In a statement, the Royal Thai Embassy said the exemption was only for tourist visas and did not apply to non-immigrant and transit visas.

Also, nationals who were eligible for the Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme and those whose countries had concluded bilateral agreements with Thailand on visa exemption would be able to enter Thailand without visas.

For more information, log on to www.thaiembassy.org.

The plan, on my way back from Dubai, stop over in India for 3 days to visit one of my customer in New Delhi. It seems like a great plan but unfortunately, the notice came too late to prepare entry visa to India. If I was told earlier, visa for India can be prepared just in time because the embassy of India need five working days to issue visa for Malaysian to enter India. So, I have no choice but to bypass India for this trip to Dubai. Furthermore, the timing is not right for business visit as India is going to celebrate Deewali, or Deepawali on Nov 9th.

This is a great news for travelers if Malaysia managed to convince other ASEAN counterpart to implement this single visa entry. If being implemented, traveler who enter one ASEAN country does not need to apply for another visa when he/she wants to enter another ASEAN country.It’s like one visa for ASEAN.So far six countries out of ten has shown interests.

The Associations of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) consists of ten South East Asian countries, namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Malaysia seeks single visa entry for Asean region

PONTIANAK (Indonesia): Malaysia is pursuing the facilitation of a single visa entry among Asean member countries to boost tourism in the region, which is forecast to receive 30% of the projected one billion tourists globally by 2010.

Tourists coming to Malaysia did not encounter problems getting a visa on arrival or for a two-week stay at present, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said yesterday.

“We are pushing for single visa entry for Asean, whereby tourists visiting a member state will not need to apply for multiple visas to visit other countries in the grouping,” he told Malaysian journalists covering his visit to meet Indonesian tourism industry players here in West Kalimantan.

While here, Adnan held dialogues with the Wakil Governor Kalimantan Barat Dr Lorencus Herman Kadir, members of the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agents, airlines representatives and other stakeholders of the travel industry.

He said the single visa issue had been raised with his counterpart in Singapore while Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia were keen on the “one destination, three or four countries” strategy to boost regional tourism. – Bernama

However, citizens of the following countries are required to be in possession
of a pre-arrival visa:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chechnya,
Croatia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz,
Lebanon, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Morocco, Pakistan,
Palestine, The Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Sri-Lanka, Tajikistan,
Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and all African countries.

Egyptian consulates do not issue student visas; application for a student visa
(if required) is made after entering Egypt with a tourist or entry visa.

Citizens of the following countries do not require a visa:

1. Nationals of Kuwait, who are allocated a six months’ residence permit upon
   arrival;
2. Palestinians holding an Egyptian residence card, provided the stay outside
   Egypt does not exceed six months;
3. Nationals of Bahrain, Djibouti, Guinea, Jordan (only with a passport with
   at least five years’ validity), Libya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
   Emirates and Yemen for stays of up to three months;
4. Nationals of Malaysia for stays of up to 15 days;
5. Those continuing their journey to a third country within 24 hours, provided
   holding confirmed tickets.
6. Cruise ship passengers entering Egypt at any port for a maximum stay of
   3 days.

Visa requirement and regulations may change from time to time without notice.
Please check with the consulate on the latest rulings.

What documents will be required?

Passport (passport must have at least 6 months validity remaining) .
Completed application form
1 recent passport-type photograph (2in. X 2in.)
Copy of airline tickets or itinerary

Time required to issue visa:

Normally tourist visas are issued on-arrival in Egypt. Others, please check
with the consulate.

What is the cost of a visa?
aprox. US$15-$91, depending on nationality. Payment of fees is in cash or by postal order only; cheques will not be accepted. Processing fees for other nationals vary considerably; check with the appropriate Consulate (or Consular section of Embassy) for costs of visas. Visa fees are per passport, not per person.

How long is the visa valid for?
Tourist visas: 30-180 days
Student visas: Varies

Other information:
Extensions to a tourist visa are possible; enquire at your local consulate for details.Visitors from all countries except Canada, the EU and the USA must register with the police within a week of arrival in Egypt, although this service is usually undertaken by the hotel.

To enter Qatar, many type of visas are available depending on the nationality.The visas listed below can be applied online through Qatar e-Government

Commonwealth Countries That Requires Visa
Bangladesh ,Cameroon ,Ghana ,Mozambique ,Nigeria ,Pakistan ,Sri Lanka

Countries That Requires Visa For a Stay Exceeding 3 Months
Albania ,Algeria ,Argentina ,Australia ,Austria (Vienna) ,Bahrain ,Belgium ,BosniaHerzegovina ,Brazil ,Croatia ,Cuba ,Czech Republic ,Denmark ,Egypt ,Finland ,France ,Germany ,Hungary ,Iceland ,
Ireland ,Italy ,Japan ,Jordan ,Kirgystan ,Kuwait ,Kyrgyz Republic ,Lebanon ,Lienchestien ,Luxembourg ,Morocco ,Netherland ,Norway ,
Oman ,Peru ,Poland ,Qatar ,Romania ,St Marino ,Saudi Arabia ,Slovakia ,South Korea ,Spain ,Sweden ,Switzerland ,Tunisia ,Turkey ,Turkmenistan ,United Arab Emirates ,United Kingdom ,Uruguay ,Yemen

Countries That Requires Visa For a Stay Exceeding 1 Month
Armenia ,Azerbaijan ,Barbados ,Belarus ,Benin ,Bolivia ,Bulgaria ,Cambodia ,Cape Verde ,Chad ,Chile ,Costa Rica ,Equador ,El Savador ,Estonia ,Gabon ,Georgia ,Greece ,Guatemala ,Guinea Republic ,Haiti ,Honduras ,Hong Kong SAR ,Kazakhstan ,Latvia ,Lithuania ,Macao SAR ,Macedonia , Madagascar ,Maldova ,Mauritania ,Mexico ,Monaco ,Mongalia ,Nicaragua ,North Korea North, Yemen ,Panama ,Paraguay ,Portugal ,Russia ,Sao Tome & Principe ,Senegal ,Slovenia ,Sudan ,Surinam ,Tajikistan ,Togo ,Ukraine ,Upper Volta ,Uzbekistan ,Vatican City ,Vanezuela ,Zaire ,Zimbabwe

Countries That Requires Visa For a Stay Exceeding 14 Days
Iran (15 days), Iraq ,Libya ,Macao (Travel Permit/Portugal CI) ,Palestine ,Sierra Leone ,Somali ,Somalia ,South Yemen ,Syria

No visa is required for U.S.A. citizens visiting Malaysia for social, business or academic purposes (except for employment).

No visa is required for a stay of less than one month for nationals of all ASEAN countries except Myanmar. For a stay exceeding one month a visa will be required, except for nationals Brunei and Singapore.

For national of Israel, visas are required and permission must be granted from Ministry of Internal Security.

For national of Yugoslavia (Serbia, Montenegro), visas are required and permission must be granted from Ministry Of Home Affairs.

Nationals of countries other than those stated above (with the exception of Israel) are allowed to enter Malaysia without a visa for a visit not exceeding one month.

Citizens of AGCC – UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia
- Does not need visa to enter Dubai

Citizens of United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Finland, Spain, Monaco, Vatican City, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and holders of Hong Kong SAR passports.
- A free of charge of a single entry visit visa valid for 60 days. Extendable to 90days for a fee of Dhs500.

Other citizens including East and West Europe, Turkey, Bulgaria, Poland, Ukraine, Albania, Russia, the Hellenic Republic, St Kitts-Navis, St Lucia, Mexico, Cuba, Bermuda, Belize, Guyana, French Guiana, Martinique, Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent, Kingston, Palao other non-defined American nationalities, Thailand, South Africa, Singapore, China, Malta, Cyprus.
- Require sponsors either from UAE residents, hotels or approved tour operators from their respective countries. A stay of 14 days to 30 days will be given for a single entry. A costs of Dhs100 is chargeable for the visa.

The Sultanate of Oman – Rules of obtaining visa are vary from country to another. Countries are divided into 3 sections:

a) Group A – Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Moldova, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Norway, Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Latvia ,Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Slovakia, Czech Rep., Monaco, Luxembourg, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Macedonia, Cyprus, Malta, Croatia, Greece, Belgium, Poland, Rumania, Slovenia, Lithuania, Argentina, Bolivia,Brazil,Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela , Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, French Guiana, Australia , Brunei Dar al-Salam ,Canada , Lebanon ,Hong Kong , Indonesia, Japan ,Malaysia, New Zealand, Seychelles ,Singapore ,South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, Turkey ,Tunis.

b) Group B – Egypt, Iran, India, Jordan , Albania , Morocco, Syria, Byelorussia, Bulgaria, Russian Federation, China , Bosnia – Herzegovina, Ukraine

c) Group C – Other Countries

Countries from Group A.

• Single entry visa – This visa is valid for tourists, business and short period visitors. Valid for one month and can apply for another one month extension when the visa expire. Visa fee is OMR6. This visa can be obtained prior to departure at any Omani embassy or consulate office in respective country/region. It also can be obtained upon arrival at all designated entry to the country. Passport must be valid for 6 months.
• Multiple entry visa – For those who would like to enter Oman multiple time, can apply this visa from Omani embassy and consulate office in respective country/region and it also available upon arrival. This visa is valid for one year and the maximum duration of stay per visit is 3 weeks .A fee of OMR10 is charge for all applications. Passport must be valid for one year.
• Common Visa Facility with The Emirate of Dubai – This visa is available for Group A country only and does not require separate visa to be issued if entering from the Emirate of Dubai and bearing entrance visa or stamp from The Emirate of Dubai. The entry stamp/visa from Dubai is recognized for entry to Oman. Maximum stay will follow the stamp/visa issued by the Emirate of Dubai or 3 weeks. Last October, I entered Oman from Qatar, the fee has been exempted. The Qatar immigration officer has stamped on my passport “Allow entry to Sultanate of Oman”

Countries from Group B – Only the different from the above rules will be highlighted

• Single entry visa – Issued upon arrival only for those entering with tour package bought from approved tour company. Or else must have a local sponsor who take full responsibilities during applicants stay in the country. Other rules same as group A.
• Multiple entry visa – A minimum of 3 weeks must elapse between each visits.

Countried from Group C

Express Visa – It is issued in the same day through the Directorate General of Passport & Residency and its sections in the regions for nationalities not mentioned in the list group A and B after the presentation of an application by an Oman commercial or tourist establishment or to apply directly to diplomatic mission and commercial representation offices abroad. It shall be issued on Omani working days within 24 hours unless there are justifications, which hinder the issuing of the visa. A fee of OMR7 will be charged. Visa is valid for 2 weeks and cannot be extended.

For other type of visa, please refer to the nearest Oman embassy / Consulate office.

Update to all readers : For those who are having problem with your visa to enter Oman, please refer to the nearest Oman consulate office or embassy in your respective country. I am neither a representative nor having any sort of connections with The Sultanate of Oman but I have been to Oman for quite a few times. Therefore, I can only provide a very limited information as what you can read in the article.

There are many types of visa but only 4 will be highlighted in this post.

• Business Visa – Obtain on the purpose of engaging in commerce activity in the country. Mostly business people need to get this type of visa.
• Tourist Visa – To be issued on the purpose of leisure travel and no business activity is allowed.
• Transit Visa – Issued for a limited time, solely for passing through the country to a third destination
• On-Arrival Visa – This is granted when arriving at designated entry points of a country. The visa is only a formality for entry permission where an entrance free will need to be paid. This visa can be said as the extension feature for business and tourist visa.

• Other types of visa can be obtained from here.

To obtain a visa, there are two ways to do it. First, apply through the country’s embassy or consulate embassy. After getting the approval, then only you can travel to the country. The second option is to obtain upon arrival. Please note that not all countries issue visa on-arrival. So, please contact the embassy before making the trip to check on the latest rulings as it can be changed from time to time.

Normally visa comes with a fee. Only a few are given free. The fees ranges from country to another and depending on a few factors including duration of stay and single or multiple entry. Visa is granted on a few rules and conditions and even if you have visa, you still can be denied entry by the immigrations. So the best things to is to follow the rules set by the country.