BANGKOK – The government of Thailand would make the country more attractive for tourists by relaxing further rules as confirmed by the premier.
Srettha Thavisin said on Thursday that his government plans to introduce measures to attract global artists to stimulate the economy while mentioning Taylor Swift’s concerts in Singapore due next month.
The premier said the tourism industry was expected to grow enormously over the next four years, as it recovers from record lows caused by the pandemic.
Thavisin said the country should also aim to bring A-listers and world-class acts to Thailand to attract tourists.
The prime minister confirmed that the government would offer visa-free travel, change the rules on drinking alcohol at concerts, and adjust the operating hours of entertainment venues and when alcohol can be sold.
The comments come as Thailand has waived visas for citizens of China, India and other countries in an effort to attract tourism dollars.
In another recent development, the authorities in Thailand have announced to extend the visa waiver facility extended to citizens from Kazakhstan.
Thailand’s Prime Minister confirmed that the cabinet has agreed to waive visas for tourists for six more months through August in a bid to boost tourism.
In an earlier development, it was reported that the Thai government was exploring the possibility of inking a mutual visa-free agreement with Australia, months after it finalized similar visa-free arrangements with other countries.
Similarly, Thailand also extended visa waivers to travelers from India and Taiwan in November last year and is also eyeing the expansion of visa-free arrangement with other countries.
Earlier, the Prime Minister of Thailand also assured that his country was in talks for visa-free travel with the Schengen countries but refused to give any timeline for meaningful development.
Srettha Thavisin reiterated the nation’s commitment to securing a visa-free travel arrangement with Schengen countries while acknowledging that finalizing such an agreement will require time and patience.
Thavisin indicated that Thai citizens would need to adhere to standard visa application procedures until the European Union (EU) reaches a definitive decision.
Although the premier appeared more confident in the matter in previous comments, he was a bit skeptical this time but assured citizens that the government is diligently working towards enabling visa-free travel to the Schengen Area. He also emphasized his plans to take up the matter during future visits to Germany and France.
To attract tourists, Thailand has also proposed a regional agreement with Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, and Vietnam to enable tourists holding visas from one of these countries to travel freely to the others without additional visa requirements.
