If you plan to visit Thailand for a short term you can apply for Visa on Arrival. But if you plan to be in Thailand for more than 30 days you may apply for Visa before Arrival. You can get Visa from the Royal Thai Consulate General in three cities- New Delhi, Chennai & Kolkata ( Find the exact location of your Embassy). The processing time for the Visa is around 3 days. However, it is better to process the Visa a week before travel.
You can submit the application form directly at the Consulate General or you can take help of the travel agents at your locality. If you take help from travel agents make sure that you submit the documents and fees well in advance (say 7 days before travel).
You can also choose a Visa Agent. The travel agents will assist you in planning the trip along with the visa processing. Or you can let the visa agent do the processing and plan the trip yourself. (Connect to a Visa Agent in India )
Here are some of the documents required for processing the application.
Passport with validity no less than 6 months with two blank pages.
Fully Filled Visa Application Form
Two Recent Photographs of the Applicant (3.5 by 4.5 cm)
Covering letter mentioning details of travel, details of traveler, the purpose of visit and duration of stay.
IT Returns for the last 3 years.
Original Bank Statements reflecting transactions for the last 6 months, duly attested and signed by a bank official.
Proof of investments ( shared and stock, mutual funds, fixed deposits, recurring deposits, public provident fund, employee provident fund, national pension system ) ( Investment Types In India )
Hotel confirmation details.
Additional Documents
6 months Salary Slips (If salaried)
Original letter of leave from employer (If salaried)
Certificate of company registration/Proof of proprietorship/partnership (If a business owner/self-employed)
Covering letter om letterhead of the company and financial documents (If a business owner/self-employed)
Original NOC letter from the school, college ID card copy (If student)
Original NOC letter from parents, IT Returns and Bank Statements (If student)
First, decide on the type of Visa. There are four types a) 1-month single entry b) 3-month single entry c) 1-month multiple entry d) 3-month multiple entries
Then choose the processing time. There are three options a) normal b) urgent c) super urgent
The service fee varies according to the selection. For example, if you choose 1-month single entry and urgent processing time the service fee will be different. If you choose 1-month single entry and super urgent processing time the service fee will be different.
Fill out the online application form. You will have to enter your name, passport number, nationality, gender, date of birth, arrival date
After confirming you will need to pay by credit card ( Visa, Master card or American Express online )
Once the visa application is submitted it is sent for processing. Once processing is done an approval letter is sent by email
You will need to present the Approval letter, two passports sized photographs ( 4 cm by 6 cm), Entry-Exit Form, Passport, Stamping Fee in order to get your Visa stamped in your passport. Also, you will need to pay a stamping fee on arrival ( approx $25-$50 depending on the type of Visa )
Please do carry a minimum of USD $1000 for your trip
Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City are airports which can be used to obtain Visa stamp.
Hong Kong is a special administrative region where Indians do not require a visa. Although, Indian citizens do not need a visa Indian citizens need to have certain documents.
Documents Required For Hong Kong
Passport with minimum 6 months validity and 2 blank pages
This is a free entry. As long as you get out of Hong Kong in 14 days, you can re-enter Hong Kong as many times you want.
Recent changes made in the immigration requires Indian citizens to pre-register online before visiting Hong Kong ( Check out the Visa consultant or immigration website )
Macau Visa is relatively easy for Indian citizens. Indian citizens get Visa On Arrival for visit to Macau. Most Indians gets 30 days entry into Macau on a single entry.
Imagine this scenario. You are waiting in an airport to board the flight back home. And to your surprise, you find out that it is not there. You search your pockets and they do not have it. The first reaction is to get nervous. You search the suitcase, the carry bag, and still couldn’t find the lost passport. It’s not appearing. After some more search, you realize that the passport is gone.
My recommendation is to first check your lost passport with lost and found. In some cases, if you are lucky you can find it. Secondly, call the airline or contact the ticket site to let them know what has happened.
In that case, the ticket may be replaced or canceled which may lead to large savings in your return journey. For example, if you have an onward journey from Asia to America you can save up to 2000 dollars if the ticket is replaced.
Next, the best thing do is to make a temporary passport/replacement passport. Here are the steps.
Step 1: Visit the police
The moment you realize your passport is lost it is good to visit the police. The police may give a written statement that it is lost and that will help you in securing a hotel room. The police department may also direct you to the nearest embassy.
Step 2: Visit the Embassy or Consulate
The next step is to visit the Embassy or Consulate of your home country. Although many embassies are found in small cities, embassies are normally located in the capital city. The government consulate office often takes time to give a temporary passport and you may wait before you get it.
Step 3: Documentation For Temporary Passport / Replacement Passport
In order to get a passport, you may need two passport size photographs. You may also have to fill a form to get the replacement passport. Once the photos and form are submitted the temporary passport may be ready within hours Normally, the time for dispatch shouldn’t take much depending on your embassy or consulate. In addition, there will be a fee involved which you may have to pay by cash or credit card.
Step 4: Flight Re-Booking
Once the passport is received it’s time to re-book the flight. If the earlier ticket was canceled you may have to re-book the ticket. If the airline was not informed earlier about the issue the airline may not refund or replace the ticket. However, if the airline was informed earlier it may help you get a refund.
Passports are an important asset for any traveler. From business travelers to politicians, everyone needs it. The above-mentioned steps will definitely help you get back the lost passport.
