debut in China through WeChat Pay, AliPay and China Union Pay..."

 

They can't even run a website to process 90 day reports. They are going to have a website which is secure, can process 8 MILLION applications a year, speak many languages, and provide secure payment in three years?

 

How many of you would be happy to put your passport information AND your financial information on that site? Seriously, how many?

 

 

Comedy gold!

 

 

Edited December 3, 20187 yr by Samui Bodoh

Best Passport in Thailand: CHINA

I'm pretty sure they will put 100% effort because Chinese tourist money is more important than foreigners staying and paying tax here.

85% is a big number, certainly country is doing as much as possible to keep that figure high.

I am absolutely sure that this service will be available only for tourists visa!

Probably only for visa on arrival. They wouldn't give up the cash cow of making us fly to consulates abroad to get visas

2 minutes ago, jspill said:

Probably only for visa on arrival. They wouldn't give up the cash cow of making us fly to consulates abroad to get visas

Yes, but as someone pointed out a while ago, doing this is for them a simple way of not letting "undesirables" back into the country.

 

Then there's the case that if Thais get screwed around and have to jump through hoops in farang countries to get visas, they will reciprocate and do the same to us. And yes, I used to do visa runs, so I know what a pain in the neck it is!

1 hour ago, shady86 said:

I'm pretty sure they will put 100% effort because Chinese tourist money is more important than foreigners staying and paying tax here.

 

In terms of the payments I suggest K Bank would be very serious about total security, their entire reputation is on the line.  

 

 

8 minutes ago, jspill said:

Probably only for visa on arrival. They wouldn't give up the cash cow of making us fly to consulates abroad to get visas

Cash cow for who?

Thailand will be the new hub for visas. Awesome ???? 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

It will be available in Britain and France starting on April 1

Future preparation for April fools. 

2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

They can't even run a website to process 90 day reports. They are going to have a website which is secure, can process 8 MILLION applications a year, speak many languages, and provide secure payment in three years? 

Given China barely needs to print money anymore, it might work for payment.  Discriminating between who is allowed to enter the country and who is not is a totally different matter. The electronic payment side in China is rather sound.  The Thai immigration side ?  That is where the comedy will be.   Transferring money might be an issue too.  Only a certain amount is allowed out of he country per day.   Maybe that is how they will pay for the submarines.   ????

 

 

Interesting it is Kasikorn that is getting the spoils.  They seem to be rather aggressive in China for a Thai bank.  

Why are many comments so sceptical? .… more kudos to Thai Immigration I say .… congrats again 

Might actually work. It looks like Kasikorn hired some farangs to do their mobile app, it actually works and the statements printed from that one are legible, unlike their web bank. As long as that go.th part stays far, faaaaar away from maintaining the system.

Pretty soon there will only be digital visas anyway ... from a Computer for a Computer.

 

Welcome to the brave new world ! [You might want to read the book]

 ""KBank president Predee Daochai said it met world-class security standards"" 

Like everything else in Thailand. "World Class"

Pity no 23 man "photoshoot" of "pointing" at the President giving this "world class" quote.

7 minutes ago, csmith said:

Why are many comments so sceptical? .… more kudos to Thai Immigration I say .… congrats again 

I'v used the Cambodian version of this a few times.

 

Works perfectly ok, and all from the comfort of your armchair! Also saves queuing up for a VOA at Phnom Penh Airport.

 

The time is coming where you'll just scan your passport on a machine and the barrier opens, as it is at London Heathrow now, for UK & EU nationals anyway.  

4 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

I'v used the Cambodian version of this a few times.

 

Works perfectly ok, and all from the comfort of your armchair! Also saves queuing up for a VOA at Phnom Penh Airport.

 

The time is coming where you'll just scan your passport on a machine and the barrier opens, as it is at London Heathrow now, for UK & EU nationals anyway.  

... and you will be 100% digitally controlled.

You will like it !!!

 

Sheep asking their slave masters to make it easier to be sheep !

Last time I visited the official e-visa website it had a lot of "lorem ipsum dolor sit amet" in multiple places, now it seems they've just thrown those portions away from the site, maybe in a few decades it'll all be online and functioning 

2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...KBank president Predee Daochai said it met world-class security standards. Fee payments will be supported by KBank’s electronic payment system to accommodate cross-border transactions in more than 126 currencies..." 

 

"Payments can be made via including credit card, QR code and Internet banking. Payment via QR code will debut in China through WeChat Pay, AliPay and China Union Pay..."

 

They can't even run a website to process 90 day reports. They are going to have a website which is secure, can process 8 MILLION applications a year, speak many languages, and provide secure payment in three years?

 

How many of you would be happy to put your passport information AND your financial information on that site? Seriously, how many?

 

 

Comedy gold!

 

 

Since an international bank is doing all the heavy pulling and not TI it should be OK.

7 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

I'v used the Cambodian version of this a few times.

 

Works perfectly ok, and all from the comfort of your armchair! Also saves queuing up for a VOA at Phnom Penh Airport.

 

The time is coming where you'll just scan your passport on a machine and the barrier opens, as it is at London Heathrow now, for UK & EU nationals anyway.  

There're gates for Thai nationals, or rather -passport holders, at least on Swampy and DMK. I remember reading news about a year or so ago, that the automation with passport control was to be expanded to Hong Kong nationals (pilot project) too, but haven't heard of it since ????

7 minutes ago, brain150 said:

... and you will be 100% digitally controlled.

You will like it !!!

 

Sheep asking their slave masters to make it easier to be sheep !

What can we do about this kind of thing? Even in our home countries.

 

Have you ever tried having a bank account where your details are not held on a computer? When we book an airline ticket the airline has our details.

 

What can we do about this kind of thing? Worrying or obsessing about achieves it absolutely nothing.

 

I'm not a Christian, but I think this sums it up:

 

"God, grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference".

RE - The service arranged through Kasikornbank (KBank) would be globally available within three years, he said. 

 

Sounds good, BUT It seems like the ususal 3 months trial period was forgotten to be mention….

34 minutes ago, csmith said:

Why are many comments so sceptical? .… more kudos to Thai Immigration I say .… congrats again 

I entirely agree but quite honestly I wouldn't take too much notice of the usual Thai bashers. I'm actually a bit sorry for them they must have some real mental problems, as well as a sad life here in Thailand

As an expat retiree living in Thailand, what`s in this for me?

Just open the border free for Chinese.  They cause no trouble in Thailand, and they have cheap weapons 

I hope the millions of Wang, Lee, Zhang, Liu won't arrive on the same day!

48 minutes ago, csmith said:

Why are many comments so sceptical? .… more kudos to Thai Immigration I say .… congrats again 

Just off the boat I suppose ?

It is called an E visa & many countries have been doing it for years