Thailand expanded from 57 to 93 the number of countries exempt from visa requirements to travel to this Southeast Asian nation, including several Latin American countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, Panama and Uruguay, among others.
The new measure, announced several months ago by Thai authorities, also extends from 30 to 60 days the period visitors can stay in the country, which seeks to encourage tourism after the covid-19 pandemic (2020-2023).
Tourists arriving as of this Tuesday, July 16, already benefit from the new extension.
Countries such as Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru did not require visas before the new measure, while the extension will benefit more Latin American nations such as Ecuador, Dominican Republic and Guatemala, according to the new rule published last Monday night, July 15, in the Royal Gazette, the Thai official gazette.
Moreover, travelers from 31 countries, including Bolivia, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Venezuela, can apply for a visa on arrival in Thailand for a maximum validity of 15 days.
Thai authorities have also introduced a special visa for digital nomads or telecommuters, as well as those who want to travel to Thailand for Thai boxing courses, cooking classes, seminars, among other events, for a maximum period of 180 days with a multi-entry validity of 5 years.
Thailand is one of the main tourist destinations in Asia known for its tropical beaches, natural parks with elephants, temples and nightlife, among other attractions.
In the past year, Thailand has reached visa waiver or extended stay permit agreements with countries such as China, India and Russia in a bid to revive tourism, which once accounted for 12 to 20 percent of its gross domestic product before the pandemic.
In 2023, about 28 million foreign tourists visited Thailand, mainly from Malaysia (4.6 million), China (3.5 million), South Korea (1.66 million), India (1.62 million) and Russia (1.4 million), according to official data.
For this year, the Ministry of Tourism forecasts a more robust recovery of the sector with the arrival of some 35 million international tourists.
In 2019, before the pandemic, Thailand brushed 40 million tourists, of which Chinese travelers accounted for more than 27 percent of the total with more than 11 million visitors from the Asian giant, according to EFE.
Source:Arecoa.com
