Thailand expands visa-free entry to 93 countries including Sri Lanka

• Says loss of visa fee collections is $ 340 m but anticipates latest move to substantial increase in tourist receipts ranging from $ 21-27 b

Thailand has expanded visa-free entry to 93 countries from 1 June, including Sri Lanka. Its Government has approved multiple visa measures to boost tourism. 

Previously, the visa-free list had 57 countries, whilst more travellers will be eligible for visas on arrival, with the list of eligible countries expanding from 19 to 31. The move allows Sri Lankan tourists to enter Thailand and stay for up to 60 days without a visa.

Visa measures approved by the Thailand Cabinet 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 regulation for long-stay visas for retirees.

The estimated cost of the measures, in terms of lost visa fee collections, is around $ 340 million or Thai Baht 12.3 billion per year. However, it is anticipated that there will be a substantial increase in tourist receipts, ranging from $ 21-27 billion or Thai Baht 800 billion to one trillion.

For digital nomads and remote workers, the Thailand’s Government has introduced a new five-year visa from 60 days previously; with each stay limited to 180 days. This move is designed to attract digital nomads and remote workers who want to stay in Thailand for extended periods while continuing their work.

Foreign postgraduate students pursuing higher education will be allowed to extend their stay for one year to search for jobs, travel, or engage in other activities, provided they obtain certification from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation.

Visitors aged 50 years or more who want long-stay visas are currently required to have health insurance coverage worth 3 million baht. Each long-stay visa applicant in this age group is required to have health cover of only 440,000 baht - 400,000 baht for inpatient treatment and 40,000 baht for outpatient cover.

The move is effective for long-stay applicants from September to December.

Thailand registered 14.3 million tourists from 1 January to 26 May and is targeting 40 million arrivals in 2024, with revenue of 3.5 trillion baht ($ 95.73 billion). 

In pre-pandemic 2019, Thailand welcomed a record of 39.9 million arrivals, generating 1.91 trillion baht (around $ 54 billion).

The six new countries whose citizens now enjoy a visa waiver and a 60-day stay include; China, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Russia and Cambodia.

The 57 countries that were already enjoying a visa waiver and can now get a 60-day stamp on arrival include; Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Republic of Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, The Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Peru, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bahrain, Brazil and Brunei

The 17 new nations that are now eligible for visa on arrival and will get a 60-day stamp include: Guatemala, Jamaica, Jordan, Kosovo, Morocco, Panama, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Tonga, Uruguay, Albania, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic and Ecuador.

The 13 countries whose citizens were already getting a 30-day stamp upon arrival and will now be getting a 60-day stamp include; India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Uzbekistan, Taiwan, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Fiji and Georgia.