Southeast Asia's second largest economy maintains visa policy amid tourism decline

Speaking at a press briefing during the Thailand Travel Mart Plus exhibition in early June, Kiatphaibool confirmed that the current visa-free entry policy will remain unchanged next year, Azernews reported.

Earlier in March, Thai authorities had considered reducing the visa-free stay from 60 to 30 days for travelers from eligible countries, aiming to prevent abuse of the policy by individuals engaging in illegal activities.

However, Thailand, the second-largest economy in Southeast Asia, recorded a 2.7% drop in foreign arrivals in the first five months of this year to 14.3 million, Nation Thailand reported.

The decline was particularly sharp among Chinese tourists.

The Bank of Thailand projects that Chinese arrivals will fall to 5 million this year, down 25% from 2024.

The forecast for total foreign arrivals in 2025 has also been revised downward, from 39.5 million to 37.5 million.