BANGKOK: Surasak Phancharoenworakul, Minister of Tourism and Sports, said on Monday (May 11), after attending a meeting of ministers under the Bhumjaithai Party quota chaired by the prime minister, that discussions had covered measures to limit tourists entering Thailand following reports involving Chinese tourists and reports of encroachment by influential figures, particularly in national park areas.
Surasak said the visa-free scheme would be reviewed as part of a wider examination of Thailand’s visa system.
The prime minister had informally instructed agencies to set up a working group to consider all visa categories, not only tourist visas but also BOI investment visas, student visas and other types granted by Thailand.
Pakorn Nilprapunt, Deputy Prime Minister, and relevant agencies would form the working group, which would be appointed at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (May 12), to study and review all types of visas.
The cancellation of the visa-free measure is in progress and is being prepared for submission to the Cabinet, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare all details.
Preventing criminals from posing as tourists
The measure would reduce the period of stay in Thailand to a level appropriate for each country, from the current arrangement allowing foreigners from 93 countries to stay for up to 60 days.
Reducing the period of stay in line with tourists’ actual behaviour would help address the problem of criminals entering while posing as tourists.
According to the study, the average length of tourism stays by foreigners entering Thailand, both long-haul and short-haul groups, is only just over nine days.
The country with the longest average stay is Norway, at 21 days.
Setting the visa period at 30 days would therefore adequately cover general tourists.
Those with other purposes, such as internships or medical treatment, could apply for other visa types that match their purposes.
It was confirmed that reducing the period of stay would not affect the overall foreign tourist market in Thailand.
A major working group to discuss the issue before the Cabinet submission
Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said after the meeting that Monday’s meeting was routine, as Cabinet ministers from the Bhumjaithai Party normally meet before the weekly Cabinet meeting.
At the meeting, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul raised the visa-free issue for discussion because it involved many types of visas, including student, investor and tourist visas, so the system needed to be organised.
It was not a matter for any one agency, she said, adding that Pakorn had been assigned to look at how the overall system should be organised. - The Nation/ANN
