Extending the period of stay authorized without a visa by fifteen days is the idea of the Tourism Authority of Thailand to allow foreigners to stay more than a month in the territory.
The tourist visa exemption regime now allows nationals of 56 countries (including France) to stay without a visa for 30 days.
This period could soon be extended to 45 days.
As the kingdom has largely reopened its borders and no longer imposes any restrictions, the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Yuthasak Supasorn, will submit this proposal to the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration during the next meeting on August 19.
If accepted, the measure would apply upon approval and until December 31, 2022.
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More days, more expenses
Food trucks along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, August 7, 2022. Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Thai authorities had exceptionally increased the duration of visa exemption from 30 to 45 days in order to compensate for the 14 days of mandatory quarantine on arrival.
In October 2021, as entry requirements eased, it was lowered again to 30 days.
The Thai tourist board expects travelers to stay an average of five days longer.
Their data from Thai embassies around the world indicates that a large share of tourists want to stay longer than a month in the country.
And who says longer stay says more expenses.
They are estimated at €120 per day and per traveller: each tourist would thus inject €500 more into the economy of the country, which is highly dependent on tourism.
Thailand plans to introduce a tourist tax of around €8 to be paid on arrival in order to support a disaster-stricken sector after two years of the pandemic.
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