Thailand eyes cutting Chinese tourist visa extensions to 30 days

The Tourism and Sports Ministry is considering reducing the visa extension period for Chinese visitors from 90 days to 30 days, so it is better aligned with their typical travel durations. 

Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong said on Thursday that the average stay for Chinese tourists is less than 15 days, making the current 90-day extension excessive. He emphasised that the proposed reduction aims to reflect actual travel patterns. 

“This will, however, not apply to those who enter the country to study soft power subjects, such as Muay Thai or Thai cooking,” he added.  

The 90 days visa extension is part of a mutual visa exemption agreement between Thailand and China that kicked off on March 1, 2024. Under this agreement, citizens of both countries can enter visa-free for 30 days and extend their stay up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

When asked if the move aims to tackle illegal Chinese business operators in Thailand, Sorawong denied that the proposed visa extension reduction targets this issue. However, he acknowledged that the change might help mitigate such problems. 

The ministry has discussed the proposal with the Foreign Ministry and plans to present it to the Cabinet for approval soon. 

In addition to visa policy adjustments, Sorawong said his ministry is also developing a new phase of the “Rao Tiew Duay Kan” (We Travel Together) travel subsidy campaign. This initiative aims to promote tourism in secondary provinces during weekdays and the low season. The campaign may offer additional benefits for civil servants, such as counting work-related travel days as work days instead of leave days, to encourage interprovincial travel. 

“We want to launch this campaign in the next low season, which will be after Songkran in May or June. Details of the government subsidy have already been discussed with the Finance Ministry,” he added.