In the end, Thailand does not extend the 45-day visa waiver

It's so confusing! While the Tourism Authority of Thailand insisted on extending the 45-day visa waiver for some nationalities until the end of 2023, the Thai government has decided not to follow the recommendation.

Since the end of 2022, over 50 nationalities have been exempt from visa requirements for stays of less than 45 days in Thailand. This particularity expired on March 31, 2023, and Thailand had not communicated until then. TAT told Visamundi that this will not be extended, and that these nationalities are now only entitled to 30 days in Thailand without a visa.

Why didn't Thailand want to extend the 45-day visa waiver?

Visa exemption was intended to revitalize tourism in Thailand. The latest tourism figures are good (airlines are even struggling to keep up with demand), and it's a safe bet that Thailand is now trying to regulate flows and break even.

Thailand exceeded its initial target of 10 million tourists by 2022 by welcoming a total of 11.5 million visitors, mainly thanks to the extension of the visa-on-arrival policy or visa exemption, according to the TAT tourism agency.

In the first quarter of 2023, the country also exceeded its initial target of 6 million tourists, welcoming 6.15 million visitors between January and the end of March.

As with the visa waiver, the duration of the visa-on-arrival requirement has been reduced from 30 to 15 days in Thailand. A return air ticket, before the expiry date of the stay, will still be required on arrival in Thailand.

What if I wanted to spend 45 days in Thailand?

You can extend your stay for a further 30 days at an immigration office for 1,900 baht (54 โ‚ฌ).

Warning: if you do not declare your overtaking, a fine of 500 baths (14 โ‚ฌ), with a maximum of 20,000 baht. It may also result in a partial or permanent ban from Thailand..

Fortunately, we can still help you obtain a visa for up to 60 or 90 days in Thailand. Thousands of travelers already trust us in Asia.

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As CEO of Visamundi, I am dedicated to facilitating international travel by helping our customers obtain visas worldwide. By staying at the forefront of ever-changing regulations, I ensure that our agency is a trusted pillar in the field of visa services.

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