Thailand’s tourism promotion policy has allowed citizens of more than 60 countries to visit the Southeast Asian kingdom visa-free.

Thailand’s visa-free regime, which covers more than 60 countries, offers foreign travellers great opportunities to immerse themselves in the authentic atmosphere of the kingdom. People from different parts of the world enjoy staying in Thailand without needing visas.

Following steps taken by Prime Minister Seth Tha Thavisin’s government to develop the tourism industry and promote international tourism in Thailand, 90 per cent of foreign tourist arrivals no longer need to obtain a visa in advance or obtain a visa upon arrival in the kingdom.

Visa-free entry into Thailand has become available to most foreign travellers. Although nationals from half of the world’s countries still require visas to visit Thailand, the number of such tourists is minimal compared to the privileged giant countries that are the main source of tourist traffic to the kingdom.

Currently, visa-free entry to Thailand for 30 days is granted to citizens of the following countries:

European countries: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland.

Asian countries: Brunei, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Turkey, UAE, Vietnam. Countries of the Americas: Brazil, Canada, Peru, USA.

Countries of the Middle East: Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

Countries of Africa and Oceania: Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand.

According to a bilateral agreement between the countries, foreigners with passports from Hong Kong, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Russia, and Vietnam can also stay in Thailand without visas for up to 30 days. Citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, South Korea and Peru can stay in Thailand even longer – up to 90 days without a visa.

Also, on the basis of bilateral agreements, Cambodia and Myanmar passport holders enter Thailand and remain visa-free for 14 days. However, this only applies to those entering the country through an international airport.

In addition, Russian passport holders have been granted a 90-day visa-free stay from November 1 2023 to April 30 2024. Temporary visa-free entry is also available from September 25, 2023, to February 29, 2024, for citizens of China and Kazakhstan and from November 10 to May 10, for citizens of India and Taiwan.

Visa-free Thailand is available to citizens of more than 60 countries.

According to government officials, the visa-free entry policy has increased the number of tourists arriving in Thailand. Bangkok was the world’s most visited city last year, with 22.78 million international visitors, according to a report by payment-processing corporation Mastercard.

Two other popular tourist destinations in Thailand, Phuket and Pattaya, were among the world’s top 20 most visited cities. Phuket ranked 14th with 9.89 million visitors, and Pattaya ranked 15th with 9.44 million visitors.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said Thailand and China have agreed on “permanent” visa-free entry for its citizens travelling between the two countries starting March 1.

From January 1 to December 31 2023, 28’042’131 foreigners arrived in the country and spent 1.2 trillion baht in Thailand. The top five nationalities were Malaysians (4.56 million), Chinese (3.51 million), South Koreans (1.65 million), Indians (1.62 million) and Russians (1.48 million).

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