Thailand has officially expanded its visa-free entry policy to tourists from China and Kazakhstan, starting March 1. The move is part of a broader initiative to boost tourism, aided by a mutual visa exemption agreement with China signed on 28 January 2024.
The agreement allows citizens of both countries to enter each other’s territories without a visa for stays up to 30 days, with a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period, provided they do not engage in employment, study, or media activities without prior approval.
The decision to extend visa-free access to Chinese tourists permanently builds on a temporary exemption that ran from September 25, 2023, to February 29, 2024, reflecting China’s significance as Thailand’s second-largest tourism market. From the start of 2024 to February 26, Thailand welcomed 1.12 million visitors from China.
In a similar fashion, Kazakhstan tourists will enjoy visa-free entry to Thailand until 31 August 2024, following a significant increase in visitors from the country. This extension seeks to capitalize on Kazakhstan’s status as a fast-growing market for Thai tourism, which saw a 190% increase in visitors in 2023 compared to the previous year, with 55,566 arrivals recorded in the first two months of 2024 alone. (NNT)
