Electronic visa on arrival facility for 20 economies 

By   THE NATION 

 

FILE Photo

 

THAILAND launched an electronic visa on arrival (E-VOA) facility for passengers from 20 economies to increase convenience, safety and speed of processing.

 

Pol Lt General Surachaet Hakparn, chief of the Immigration Bureau said the department has teamed up with VFS Global, Airports Authority of Thailand, Thai Airways International and Thai Smile Airways to provide Thailand E-Visa On Arrival for tourists’ convenience.

 

Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan announced the E-Visa On Arrival facility at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

 

The move comes due to rising number of tourists every year, with 7 million getting visas on arrival, which has led to congestion and inconvenience.

 

The Immigration Bureau has joined hands with visa service provider VFS Global to help design and develop E-VOA and e-Payment.

 

The E-VOA will start in 20 economies: China, India, Andorra, Bulgaria, Bhutan, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Marino, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan to Taiwan.

 

VFS Global has also developed a fast-track service at Suvarnabhumi Airport, allowing passengers to hand in their passports without filling information to immigration officials for the visa.

 

Sumeth Damrongchaitham, president of Thai Airways International, said that E-Visa on Arrival will also be offered to customers of THAI and Thai Smile Airline to shorten travel time and procedure.

 

When passengers buy a |ticket through the website thaiairways.com or thaismileair.com and THAI’s mobile app, they can apply for Thailand E-Visa On Arrival from anywhere, any day and 24 hours a day by clicking on the menu “Thailand E-Visa On Arrival”. 

 

They must fill personal and travel information with ePayment for visa through the website thailandevoa.vfsvisa.com.

 

VFS Global will inform the results with confirmation to the passengers’ e-mails within three business |days.

 

Zubin Karkaria, chief executive officer of VFS Global, said that the system would increase safety and speed for tourists who travel to Thailand, while keeping their information confidential with global expertise in visa requests.

 

VFS provides visa services in 27 cities in four countries.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Tourism/30363169

 

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-01-30

20 "economies"? do they mean countries?

56 minutes ago, webfact said:

Zubin Karkaria, chief executive officer of VFS Global, said that the system would increase safety and speed for tourists who travel to Thailand

and make us a <deleted> load of money, after all we are a business

7 minutes ago, kannot said:

20 "economies"? do they mean countries?

Forget the people just think about money. 

21 minutes ago, Oziex1 said:

Forget the people just think about money. 

"the people" You mean the world everyone and everything is always about money and control

46 minutes ago, kannot said:

20 "economies"? do they mean countries?

Thais don't see the rest of the rest of the world as "nations" 

 

"economies" is a better word to use for countries and maybe "cash registers" or "atms" could replace the word tourists

51 minutes ago, kannot said:

20 "economies"? do they mean countries?

It's probably so they can include Taiwan in the list, and avoid calling it a country so as not to offend China, who the government here is shit scared of offending.

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

They must fill personal and travel information with ePayment for visa through the website thailandevoa.vfsvisa.com

http://thailandevoa.vfsvisa.com/ doesn't work (can't be reached).

http://www.vfsvisa.com/ gives "access denied".

 

Impressive and reassuring.

45 minutes ago, Oxx said:

http://thailandevoa.vfsvisa.com/ doesn't work (can't be reached).

http://www.vfsvisa.com/ gives "access denied".

 

Impressive and reassuring.

Must be the same people who set up the election registration website.

56 minutes ago, Oxx said:

http://thailandevoa.vfsvisa.com/ doesn't work (can't be reached).

http://www.vfsvisa.com/ gives "access denied".

 

Impressive and reassuring.

 

It looks like it's The Nation's fault.  The correct website address is:  https://thailandevoa.vfsevisa.com which says "Launching on 14 February 2019".

Edited January 30, 20197 yr by Oxx

6 minutes ago, Oxx said:

 

It looks like it's The Nation's fault.  The correct website address is:  https://thailandevoa.vfsevisa.com which says "Launching on 14 February 2019".

Well spotted sir.

Andorra,  Cyprus, Malta, Mauritius, Marino..... a huge number of tourists to deal with....

I was trying to figure out the logic of the choice for the countries mentioned. Unfortunately I'm running out of options...

1 minute ago, Teddy3943 said:

Andorra,  Cyprus, Malta, Mauritius, Marino..... a huge number of tourists to deal with....

I was trying to figure out the logic of the choice for the countries mentioned. Unfortunately I'm running out of options...

This why you failed - you're using the wrong type of logic - ferang logic, rather than Thai logic.

3 hours ago, kannot said:

20 "economies"? do they mean countries?

They meant to say 20 economie$ but countrie$ would have been better. 

And what about the European countries ? Nothing mentioned either ????????‍♂️

1 minute ago, Ramdas said:

And what about the European countries ? Nothing mentioned either ????????‍♂️

Most (western) European countries will be in the 30 day visa waiver scheme.

1 minute ago, Ramdas said:

And what about the European countries ? Nothing mentioned either ????????‍♂️

Visa on arrival is not appropriate to European countries as they mostly have the option of visa exempt.

 

You have not grasped what this is about and thus have misunderstood the topic. It is about speeding up and streamlining the 'visa on arrival' process.

Interesting that the Immigration Depertment have subcontracted this to VFS. They normally like to run this type of thing themselves. Let's hope VFS's experience might mean a more stable and user-friendly experience available on muliple browsers than the usual Immigration sites.

 

 

Just now, madmitch said:

Interesting that the Immigration Depertment have subcontracted this to VFS. They normally like to run this type of thing themselves. Let's hope VFS's experience might mean a more stable and user-friendly experience available on muliple browsers than the usual Immigration sites.

Multiple browsers? You mean there's another one apart from Netscape?

 

Just now, madmitch said:

Interesting that the Immigration Depertment have subcontracted this to VFS. They normally like to run this type of thing themselves. Let's hope VFS's experience might mean a more stable and user-friendly experience available on muliple browsers than the usual Immigration sites.

 

 

Yes, good point.

 

That suggests this is driven by a genuine logistic emergency such as hundreds or thousands of Chinese at Don Meuang and Suvannaphum getting stuck in a VOA bottleneck causing knock-on logistical issues at the airports.

 

The normal drivers for Thai ministerial projects are who derives a benefit (i.e. rent-seeking) and paranoia over sharing information and control with any other party, particularly another government department or agency.

 

There is also the small possibility that they have finally accepted that giving the contract or job to some Immigration Colonel's son because he has is "Computer" major from Ratchaphat Nakorn Pathom has resulted in numerous embarrassing failures and they have finally learnt their lesson.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

increase safety and speed for tourists who travel to Thailand

More safety for tourists, yes please. More speed, no thanks.

15 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

There is also the small possibility that they have finally accepted that giving the contract or job to some Immigration Colonel's son because he has is "Computer" major from Ratchaphat Nakorn Pathom has resulted in numerous embarrassing failures and they have finally learnt their lesson. 

Yes, I think 'small possibility' is probably correct, rather than 'they have finally learnt their lesson'

2 hours ago, Oxx said:

 

It looks like it's The Nation's fault.  The correct website address is:  https://thailandevoa.vfsevisa.com which says "Launching on 14 February 2019".

how in the world can people remember the website's name? can't they make it shorter and easier to remember..

....and everyone is surprised!  WOW! Either people have NOT learned anything living here, or have NO ability to comprehend reality.  

You have 2 choices: accept it, or don't...I guess you can keep expressing your amazement, but Thai government doesn't care about your sensitive hurt feelings or disappointment.

Quote

Zubin Karkaria, chief executive officer of VFS Global, said that the system would increase safety and speed for tourists who travel to Thailand, while keeping their information confidential with global expertise in visa requests.

It is so reassuring...

Just hysterical!

 

"...while keeping their information confidential..."

 

 

Cross your fingers and hope that it works. The lines when flights 

come in from “A” largely populated and most favored economy are 

brutal.

 

The last time I was lucky enough to experience it was a 3 hour wait and saw the same faces over and over as we negotiated the maze. 

 

Suggest not to hold your breath until it’s up and running.... it might

not work out well for you

41 minutes ago, syncmaster7 said:

how in the world can people remember the website's name? can't they make it shorter and easier to remember..

Ever heard of 'bookmarks'?

10 minutes ago, DJ54 said:

and saw the same faces over and over as we negotiated the maze.

No Chinese queue jumpers?

I flew in from KL on monday evening and I saw no more than 40 Chinese nationals milling around the VOA area...the rest of immigration was basically empty no one was queueing, they were just walking up to the desks just like I did.

I have a Chinese friends and they came to Thailand last year and applied directly to the Thai consulate in Guangzhou and got a visa in 3 days. Flew to BKK and walked through like anyone else would. I think it is the "sheeple" that suffer travelling in tour groups that end up handing their passports over to a person with a small teddy on a stick and cause the blockages at the airports. 

I have not travelled through UtaPao for years but the I have seen the many planes flying in and out. Since Jomtien is infested with Russians again and Chinese tour groups I guess there are large numbers passing through there ? any one been there recently to see immigration in

action ?