TOURIST AND BUSINESS VISAS APPLICATION PROCESS IN THAILAND 2021

Thailand is currently one of the few countries in the world reopening for visitors. One of the newest requirements for people entering Thailand is to have insurance on COVID-19 with the minimum coverage of USD 100.000. In addition, foreigners need to obtain a valid certificate of entry (COE) and visa before entering this kingdom. In this article, DITravel will instruct you in detail on how to apply for Thailand visa during the Covid-19 season.

I. PROCEDURE OF OBTAINING TOUIST – BUSINESS VISA IN THAILAND 2021

STEP 1 – APPLYING FOR TOURIST – BUSINESS VISA – from 2 – 3 working days.

Amidst the complicated Covid-19 epidemic and there is no sign of reduction, special cases of visa exemption when entering Thailand or receiving visas at the border of entry are still limited. The better way to be allowed to enter Thailand is to apply for a visa directly at the nearest Royal Thai Embassy/ Consulate before your trip.

Depending on whether the type of visa you want to apply for is tourism or business, you will need to prepare different documents. In which the required documents must have are:

Passport valid for at least 6 months
Visa application form
4x6cm photo
Booking of round-trip air tickets
Booking of hotel
Health Insurance details:
1. Minimum coverage of USD 100.000.
2. Covering medical expenses in Thailand, including Covid-19
3. Expiration date equal to the trip period
Free Covid-19 health certificate from FV Hospital within 72 hours.

In case of obtaining tourist visa, please add:

Confirm the balance of the last 6 months, the minimum balance is THB500,000.

In case of obtaining business visa, need to add:

Invitation letter and legal documents of the company in Thailand: Business registration, list of shareholders, financial statements and geolocation of the company
Decision on sending on business trip and legal documents of the company in Vietnam: Enterpise registration certificate (must be consular legalized)
Statement of the applicant’s personal account

STEP 2 – OBTAINING CERTIFICATE ON ENTRY (COE)

One of the new requirements when entering Thailand in the middle of Covid-19 season is that passengers must have a Certificate of Entry (or COE). This form can be obtained through the electronic system of the Thai government linked with Thai diplomatic missions in other countries, including Vietnam.

Procedure obtaining COE as follows:

Step 1: Obtaining pre-approval (processing time: from 2 – 3 working days)

Documents to be prepared for this step include: Thailand visa has been issued; Applicant’s passport; Health insurance covers expenses relating to Covid-19 treatment. In addition, if the applicant applies for a Business visa, he/she needs to send an Invitation letter and Decision on sending on business trip in Thailand.

After successfully uploading the documents, the applicant will receive a 6-digit code to check the status of application and correct them if necessary. After about 3 working days, the Consulate will approve this Step 1.

Step 2: Confirming information and issuing COE (processing time: from 2 – 3 working days)

After receiving the approval of step 1, the applicant needs to add his/ her documents: booking of air tickets (with the booking or ticket code) with the confirmation of the reservation at a quarantine hotel (hotels in the list of ASQ - Alternative State Quarantine).

Note:

+ Deadline to apply for step 2: within 15 days after the approval of step 1.

+ Time to receive COE: within 3 days after submitting the application for step 2.

Step 3: Check and print COE

After accepting and issuing COE, the Thai Embassy/ Consulate where the application is received will send a notification email to the applicant. In addition, the applicant can also check the results and download the COE on the online filing system.

STEP 3 – PREPARING AND GOING TO THAILAND

Once you have a visa and COE, the rest is to prepare all the documents to go. Currently, cases of entering Thailand are mainly by air and before flying to Thailand, the immigrant needs to have all the following documents:

1. Passport

2. Certificate of Entry (COE)

3. Certificate of fitness for flight (hard copy – in English)

4. Test result negative for Covid-19 (released within 72 hours before departure) (hard copy – in English)

5. Health insurance covering expenses related to Covid-19 treatment (value from USD100.000 in English)

6. Thai medical declaration form (T. 8 Form).

II. TRAVEL/ WORK INSURANCE IN THAILAND 2021

Currently, due to the complicated Covid-19 epidemic, the Thai Government has introduced a number of health insurance requirements when applying for a visa to Thailand.

The health insurance policy requirement is to cover treatment and medical expenses associated with Covid-19, with a minimum coverage of USD100.000.

The term of the insurance package must be valid for the duration of the insured’s trip in Thailand. There is no requirement that insurance be provided by any company or country. Those who are planning to travel to Thailand can refer to some insurance providers as required above at the link: http://covid19.tgia.org/

III. TEST OF COVID-19 AND QUARANTINE HOTELS:

Beside health insurance, Covid-19 test result certificate and 15-night quarantine completion certificate at designated hotels in Thailand are new and mandatory requirements for all current immigration of the Thai Government.

For the Covid-19 test: Applicants need to provide this form at the time of visa application. And after that, it’s time to check-in and enter Thailand. This form must show that the person has a NEGATIVE result with SARS-Cov-2, the test method is Real Time – PCR, and is issued no more than 72 hours before submission, all contents must be written in English. Currently in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, hospitals capable of providing Covid-19 certificate include: FV Hospital, Hospital for Tropical Diseases Ho Chi Minh City, Pasteur Institute Ho Chi Minh City, Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Thong Nhat Hospital, 175 Military Hospital, 7A Military Hospital.
After entering Thailand, foreigners as well as Thai people from abroad are required to undergo 15-night quarantine at a designated hotel. These hotels are affiliated with a local medical facility and are responsible for monitoring and checking the health of passengers during the 15-night quarantine period. There are currently more than 100 such hotels in Bangkok, Thailand and surrounding areas, they are correctively referred to as ASQ (Alternative State Quarantine) and guests can easily search this list on the Immigration websites of the Thai Government.

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