Travel sightseeing combo deal: Thailand plans to launch a “multiple-entry visa valid for six months” from October

▲ The Thai government plans to launch a “multiple-entry visa valid for six months.” Image is only an illustration of a Thai visa. (Photo/From Wikimedia Commons)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

To expand its tourism market, the Thai government has announced it will introduce a“multiple-entry visa valid for six months”, with implementation expected to start in October.

Currently, Taiwanese travelers wishing to visit Thailand must first apply for a single-entry visa at the Thai Trade and Economic Office, with each visa costing NT$1,200 and allowing a stay of no more than 60 days. According to the Thai government’s plan,the new “multiple-entry visa” will allow travelers to enter Thailand multiple times within a six-month period, with a processing fee of 5,000 Thai baht (approximately NT$4,600) per person. The Thai government hopes this will attract more international tourists to Thailandand also attract investors from China, India, Taiwan, and other regions to invest in Thailand.

▲ Thailand is one of the popular choices for Taiwanese travelers, with Bangkok and Chiang Mai being among the top cities. (Photo/By reporter Chen Tzu-yin)

Regarding the “multiple-entry visa valid for six months,” the Taipei Office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand stated that they have not yet received official information from the Thai government but will announce further details when available.

Liu Wei-li, Southeast Asia manager at Phoenix Tours, believes that the “multiple-entry visa” is not very practical, whether for individual independent travelers or group tours. According to their statistics, most independent travelers visit Thailand only once every ten months, which is already considered frequent. He thinks this visa may be more suitable for tourism-related professionals such as tour guides and tour leaders, or for independent travelers who travel frequently.

Additionally, according to a report by the Central News Agency,the Thai government will launch a Passenger Pre-Processing System (APPS) at six major international airports starting in December, charging each traveler an additional 35 Thai baht. In the future, this fee will be included in the ticket priceof passengers.

The APPS system is mainly used to screen international travelers' entry and exit data and records to enhance security identification. It is estimated to save each traveler 15 to 20 minutes of inspection time, but some airlines consider the timeline too hasty and are still pushing for a delay in implementation.