Canada has implemented a significant change to its visa policy, opening its doors to Thai tourists without the need for a visa, provided they meet certain criteria. The Canadian government announced the expansion of its eTA program to include 13 additional countries, including Thailand. Under the revised policy, Thai travellers who have previously held a Canadian visa (within the past ten years) or possess a valid temporary US visa can now enter Canada without a visa. This move is part of the government’s efforts to enhance efficiency and equality in their relocation and services program, promoting easier access for visitors from around the world. To take advantage of this new opportunity, eligible travellers must apply for an eTA through the official website and pay a registration fee of 7 Canadian dollars (approximately 180 baht).

Our Take

You know, I always felt a little guilty that us Westerners are able to travel to Thailand visa free for up to 30-days, but my Thai friends have to jump through CRAZY hoops to get into Canada. It’s not like I think about it on a regular basis or anything like that, but it always left me with a weird feeling whenever it came up.

To illustrate, a few weeks ago while in Vietnam, my Canadian pals told my Thai buddy that he should visit them in Toronto at some point. The first thing he said was that “I don’t think it’s possible man… too difficult to get a visa”. That left a bit of a crappy taste in my mouth you know? Here I am enjoying everything that Thailand has to offer with relative ease, yet it’s a massive pain in the ass for one of my best friends to visit my own country?

Long story longer, I’m definitely happy that we’re making things easier for Thai people that want to travel to Canada. It’ll also make life WAY easier if/when my girlfriend and I start to make semi-regular visits back home as she’ll only need to go through the difficult visa process that first time and can then lean into the eTA program after that.