Over 47 countries offer Indians Visa-on-Arrival. But this often involves waiting in endless queues, documentation at the arriving airport and even uncertainty. Thailand now offers to Indians a unique pre-approved e-Visa On Arrival (eVOA) with a simple online application process.
So, how is eVOA a better option for travellers? No physical copies of documents, photographs or local cash needed during the immigration process at the airport. No submission of Passport required, and travel authorisation within 24 to 72 hours of the application submission.
To make it even better, Thailand has launched a new 'Express eVisa On Arrival' service for approval within 24 hours, informs an official of VFS Global, a technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide.
This could be a template for replication to simplify the visa process using technology. The new eVOA service, launched by Thailand on February 14 this year, is available for citizens of 20 other countries besides India.
A part of the Thai government's tourism promotion initiatives, the eVOA service is currently on offer for travellers entering the country through the Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueng airports in Bangkok, besides the Phuket and Chiang Mai airports.
In 2018, an estimated 1.5 million Indians travelled to Thailand. This accounted for a 13% increase in numbers compared to the previous years. It is expected that the numbers will see an upward trend of 20% in 2019.