On Tuesday, Thailand’s government authorized a slew of new visa incentives aimed at attracting more tourists, including visa-free and visa-on-arrival schemes, extended student stays, and a lower level of mandatory health insurance for retirees.
The Foreign Ministry requested the measures to attract as many guests as possible because the country economy is strongly reliant on tourism, according to government spokeswoman Chai Wacharonke.
He said that the number of nations eligible for visa-free admission would rise from 57 to 93. Albania, Cambodia, China, India, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Laos, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, Romania, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan were among the 36 new member countries.
The duration of visitors’ stays under this arrangement has also been expanded to 60 days, according to a government spokesperson.
The cabinet also approved visa-on-arrival for 31 nations, an increase from 19 earlier.
Visitors who want to work while still visiting tourist destinations will be able to get five-year visas good for stays of up to 180 days, which can be extended for an additional 180 days. Previously, they were only allowed two 30-day visits, according to a government spokesperson.
“Digital nomads, remote workers, and freelancers, as well as people interested in learning Muay Thai and Thai cuisine, are the targets of this measure. “They can both learn and tour places,” Mr Chai explained. He named it the Destination Thailand Visa.
Foreign higher education students might stay in the country for a year after graduation rather than having to depart immediately after finishing their course.
“They can find work during the extended period, especially in the fields that we need,” stated the spokesperson. He stated that the country has approximately 40,000 such overseas pupils.
The aforementioned measures will become effective on Saturday, June 1.
Visitors over the age of 50 seeking long-term visas must currently have 3 million baht in health insurance coverage.
According to the cabinet’s resolution on Tuesday, each long-stay visa applicant in this age group must have health insurance worth only 440,000 baht – 400,000 baht for inpatient treatment and 40,000 baht for outpatient care.
Mr Chai stated that this applies to long-stay applicants from September to December.
The cabinet also approved expanding e-visa application services at Thai consulates and embassies from 47 to 94 locations, which will begin in September, according to the spokesman.
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