BANGKOK – The government of Thailand has issued a fresh update regarding the duration of stay allowed on visa-free stay in the country.
The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that a decision has yet to be made on whether to reduce the visa-free period for foreigners from 60 days to 30 days.
Ministry’s spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said no new regulation on visas has been issued and the tourists in Thailand are unaffected.
Although no final decision has been made, the government is still reviewing the visa policy as part of broader efforts to tighten security in the country besides investigating illegal activities in key tourist spots including Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Koh Samui and Bangkok.
The clarification came days after it was reported that the authorities have decided to cut short the duration of stay allowed from 60 to 30 days based on the fact that foreigners don’t stay for that long in the country.
The authorities had announced last year that the duration of stay allowed to citizens from 93 countries on visa-free arrival would be extended to 60 days to spur economy.
Concerns were raised that the extended period of stay is prompting some foreigners to work illegally or conduct business without approved permits. The travel operators also informed the authorities that actual tourists stay in the country for no more than 21 days.
