The Thai government has given the green light to a revision of the policy removing the requirement to apply for a visa at a consulate prior to travelling to Thailand, known as the ‘visa free’ policy, to suit better the national situation, while promoting quality domestic tourism with reduced redundancy and well-placed security.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Ploythalay Laksameesaengjan told the media that the Cabinet approved the changes at its meeting last week, taking the balance of key factors into consideration, including the benefit to the country’s economy, tourism promotion, security and international relations.
Under the revised measures, visitors from 59 countries and territories will be entitled to the new 30-day ‘visa free’ policy, adding travellers from six allied countries to the list, including India, Maldives, Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Malta.
Ploythalay said that the review aligns the rights to stay in Thailand for all 27 member states of the European Union (EU), facilitating negotiations on planned deals, including the European Schengen Visa for Thai citizens.
Nationals from two archipelagic countries in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius and Seychelles, are initially offered a 15-day pre-travel visa free-stay in Thailand, pending further considerations of relevant issues, such as the number of arrivals and their spending styles.
People from three Eastern European countries are now also eligible for a visa-on-arrival, including Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia, while the Indian visitors are moved to the ‘visa free’ category, stated Ploythalay.
According to the deputy government spokeswoman, a total of 65 countries and territories are now enlisted in Thailand’s amended visa framework, taking effect after they are published in the Royal Gazette. Previously, visitors from 93 countries and territories were included in the country’s 60-day ‘visa free’ policy.
Meanwhile, the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) has also been upgraded by relevant security agencies in terms of background screening and travel records of international arrivals.
