Thailand defends visa-free rollback as fears over impact on tourism grow
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The government will restore previous visa rules for affected countries, with most returning to visa-free stays of around 30 days.
ST PHOTO: STEPHANIE YEOW
BANGKOK – Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said on May 20 that the government’s decision to cancel the 60-day visa-free scheme for visitors from 93 countries and territories would not negatively affect Thailand’s tourism industry.
He sought to ease concerns among tourism operators worried about losing key overseas markets, adding that the government was considering a 15-day visa-free scheme for Indian travellers, while Chinese tourists would continue to receive the 30-day visa-free entry under the existing Thailand-China reciprocal agreement.
Mr Surasak said the Cabinet on May 19 had approved in principle the cancellation of the 60-day visa exemption scheme, although the measure has not yet officially taken effect.
He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs still needs to complete procedural steps, notify foreign governments, prepare transition measures and await formal publication in the Royal Gazette before the policy becomes enforceable.
“When the 60-day visa-free scheme for tourists from 93 countries and territories is cancelled, each country will return to its previous visa arrangement. In most cases, this means a 30-day visa-free stay, which is sufficient for the majority of tourists, whose average stay in Thailand is no more than nine days,” he said.
At the same time, the Visa Policy Committee will regularly review visa measures to ensure visa management addresses both tourism and security concerns in line with current conditions.
Mr Surasak said Thailand wants to attract “quality tourists” while screening out individuals who enter the country for criminal activities, including scammers posing as tourists rather than genuine visitors.
The authorities would therefore review which countries are suitable for 30-day visa-free entry and which may qualify for shorter 15-day visa-free stays.
In response to concerns raised by Thailand’s tourism industry over the cancellation of the 60-day visa-free scheme, Mr Surasak outlined the government’s position on several key markets.
For India, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports has proposed a 15-day visa-free arrangement because India remains one of Thailand’s top three inbound tourism markets. If India returns to the previous system, Indian tourists will need to apply for a Visa on Arrival (VoA), which industry operators view as inconvenient.
Tourism businesses have therefore argued that Indian visitors, whose average stay is around nine days, should continue receiving visa-free access.
Tourists from China, Mr Surasak said, would not be affected by the cancellation of the 60-day visa-free scheme for 93 countries because they would continue using the existing 30-day reciprocal visa-free arrangement under the Thailand-China agreement that took effect on March 1, 2024.
The agreement allows Chinese citizens to enter Thailand and Thai citizens to enter China without visas for stays of up to 30 days.
South Korea would also remain unaffected, as Thai and South Korean citizens already enjoy mutual 60-day visa-free travel under a separate bilateral agreement.
Mr Surasak added that Thailand was also considering visa-free arrangements for emerging tourism markets with strong potential, including countries in the Middle East and Belarus.
These markets could be granted either 15-day or 30-day visa-free entry, depending on suitability and future assessments, he said. THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
