TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - Thailand announced Wednesday it was going to hand out electronic visas on arrival (E-VOA) to visitors from 20 ‘economies,’ including Taiwan.

The number of tourists visiting the Southeast Asian country rose from 35 million to 38 million in 2018, including 7 million subject to visas on arrival, causing “congestion and inconvenience,” the Thai newspaper The Nation reported.

Last year, Thailand announced it was making the visas on arrival free of charge for visitors from the 20 countries, including China, India and Taiwan for a limited time, a scheme which was later extended until April 30, 2019.

However, some Taiwanese had criticized the move because under its New Southbound Policy, the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) had launched a visa waiver for Thai tourists. The critics were expecting Bangkok to reciprocate by abolishing the need for visas on arrival permanently.

Applicants for the E-VOA system must fill out personal and travel information and pay on a website, while the results of the application will be e-mailed within three business days, The Nation reported.

Passengers arriving at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport under the program will also be allowed to choose a fast-track service where they will not have to fill out extra information before handing their visa to immigration officers, according to the report.