Visa-free travel policies boost global tourism and economy

[webfact]

 

Countries worldwide are recognising the importance of travel freedom in bolstering their economies and accelerating the recovery post-pandemic. As tourism and trade flourish without border restrictions, governments are implementing strategies to enhance their tourism competitiveness, such as visa-free travel policies and the digitalisation of pre-travel processes.

 

Prominent countries like China and India, with their vast populations, are primary targets for countries seeking to increase their visitor numbers. Last year, Kazakhstan introduced a visa-free scheme for Chinese, Indian and Iranian visitors, and China reciprocated for Kazakh visitors.

 

Likewise, a mutual agreement was signed allowing Maldivian and Chinese tourists visa-free travel from this year. Additionally, Sri Lanka granted temporary visa-free travel to seven countries, including China and India.

 

Thailand’s government also offers a temporary visa exemption for visitors from China, India, Kazakhstan, and Taiwan, with a 30-day stay per entry.

 

The visa-free travel policy resulted in a 26% increase in searches for Thailand among Indian and Taiwanese travellers, according to online travel agent Agoda. The country currently allows 61 countries and territories to visit without a visa.

 

by Alex Morgan

Photo: Apichart Jinakul/Bangkok Post

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-11-27

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[neeray]

I find it hard to believe that a simple thing such as Visa-Free Entry could have such a significant effect on tourist arrivals, and so quickly.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s government also offers a temporary visa exemption for visitors from China, India, Kazakhstan, and Taiwan, with a 30-day stay per entry.

One day Thailand will wake up.. 

[Hakuna Matata]

Many of those "Quality Tourists" from the Peoples Republic of China invited to Thailand by Sretha have flooded the streets of Bangkok as beggars. Chinese mafia, huge business. The side effect of visa free policy.

[Hakuna Matata]

3 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

One day Thailand will wake up.. 

Only when Prayut is back to power...

[Lopburikid]

38 minutes ago, neeray said:

I find it hard to believe that a simple thing such as Visa-Free Entry could have such a significant effect on tourist arrivals, and so quickly.

Haven't airlines in China announced their intentions to cancel quite a few flights coming to Thailand due to insufficient passengers?

[TheFishman1]

One day I read here that Chinese airlines are cutting flights to Thailand, because of not enough passengers and then two days later I read that the visa free entry for Chinese has more Chinese arriving here. It’s amazing how in one or two days things can change TIT.

[khunPer]

This should bring climate activists up in the red field, as increased travel – and especially by air – should in their view be extremely bad for the progressing climate change...

 

[Dogbarker]

Yes visa  free or waivers are great .  I used to have a retirement visa but thought spending the money travelling was a better idea after COVID and reduced my property portfolio to just a small condo now . I only visit thailand on a visa waiver. The change  back from 45 days with 30 day extension  to 30 +30 was a bad move. Perhaps I could be spending the cost of my return flights to Penang,3 nights hotel  ,can fares food and general expenses boosting Thailand by a small amount ...  but for that simple change .... Oh well back in a few days until Christmas then onwards ....... Bring back 45 or even to 60 + extension.

( I get 90 days without an eyebrow raised in Malaysia ....)

[HappyExpat57]

Wow! Make it easy for tourists and they will come spend money? WHAT a NOVEL CONCEPT!

[off road pat]

51 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Wow! Make it easy for tourists and they will come spend money? WHAT a NOVEL CONCEPT!

Hm,....Some tourists,...but not for the western tourists,....which are bigger spenders,...strange Concept indeed !!!!

[geisha]

1 hour ago, Dogbarker said:

Yes visa  free or waivers are great .  I used to have a retirement visa but thought spending the money travelling was a better idea after COVID and reduced my property portfolio to just a small condo now . I only visit thailand on a visa waiver. The change  back from 45 days with 30 day extension  to 30 +30 was a bad move. Perhaps I could be spending the cost of my return flights to Penang,3 nights hotel  ,can fares food and general expenses boosting Thailand by a small amount ...  but for that simple change .... Oh well back in a few days until Christmas then onwards ....... Bring back 45 or even to 60 + extension.

( I get 90 days without an eyebrow raised in Malaysia ....)

The fact is real tourists stay less than 2 weeks, and take holidays when the kids have holidays, summer and Christmas. This is the world over. 
For long stay tourists or snowbirds ( people staying through the western winters) there could  be a 90 day visa which can be extended once at immigration, and this visa should be available online !!! No running to Thai embassies or  waiting ( sometimes endlessly) for the sticker to arrive. Lots of countries have an online system, Myanmar ( when one could travel) Cambodia, Indonesia, Australia etc . Thailand technology is not capable of doing a simple online application visa online !! Hell, get in the foreign tech experts , do something that works for once !  Nobody is worried about getting an online visa if it is a simple process. 

[Toby1947]

23 minutes ago, geisha said:

The fact is real tourists stay less than 2 weeks, and take holidays when the kids have holidays, summer and Christmas. This is the world over. 
For long stay tourists or snowbirds ( people staying through the western winters) there could  be a 90 day visa which can be extended once at immigration, and this visa should be available online !!! No running to Thai embassies or  waiting ( sometimes endlessly) for the sticker to arrive. Lots of countries have an online system, Myanmar ( when one could travel) Cambodia, Indonesia, Australia etc . Thailand technology is not capable of doing a simple online application visa online !! Hell, get in the foreign tech experts , do something that works for once !  Nobody is worried about getting an online visa if it is a simple process. 

Tourist Visa application has got much simpler since November 2023. Have a look. Its a doddle 

[bignok]

3 hours ago, khunPer said:

This should bring climate activists up in the red field, as increased travel – and especially by air – should in their view be extremely bad for the progressing climate change...

 

Oxygen thief that girl

[Gknrd]

I am from the US. I used to go when things were easy for me to bang up a retirement visa. Now?  Flight prices have gone crazy 30 days and then 30 day extension.  I went through that a couple of times. Now, Thailand is on the bottom of my travel destination list. Thailand was always , if from the US you were a walking ATM. I personally did not mind it. But, after the government got involved it took it to a whole new level.  Passsss

Thailand shot themselves in the foot. Before Covid China was booming and the Thai government was like China in West out. Now, Po bear, has decimated the economy and Thailand is scrambling to adapt.. My opinion is S@rew em. my money goes elsewhere. 

Not only that but you can have the little Russia mafia that has taken hold.. Fond memories but things change. Luckily I don't have to put up with it.. 

[still kicking]

1 hour ago, bignok said:

Oxygen thief that girl

How does she travel from country to country? By pushbike?

[Srikcir]

16 hours ago, webfact said:

The visa-free travel policy resulted in a 26% increase in searches for Thailand among Indian and Taiwanese travellers

Since when do online searches translate into personal actions?

Might be better to survey actual airfare purchases or the like by foreigners or check with immigration for actual foreign tourist entries since policy went into effect.

[brommers]

An increase in online searches does not translate to business. Since grovelling to China bookings have slumped and 10 Chinese airlines have halved flight plans because of poor bookings. This article is little more than an attempt to talk up a business that is experiencing zero positive result from visa free policies.

[lapamita]

17 hours ago, off road pat said:

Hm,....Some tourists,...but not for the western tourists,....which are bigger spenders,...strange Concept indeed !!!!

the statistic tells a diffrent thing and i see so many pooor western farangs here that i sometime think that " the west is devestated" and  this old arrogance" we are on top of the world ". so many farangs here locking for just to save 5 thb on whatever , great tourism too

and thailand is not anymore  the land of smiles and the thailandvirus is a thing of the past too . there are so many other places in the world 

[Startmeup]

Talks of 90 day visa free for European tourists.