I was all set and ready to hit the city of Angels- Bangkok for my first solo holiday.
However, I heard several not-so-great experiences about the delay faced at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport for the visa on arrival process from family and friends. Nevertheless was completely prepared to wait a good 2-3 hours in the immigration queue.
However, I heard several not-so-great experiences about the delay faced at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport for the visa on arrival process from family and friends. Nevertheless was completely prepared to wait a good 2-3 hours in the immigration queue.
But
that’s when during my research, that I read about the recently launched process
for the Online Application for Visa on Arrival through the official Thai government
website. Read about other blogger experiences, and
guess what it worked ! I would have hardly spend 30 minutes end to end to get
my visa stamped and out of passport control.
I
thought my penning down my experience could benefit other fellow travellers and couldn't recommend the online procedure enough considering you only need to spend less than 10 minutes in advance and you end up saving a good 1-2 hours of waiting time at
the minimum.
However,
I would like to clarify that this is not an actual pre-approved visa being
issued online rather just a system to enter your personal details directly
into the Thai immigration system thereby saving time at their end and hence
giving you a skip-the-line option at the airport.
I have enlisted my experiences step wise below:
1. Visit Thai immigration
website - https://extranet.immigration.go.th/voaonline/voaonline/VoaonlineAction.do
2. Click on Tourist -->Apply For Visa on Arrival
3. You get 30 minutes to fill
up the online application with your passport/flight/hotel
booking details.
4. Once done, you are taken to
review page before proceeding to accept.
5. Once accepted, you get a
bar code and a reference number with an option to Print
VOA Application form.
6. You would receive a PDF of
the form which you can save/print. Ensure to sign off
the physical form.
7. Additionally ensure you
carry:
- Passport (Belonging to the list of eligible countries for Visa on Arrival) with a validity of more than a month and with atleast 1 complete blank page.
- 1 passport size photo
- Return Ticket within 15 days
- Hotel reservation copy
- Filled up Arrival/Departure card (I got this from the flight) and Boarding Pass
- Requirement also indicates for proof of living as 10,000 Baht/person or 20,000 Baht/family. (I was not asked for anything regarding this. If I was, planned to show my debit/credit cards.
- Visa fee of 1000 Thai Baht in local currency as cash
