Staff Correspondent

Thailand government has announced plans to launch an e-visa service for Bangladeshi nationals holding ordinary passports, expecting to be available early next year.

Director-General of the Consular Department of Thailand's Foreign Ministry Ambassador Worawoot Pongprapapant shared the development during a meeting on Thursday with Bangladesh's Ambassador to Thailand, according to a press release received here today.

The new e-visa facility will allow Bangladeshi citizens to obtain visas online from their homes, streamlining the travel process for visits to Thailand.

Thailand has already introduced this e-visa service across 69 embassies worldwide, enhancing accessibility for international travelers.

Ambassador Pongprapapant also advised that Bangladeshi passport holders intending to travel to Thailand for medical purposes can consider applying for the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) through the Thai Embassy in Dhaka.

The DTV, which is valid for five years with six-month stays per visit, includes provisions for accompanying caregivers. Importantly, a recommendation letter from the Bangladeshi Embassy in Bangkok is not required for this visa.

During the meeting, the Thai official urged Bangladeshi applicants to verify the authenticity of the documents submitted through agents to avoid penalties, cautioning that submission of fraudulent documents in visa applications could lead to be blacklisting.

Additionally, Ambassador Pongprapapant announced that a visa exemption agreement signed between Bangladesh and Thailand in April will take effect on December 19.

The agreement enables government passport holders from both countries to travel visa-free. Since 2018, visa exemptions have already been in place for holders of diplomatic passports.