May 29 (ChinaDaily) – Thai cabinet has adopted multiple visa measures to stimulate tourism, which will benefit tourists from 36 more countries and Chinese travelers who may have plan to stay in the kingdom for more than 30 days.
Visa measures approved on Tuesday include 60-day visa exemption, a new “Destination Thailand” visa, permission for foreign university students who have studied in Thailand to stay for a year after graduation, and changes in regulations for long-stay visas for retirees.
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After a meeting on Tuesday, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin revealed that extension of the period of visa-free stays from 30 days to 60 days will come into effect in June.
The government will also increase the number of visa-free countries from 57 to 93, including Cambodia, India, Kazakhstan, Laos, etc. Countries eligible for visa arrivals will also be added from 19 to 31.
For digital nomads, remote workers, freelancers, Muay Thai students, Thai food students, the period of stay will be tripled from 60 days to 180 days.
Moreover, the government will also extend the period of stay for foreign university students to one year after graduation, allowing them to work in professions not restricted to Thais only.
Government spokesperson Chai Watcharong revealed that the estimated cost of the measures, in terms of lost visa fee collections, is approximately 12.3 billion baht ($340 million) per year. However, it is anticipated that there will be a substantial increase in tourist receipts, ranging from 800 billion baht to one trillion baht.
The 57 nations who were already enjoying a visa waiver and can now get a 60-day stamp on arrival are:
1. Canada
2. Czech Republic
3. Denmark
4. Estonia
5. Finland
6. France
7. Germany
8. Greece
9. Hungary
10. Iceland
11. Indonesia
12. Republic of Ireland
13. Israel
14. Italy
15. Japan
16. Kuwait
17. Latvia
18. Lichtenstein
19. Lithuania
20. Luxembourg
21. Malaysia
22. Maldives
23. Mauritius
24. Monaco
25. The Netherlands
26. New Zealand
27. Norway
28. Oman
29. The Philippines
30. Poland
31. Portugal
32. Qatar
33. San Marino
34. Singapore
35. Slovakia
36. Slovenia
37. Spain
38. South Africa
39. South Korea
40. Sweden
41. Switzerland
42. Turkey
43. Ukraine
44. United Arab Emirates
45. United Kingdom
46. United States
47. Peru
48. Hong Kong
49. Vietnam
50. Saudi Arabia
51. Andorra
52. Australia
53. Austria
54. Belgium
55. Bahrain
56. Brazil
57. Brunei
The 13 nations whose citizens were already getting a 30-day stamp upon arrival and will now be getting a 60-day stamp:
1. India
2. Kazakhstan
3. Malta
4. Mexico
5. Papua New Guinea
6. Romania
7. Uzbekistan
8. Taiwan
9. Bhutan
10. Bulgaria
11. Cyprus
12. Fiji
13. Georgia
The six new nations whose citizens now enjoy a visa waiver and a 60-day stay are:
1. China
2. Laos
3. Macau
4. Mongolia
5. Russia
6. Cambodia
The 17 new nations that are now eligible for visa on arrival and will get a 60-day stamp are:
1. Guatemala
2. Jamaica
3. Jordan
4. Kosovo
5. Morocco
6. Panama
7. Sri Lanka
8. Trinidad and Tobago
9. Tonga
10. Uruguay
11. Albania
12. Colombia
13. Croatia
14. Cuba
15. Dominica
16. Dominican Republic
17. Ecuador
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