Thailand has doubled visa on arrival (VoA) fees for foreign tourists belonging to 19 countries and territories.
To be effective from 27 September on wards, the fees would, henceforth, be 2,000 THB (Thailand Baht), a hike from 1,000THB. This was announced on the website of the Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of Consular Affairs on 19 August.
Included among the 19 countries and territories are India and China, besides Andorra, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Bhutan, Latvia, Cyprus, Lithuania, Ethiopia, Maldives, Malta, Taiwan, Mauritius, Romania, San Marino, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia.
The Bangkok Post was quoted as saying that the cabinet had approved the hike in the VoA fees in January. Thailand allows citizens of the above-mentioned countries to stay in its country for up to 15 days.
It is said that fees had been hiked with an intention of cutting down the long queues at the 42 immigration checkpoints in Thailand. It would also encourage foreign tourists to apply for visas at Embassies or consular offices of Thailand, allowing them to avoid strict inspection at immigrant checkpoints in places such as Suvarnabhumi airport and Don Muang international airport.
If you are interested in travelling to Thailand, come to Y-Axis to get the best possible assistance and guidance to file for a visa from one of our 19 offices located in all the major cities of India.