Thailand Tourist Visa

What is Thailand Visa?

Thailand visa is an authorisation for a given passport information allowing you to visit Thailand for a speicified duration and for a specified purpose of stay. This can be either for tourism, business or to visit friends/relatives. 

Indians can get Thailand visa either on arrival or get an online evisa before visiting Thailand. The suggested mode would be to get an online visa, especially after the COVID era where less contact and time spent in the airport is the better option.

Blinkvisa has now tied up with VFS to provide our customers with Thailand Online visa for Indian passport holders. And we are sticking to our mission to eliminate visa fees by providing cashback of the entire visa fees. 

Note: The Thai e-visa is a paper visa, which means the visa will be a pdf of which you need to print out and carry when you visit Thailand. 

Types of  Thailand Visa

1. Thailand e-Visa or pre-approved visa
2. Thailand tourist visa on arrival
3. Thailand Business Visa

E-visa or pre-approved Thailand Online Visa:

An electronic Thailand visa or visa before arrival is a type of tourist visa that enables you to stay in Thailand for 30 days or longer. Applying for an online tourist visa to Thailand before travel is often recommended to avoid any last-minute travel hurdles or long procedures at the Immigration. Through Blinkvisa, when you apply for a Thailand visit visa, you not only avoid the hassle of any delay or rejection but also get the visa in hand within just 2-3 working days.

It is considered quick and straightforward to obtain a tourist eVisa for Thailand. The applications will only take a few minutes to complete and will require applicants to enter some basic information such as their name, address, date of birth, passport details, and travel plans.

Once the application has been submitted and approved via Blinkvisa, it will be sent to you by email or delivered at your doorstep. All you have to do is to present the electronic visa confirmation, along with the passport, to the Thai border authorities as soon as you arrive in Thailand.

Visa On Arrival in Thailand:

A visa on arrival program is where people get a visa once they enter Thailand. This type of visa is for those who wish to have a short stay (up to 15 days) and strictly only for tourism purposes. We do not recommend visa on arrival due to the hassle and the time it takes to get one. With online visa, you can simply move onto the immigration queue and be out of the airport in 20 minutes. 

Visa On Arrival is designed to simplify the processes by eliminating the need to go physically to an embassy/consulate for a visa. However, there are certain prerequisites and delays associated with getting a visa at the counters in Thai airports. And your visa can get rejected immediately if you fail to provide all the essential documents or hold sufficient cash reserve.

Can Indians apply for Visa on Arrival?

Yes, Indian Passport holders are eligible for Visa on Arrival or Thailand visit visa upon arrival. When you opt for VOA (Visa on Arrival), it enables you to happily tour across the essence of the country and stay for up to to 15 days. But long waiting immigration queues and formalities can spoil your plan any minute and that is why applying for a visa beforehand is more convenient and safe. Visa on Arrival service is available 24 hours at each of these International airports in Thailand :

1. Phuket International Airport

2. Don Muang Airport, Bangkok

3. Suvarnabhumi International Airport

4. Samui Airport, Surat Thani

5. Chiangmai International Airport

6. Hatyai International Airport, Songkla

Note: Indians can avail of the service from and of the 32 designated channels of Immigration checkpoints. We are tied with VFS to provide you direct checkout service if you are in a group of 20 and above. 

Read More: Thailand visa on arrival.

3 Reasons Why Thailand Pre-approved Visa is a better option than Thai Visa On Arrival

Thailand is popular among Indians for the main reason that it is Visa On Arrival. But there are 3 main reasons to get your visa before you visit Thailand.

The Queue

Assuming that your flight is full, that is 200 people standing in line to get their visa on arrival, you will find a lot of people running around the airport to get up in line and chaos ensues. Not to mention other passengers who have been standing in line to get their visa already.

The Formalities

You cannot just show up with your passport and expect to get your Thailand arrival visa at the counter. You need to have proper photographs, fill up forms and visit a couple of counters to get sealed even before you stand in line for your visa. Don't forget to carry a black pen with you. 

The Currency

You need to carry  20,000 Thai Baht for each traveller. So you can understand that there is always a demand for the currency. It might be difficult to get the currency and you might end up paying a Forex fee of around 3,000!

If you plan to get your currency at the airport, then expect to pay at least 20% more!

To summarise, although Visa fee can be waived off from time to time, it makes a lot of sense to get your visa from your home country and head straight to the immigration queue. You can come out of the airport within 30 minutes and avoid all the hassle and save on your forex charges.