South Korea · Bangkok Post
Thailand ends 60-day visa-free stay
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The cabinet on Tuesday decided to end the 60-day visa-free programme for foreign visitors to Thailand, with the timeline for enforcement still being worked out.
Key facts
- The cabinet on Tuesday decided to end the 60-day visa-free programme for foreign visitors to Thailand, with the timeline for enforcement still being worked out.
- The decision meant that the rules for all countries covered by the scheme would revert to the immigration regulations in place before the 60-day programme took effect, Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said.
- Thai authorities for months have been signalling that 60-day stays, introduced to help spur the post-Covid tourism recovery, had brought unintended consequences. Chief among them was the rise in foreigners putting down roots to run businesses or engage in criminal activity.
- Mr Surasak did not give an effective date for the change, saying only that the cabinet decision would be relayed to all agencies responsible for the issue.
- Foreign visitors already in Thailand or arriving before the new measures take effect will still be allowed to remain under their existing visa conditions until their permitted stay expires.
Summary
The decision meant that the rules for all countries covered by the scheme would revert to the immigration regulations in place before the 60-day programme took effect, Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said.
Thai authorities for months have been signalling that 60-day stays, introduced to help spur the post-Covid tourism recovery, had brought unintended consequences. Chief among them was the rise in foreigners putting down roots to run businesses or engage in criminal activity.