Thailand has recently come out with a major measure intended to stimulate the tourism business by increasing the number of visa-exempted countries and territories to 93. From this week, those from these countries will be able to visit Thailand for 60 days without the need to have a visa. Before, it was only allowed to passengers coming from 57 countries as was mentioned in the BBC news.
Thailand highly depends on the tourism sector; however, it has not been successful in the Post-Pandemic period. The total international arrivals in the first half of 2024 ranked at 17. 5 Million foreign arrivals, much higher than in 2023 with a 35% increment. Nevertheless, the number of visitors is still unsatisfactory and has not reached the number before the pandemic; most tourists are Chinese, Malaysians, and Indians.
Even where the numbers of arrivals were on the rise tourism earnings during this period amounted to 858 billion baht ($23. 6 billion; £18. 3 billion)which is below government expectations on the value of tourism to the Thai economy. Thailand continues to be attracted to such features as great and beautiful temples, exotic beautiful beaches, attractive mountain views, and fabulous nightlife.
Apart from extending the visa-free period in most countries, Thailand has observed the travel facility of five-year visas for digital nomads who will be permitted to stay in the nation for as long as 180 days per year. However, official announcements state that international graduates secúring a bachelor’s degree or higher can remain in Thailand to look for a job or travel to other countries for one year.
However, there are worries about how prepared is Thailand is to host a large number of tourists. Such measures as the prolongation of the free hotel nights and the axing of a proposed tourism levy on air travelers is intended to allay such concerns and get the tourism industry back on its feet.