Thailand Reduces Visa-Free Stay To 30 Days After Policy Abuse

Illegal businesses and tourists have been exploiting Thailand’s visa-free scheme.

Credit: Freepik

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Thailand is reducing the period of visa-free stays from 60 to 30 days no thanks to naughty tourists and business owners.

The Thai Tourism and Sports Ministry said the move aims to curb the risk of illegal businesses exploiting the country’s visa exemption scheme.

There has been a steady rise in foreigners illegally working or conducting business in Thailand. The Thai Hotels Association partly attributes this to the growing trend of condominiums being rented out to guests illegally daily.

For illustration purposes. Image: Freepik

Since July 2024, the government has allowed passport holders from countries like Malaysia and Singapore to stay in Thailand visa-free for up to 60 days.

Tourism operators had expressed concerns over the 60-day policy because long-haul tourists typically stayed in the country for only 14 to 21 days on average. Meanwhile, short-haul travellers typically spent less than two weeks per trip or around seven days on average.

Additional details regarding the new visa-free policy will be discussed before formally announcing the changes.

The Thai authorities have been actively cracking down on illegal activities involving tourists in popular destinations such as Bangkok, Koh Samui, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and Hua Hin.

Some of these businesses in the tourism industry were found guilty of secretly changing the authorised directors and the number of directors and shareholders.

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