Individual travellers from Taiwan visiting Thailand will be required to provide financial details to obtain a visitor’s visa starting next month, according to local news reports.
The Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei announced on Nov 12 that it was putting an e-visa application and e-payment system in place. Those who hold Republic of China passports are required to apply for a visa online and to schedule an appointment to submit their passports in person at the office, the Taipei Times reported.
The office said it would cease to accept walk-in visa applications without an online appointment.
Taiwan on Aug 1 this year extended visa-free travel for Thais for another year, until July 31, 2020.
Taiwanese travel operators told the newspaper that starting next month, applicants would also need to provide bank details for the prior three months as proof that they can cover their travel expenses.
Taipei-based Cola Tour said the requirement would be limited to individual travellers and that members of tour groups would only have to provide a letter of guarantee from their place of work or travel operator.
The number of Taiwanese who visited Thailand in the first 10 months of this year totalled 700,356, a 24% increase from the same period last year, Tourism Bureau data showed.