How to Apply Visas for Thailand Myanmar and Laos Tour

Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand are three destinations in Southeast Asia that lie together, sharing borders between the three. Popular tourist destination in the area once known as Indochina, these three stunning destinations are ideal for a combined tour. Thailand has been a popular destination in Southeast Asia for decades, and while Laos and Myanmar are relatively new to global tourism, their burgeoning tourism industries belie that fact, with excellent services, great attractions, and amazing cultures to explore. For anyone planning on visiting Thailand Myanmar and Laos, however, it is important to know the visa requirements for entry from one to the other before you travel.

Entry Visa

Types of Thailand visa and how to apply for it?

For the Thailand leg of the trip, it is useful to know that Thailand has a visa exemption for the citizens of around 64 countries around the globe. With periods of between 14 and 90 days for those eligible countries, it can help to have an exemption for the trip, if you are from an eligible country.

Embassy Pre-approved Visa

For those nationals that do not have eligibility for visa-free travel, the embassy issued pre-approved visa is one of the best ways to get a visa for Thailand. Application can be made at the Thai Embassy in your home or resident country, and must be done in person. The visa, once approved, is valid for three months for 15-day visas and six months for 30-day visas, but you will need to exit the country once you have reached the end of your visa, as extensions are not allowed, with a few exceptions. It is possible to exit to another country and get a new visa and come straight back, as long as you leave at least 24 hours between leaving and re-entering.

Thailand Visa

The standard requirements for a Thai Entry Visa from the embassy are:
• Completed application form
• Valid passport with six months validity and two blank visa pages
• One recent passport-sized photos
• Proof of round-trip air ticket, or inbound and onward travel
• Proof of financial means, minimum of 20,000 baht per person/40,000 per family
• Visa fee of US$30 or equivalent in local currency

Visa on Arrival

The Visa on Arrival (VoA) service for Thailand is limited to the nationals of only 18 countries, though currently the fee is being waived by the Thai government until 30April 2020. The visa has the same requirements as the pre-approved visa, and is applicable at all airports and border crossings throughout the country. Applications are made at the border or airport through the immigration desk, and normally take around an hour to process, unless it is busy.

Thailand Visa on Arrival service

The normal fee for the VoA is US$30, which would normally be paid in US dollars only, so when the waiver expires, it is advisable to carry dollars with you, no matter which country you are from. The downside is that the visa is only valid for a stay of up to 15 days from the date of entry. For extensions, you will need to make a “visa run’ to a neighboring country and come back 24 hours later to make another VoA application.

Online E-visa

Technically, there is no true E-visa for Thailand. The online application is actually for an online E-visa On Arrival, which is a simple way of pre-processing your application to allow faster processing and stamping of the visa into your passport when you arrive in Thailand. The application is made online at the official E-visa online website at https://application.thailandvisa.net/application. Once you complete the application, upload your digital copies of your passport-sized photos, and your proof of flights and financial means, the .PDF copy of the approval letter will be sent to your email address. You simply need to download and print it, and then show it to immigration at the airport to facilitate faster processing. The E-visa On Arrival is available to nationals of 21 countries, and is also subject to the current fee waiver until April 2020.

Types of Myanmar visa and how to apply for it?

Myanmar only has a limited visa exemption for the citizens of Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao, South Korea, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The visa exemption is valid for visits of 14 or 30 days only.

Myanmar Visa

Embassy Pre-approved Visa

The embassy pre-approved visa can be made at any embassy around the world, and is not limited to residents or nationals of the country in which the embassy is located. Processing of the visa normally takes around three working days, and the embassy makes it easy to get the visa to promote tourism. Applications do need to be made in person at the embassy, and can be collected on the date given on your official receipt. The standard requirements for a visa from the embassy are:
• A completed application form
• Valid passport with at least six months validity and one blank visa page
• One updated passport-sized photo
• Proof of booking of a hotel or guesthouse in Myanmar
• The required payment in your local currency equivalent to 30 US Dollars

Visa on Arrival

The Visa on Arrival service for Myanmar is a little more complicated than most, and requires applicants to make their application online before traveling. Much like the E-visa On Arrival for Thailand, the visa need to be applied for on the official website at https://www.evisa.moip.gov.mm/Tourist. The E-visa application is open to the citizens of 100 eligible countries, and is rated as the easiest way to get the visa for Myanmar.

Myanmar visa on arrival

Once you have made the application, and uploaded the required documents, which are the same as those required for the pre-approved visa, you will need to make the payment through the secure payment portal online. The difference here is that the E-visa On Arrival fee is US$50 or local equivalent, which is higher than the pre-approved visa. The actual approval letter will be available after three working days, and you can print and show it to the immigration officials on entry to get the visa stamp in your passport.

Online E-visa

Myanmar does not have a real E-visa that can be applied for online and printed as a full visa. The E-visa that you apply for still needs to have the stamp in your passport on entry.

Types of Laos visa and how to apply for it?

Laos has visa exemptions for the nationals of only 15 countries, most of which are in Asia. However, this also applies to citizens of Luxembourg and Switzerland, who have a visa exemption for up to 15 days.

Embassy Pre-approved Visa

The citizens of 32 countries are required to have a pre-approved visa, mostly across Africa and the Middle East, though also including Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Suriname. However, the embassy visa can also be applied for by anyone, and all applications must be made in person. The process can take around three to five working days, though.

Laos Visa

The standard requirements for all visas for Laos are:
• Original passport with at least 6 months validity and a blank visa page
• Visa Application Form, filled out and signed by the applicant
• Two recent passport-type photographs
• Visa fee in cash. The cost of the Laos Visa depends on which country you are from, and can be found on the embassy websites.

Visa on Arrival

For the nationals of all other countries, a Visa on Arrival is available on entry to the country. The visa can be processed at all airports and most of the land border crossings into Laos, and is valid for 30 days from the date of entry. This can be extended twice whilst in Laos for a maximum stay of up to 90 days in total.

Processing of the Visa on Arrival normally takes around an hour, though this can be longer at busy periods. The visa has the same requirements as the pre-approved visa, and the form for the application is available from the immigration desks at both airport and land crossing.

Online E-visa

Laos has a proper E-visa, which can be processed online since July 2019. The E-visa is available for all citizens except those required to have a pre-approved visa, and can be applied for on the official government visa website at https://laoevisa.gov.la/index. The visa is valid for 60 days from the date of issue, and allows a stay of up to 30 days in Laos. However, the visa is not extendable. Processing time is normally three working days.

Laos Evisa

As this is a relatively new system for visa application in Laos, the E-visa can currently only be used at the Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, the Luang Prabang International Airport, and the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge between Nong Khai Province in Thailand and Vientiane Province in Laos. The application process is easy, and only requires you to upload one photo and a scan of the bio page of your passport. The fee ranges from 45-57 dollars per visa, dependent on your nationality, and can be paid online through the secure payment portal.

Useful Tips for visa application

It is important to remember that the visa fee is non-refundable. If your visa is declined for whatever reason, you will need to re-apply once he required time has passed, and pay the fee again. It is important to make sure that your application form is complete and has the correct details.

Visa tips

Thailand and Myanmar do not have proper E-visas, and the applications online are merely a pre-approval for the Visa on Arrival. However, as these are required to be applied for this way, it is important to make sure the applications are correct with all details completed.

Holders of the Lao E-visa have a dedicated lane at immigration in all three locations, which makes the E-visa the best option for travelers that do not want to queue when they arrive. However, the E-visa must be printed, as the digital copy on your phone or tablet will not be accepted.

Summary

Obtaining the visas for Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand is relatively easy, and each country has several options for visa applications. The easiest is Laos, which has a real E-visa, while the E-visa On Arrival options for Thailand and Myanmar can help to save time and effort. Ideally, embassy pre-approved visas are best obtained if you have time to use all three embassies before your trip starts.