British tourists to be allowed to extend holidays in Thailand
British holidaymakers will be able to extend their stay in Thailand by up to a month after the government announced a 30-day extension to the tourist visas for nationals of 48 countries, including the UK.
Beginning with immediate effect, the Immigration Bureau said the new rules will last until at least the end of the year.
It follows an earlier decree from the government granting a three-month visa-fee exemption for Chinese and Taiwanese tourists. The moves are intended to repair any damage done to the country’s tourism industry following the recent political demonstrations.
Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Thawatchai Arunyik said he hoped that the new visa rules would help increase international visitor numbers, especially those interested in volunteer travel and medical tourism.
Prior to the new rules, British visitors could enter Thailand without a visa for 30 days, but if they wanted to stay for longer they had to apply for a visa prior to travelling. It wasn’t possible to extend their stay beyond the 30-days once they arrived in Thailand and those who overstayed were fined 500 baht per day.
The 48 countries whose citizens will now be permitted to extend their stay by 30 days represent almost 50% of Thailand’s visitor arrivals, equivalent to around 13 million in 2013.
Eligible countries are Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Peru, Portugal, Poland, Qatar, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the US, and ASEAN nations as well as the UK.
The visa extension can be purchased at immigration offices nationwide at a cost of THB1,900 ($59.56) per person.
This week the Vietnam Tourism Ministry also said it would look at extending rules for visa-free stays for nationals of nine more countries, including the UK, France, Canada and India.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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