Amid a huge push by Thailand to bring in more international visitors and a Prime Ministerial target of 80-million tourists per year by 2027, the Southeast Asian Kingdom is now pursuing a game-changing new visa programme.
The Thai economy is under huge stress, with economic challenges including flagging manufacturing and poor export figures. Tourism remains one bright spot, vital to Thai national finances, generating 12% of Thailand’s GDP and employing a fifth of the country’s workforce.
Schengen-style bloc visa
With the aim then of tapping into what’s already working then, Thailand’s Prime Minister, Sretta Thavisin, has held talks with regional partners over a Schengen-style bloc visa that would group together neighbouring Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Vietnam under the same visa umbrella, allowing travellers to cross national boundaries between them seamlessly, in the same way the Schengen agreement allows pan-European borderless travel.
It is hoped the proposal would incite bigger-spending international long-haul visitors to widen their Southeast Asian horizons, venture from one country to another and spread their wealth across the bloc.
Experts want a 90-day limit
The six nations collectively hosted 70 million tourists in 2023. Thailand, alongside Malaysia, brought in the majority of those and therefore is in a strong position to negotiate with neighbours that stand to benefit from their footfall. To encourage tourists to spend more and visit a range of destinations across the bloc, experts suggest a 90-day visa would be the most effective, giving travellers enough time to enlarge their itinerary.
Although the idea is reported to have been positively received, multilateral ASEAN policy frameworks might make implementation tricky and time-consuming. Meanwhile then, European tourists to the region will have to make do with about a month-long visa exemption (with some extensions in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia). Vietnam offers the second-longest visit (45 days) and Malaysia offering a 90-day stay.
The strategy is paying off
Chinese visitors to Thailand have the advantage of a Thai-China reciprocal visa waiver agreement, put into place in March. Arrivals from India, Kazakhstan and Taiwan also now have the option of temporary visa waivers for Thailand.
The measures to improve accessibility and remove logistical barriers to travel are paying off for Thailand, as it paves the way to 80 million tourists. 2024 has seen a notable increase in international arrivals, which total nine million so far this year. China provided 1.7 million of those, with significant visitor numbers also from Malaysia, Russia, South Korea and India.
