Tourists joining in the celebration of the recent Songkran holiday in Bangkok. — Reuters
Thailand and Kazakhstan recently signed a permanent bilateral visa waiver agreement, as the South-East Asian country looks to lift foreign tourist arrivals back to pre-Covid-19 levels.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s cabinet had earlier approved the visa exemption, and Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara signed the documents during Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu’s visit to Bangkok on April 23, according to Thai newspaper, The Nation.
Under the policy, travellers from Kazakhstan will be able to stay in Thailand without a visa for a maximum of 30 days at a time and a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period. Thai travellers to Kazakhstan will need to adhere to the same rules, he said.
The programme will take effect 30 days after confirmation that internal procedures in the respective countries have been finalised to enforce the agreement.
Thailand has benefited from an increase in Kazakhstani tourist arrivals since the country rolled out a temporary visa waiver programme that started in September 2023, and was extended through to August 2024.
Thailand has seen a more than 40% jump in foreign tourist arrivals this year to about 11 million, as its visa waiver programmes and easier travel rules draw travellers from across the world. Chinese tourists topped the list with about two million visitors, followed by travellers from Malaysia, Russia, South Korea and India, according to the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
Thailand’s vital tourism industry accounts for 12% of the country’s gross domestic product. This year, the country aims to welcome 35 to 40 million foreign tourists, close to the pre-pandemic record of 40 million visitors in 2019.
The government aims to net THB1.8 trillion (RM233bil) in revenue from foreign tourists this year. The earnings totalled THB518bil (RM67bil) between Jan 1 and April 14, official preliminary data showed. — Bloomberg
