Thailand e-visa: Nine African countries eligible for application
The Thai embassy has granted approval to nine African countries for eligibility to apply for Thailand’s e-visa, which launched on 1 January 2025.
Thailand introduced its e-visa system on 1 January 2025, allowing certain international applicants to apply. Nine African countries have been approved by the Thai embassy for e-visa eligibility so far.
Why did Thailand introduce an e-visa system?
The system aims to improve security and reduce administrative work for applicants, according to VisaGuide.World. In addition, by implementing this system, the country hopes to attract more tourists. The tourism industry is a key contributor to the Thai economy. Tourism in Thailand is mainly concentrated in big cities like Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai, while the rest of the country receives far fewer tourists.
What are some of the requirements of the e-visa?
Thailand offers various visa options based on the purpose of travel, including tourist visas, special tourist visas (STV), and transit visas. The tourist visa is for leisure travellers, while the STV caters to long-term tourists. The transit visa is for travellers passing through Thailand. Non-immigrant visas are available for business, work, or education travel purposes.
These visas are available for both single and multiple entries, depending on specific conditions.
Applicants must provide evidence of presence in the approved countries. Also, applicants must supply all travel booking confirmations upon submission of the visa application. This includes return flight details showing the applicant’s name, departure and return date, and all flights en route from the country of departure to Thailand.
According to a statement by the Royal Thai Embassy, it will no longer accept physical applications from applicants from the countries on the e-visa approved list. All applications from the eligible countries must be completed online via the embassy’s official website.
The embassy mentioned that visa applications are usually processed within five working days upon receipt, although processing times may be longer in certain cases.
Which countries in Africa are eligible?
Following are the approved African countries that are eligible for the Thai e-visa, according to Business Insider:
- Federal Republic of Nigeria
- Republic of Benin
- Republic of Cameroon
- Republic of Ghana
- Central African Republic
- Republic of the Congo
- Republic of Equatorial Guinea
- Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
- Republic of Chad
Thailand’s relationship with Africa has evolved since the early 2010s, particularly with the introduction of the ‘Look West Policy’ and the Thai-Africa Initiative in 2013.
Kenya and Sudan are key trade partners of Thailand.