Thailand introduces multiple-entry visa

August 07, 2015 | 10:45

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Visitors can look forward to the new visa as early as October, following the approval by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha earlier in the week.

Tourists swim at sunset on Patong beach in Phuket, Thailand. (Photo: AFP/Nicolas Asfouri)

BANGKOK: The Thai Government has introduced a new six-month multiple-entry visa for visitors from any country.

Visitors can look forward to the new visa as early as October, following the approval by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha earlier in the week. The new multiple-entry visa will cost slightly more than US$140, compared to a single-entry visa that costs about US$28.

The Tourism and Sport Minister said the new measure is aimed at increasing the number of tourists to the country. While foreigners from about 40 countries do not require a visa to enter Thailand, visitors from some countries in the region, such as China and India, still do.

The president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents said the new visa may help increase the number of holidaymakers from these Asian neighbours. Charoen Wongananont also added that the six-month period offers a short enough timeframe to assess the effectiveness of multiple-entry visas.

The Thai Tourism and Sports Ministry has also planned to expand the regional tourism market by improving links with countries along the Mekong River, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Most recently, Myanmar and Thailand agreed to waive entry visas at major airports, which would allow its citizens to travel between the two countries without an entry visa.

About 24.8 million people visited Thailand last year, generating 1.13 trillion baht (US$32 billion). The Thai government is aiming for 29 million visitors this year.

According to official data, international tourist arrivals rose by 30.7 per cent in the first seven months of 2015, with revenue growing by 30 per cent.

CNA/AFP

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