Thailand opens visa-on-arrival services at 10 more border checkpoints

BANGKOK, December 9 (TNA) – Visa-on-arrival services will be introduced at 10 more border checkpoints across Thailand on Wednesday, according to Interior Minister General Anupong Paojinda. General Anupong told reporters on Tuesday that additional visa-on-arrival services were approved and published in the Royal Gazette on November 10 and would take effect tomorrow. The move is aimed at promoting tourism, economic activities, transport, trade and the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community, he said. The 10 new visa on arrival locations are the immigration checkpoints at Nong Khai province by the Mekong River and Bung Kan province, the Phibun Mangsahan checkpoint in Ubon Ratchathani at the Chong Mek border pass, the Tha Li immigration checkpoint in Loei, the Nakhon Phanom immigration checkpoint at the third Thai-Lao friendship bridge, the Huai Kone immigration checkpoint in Nan, the Ban Prakob immigration checkpoint in Songkhla, the Khuan Don immigration checkpoint in Satun, the Tak Bai and Buketa immigration checkpoints in Narathiwat. General Anupong said visa-on-arrival services, at present, were available for visitors from 18 countries and one economic zone at 32 locations, most of which were immigration booths at airports and in important border areas. The 18 countries and one economic zone are Andorra, Bulgaria, Bhutan, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Romania, Republic of San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Taiwan. (TNA)