Thailand’s new visas – Deeper Dive
Thanks to the new visa regulations issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it’s never been easier to visit Thailand and stay in the country long-term.
The number of countries eligible for visa-free entry has increased from 57 to 93 – including India and China – and in a major change, the entry stamp will be for 60 days, extendable at an immigration office for another 30 days. Certain types of short-term work inside Thailand for up to 15 days is allowed, but you need permission from a labour office or at the airport first.
If you come from a country not on the visa exemption list, there may also be good news: Visa-on-arrival is now available for another 31 countries, up from the previous 19. But it is a single-entry stamp for only 15 days, and it costs 2,000 baht.
For those on retirement visas, the minimum health insurance cover is reduced from 3 million baht to only 400,000.
And the 40,000 foreign students at Thai colleges and universities are allowed to stay for one year after graduation, instead of being required to leave the country immediately after finishing their course, and they’ll be able to take jobs in their field.
New five-year visa
But what has really caught the attention of people who want to live in Thailand for longer periods is a new Destination Thailand visa that will last for five years, and allow stays for up to 180 days, extendable up to a year in total.
But it’s not for everyone, and the devil is in the details. To answer your questions, I’m joined by Naruchai Ninnad, a senior official in Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the man who helped devise the new rules on the latest edition of the Bangkok Post’s Deeper Dive vodcast – see the embedded video [NOTE: it’s possible to listen to the full 45 minutes interview on the Bangkok Posts Deeper Dive Thailand podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7pP8gR08KgKrORKmWcFJmE?si=bdd20437a811429e).
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2836172/thailands-new-visas-deeper-dive
