Visa-On-Arrival Tip for Thailand



*Update* I encountered a "Visa Processing Fee" when I last visited Phuket, Thailand. While the legality of this fee is vague and I am not sure if it is applicable to all port of entries in Thailand, I have shared how you can work around that via this post

This is a quick Save-Yourself-Some-Money post for fellow visitors to Thailand from countries that require Visa-On-Arrival (VOA). If it does not apply to you, skip this post.

Most websites will tell you that the VOA fee is 1000 baht. You might also reasonably expect the VOA form to be in English.




What's not mentioned is that you can get someone to help you fill up the form for 100 baht. This service is usually very nearby the immigration counters. Of course you can save the 100 baht and do the form yourself.

But you didn't really think it would be so simple, right?

So it's $10 for the visa, and $1000 for printing it on the paper



What is often not mentioned is that the VOA form will require you to include a 4x6 cm photograph of your face (think your ID or license cards). So what happens if you forget to bring one? Remember that 100 baht service? It also conveniently includes a quick photo-taking (using a webcam).

Some of you may say 100 baht is nothing much, but if you already have a recent headshot photo of yourself, why not just bring it along? Filling up the form yourself is also faster, you will save on the waiting time in queue to get the 100 baht service.

So who requires VOA?

Passport holders of the below 28 countries can apply for Visa-On-Arrival at immigration checkpoints. If you are coming from Suvarnabhumi Airport, the booth to get your Visa-On-Arrival is just a little next to the normal route to the immigration for those who do not require VOA.





1. Andorra
2. Bhutan : Kingdom of Bhutan
3. Bulgaria
4. China : People's Republic of China (including Taiwan)
5. Cyprus : Republic of Cyprus
6. Czech : Czech Republic
7. Estonia
8. Hungary : Republic of Hungary
9. India : Republic of India
10. Kazakhstan: Republic of Kazakhstan
11. Latvia
12. Liechtenstein
13. Lithuania
14. Maldives : Republic of Maldives
15. Malta
16. Mauritius : Republic of Mauritius
17. Oman : Sultanate of Oman
18. Poland : Republic of Poland
19. Russian Federation
20. Romania
21. San Marino
22. Saudi Arabia : Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
23. Slovakia : Slovak Republic
24. Slovenia : Republic of slovenia
25. Uzbekistan
26. Ukraine
27. Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
28. Taiwan

All of the above are only my personal experiences. Feel free to use for your travel planning but do find out the latest information from the relevant authorities. If in doubt, here's the usual disclaimer.

Tips on: Visa-On-Arrival Tip for Thailand
Date published: 03/07/2013
Rating: 5 / 5 stars



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