BANGKOK – The authorities in Thailand are gearing up to cut short the duration of visa-free stay in the country.
Though a final decision is awaited in this regard, authorities have agreed to reduce the period of visa-free stays from 60 days to 30 days.
The move comes as part of the efforts to curb the risk of illegal businesses exploiting the visa exemption scheme, according to the Tourism and Sports Ministry.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong said all related stakeholders have agreed in principle to reduce the period of stay for citizens from countries granted a visa exemption under the programme.
At present, passport holders from 93 countries have been allowed to enter Thailand for tourism purposes for 60 days but the duration of stay is now under debate.
The deliberation over the duration of stay started after tour operators expressed concerns and said long-haul tourists typically stayed for only 14-21 days on average. On the other hand, the data also implied that short-haul travellers spent less than two weeks per trip or around seven days on average.
