ETA Thailand (Electronic Travel Authorization)

Hi, does anyone know the status of the ETA that’s supposed to go into effect in December 2024 (and needs to be requested on the e-visa portal www.thaievisa.go.th)? Is it officially starting on December 1st? I’ve got my flight on the 7th of December and I’m on a Non-O Retirement visa with a re-entry. From what I understand, it’ll only apply to visa-free entries and should allow a 60-day stay in the kingdom with the option to extend for 30 more days. So I’m wondering if I need to apply for this since I already have a valid visa. Thanks in advance for your answers! 😊

Hi, The Thai government says it’ll be rolled out gradually from December 2024 to June 2025, so not everyone at once and only for those entering visa-free for 60 days. No need to worry! 😉

Hello, so for an entry in December for a stay of less than 30 days, no application is needed?

Hi, Without a visa, you’ll need to check if you’re part of the first wave starting in December. Since it’s still unclear, the best thing to do is call the embassy in Paris for confirmation. Just a reminder, this ETA is free. It’s not yet available on the E-visa website. Embassy of Thailand in Paris. Tel: 01 56 26 50 50

Let us know how it goes. 😉 Thanks, Best,

Royal Thai Embassy in France 8, Royal Thai Embassy in France Tel: 01 56 26 50 50 Fax: 01 56 26 04 45 Open: 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM / 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Great, thanks for your reply! 😊

OK, thanks—I totally missed that! I thought it wasn’t happening until 2025 !

Hello

It’s been pushed back to 2025. All the details are here:

https://toutelathailande.fr/news/la-thailande-lance-un-site-web-pour-senregistrer-et-payer-la-taxe-touristique/

😊 Hi there, and thanks for the info.

From what I understand, all this is supposed to help reduce congestion at the airport with automatic gates where you’ll just need to scan your passport on arrival. A few years ago (4 or 5), I almost got turned away at the airport. I’d stayed for 2 months on a 60-day visa, then took a round-trip to Laos (3 nights) to apply for a new 60-day visa at the consulate in Vientiane. When I returned to Thailand with my visa all in order, I had to argue for nearly half an hour with the officer who refused to let me in, saying I was spending too much time in Thailand. So now I’m wondering how this gate system will work if we’re no longer dealing with an officer in person.

For now, the automated kiosks are only in service for departures from Thailand, not for arrivals. Even if everything were automated on arrival, there would still be old-school counters for all the tricky cases.

Okay, thanks for the reply

Hi there,

Facial recognition self-service kiosks will be rolled out starting December 1st, but only for domestic flights to begin with. Departing from Bangkok’s two airports, Phuket, Hat Yai, and Chiang Mai, then expanding to all flights in 2025.

Hello

It's been postponed to 2025. Everything is here:

https://toutelathailande.fr/news/la-thailande-lance-un-site-web-pour-senregistrer-et-payer-la-taxe-touristique/

Hello, After reading everything that’s been discussed, I think I understand that for a two-week family vacation in February 2025, I won’t have to do any formalities (no visa, no ETA, or anything else)—is that right? Best regards, Lionel

Hi, The issue with Thailand is that the info they provide is subject to changes in the implementation date. I’ve been hearing about this ETA for a year now—first it was free, then 300 baht, then free again. The best thing is to check back in January for updates. When you apply for the ETA, you’ll receive a QR code in response, which you’ll need to present at boarding and to the authorities or automated checks upon arrival to enter. Stay tuned...

Anyway, today I got this on the Thai Embassy in France’s website.

Hi there, This isn’t it—the Thai government says there’ll be a dedicated site for the ETA with tourist offers. We’ll have to wait for more news; for now, there’s nothing new.

Good evening, That’s not it—the Thai government says there will be a dedicated site for the ETA with tourist offers. We’ll have to wait for more news; for now, there’s nothing new.

Yes, I got that—this was just about the visa part.

Ok! 😉

For now, the automated kiosks are only in service for departures from Thailand, not for arrivals. Even if everything were automated upon arrival, there would still be old-school counters for all disputed cases.

Especially for holders of O and OA visas. We'll see......

Authorities have stated that this only applies to leaving Thai territory.

Operational for departures, it's very efficient—saves a lot of time!

These automated kiosks, similar to the PARAFES kiosks at CDG, have been in place and operational for several months for domestic flights at Suvarnabhumi.

Cool, can’t wait for international travel to resume—I’ll be there in 8 days. It’d be great if they started handling international arrivals better because right now it’s a total lottery: either you breeze through with no wait, or there’s an endless queue. 😉

It’ll happen... they’re just running behind on getting it set up. If I understood correctly, for visa exemptions, you’ll likely need to apply on the government website... then you should receive an email with a barcode or QR code to scan on arrival with your passport... Safe travels

Hi there, We’ll get confirmation of the application date and procedures on the Thai embassy’s Paris website. Don’t listen to or read certain forums or Facebook posts that spread nonsense.

Hello

Don’t listen to or read certain forums or Facebook pages that spread nonsense

Oh, you can say that again! It’s amazing how much false info can circulate about all sorts of topics, especially on FB.