Thailand will switch from January 1, 2025 to an electronic visa system to enter the country (e-visa), the heads of the Thai Foreign Ministry said at a press conference in Bangkok dedicated to the introduction into operation of the new system.
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“Starting January 1, 2025, the e-visa system will be operational at all 94 Thai embassies and consulates general around the world,” Thai Foreign Minister Marit Sangyemphong said at a press conference.
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“This means that all actions related to obtaining a visa, including filling out documents, will be carried out online at any time of the day and anywhere in the world,” the minister added, explaining that the visa itself will not be a stamp or sticker, placed in the passport, but as an image file that can be downloaded to a smartphone, tablet or computer, and which will need to be demonstrated at passport control when entering the country.
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To apply for an electronic visa, you will need to go to the website, fill out and submit a form, attaching scans of the necessary documents, he said.
The head of the Thai Foreign Ministry noted that the system is built on advanced information technologies, ensuring both the prompt processing and issuance of visas, as well as security and the necessary immigration control.
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“The visa system is linked to the databases of the Thai immigration police and information about the recipient of the e-visa is entered into them automatically,” Sangyemphong said.
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“The move to e-visas is our response to the continued increase in the number of foreign nationals visiting Thailand and the steady increase in inbound tourism to our country post-pandemic. The new system greatly simplifies and simplifies the process of obtaining a Thai visa and is a reflection of our commitment to welcoming everyone to Thailand who wants to visit our country,” he concluded.
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Also speaking at the press conference, the Director General of the Consular Department of the Thai Foreign Ministry, Woravut Phongprapaphan, noted that the electronic visa system has been operating in a limited test mode in several Thai embassies abroad since 2019, so the Thai Foreign Ministry does not expect serious disruptions in the system after its widespread implementation.
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“Those who need a tourist visa, namely a visa, will need to obtain it through an electronic system. Visa-free entry, which is now used by 93 countries, is a separate system, it remains in effect. In addition, we have many categories of visas, in addition to tourist, and all these visas will now be issued through an electronic system,” he said.
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Phongprapaphan also noted that visa-free entry is subject to decisions of the Thai government and Thailand’s bilateral agreements with a number of countries, and within the framework of the authorities of the government or changes in bilateral agreements, its conditions may change, while the electronic visa system maintains all visa categories permitted by Thai law, translating the process of their registration in the online system.
