The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has approved a proposed maximum stay extension for international tourists, applicable to visitors from countries with visa waiver agreements and visas on arrival.

This new rule, effective from October 1, 2022, will extend the maximum stay period for those traveling from countries with visa waiver arrangements from 30 days to 45 days, with tourists eligible for visas on arrival able to stay for up to 30 days – double the current 15-day period.

CCSA spokesperson, Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin, said this extension aims to assist the nation’s economic recovery and help businesses affected by the pandemic.

He also said the campaign will help generate additional income by attracting more visitors and encouraging them to spend more.

Thailand saw some 1.07 million international visitors in July 2022, bringing in about 157 billion baht in tourism revenue from January to July 2022.

Spending from domestic tourists was meanwhile recorded at 377.74 billion baht as of August 17.

The Visa Exemption rule allows tourists from 64 countries to enter Thailand without applying for a visa. Travelers can visit Thailand for up to 30 days if they are entering Thailand through an international airport or land border checkpoint from a neighboring country.

Entering Thailand without a visa

Provisions of the Visa Exemption rule and bilateral agreement allow passport holders from 64 countries to enter Thailand under this rule provided they meet the following criteria:

Be from an approved country.
Be visiting Thailand strictly for tourism.
Hold a genuine passport with a valid expiry of over 6 months.
Can provide a valid address in Thailand on entry that can be verified. This address can be a hotel or an apartment.
Must have a confirmed return ticket exiting Thailand within 30 days. Open tickets do not qualify. Traveling overland by train, bus, etc. to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia (including en route to Singapore), Myanmar, etc. is not accepted as proof of exiting Thailand.
Provide proof of funds of at least 10,000 THB for single travelers, or 20,000 THB per family during your stay in Thailand.
Pay a fee of 2,000 THB upon entry. This fee is subject to change without notice. It must be paid in cash and only Thai currency is accepted.

Visitors may be asked to show their flight ticket on entering Thailand. If the flight ticket does not show that exit from Thailand within 30 days of entry, the travelers will most likely be refused entry.

If entering Thailand by land or sea, eligible travelers holding normal passports will be granted visa-free travel to Thailand twice per calendar year. There is no limitation when entering by air. For Malaysians entering by land border, there is no limitation in issuing the 30-day visa exemption stamp. Travelers from Korea, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, and Chile will receive permission to stay in Thailand for up to 90 days under Visa Exemption. This applies to both airport and land border entries.

Thailand also recently proposed a bill promoting long stay visas for gay couples.

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