Thailand to Trial Blockchain-based Travel Visas Soon

Not a day goes by without blockchain technology making some form of a headline. In Thailand, distributed ledgers will play a major role in its Electronic Visa on Arrival project 

Thailand has been experimenting with these virtual visas for some time now.

Thailand Sees Merit in Blockchain

The new system will be rolled out very soon.

It is expected this eVOA system will help 5 million visitors from 20 countries enter Thailand with less friction.

By utilizing blockchain, the system can speed up and protect tourists and their identities accordingly.

This venture is an ongoing collaboration between Gateway Services and Australia’s ShareRing.

Thai officials have high hopes for eVOA and expect to focus on visitors from India and China during the initial stage.

Replacing these paper-based systems in the modern age is not an unnecessary luxury either.

Travelers will no longer have to bring physical documents such as tickets and ID scans to the entry points in Thailand.

This is one of the few real-world use cases for blockchain technology.

Depending on the success of eVOA, it may be rolled out further to accommodate more foreign entries into Thailand.

It is unclear how long the initial testing period will last.

ShareRing hopes to further expand its blockchain-based visa application system across different countries. 

Image(s): Shutterstock.com

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