Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced on Friday that the government is considering offering visa-free travel to citizens of additional countries. Thailand has already exempted citizens of China and India from visas to stimulate tourism, which is crucial for the country’s economy.
During a meeting with David Hurley, the Governor-General of Australia, the Prime Minister discussed the possibility of establishing a mutual visa exemption program to enhance travel and business activities between both nations.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Srettha expressed the government’s interest in pursuing visa-free travel agreements with the Schengen-visa states of Europe. Despite drawing approximately 28 million foreign tourists and generating 1.2 trillion baht in revenue last year, these figures fell short of the pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported that Malaysians were the largest group of visitors to Thailand last year, followed by Chinese tourists. As of February 1st this year, Chinese travelers accounted for the highest number of arrivals, followed by visitors from Malaysia and South Korea.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Tourism and Sports Ministry remains optimistic, aiming to attract 35 million foreign visitors this year following the arrival of 3 million tourists in January.
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