Taiwanese will have to provide financial statements to get a visa to Thailand

Taiwanese visiting Thailand will be required to give financial details in order to obtain a visitor’s visa starting next month, according to local news reports.

Republic of China (Taiwan) passport holders will now be required to apply for a visa online and will have to schedule an appointment to submit their passports in person, according to the Taipei Times. They will no longer to march into the Thai Embassy or trade offices in the capital and apply at random.

The Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei says it will stop accepting walk-in visa applications without an online appointment.

Taiwanese travel operators told reporters that starting next month, applicants will have to provide bank details for the prior three months to prove that they can cover travel expenses.

One Taipei-based tour operator said the requirement is limited to individual travellers and tour group members will only have to provide a letter of guarantee from their place of work or the tour operator.

The number of Taiwanese visiting Thailand between January and October this year totalled 700,356, a 24% increase from the same period last year, according to the Taiwanese Tourism Bureau data.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post