The 60-day visa-free scheme launched in mid-2024 by PM Srettha Thavisin increased arrivals, especially from China, Taiwan, and India, but most tourists stayed under one month.
Key Points
- The 60-day visa-free scheme was introduced in mid-2024 by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to increase tourist arrivals.
- Initial significant increases came from China, Taiwan, and India, reflecting strong interest from these countries.
- Despite the longer visa allowance, most tourists still opted to stay less than a month during their visits.
In mid-2024, the Thai government, led by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, implemented a 60-day visa-free entry scheme aimed at revitalizing the country’s tourism sector. This policy was part of a broader strategic effort to increase international arrivals by offering a more attractive and flexible entry duration for visitors. The initiative targeted key outbound markets, particularly China, Taiwan, and India, which historically contribute significantly to Thailand’s tourist volume.
Following the introduction of the scheme, an immediate and notable influx of tourists from these countries was observed, indicating strong initial uptake and signaling positive reception of the extended visa-free allowance. Despite this early surge, data trends revealed that the majority of visitors opted to stay for periods shorter than one month, suggesting that while the visa-free duration was extended, actual tourist behavior in terms of length of stay did not proportionally adjust to this increase. This pattern points to possible underlying preferences or constraints influencing travel duration, such as itinerary planning, economic factors, or travel purpose.
Overall, the 60-day visa-free policy successfully stimulated higher tourist numbers in the short term, especially from key Asian markets. However, the predominance of stays less than 30 days highlights a complex interaction between policy measures and traveler habits, underscoring the need for continuous monitoring and potentially complementary initiatives to encourage longer stays that could maximize economic benefits for Thailand’s tourism-dependent sectors.
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