The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) says The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has relaxed the criteria for issuing visas to foreigners, hoping to revive tourism.
TAT executive director for tourism products, Thapanee Kiatphaibool, said that the tourism situation in Thailand is recovering. She said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had relaxed criteria for tourist visas, to allow foreigners to stay in Thailand for up to 60 days, and up to 90 days in the case of an extension.
For a Special Tourist Visa (STV), the applicant has to come from a low-risk country, while the target countries, mostly in Europe and Scandinavia, are categorized as medium-risk countries. So, Thai consulates have relaxed the regulations for applicants from these countries when applying for a tourist visa.
There are, however, several requirements. The applicant has to have savings of at least 500,000 THB, a medical certificate, must take a COVID-19 test 72 hours before travel, acquire health insurance cover of 100,000 US Dollars and acquire out-patient insurance to cover 40,000 THB. 14 days quarantine on arrival is still mandatory.
As of November 5, the ministry had issued certificates of entry to 1,465 foreigners. The top three types of visa granted include retirement visas, special tourism visas and privileged entry visas.
