The government has agreed to continue the visa-free policy for tourists coming from India and Taiwan. This decision will allow travelers from these countries to stay in the kingdom for up to 30 days without a visa. The extension has been granted for an additional six months from May 11, 2024, to November 11, 2024, according to Kenikar Unjit, the Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office.

 

The extension will kick in right when the current exemption ends to ensure continuous convenience for tourists from India and Taiwan planning to visit Thailand during that time. This decision is part of the government's strategy to increase tourism revenue and boost Thailand's economy.

 

However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported that the current visa policy has resulted in an estimated loss of around 2.158 billion baht. It's not clear how the government plans to address this losing trend while maintaining the visa-free policy.

 

File photo for reference only. Courtesy of Google

 

-- 2024-05-07

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So they can enter Thailand initially without a visa for up to 30 days, then apply for two extensions of 90 days each at the IO for a fee of 1,900 baht each time?

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

So they can enter Thailand initially without a visa for up to 30 days, then apply for two extensions of 90 days each at the IO for a fee of 1,900 baht each time?

 

No, the headline of this article is somewhat misleading. What was extended - by six months - was the ability of Taiwanese and Indian passport holders to enter Thailand visa exempt. Initially, that had been approved as a test run for three months only.