Bangkok (TAN): The government of Thailand has decided to extend the visa-fee waiver for citizens of 18 countries, including China and India, for another six months starting November 1, 2019, media reports said.
The tourism ministry had proposed a waiver of the visa itself for Indian and Chinese tourists visiting Thailand for up to 30 days. But the country’s foreign ministry had asked the government to reconsider it citing security reasons and environmental concerns.
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“The cabinet approved the extension of fee waivers until April 2020,” Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said, adding that the scheme would cover Lunar New Year and the Thai new year, Songkran.
In 2019, 11 million Chinese tourists and 2 million Indians are expected to visit Thailand. The number of Indian tourists is expected to increase to 3 million in 2020.
Foreign minister Don Praramudwinai had earlier written to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to oppose the visa waiver proposal saying that the visa stamp is a measure to screen foreigners entering Thailand to prevent any potential risks to national and economic security. He said waiving visas was not the ideal way to deal with the economic slowdown.
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Those wishing to stay longer in Thailand still need to apply for a regular visa before their arrival and pay the requisite fees.
