Visas for traveling to Thailand Laos and Cambodia

Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia: three countries that lie within the sphere of influence of both India and China, an area of Southeast Asia that is referred to as the Indochinese Peninsula, are some of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia in recent years. Located on the mainland of Southeast Asia, with Myanmar to the west and Vietnam to the east, these three neighboring countries make a great combined tour for anyone with a real sense of adventure. Made popular in the 1980s by backpackers touring around the region by local transport, they have fast become major tourist traps for travelers from all over the world.

Indochina tour

As with many of the countries in Southeast Asia, these are devoutly Buddhist countries, a religion that was introduced to the region almost 1,400 years ago from Sri Lanka, in the form of Theravada Buddhism, the oldest of the extant schools of Buddhism. With thousands of temples spread across Indochina, they have become a Mecca for many travelers intrigued by the philosophies of Buddha. And each country has its own unique attractions as well, with Cambodia being the home of the famous Angkor Temple Complex, and Thailand being famous for its beaches and nightlife. Laos, the landlocked country of the three, is renowned for its scenery, ethnic local villages, and the remote areas that are still largely unexplored. As a combine tour, these three countries are ideal for travel, as they are easy to get into and travel around, and are cheaper than many popular tourist destinations around the world.
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Visa for Thailand

Getting a visa for Thailand is relatively easy, as the government of this ancient kingdom strongly promotes tourism as it makes up for a large percentage of the country’s gross national product. For the nationals of many countries, a visa is not actually required for visiting Thailand, as long as you are not planning to stay for longer than the allowed period. Five countries have a visa exemption for 90 days, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, South Korea, and Peru, while Hong Kong, Laos, Macao, Mongolia, Russian and Vietnam have a 30-day waiver for visas.

Around 51 nations also have a 30-day visa exemption, which allows them to travel in Thailand for up to 30 days without a visa. These include the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Japan, France, and many more. For everyone else, a visa is required. After the period of visa-free entry is completed, you will need to make an application for a standard tourist visa if you wish to stay longer.

Visa for Thailand

The documents required for a visa for Thailand sometimes depend on the application type and where you are applying, though for the most part, they are almost the same across the board. The main documents you are required to produce, according to the latest details from the Thai Immigration Department are:
● Passport, travel document or certificate of identity with validity not less than 6 months (Damaged, invalid or altered passports will not be accepted).
● Visa application form completely filled out with applicant's signature.
● Recent( 2"x 2") photograph of the applicant (photocopy or photo taken from Photostat or from vending machine will not be accepted)
● A copy of round-trip ticket or itinerary
● A prepaid Express post envelop must be included for the return for the passport for those applying by postal delivery.

A visa for Thailand is usually valid for around three month for single-entry visas, and six months for multiple-entry visas. The visa is valid for 60 days from the date of entry into Thailand, or from the date of issue if applied for online or at the airport or border crossing. There are three main types of visa that you can get for Thailand if you need one.

Pre-Approved Visa – The oldest form of visa application, you apply with all the relevant documents through a Thai Embassy. Applying through an embassy simply requires you to submit all the relevant documents, either in person or by mail, and collect the visa three days later, on the date and time given on submission. Postal applications will be returned by the same postal service, and may take longer to receive.

Visa on Arrival – The most popular type of visa, the Visa on Arrival (VoA) is processed without needing to make a pre-arranged application at the airport or border entry point of your choice. The documentary requirements are the same, and the processing of the VOA normally takes around an hour. More than 48 immigration checkpoints accept VOA and can process your visa for you when you arrive. However, only 18 countries from those that are required to have visas have the ability to apply for a visa on arrival, including Bhutan, China, India, and Mexico.

Visa on Arrival in Thailand

E-Visa – The newest way to get your visa processed, applying for the visa online is becoming a popular way for travelers to obtain visas while they are already traveling. The application is made through the official website, and you need to upload and submit the required documents, including your soft copies of your photos. The E-visa is only available to the citizens of 21 countries, and the processed visa is delivered by email to your listed email address. Once received, you need to print the visa approval and show it to immigration, along with your passport.

Visa for Laos

A visa for Laos is required by the citizens of almost all of the countries outside Asia, with the exception of Luxembourg and Switzerland, who can travel visa-free to Laos for a period of up to 15 days. 15 of the ASEAN countries, including Cambodia, Philippines, and Singapore, are able to travel for up to 30 days without a visa, which also includes Russia. Citizens of Brunei and Myanmar can travel visa-free for up to 14 days. Everyone else is required to have a visa for entry into Laos, which includes the United States and the rest of Europe.

The documentary requirements for a Laotian visa are pretty simple, although a visa from a Lao Embassy is not the fastest visa application process in the world. The standard documents that you will need, according to the Lao immigration office are:
● One application form, filled out and signed
● Two recent passport-sized photographs(Color Photos only)
● A passport that must have at least six months remaining validity
● If applying by mail, you need to enclose a prepaid envelope for the return of your passport

The standard 30-day tourist visa for Laos is valid for 90 days from the date of issue. Most visas for Laos are just for 30 days at a time, and you can extend for up to 90 days whilst inside Laos without leaving and re-entering, but only in the major cities of Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Pakse and Savannakhet.

Visa For Laos

Pre-Approved Visa – Since there are not many Laotian embassies around the world, it is possible to apply through an embassy in a different country by postal application. Larger countries, such as the United States, have embassies, and they can also be found in a large number of countries throughout Europe. The application process is simple, and while it does state that processing takes three days, it has been known to reach up to ten days for postal applications. Submission of the required documents and the fee in a money order is required for all embassy applications and credit cards or checks are not accepted.

Visa on Arrival – The government of Laos issues standard Visa on Arrival at all their international airports and most of the border crossings with their neighbors. The process is simple, although you will need to know the name of a hotel or guesthouse to include on the form when applying for the VOA. You do not have to show proof of booking, though. Other than that, the documents required are the same.

Visa on Arrival in Laos

E-Visa – Laos has not had an E-visa before now, and the new E-visa system for applying for Laos’s visas online will be launched by the government in June 2019. Once it is up and running, the E-visa will allow tourists to stay in Laos for up to 30 days. The application system is not yet online, but the official website will allow tourists to complete the application process online and receive the visa by email to facilitate faster processing into Laos at the borders and airports.

Visa for Cambodia

All visitors to Cambodia, unless they are from one of the nine countries that have a visa exemption, must apply for a visa for Cambodia before traveling or at the border or airport. Only nine countries have a visa exemption for Cambodia, which are:
● Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam – up to 30 days
● The Republic of the Philippines – up to 21 days
● Brunei, the Seychelles, and Thailand – up to 14 days

All other nationals must make the application by embassy visit, Visa on Arrival, or E-visa. The requirements for obtaining a visa are simple, and the Cambodian government is trying to make it as easy as possible to obtain visas to promote tourism in the Khmer kingdom. In order to enter Cambodia, you will need a valid passport with at least six months validity remaining, a completed application form signed by the passport holder, and one recent passport-sized photo. Nationals of Afghanistan, Algeria, Arab Saudi, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Nigeria are required to get their visa from an embassy before travel.

Visa For Cambodia

The visa is valid for three months from the date of issue, and can be extended only once for a maximum period of 30 days before the end date of the current visa. Currently you can apply for a visa in one of three ways, at an embassy, online as an E-visa, or as a Visa on Arrival at all of the airports in Cambodia and any of the 16 border crossings between Cambodia and Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Pre-Approved Visa – Required to be completed in advance for the citizens of ten countries, the pre-approved visa is not as hard to get as you may think, despite there not being very many Lao embassies worldwide. Applications must be made in person, and postal applications are not accepted as postal application except in the United States.

Visa on Arrival – The Visa on Arrival service is available to the citizens of almost every country in the world, with the exception of the ten nations listed previously. Issued at all of the airports and border checkpoints, the VOA is one of the preferred methods of obtaining a visa these days. Requirements are the same, and the process at the airports normally takes around an hour and a half. Processing at the borders can be faster, depending on the number of people entering the kingdom at the time.

Visa on Arrival in Cambodia

E-Visa – The E-visa is relatively new for Cambodia, only having been in place for a few years now. Nationals of every country with the exception of Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Syria can make an online application for an E-visa with the official website. It is important to only use the official website for Cambodian E-visa applications, as there have been several cases of fake websites that promise the visa and never deliver. The visa is valid for up to 30 days, but does cost a little more than the pre-approved visa and the Visa on Arrival.

Summary

Visas for Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos are among the easiest to obtain, and with all of the three nations now offering (or about to offer) the modern E-visa, the popular choice of the Millennials, it has never been easier and less hassle to get a visa for travel in this region of Southeast Asia. It is recommended to only use official channels to apply for online visas, or government approved travel agencies in your home country.