Recently, we did a poll on our Instagram page on the top 3 Asian countries people want to visit and Thailand happens to be one of the top 3 choices. Visiting Thailand requires a visa and there are some requirements needed to get one. In this post, Samuel shares some vital information on how to get a Thai visa.
Most people want to visit Thailand these days and why won’t they? It seems quite exotic. So many merry tales have come from tourists who have seen the beauty of the land for themselves. From having the best massage parlours to being home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world it is little wonder that it has become the go-to destination for tourists in recent times.
So you’re a Nigerian and you feel there is still something lacking in your tour experience, I’ll advise you to make the “Land of Smiles” your next destination. Given the fact that you can’t just hop into a car and begin your journey to Thailand no matter how badly you want to get there, there are some protocols you will have to follow if you want to visit Thailand as it is with many other countries. And one of these is getting a Visa.
This information will come in handy to you because unlike some other nationalities, you need a visa as a Nigerian citizen living in Nigeria to have the license to enter Thailand. So before we jump right into how one can acquire a Thailand visa, let’s know some of the basic requirements you need to have if you wish to visit the country.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR VISITING THAILAND
• A valid passport: The passport must be valid for at least 6 months and have blank pages.
• A carefully signed and filled application form.
• Two recent photographs of the applicant.
• A certificate of clearance from the Nigerian National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
• An obtained certificate of criminal clearance from the Nigerian police
• The duly signed original copies of your bank account details from your bank and the reference letter issued and signed by an authorized bank official.
• A letter of reference from your workplace, indicating your nature of business, purpose for visit, and duration of stay.
• A letter of invitation from your relative resident in Thailand (since you are a tourist) stating your reasons for visit and relationship.
• An original international health certificate of Yellow fever vaccination.
• A confirmed return ticket.
• Confirmation of hotel reservation.
The different kinds of Thai visa include the Diplomatic visa, Official visa, Courtesy visa, Transit visa, Tourist visa, Immigrant visa, Non-Immigrant visa, and Non-quota visa. But as a tourist, the one you should apparently go for is the Tourist Visa.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT A TOURIST VISA
There are some Nationalities – of which Nigeria is excluded – which are entitled to visa exemption and visa on arrival. This means that they are permitted to enter the country and stay for a period of 15 or 30 days without acquiring a visa. As a Nigerian, you are not eligible for this and, thus, you will need to follow a different process. If you wish to stay for a period longer than 30 days, you can apply to the Royal Thai Embassy. A tourist visa is valid for three months from the date of its issue. The maximum of stay is 60 days and it can be a single entry or multiple entry visa.
HOW TO OBTAIN A TOURIST VISA
Obtaining a Thai visa is not as easy as we think and it is advisable to start the visa processing at least 3 months before your trip.
Before heading to the Royal Thai Embassy in Abuja, applicants are expected to have 2 important clearance certificates ready; Clearance certificate from NDLEA and Nigerian Police. Getting these certificates can be very stressful. All requirements must be met before the clearances can be issued. Check here for requirements needed at the NDLEA and Nigerian Police.
Your journey to Thai gets closer once you have the clearance certificates out of the way.
Now that’s you have your clearance certificates, you can proceed to the next step of obtaining your getting Thailand visa by downloading the application form here. Once you fill out the form correctly, get the other necessary documents ready for submission, book an appointment for the submission of your visa application at the Royal Thai Embassy, and submit your documents on the due date.
WHERE TO GET A THAILAND TOURIST VISA
The Embassy of Thailand in Abuja is the only one representing Thai in Nigeria. Check their website here.
Address: 24 Tennesse Crescent, Off Panama Street Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria
Telephone: (+234) 706 308 0501 (+234) 706 308 0403
Working hours: 8.30-16.30 hrs.
Email: thaiabj@mfa.go.th
Now that you know all the prerequisites of getting a visa, you can go ahead to start your application but before you embark on your journey, do all the necessary research about Thailand to ensure you’re on the right track. For more information, check here.
Do you have Thailand on your list of travel destinations? If you do not have it, it’s time to add it up.
