Thailand to introduce travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors in December

After greatly expanding the list of nationals that can enter Thailand without needing to apply for a visa earlier this year, the southeast Asian country will not implement an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system to not only expedite immigration clearance for eligible visitors, but also enhance tracking of foreign nationals on its territory.

A pilot scheme will start functioning on 1 December this year, with a fully operational system, integrated with the existing e-visa online application platform, to be set in place by June 2025. Once operational, nationals of 93 visa-exempt countries, entering Thailand by land, air or sea, will need to apply for the ETA. Citizens from Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia are exempt from the ETA.

Applying for the ETA will be free, however, it is only valid for one entry intro the country, for a stay of up to 60 days, which can be extended by another 30 days. This means that, even if someone has permission for multiple entries into the country, they still need to apply for the ETA every time, unlike other such systems around the world where the ETA is valid for multiple entries.

Visitors who are granted an ETA will be able to pass immigration clearance faster, by scanning a QR code at automated gated. Nevertheless, border officials will still be able to deny entry on the spot if they deem it necessary, even if a person has an ETA.

In July, 36 new countries/territories were included in Thailand’s visa-free regime, bringing the total up to 93. Moreover, the stay for citizens from visa-exempt countries has been increased from 30 to 60 days, with extensions possible for another 30 days. Besides tourism visa, the scheme for digital nomads, remote worker, foreign talents, and freelancer so-called Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) has also been launched, with the permission to work and travel in Thailand up to 180 days for each visit for multiple times within the period of 5 years.

Thailand has set itself the goal of attracting 39 million tourists this year, looking to achieve 3.5 trillion baht (€94 billion) in tourism revenue. With promising figures in the year so far, it is well on its track to achieve, and possibly even exceed, the goal. In the first quarter of the year, 9.4 million foreign tourists visited Thailand and, by 31 July, it reached the half benchmark of 20 million. However, with the high season yet to come in November and December, the outlook for year-end numbers seems more than promising.