Thailand has revealed a series of new visa measures to help boost travel to the country. Effective immediately, the new measures include an expansion of its visa exemption offer to 93 countries (up from 57 nations) and doubling allowable stays to 60 days (up from 30 days).
This means Aussie travellers, already part of the visa exemption, can now stay beyond 30 days for tourism purposes.
Additionally, nationals of 31 countries who don’t qualify for visa exemptions can apply for a visa on arrival at immigration checkpoints for stays up to 15 days for a fee of 2,000 Baht.
Meanwhile, the country has unveiled its new Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), holders of which can stay in the country for five years with multiple entries.
DTV holders are generally digital nomads, remote workers and those participating in special activities like Muay Thai courses, Thai cooking classes, sports training, medical treatments, professional development and music festivals.
Elsewhere, Student Visa holders are now able to stay for one year after graduating.
What’s in store?
The new measures come as the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announces the “Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism Year 2025”.
Speaking at a recent TAT conference, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports H.E. Sermsak Pongpanit emphasised the goal of increasing tourism revenue by 7.5 per cent in 2025. And when you’re talking about a tourism industry the size of Thailand’s, that’s a big jump.
According to TAT, the country is aiming for 39 million international visitors next year.
Key to its 2025 push will be the promotion of “Thai Charms” and “Hidden Gem Cities”, which seek to disperse tourism across the country, and a focus on 23 potential international markets.
There will also be a concerted effort to increase flight capacity within the country, with new routes already planned.
For long-haul markets, including Australia, the focus is on increasing “quality” tourism. So more big spenders, per capita. And Australians certainly fit that mould, at least in certain areas of travel.
In June, Thailand announced it had scrapped its proposed tourist tax. Instead, TAT said it would target luxury travellers.
More recently, the Thai government revealed the country would close duty-free shops at international airport arrival areas to boost spending throughout the Southeast Asian nation.
In May, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) welcomed a global contingent of 425-plus buyers, including 21 Aussie and Kiwi travel trade and media, to its annual Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+ 2024) event in Phang Nga. Read our wrap of TTM here.
