Thailand Visa on Arrival (VOA) process and documents required for Indians!

I visited Thailand in the month of February 2022, and there were so many procedures in place for arrival and departure, as the country had just reopened for international Tourists in that month! The procedure for entering the country and applying for a Thai Pass (This is a COVID-19 protocol, and may change in future when you’re reading this) have changed many times since. But the one thing worth talking about here in detail for me, is the Visa on Arrival (referred to as VOA in the rest of the article) process! It is because no matter when you’re visiting in future, the VOA process is likely to remain the same.

So, I opted for the VOA for 15 days for my visit so that I didn’t have to apply for an e-VISA in advance. However, if you have some time on your hands, or if you wish to visit for longer than 15 days, I would recommend that you apply for an e-VISA!

So, here are a list of things that you will need for a VOA as you land in any international port of arrival in Thailand:

1. Confirmed return ticket for a date within 15 days of arrival (Can also be on the 15th day of arrival): So for this, you will need to have a confirmed return ticket at arrival and departure from land into other countries is not really counted as proof of departure. So, let’s just say you will need a confirmed return AIR ticket.

2. Passport copy and the passport must be genuine and should be valid for at least 30 days.

3. Proof of stay (confirmed local address) for the entire duration of your visit: Now this is a point worth mentioning, because upon my arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, I was asked to stay my confirmed hotel bookings for obtaining a VOA. Which frankly, I didn’t have at the time because my trip was a little flexible. I just had a confirmed booking for my first two days. So, here’s what I did:

   Hack: Connected to airport wi-fi, visit https://www.booking.com/, searched for properties under the filter “free cancellation” & “book now pay later” and book a hotel for the entire duration of the trip for which you don’t have a booking. You won’t be charged for this booking and you can immediately cancel once you obtain your VOA.

4. A fee of 2,000 THB is payable upon entry and it must be paid in cash and Thai currency only. For obtaining cash in Thai currency, there are many currency exchanges before the immigration check point where you can exchange dollars (and other prominent currencies) for Thai currency. If you wish to withdraw cash from an ATM, you may have to request the immigration officer for help since there are no ATMs before the VOA checkpoint at atleast Suvarnabhumi Airport of Bangkok. I did the same, and I was permitted entry into the airport with a security personnel. Once I withdrew the required amount, I was escorted back to the VOA checkpoint, where I paid for my visa fee and was then promptly stamped with a VOA.

5. Proof of funds: You can be asked to show proof of funds at least 10,000 THB per person and 20,000 THB per family during your stay in Thailand. I was personally not asked for the same, but in case you are asked, you can carry your bank statement with you for display at the checkpoint.

And with all of this in place, you can expect to get a VOA stamp on your passport which allows you to travel within Thailand for 15 days!

List of Thailand’s Immigration Checkpoints which provide facilities for issuance of visa on arrival

1. Suvarnabhumi Airport

2. Don Muang International Airport, Bangkok

3. Chiangmai International Airport, Chiangmai

4. Phuket International Airport, Phuket

5. Hatyai International Airport, Songkhla

6. U Tapao Airport, Rayong

7. Mae Sai Immigration Checkpoint, Chiengrai

8. Chieng Saen Immigration Checkpoint, Chiengrai

9. Chieng Khong Immigration Checkpoint, Chiengrai

10. Betong Immigration Checkpoint, Yala

11. Sadoa Immigration Checkpoint, Songkhla

12. Samui Airport, Surat Thani

13. Sukhothai International Airport, Tak Immigration Checkpoint

14. Bangkok Harbour Immigration Checkpoint, Bangkok

15. Sri Racha Immigration Checkpoint, Chonburi

16. Mabtaput Immigration Checkpoint, Rayong

17. Nong Khai Immigration Checkpoint, Nong Khai

18. Samui Immigration Checkpoint, Surat Thani

19. Phuket Immigration Checkpoint, Phuket

20. Satun Immigration Checkpoint, Satun

21. Krabi Immigration Checkpoint, Krabi

22. Songkhla Harbour Immigraion Checkpoint, Songkhla

23. Chiangrai Airport Immigration Checkpoint, Chiangrai

24. Surat Thani Airport Immigration Checkpoint, Surat Thani