Bangkok--25 Jan--KASIKORNBANK
The Department of Consular Affairs will officially launch the Thai e-Visa, first phase, in Beijing on February 15. China will be the first country in the world to have this service, which will be extended to other Chinese cities in early March.
According to Mr. Chatri Archjananun, Director-General of the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Thai e-Visa was developed to provide greater convenience to foreign nationals wishing to visit Thailand. After its rollout in Beijing on February 15, the service is scheduled to open in other mainland cities on March 1. The service will provide greater convenience and speed for Chinese tourists in applying for visa anywhere anytime.
There are three steps involved in visa application online: 1) Register by filling out an application form and make an appointment via www.thaievisa.go.th; 2) Pay fee via e-Payment system which is secure and accessible anytime anywhere via several channels ; and 3) Submit your passport for approval and affixing of the visa sticker at an embassy or consulate per the appointed date, time and place per step 1.
Mr. Piriya Khempon, Thai Ambassador to China, revealed that 2018 was crucial for Thai tourism, especially the Chinese-Thai bilateral tourism relationship. International tourist arrivals last year exceeded 37 million, and around 10.5 million or one-third of the total came from China. Of the total number of Chinese travellers applying for visas last year, almost 60 percent, or more than 5.9 million people, applied for a visa at one of the 10 Thai embassies and consulates in China. The launch of the Thai e-Visa is therefore timely and convenient, and will facilitate the great number of Chinese who want to visit Thailand. It is our pleasure that the Department of Consular Affairs has chosen Beijing to be the site of the service debut.
"The use of technology in such a system is in conformity with the visions of Thailand's 20-year national strategic plan (2018-2037) on "stability, prosperity and sustainability". The most satisfying experience international tourists get from the Thai e-Visa service will likely make them feel warmly welcomed by Thais and want to visit Thailand many times. This service, which meets the required international standards and is designed to accommodate our future visa service provision, should help support Thai tourism to grow in a sustainable manner in line with the global trends.", he added.
Mr. Pipit Aneaknithi, KBank President, said that "KBank is pleased to have an opportunity to be a part of the development of the Thai e-Visa project, aimed at offering convenience to international tourists. Our support toward the electronic payment system of the Thai e-Visa service enables it to process cross-border visa fee payments in over 126 currencies through multiple channels, namely credit card, QR Code and internet banking. The Thai e-Visa service debuted in China is intended to facilitate QR Code payments via various platforms, namely Alipay, WeChatPay and UnionPay, thus meeting the lifestyle needs of Chinese tourists, which account for 28 percent of the total number of international tourist arrivals to Thailand. Chinese holidaymakers typically spend up to 65,000 Baht/person in Thailand, thanks to the burgeoning middle class in China. It is projected that that the number of Chinese middle-class population might have risen to over 400 million in 2018. They are digital tourists, who are familiar with using technologies to search for travel information and make payments, as evidenced by the fact that up to 97 percent of Chinese population use the internet via their mobile phones."
Mr. Chatri added that that the Department of Consular Affairs will introduce a full scale e-visa system that does not require visa stamps or stickers on passports in China in the near future. With this system, visa application results will be emailed to the applicants, making it easier for Chinese tourists to travel to Thailand, plus promoting travel and fostering cordial relations between Thailand and China, going forward.